Yogi 2.0’s last full budget before polls: Scooters for girls, jobs for youth

In its last full budget before next year’s Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, the Yogi Adityanath government in the state unveiled a record Rs 9,12,696 crore outlay that blends big-ticket infrastructure spending with targeted welfare measures. From scooters for meritorious girls, to tablets for youth and higher outlays for farmers and MSMEs, the last budget of the term carries a clear election-year imprint even as the government projects it as a roadmap for growth and stability.

Presenting the budget, UP Finance Minister Suresh Khanna outlined the government’s priorities and achievements in a poetic flourish. Praising the Chief Minister, he said, “This is my passion, this is my dream — to light a lamp and dispel darkness wherever it exists.”

The Opposition, however, staged protests ahead of the Budget and termed it the BJP’s “farewell budget”, claiming the electorate would deny the party another term in next year’s elections. It later called the budget a ‘jugglery of figures’ and argued that there is no special package. Barely 5 per cent of the outlay is for new schemes, it said. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took a swipe at the Chief Minister, saying, “Those who talk of building metros could not build one in their own district. This is a farewell budget; the BJP’s exit is certain.”

Election focus?

Alok Verma, district president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), said farmers’ concerns found no real place in the budget, adding that for them it remains “Ram bharose” (left to fate).

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Responding after the Budget presentation, Yogi said Uttar Pradesh is emerging not only as an investment destination but also as an employment generator. He asserted that public perception of the state has transformed over the past nine years and noted that no new taxes have been imposed during this period.

The record-sized budget, with focus on youth, women and farmers, has allocated Rs 43,000 crore for new schemes and proposes to generate employment for 10 lakh youths.

Push for industry

In its final full budget, the Yogi 2.0 government has placed its strongest emphasis on industrial development. In recent years, the state has linked expressway and industrial corridor projects to its economic growth strategy. The Chief Minister also announced that the Ganga Expressway will be extended up to Bihar.

As in previous budgets, industrial expansion remains central, and Rs 27,103 crore have been allocated for infrastructure and industrial development — 13 per cent higher than before. The Chief Minister Industrial Area Expansion Scheme has been allocated Rs 5,000 crore, while Rs 2,000 crore has been set aside for the Atal Infrastructure Mission.

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Rebutting the Opposition’s criticism, Khanna said the state’s per capita income is estimated at Rs 1,09,844 — more than double the Rs 54,564 recorded in 2016-17. Education and agriculture account for 12.4 per cent and 9 per cent of the total budget respectively.

Farmers as entrepreneurs

An allocation of Rs 10,888 crore has been made for the agriculture sector, with priority given to free electricity for tubewells. “Our annadatas (food providers) are not merely beneficiaries. We will move towards making them entrepreneurs. The budget makes provisions in this direction," said Yogi.

The irrigation and water resources budget has been increased by 30 per cent to Rs 18,290 crore.

Sugarcane, long central to UP’s politics, found a prominent mention in this budget. The government had earlier raised the support price for sugarcane. Khanna said that during the current tenure, record sugarcane payments exceeding Rs 3,04,321 crore have been made — Rs 90,802 crore more than the combined payments of Rs 2,13,519 crore over the previous 22 years.

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An additional Rs 94,668 crore has been transferred into the accounts of 3.12 crore farmers under the Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.

Scooters and tablets

Under the Rani Lakshmibai Scheme, Rs 400 crore has been allocated to provide scooters to female students, a promise pending since the 2022 election. Under the Swami Vivekananda Yuva Sashaktikaran Yojana, Rs 2,374 crore has been earmarked for the distribution of tablets and smartphones to the youth.

Employment generation through the MSME sector has received a boost, with an allocation of Rs 3,822 crore, 19 per cent higher than last year. The budget also set aside Rs 225 crore for artificial intelligence. The Finance Minister informed the House that Uttar Pradesh has emerged as India’s largest mobile phone manufacturing hub, accounting for 65 per cent of the country’s total production.

The budget allocated Rs 150 crore for Ayodhya’s development and Rs 500 crore for the Chief Minister Tourism Development Scheme. Additionally, Rs 100 crore each has been earmarked for the development of Vindhyachal, Varanasi and the Naimisharanya pilgrimage site.

This article was originally published in The Federal Desh.