Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): With a target of making Uttar Pradesh 'atmanirbhar' (self-reliant)), the Yogi Adityanath government on Monday presented a Rs 5,50,270.78 crore budget for 2021-22 in the state Assembly.
With Assembly elections in the state less than a year away, the budget includes new schemes of Rs 27,598.40 crore.
The budget presented by Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, in the presence of the chief minister, is over Rs 37,410 crore more than the previous year's budget size, making it the largest fund allocation.
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Reading out the budget speech from a laptop, Khanna said the target was to make Uttar Pradesh "atmanirbhar" and ensure all-round development of the state.
It was Yogi government's first paperless budget. It is also the fifth budget of the present government in the state before the next UP Assembly polls.
Some highlights from the Budget:
- Rs 3,100 crore for farmers' pension
- Folk artists facing financial crisises will get monthly assistance of Rs 2,000.
- A university in every division, Rs 200 crore for model colleges in 26 districts.
- Rs 100 crore for Metro rail projects in Varanasi and Gorakhpur.
- Rs 50 crore for Rashtriya Prerna Sthal in Lucknow.
- Rs 140 crore for the overall development of Ayodhya.
- Rs 101 crore for an airport in Ayodhya, Rs 2,000 crore for airports Jewar, Chitrakoot and Sonbhadra.
- Rs 750 crore for Gorakhpur Expressway, Rs 1,107 crore - Purvanchal Expressway, Rs 1,492cr - Bundelkhand Expressway.
- Rs 50 crore allocated for Covid vaccination.
(With inputs from agencies)
