UP Budget: State Allocates Rs 7.36 Lakh Crore, Focuses On Infra, Women, Youth, And Farmer Development

The Budget has set the target of 5.1 per cent growth rate for the agriculture sector in the state, while allocating Rs 4,000 crore for distribution of tablets/smart phones to students

The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday presented the budget for financial year 2024-25 with an allocation of Rs 7.36 lakh crore, prioritising infrastructure development as well as welfare of women, youths and farmers.

The budget has set the target of 5.1 per cent growth rate for the agriculture sector in the state, while allocating Rs 4,000 crore for distribution of tablets/smart phones to students and Rs 1,750 crore for the development of 'dharmarthmarg' (roads to religious places).

It has provided Rs 100 crore to the state's culture department for organising Mahakumbh-2025. An additional Rs 2,500 crore has been allocated to the urban development department with a view to develop world-class infrastructure in cities.

The policies of the state are particularly dedicated to the upliftment of the youth, women, farmers, and the underprivileged sections, the Uttar Pradesh government said.

With an aim to achieve a 5.1 per cent growth in agriculture, a provision of Rs 460 crore has been made for three new agriculture-related schemes.

An outlay of Rs 2,400 crore has been proposed for providing electricity at concessional rates to private tube wells of farmers. The amount is 25 per cent more than the budget for the same provided in the current financial year.

Khanna said that Rs 449.45 crore has been proposed for the implementation of PM Kusum Yojana, which is more than double than the allocation for the ongoing fiscal.

Under the central government's rural job guarantee programme MGNREGA, the state generated 28.68 crore man-days and provided employment to 75,24,000 workers during the current financial year. The target is to create 33 crore man-days in the financial year 2024-2025.

The budget has proposed Rs 4,000 crore for distribution of tablets/smart phones under Swami Vivekananda Yuva Sashaktikaran Yojana. In the current year, more than 25 lakh tablets/smartphones have already been distributed, and the process is ongoing.

Over Rs 2,057 crore has been proposed for the Ganga Expressway project, which is more than double as compared to the current year.

Rs 500 crore has been proposed for the construction of a new link expressway to connect the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and Purvanchal Expressway.

Khanna said that under the Destitute Women Pension Scheme, the amount payable to the eligible beneficiaries has been increased from Rs 500 per month to Rs 1,000 per month.

As many as 31,28,000 destitute women have been benefited under the scheme till the third quarter of 2023-2024.

Under the Women Farmer Empowerment Project, the target is to provide technical support by forming 200 producer groups in the financial year 2024-2025, the minister said.

For the operation of various programs under the National Rural Health Mission, a provision of Rs 7,350 crore has been proposed in the financial year 2024-2025.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission Yojana, a provision of Rs 952 crore is proposed for the establishment of health and wellness centres, integrated public health labs in rural and urban areas, and Rs 300 crore is proposed in the financial year 2024-25 for Ayushman Bharat Mukhyamantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan, Khanna said.

Rs 322 crore has been proposed for the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana in the financial year 2024-25.

Arrangements for cashless treatment have been made in private hospitals affiliated to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Rajya Karmchari Cashless Chikitsa Yojana. An estimated expenditure of Rs 150 crore is anticipated for this, which is being borne by the state government, the minister said in the budget speech.

The budget also proposed Rs 400 crore for the establishment of a medical college in Varanasi district, Rs 125 crore to provide free medical facilities for incurable diseases, Rs 300 crore for upgrading trauma centres in government medical colleges.

To attract foreign direct investment from top global companies, the state has announced the 'Foreign Direct Investment and Fortune 500 Companies Investment Promotion Policy 2023 and provided Rs 250 crore for the implementation of this policy.

Khanna said that Rs 2,881 crore has been proposed for widening/strengthening of state highways, while Rs 1,750 crore for the development of 'dharmarthmargs'.

A proposal of Rs 3,000 crore is made for the maintenance of roads, and Rs 2,500 crore for construction from the State Road Fund.

Rs 800 crore has been proposed for widening/strengthening/construction of 4-lane highways for industrial/logistics parks.

A provision of Rs 500 crore has been proposed for widening and strengthening/ construction/reconstruction of roads for agricultural marketing facilities in the sugar mill areas and Rs 1,350 crore proposed for the construction of railway over/under bridges and Rs 1,500 crore for rural bridges.

To address the issue of traffic congestion in cities and towns, a provision of Rs 1,000 crore is proposed for the construction of flyovers and similar infrastructure in urban areas, Khanna said.

The budget also provided Rs 1,100 crore for supplying water to farmers from canals and government tube wells free of cost.

A provision of Rs 1,530 crore has been allocated for river improvement and erosion prevention projects (NABARD funded).

A provision of Rs 22,000 crore has been made for the Jal Jeevan Mission, with Rs 2,000 crore being allocated specifically for maintenance.

For air connectivity, selected airports like Aligarh, Azamgarh, Moradabad, Shravasti and Chitrakoot have been developed. The development work of the airports of Mayorpur (Sonbhadra) and Sarsawa (Saharanpur) is in progress.

'Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham' has been developed in Ayodhya, and a proposal of Rs 150 crore has been made for the expansion of this airport.

The government has allocated another Rs 1,100 crore for the construction, expansion, and strengthening of airstrips as well as land acquisition in the next fiscal.

A provision of Rs 1,150 crore is proposed for the establishment of an international airport and the purchase of land in Jewar of Gautam Buddha Nagar district.

The budget also proposed increased allocation of Rs 2,000 crore to ensure continuous power supply during summers, up 33 per cent from the the current fiscal. 

(This report has been published as part of an auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)