UP govt presents Rs. 3.84 lakh crore budget, targets 10% growth

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday presented its first annual budget in the state Assembly, which provided for waiver of the crop loans of the farmers amounting to Rs. 36 thousand crores besides targeting 10 % growth in the next five years.

The size of the budget, which was presented by state finance minister Rajesh Agarwal, was 10.9 % more than the previous year's state budget.

The tax-free budget provided for Rs. 36 thousand crores for payment of crop loan outstanding against small and marginal farmers.

The government announced several schemes after RSS ideologues and made budgetary provisions for schemes to promote religious and cultural tourism in the state. It provided for Rs. 288 crore for Metro rail projects in the state and also proposed new special schemes of Rs. 300 crore for the eastern and Bundelkhand region of the state.

It also made a provision of Rs. 300 crore for Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Urban Development Scheme.

The government announced the free distribution of school bags among students of primary and senior primary schools run by the Basic Education Board and provided Rs. 100 crore for the same.

The budget also contained provisions extending financial assistance for community marriage of daughters of poor parents belonging to SC, ST, OBC and minorities.

It made a provision of Rs. 1420 crore for Ramayana Circuit, Buddhist Circuit and Krishna Circuit at Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura respectively. A further provision of Rs. 800 crore was made for the development of infrastructural facilities in the three towns.

To improve law and order in the state, the government intended to recruit about 33 thousand constables and sub-inspectors this year. The government said that the process of recruiting 1.5 lakh police personnel would be completed in the next five years.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed the budget ''farmer friendly'' and said that it would usher in an era of development in the state.

The opposition parties, however, termed the budget ''anti-farmer'' and said that it lacked direction had nothing for the common people.