UP: Yogi govt presents state's largest budget; Opposition slams it; calls it web of statistics, cliched

The opposition on Thursday slammed the Uttar Pradesh budget, with Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav calling it a web of statistics and BSP's Mayawati saying it is a cliched exercise and lacks measures in public interest.

Terming the budget a "makad-jaal (spiderweb)" of statistics, Yadav said this is the sixth budget of the BJP government and allocations under every head have been reduced.

"The common man does understand it. Under the double-engine government, inflation has doubled," he said.

"Youngsters who wanted employment are depressed. Employment is seen in the statistics but not in reality," Yadav said, adding that the government talks about unemployment but does not give out the figures.

He said the government failed to run schemes for the poor and for the development of the state's infrastructure.

The government talked about payment of sugarcane dues but did not mention how much is pending and when it could be paid, the Samajwadi Party chief said.

"We have seen dreams of free medicine, treatment and electricity, but this government in constantly increasing inflation," he added.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati said the state budget was "cliched" and lacked credibility.

"Where is the basic work that should have been done on a priority basis by the so-called double-engine government to bring 'achche din' in the lives of crores of people of Uttar Pradesh," she said in a tweet in Hindi.

"How would a policy like that come about when there is a lack of clear intention? How long will this game of fooling people continue," she asked.

the Uttar Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Thursday tabled a budget of Rs 6,15,518.97 crore for the financial year 2022-23.

This is almost double the size of Rs 3,46,935 crore budget presented by Akhilesh Yadav government for the financial year 2016-17.

It includes new schemes worth Rs 39,181.10 crore.

The state government has also announced budgetary provision worth crores of rupees to strengthen the police and maintain law and order in the state.

Tabling the budget in the Assembly, state Finance Minister Suresh Khanna said that the government has not only made a record payment of Rs 1,72,745 crore to sugarcane farmers until May 16, 2022, which is Rs 77,530 crore more than the five years of accumulated payment of Rs 95,215 crore during Akhilesh Yadav's government, but has also proposed Rs 1000 crore for payment to the remaining sugarcane farmers.

The budget proposes free irrigation facility to farmers through 34,307 government tube-wells and 252 minor branch canals as well as Rs 1000 crore under Mukhya Mantri Laghu Sinchai Yojana to address irrigation related issues of the state.

Furthermore, the budget proposes accidental insurance of Rs 650 crore for farmers under Mukhya Mantri Krishak Durghatana Kalyan Yojana.

The Yogi government aims to distribute 2 crore smartphones and tablets in the next five years, including 12 lakh in the current financial year itself.

It has also proposed Rs 897 crore for multi-modal connectivity projects under PM Gati Shakti Yojana and Rs 694. 34 crore for the 594 km long six-lane Ganga Expressway from Meerut to Prayagraj.

The total receipts in the current financial year are estimated at Rs 5,90,951.71 crore, including revenue receipts of Rs 4,99,212.71 crore and capital receipts of Rs 91,739 crore.

The share of tax revenue in revenue receipts is Rs 3,67,153.76 crore. This includes its own tax revenue of Rs 2,20,655 crore and the state's share in central taxes of Rs 1,46,498.76 crore. The fiscal deficit is estimated of Rs 81,177.97 crore which is 3.96 per cent of the estimated Gross State Domestic Product.

With agencies input