Yogi govt in UP presents state's largest Budget with an eye on 2024 polls

Lucknow, May 26

With an eye on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Uttar Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Thursday tabled a budget of

Rs 6,15,518.97 crore for the financial year 2022-23.

This is almost double the size of Rs 3,46,935 crore budget presented by Akhilesh Yadav government for the financial year 2016-17.

It includes new schemes worth Rs 39,181.10 crore.

The state government has also announced budgetary provision worth crores of rupees to strengthen the police and maintain law and order in the state.

Tabling the budget in the Assembly, state Finance Minister Suresh Khanna said that the government has not only made a record payment of Rs 1,72,745 crore to sugarcane farmers until May 16, 2022, which is Rs 77,530 crore more than the five years of accumulated payment of Rs 95,215 crore during Akhilesh Yadav's government, but has also proposed Rs 1000 crore for payment to the remaining sugarcane farmers.

The budget proposes free irrigation facility to farmers through 34,307 government tube-wells and 252 minor branch canals as well as Rs 1000 crore under Mukhya Mantri Laghu Sinchai Yojana to address irrigation related issues of the state.

Furthermore, the budget proposes accidental insurance of Rs 650 crore for farmers under Mukhya Mantri Krishak Durghatana Kalyan Yojana.

The Yogi government aims to distribute 2 crore smartphones and tablets in the next five years, including 12 lakh in the current financial year itself.

It has also proposed Rs 897 crore for multi-modal connectivity projects under PM Gati Shakti Yojana and Rs 694. 34 crore for the 594 km long six-lane Ganga Expressway from Meerut to Prayagraj.

The total receipts in the current financial year are estimated at Rs 5,90,951.71 crore, including revenue receipts of Rs 4,99,212.71 crore and capital receipts of Rs 91,739 crore.

The share of tax revenue in revenue receipts is Rs 3,67,153.76 crore. This includes its own tax revenue of Rs 2,20,655 crore and the state's share in central taxes of Rs 1,46,498.76 crore. The fiscal deficit is estimated of Rs 81,177.97 crore which is 3.96 per cent of the estimated Gross State Domestic Product.

The budget not only focuses on the education of youth and their employment, but also empowerment of women and farmers as well as all-round growth of the state and law and order.