Rs 3.84 lakh crore tax-free budget is UP's biggest-ever * Rs 36,000 cr provided as farm loan waiver
Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government on Tuesday presented Uttar Pradesh's biggest-ever annual tax-free budget of Rs 3.84 lakh crore for 2017-18, making a special provision of Rs 36,000 crore to honour its much-touted election promise of waiving 86 lakh farmers' loans. The budget is 11 per cent higher than that of last fiscal under Akhilesh Yadav government.
Presenting the budget, which has earmarked Rs 55,781 crore for new schemes, Finance Minister Rajesh Agarwal said the focus is on the poor, unemployed and farmers. The government has set a target of 10 per cent growth rate in this budget.
The government estimates to mop up 3.77 lakh crore through revenue, mainly from GST and excise. It has also aimed at saving over Rs 12,000 crore by austerity means and raise additional funds through loans.
Though a balance has sought to be made in allocation of budget between rural and urban areas of the state the budget has not paid much attention on any concrete plan to speed up infrastructural activities and industrial development to achieve an integrated growth.
Taking a cue from its 'Sabka saath sabka vikaas' policy, Yogi's budget did not curtail any budgetary allocation on minority and welfare schemes. It has allocated Rs 792 crore for scholarship to minority students and Rs 394 crore for development of madrasas.
The budget session began on a stormy note with Samajwadi Party, BSP and Congress forcing several adjournments on deteriorating law and order situation in the state and farmers' issues. An exhausted Finance Minister had to stop his budget speech, which was later read by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna.
Special focus was laid on state's backward and underdeveloped Bundelkhand and Poorvanchal part. Rs 300 crore for special schemes in Poorvanchal and Rs 200 was sanctioned for Bundelkhand. Unlike previous regimes, the Yogi government also allocated Rs 2,800 crore for potable water in the two regions.
Education department bagged the biggest pie of Rs 66,599 crore followed by Rs 15,760 crore for construction of roads and Rs 6,123 crore for irrigation. Much focus was laid on allocating funds for Central schemes launched by PM Modi. Rs 3,000 crore were allocated to construct about 2 lakh homes for the poor under the Prime Minister's Awas Scheme.
The government also set aside Rs 3,255 crore for construction of toilets and Rs 1,000 crore for PM's pet Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan.
To control crime, the Yogi government announced to recruit 33,200 police personnel and set up 75 special police posts in every district for checking power theft. Budgetary provisions were made to launch metro in Varanasi, Kanpur and Gorakhpur.
The government also announced to set-up two new sugar mills and allocated Rs 273 crore for opening of closed sugar mills. Budgetary provisions were made for its already announced schemes of proving free school bags, text books, dresses and shoes to primary school students.
Wif-Fi would be provided in all government colleges and universities with Rs 50 crore. Schools and hospitals would be named after martyrs and poor girl students would be provided free education up to graduation level under Ahiliyabai Free Education Scheme.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath claimed that his government budget aims at achieving 10 per cent growth rate by laying emphasis on infrastructure and industrial development by wooing investments for an overall growth of the state during the next few years.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Adityanath_BUDGET")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}