Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna presented the state budget for the financial year 2024-2025 in the assembly on Monday, February 5, 2024. The budget, which is the last one before the state goes to polls in 2025, has a size of Rs 7.36 lakh crore, an increase of 6.6% from the previous year. The budget focuses on infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, women empowerment, and social welfare.
Infrastructure Development
The budget allocates Rs 1.18 lakh crore for infrastructure development, including Rs 55,000 crore for road construction and maintenance, Rs 14,788 crore for metro rail projects in various cities, Rs 10,000 crore for airports and airstrips, Rs 7,200 crore for power sector reforms, and Rs 5,000 crore for the development of Ayodhya as a world-class tourist destination.
The budget also proposes to construct a 600-km-long Ganga Expressway from Meerut to Prayagraj at a cost of Rs 36,000 crore, which will be the longest expressway in the country. The budget also provides Rs 2,000 crore for the development of the Bundelkhand Expressway and Rs 1,107 crore for the Purvanchal Expressway.
Agriculture and Rural Development
The budget allocates Rs 1.60 lakh crore for agriculture and rural development, including Rs 27,500 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Rs 12,000 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Rs 10,966 crore for the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, and Rs 6,000 crore for the Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana.
The budget also announces an increase in the minimum support price (MSP) of sugarcane from Rs 325 per quintal to Rs 350 per quintal. The budget also provides Rs 700 crore for the establishment of 15 new agricultural colleges and Rs 500 crore for the promotion of organic farming.
Health and Education
The budget allocates Rs 82,514 crore for health and education sectors, including Rs 38,035 crore for health and family welfare, Rs 31,978 crore for education, and Rs 12,501 crore for medical education.
The budget proposes to establish six new medical colleges in various districts at a cost of Rs 1,950 crore. The budget also provides Rs 1,200 crore for the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, which covers over 1.18 crore families in the state. The budget also announces a free health insurance scheme for journalists with a cover of up to Rs 5 lakh.
The budget also proposes to set up a state university in Aligarh at a cost of Rs 101 crore and a Sanskrit university in Varanasi at a cost of Rs 50 crore. The budget also provides Rs 100 crore for the establishment of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Residential Schools in every district and Rs 40 crore for the distribution of free tablets to meritorious students.
Women Empowerment and Social Welfare
The budget allocates Rs 32,520 crore for women empowerment and social welfare schemes, including Rs 6,000 crore for the Mahila Samarthya Yojana, which provides financial assistance to women self-help groups (SHGs), Rs 3,194 crore for the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana, which promotes girl child education and empowerment, and Rs 2,410 crore for the Ujjwala Yojana, which provides free LPG connections to poor women.
The budget also announces an increase in the amount payable to eligible beneficiaries under the Destitute Women Pension Scheme from Rs 500 per month to Rs 1,000 per month. The budget also provides Rs 2,000 crore for the Women Farmer Empowerment Project, which aims to provide technical support by forming 200 producer groups in the financial year 2024-2025.
The budget also allocates Rs 10,029 crore for the welfare of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and minorities. The budget also provides Rs 783 crore for the construction of hostels and residential schools for SC/ST students.
Other Highlights
- The budget estimates a revenue surplus of Rs 26,671 crore and a fiscal deficit of Rs 96,496 crore.
- The budget projects a growth rate of 10.1% for the state in 2024-2025, higher than the national average of 9.5%.
- The budget allocates Rs 100 crore for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence and Rs 50 crore for the celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
- The budget provides Rs 200 crore for the development of Ramayana Circuit and Rs 100 crore for the development of Krishna Circuit.
- The budget allocates Rs 101 crore for the development of the Chitrakoot Dham and Rs 50 crore for the development of the Naimisharanya Dham.
- The budget provides Rs 300 crore for the development of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor and Rs 200 crore for the development of the Sarnath International Buddhist Centre.