UP Budget 2023: Govt accomplished 110 out of 130 pledges made in 2022 manifesto, says Yogi Adityanath

Appreciating the budget presented by his cabinet colleague, Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, Yogi Adityanath said the FY24 expenditure and revenue account fulfills 110 of the 130 promises made in the UP BJP manifesto 2022 also called Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra.

“We have promised Rs 64,000 crore under Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra. Accordingly, we have made allocations in the state budget,” the CM said during a media interaction on Wednesday.

By 2017, tax revenue from sales tax and value added tax stood at Rs 51,000 crore. Now the tax revenue under GST stands at Rs 1.25 trillion, the UP Chief Minister said. The state has also collected Rs 45,000 crore in customs and excise till today's fiscal year 23.

“Today, UP is a revenue surplus state with a focus on world-class infrastructure,” said CM Adityanath. "The state budget announces several regimes focusing on financial discipline and treasury discipline," he added.

According to CM UP, the state is also successful in sponsoring programs through revenues instead of taxes. "In the current budget, only 16 percent of announcements are sponsored through taxes," he said. "Today, only 6 percent of the budget is used for loan repayment," CM Adityanath said.

On unemployment, CM Adityanath said the job shortage has come down to 4 percent from nearly 17 percent earlier. This was supported by SME support. The implementation of centrally sponsored schemes contributed to an improved ratio of CDOs to collateralized debt obligations to 55 percent from 46 percent previously. Loans worth Rs 9.50 trillion were distributed to businesses and farmers among other categories of self-employed during 2017-22, the CM said.

“In the current budget, the main emphasis is on capital expenditure. We have five active expressways. Gorakhpur link and Ganga Expressway are already in full swing,” the CM added.

Measures were taken within the budget for:

• Jhansi link and Chitrakoot link highway
• Industrial cluster under Purvanchal and Bundelkhand highways
• Industrial cluster near Gorakhpur highway

"We are aiming for 100% free electricity for farmers," CM Adityanath said. A green energy corridor has been proposed in Bundelkhand in collaboration with the German government. Ayodhya will be developed as a modern city and its 17 municipalities will be developed so that we can achieve a net-zero carbon status, the CM said.

The budget envisages Rs 400 crore for new buses, Rs 100 crore for EV policy and another Rs 200 crore will be spent on buses in view of the upcoming Kumbh, Adiyanath said. In line with the infra push, the current budget targets to spend Rs 21,000 crore on roads and another Rs 6,000 crore is allocated for their maintenance. 5,000 crore has been allocated under the CM Audyogik Kshetra Vistarikaran Yojana. The Jhansi Bundelkhand Industrial Development Authority has been allocated Rs 5,000 crore in the budget.

The UP government has also earmarked Rs 1200 crore for Chief Minister Gati Shakti. The UP government has introduced a new policy to revive sick industrial units. In a bid to accelerate digital learning, the state's youth will be provided with tablets and smartphones. Another addition to industry was the allocation of Rs 500 crore for industrial parks in the state, the CM added.

An apprenticeship scheme worth Rs 70,000 crore has been announced for the youth to receive a portion of the scholarship sponsored by the industry and the state. Education has also been given a lot of emphasis in the current budget, said CM Adityanath.