UP budget focuses on infrastructure and youth

LUCKNOW: The Government of Uttar Pradesh presented its state budget of over Rs 6.15 lakh crore for the year 2022-23. The budget was tabled by Suresh Kumar Khanna, Minister of Finance, Government of Uttar Pradesh on May 26.

The state has allocated Rs 2000 crore for ten selected cities under the Government of India’s Smart Cities Mission and Rs 210 crore for seven cities under State Smart City scheme. Additionally, Rs 1353.93 crore has been proposed for the Swachh Bharat Mission to improve cleanliness in the state.

In the budget for 2022-23, the state government has earmarked Rs 550 crore for the development of infrastructure facilities in newly created, upgraded and expanded municipal bodies. The budget for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Housing for all (Urban) has been kept at Rs 10,127 crore.

This time, the budget also includes a provision for the development of slums in the state and to increase the facilities at the level of Nagar Panchayats. It allocated Rs 200 crore under Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Adarsh Nagar Panchayat Yojana and Rs 215 crore for the Chief Minister’s Urban Underdeveloped and Slums Scheme.

Rs 21,000 crore in the budget has been set aside for the establishment of 14 new medical colleges in the state. Rs 2200 crore has been earmarked to give a thrust to the plan of providing every household with pure drinking water through taps. Moreover, the budget included provision of Rs 100 crore for Kanha Gaushala and destitute animal shelter scheme of the state. Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, said that the budget is also a vision of Uttar Pradesh for the next five years, which will include inclusive and holistic development of the state.