CM Yogi dedicates biggest UP budget to Lord Ram, says document of balanced development

Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday dedicated the biggest budget of Uttar Pradesh for the financial year 2024-25 presented in both Houses of the state Legislature to Lord Shri Ram, keeping the spirit of public welfare in mind.

Talking to the reporters after the budget was tabled, the CM said, "Shri Ram Lalla is in the beginning, middle and end of this budget because Lord Ram is synonymous with public welfare. This budget is a financial document of inclusive and balanced development of the state, through which the concepts of overall and balanced development will be made meaningful."

He described celebration, industry and hope as the picture of the new UP. "This eighth budget of his government is the biggest budget of 7,36,437.71 crore so far in the history of the state. There has been an increase of 6.7 percent compared to 2023-24 in this budget which is dedicated to faith, Antyodaya and economy," he said.

Yogi said that the increase in the size of the state budget is based on the commitment of the double engine government to expand the economy of the state, the Prime Minister's vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Prayas. It reflects the commitment of the double engine government.

Highlighting the important features of the state budget, the CM said that for the first time a provision for capital expenditure of Rs 2,03,782.38 crore lakh has been made. "This shows that if money is spent on infrastructure, it not only will be created but will also strengthen the economy. Since beginning our government has our government has been concentrating that he have to work on the concept of overall development and not pick and choose," he said.

He said that the state's Gross Domestic Product which was Rs 12 lakh crore to 12.5 lakh crore in the year 2017, will be Rs 25 lakh crore in 2024-25. "We will be successful in increasing the GDP of the state by more than double. Besides, the government has also been successful in doubling the per capita income," he said.

Yogi said that today UP has become the number two economy in the country. "This has been possible because the government has not only stopped tax evasion, but various departments of the government have taken whatever measures could be taken with full commitment to eliminate revenue leakage. This is the reason why UP has become a revenue surplus state today," he said.

He said, "Revenue has increased manifold in the last seven years. For this, neither any additional tax was imposed nor the burden on the common man was increased, not only this, during this period all the schemes of public welfare were also operated on a large scale."

The Chief Minister also expressed happiness over the fact that UP's fiscal deficit (3.46 percent) is within the fiscal deficit limit of 3.5 percent set by the Reserve Bank. "This shows that the government's vision is for security, development and good governance as well as fiscal discipline in the budget," he said.

He said that the government has also been successful in controlling the unemployment rate in the last seven years. "In 2016-17, the unemployment rate in the state was 19.2 percent, which has reduced to 2.4 percent today. New employment opportunities and a new environment for industrial investment have been created, MSME units have been revived. Also, schemes like ODOP and Vishwakarma Shram Samman have given UP a new identity in the country," he said.

Yogi also mentioned the important proposals made in the budget for poor welfare, women empowerment, bright future of youth and prosperity of farmers in the state. He said that new projects worth Rs 24,863.57 crore have been included in the budget.

He said, "There is also a proposal to provide interest free loan of Rs 5 lakh for the youth under the Chief Minister Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan Yojana. Apart from this, creating an Employment Promotion Fund, in which arrangements for training, internship and apprenticeship have been made."

The CM said that setting up of Government Institute of Fashion Technology in Varanasi, 2 mega government ITIs, upgradation of 69 ITIs, Sports Science and Injury Centre, Senior Citizen Welfare Fund, development of 22 thousand mini Anganwadi centers as main Anganwadi centers are also important proposals of the budget.

He said that efforts have also been made to take forward the action of formation of Bundelkhand Industrial Development Authority in the state. "After 46 years, a new city will be developed inside the state between Kanpur and Jhansi," he said.

He said that UP has the immense scope of spiritual tourism. "To promote spiritual tourism budget provision has been made which included development of infrastructure based on the theme of Nath corridor in Ayodhya, Kashi, Mathura, Naimish, Vindhyachal, Devipatan and Bareilly, Kumbh Museum in Prayagraj," he said.

Yogi said, "Provision of funds for a music college in Hariharpur, Azamgarh, setting up of International Ramayana and Vedic Research Center in Ayodhya, CM Farm Security Scheme for farmers in agriculture as a primary sector, State Agricultural Scheme in the state are also proposed. Besides, provision of funds has been made to provide electricity to private tubewells of the farmers in the state. To protect agriculture from being affected by global warming, automatic rain gauges will be installed in every gram panchayat," he said.

He said that this is the golden age of naming UP, hence this budget becomes even more important. "The government has done important work to make the concept of Green Budget meaningful. Green tagging has started for 17 departments of the state. Probably UP will be the first state to do green tagging. Our budget process has become completely digital," he said.

The CM said, "Our budget is also a pink budget as it is based on the welfare of mothers, sisters and daughters. This budget is going to fulfil the overall concepts of the state."

He said that this is the eighth budget of the state government. "All the previous budgets of his government have been presented with some theme or the other. While the budget of 2017-18 was dedicated to farmers, the budget of 2018-19 was dedicated to infrastructure and industrial development, the budget of 2019-20 was dedicated to mother power and women empowerment and the budget of 2020-21 was dedicated to youth energy," he said.

Yogi said, "Similarly, the budget of 2021-22 was dedicated to empowerment through self-reliance, the budget of 2022-23 was dedicated to self-reliance through Antyodaya, the budget of 2023-24 has been dedicated to accelerated and all-inclusive development. The budget for 2024-25 has been presented keeping in mind the spirit of public welfare by dedicating it to Lord Shri Ram."