By Nakul Chaturvedi In LUCKNOW: Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, presented the supplementary budget ahead of the Uttar Pradesh election in 2022. On the second day of the winter session, the Yogi administration submits the second supplementary budget of Rs 8,479 crore.
The Yogi Adityanath government submitted a supplementary budget of Rs 8,479 crore and a vote on account of Rs 1,68,903 crore in the assembly on the second day of the winter session, the last under the current dispensation, on Thursday, ahead of the key Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2022.
The UP government attempted to reach out to farmers, labourers, the unemployed, and state workers in its second supplementary budget for the current fiscal year, while also opening its coffers to ensure round-the-clock power supply across all of the state’s tehsils, district headquarters, and villages.
As the session started, the opposition staged a protest demanding the resignation of the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Ajay Mishra Teni in Lakhimpur Kheri case. During this, the State Finance Minister, Suresh Khanna presented the second supplementary budget for the financial year 2021-22 and Vote on Account for part of the year 2022-23, which will help in un-obstructed work-flow when the state goes into elections next year.
Here are the major Highlights from the presented budget:
- Major Boost to the Power Sector- A large chunk of the budget, 1000 crore, went to the Power Corporation for 24-hour electricity for the state, which also happens to be one of the biggest poll promises of the Yogi Government. Ensuring 24-hour electricity to the state will be a definite booster for them in the upcoming elections.
- ‘Har Ghar Bijli Yojna’- An additional budget of 185 crore was allocated to the Government’s scheme named ‘Har Ghar Bijli Yojna’ which focuses on connecting far fetched homes and villages of the state to the power lines.
- Push For Sports Development- An amount of Rs 10 crore has been given to the Sports Activity Division, for further motivating the upcoming talent in the field of sports from the state. The department helps the budding sportsmen/women from the state to perform further ahead by providing basic facilities to the marginalised section of people.
- Kashi Vishwanath Darshan- A generous fund of Rs.10 crore has been allotted to the Kashi Vishwanath and Ganga Darshan by the Yogi Adityanath Govt. to provide facilities to the public to visit Kashi Vishwanath which is one of the oldest cities in the world and is known for its spiritual connect. The recent inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already given the city’s beautification a major uplift. Being the centre of faith for the majority population of the state, this would give them a major push when the parties go out for elections in the next 4 months.
- Sanctions Rs 4,000 Cr for unorganised sector workers – With a focus on the poor and the impoverished, nearly half of the overall supplementary budget, Rs 4,000 crores, has been allotted to workers in the unorganised sector. According to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the government has agreed to provide these workers with a monthly payment of Rs 500 for four months.
- Pension for Farmers and Old-Age Citizens- The past one year, the country saw a major protest headed by the farmers to repeal the three farm laws passed by the Central Government of India. Now when the centre has repealed the laws, Yogi Govt. has taken another major step to woo the farmers and old-age citizens of the state before the elections by allocating 670 crores for providing pension to the farmers and old-age citizens of the state. The move aims at winning the trust of the farmers before going into the elections, which had become a bit of a concern for the current ruling party.
- Another 150 crore has been given to The Department of Information and 10 crores towards the ‘UP Gaurav Samman’, a govt. scheme to felicitate the achievers of various fields from the state.
It is for sure that the ruling Yogi Adityanath led government has given its party a much-needed booster dose right before the elections by showering the state with a hefty second supplementary budget. It has aimed at fulfilling most of the promises made by the party in the 2017 elections.
