The Yogi government will table its third annual budget for 2019-20 fiscal in the Assembly on Thursday. The size of the budget is likely to be over Rs 5 trillion, the largest among all states of India. The Budget session commenced on February 5 with the joint address of Governor Ram Naik to both Houses of the Legislature.
Principal Secretary (Assembly) Pradeep Kumar Dubey said in Lucknow that the budget would be tabled by Finance Minister Rajesh Agarwal in the Assembly at 11 am on February. A general debate on the budget will be held between February 11 and 14. After the debate on budgetary grants, Finance Bill is likely to be passed by the Assembly on February 22. The Business Advisory Committee of the Assembly has approved the agenda of the House till February 22.
With Lok Sabha elections less than 50 days away, the Yogi government is set to present a populist budget for 2019-20. The main focus will be on farmers’ distress, infrastructure and job creation. The government is banking on liberal financial support from the Union government.
The government is likely to launch new schemes like ‘Kisan Samarth Yojana’ for farm entrepreneurs under which educated farmers will be given loans up to Rs 32 lakh on investing Rs 3 lakh. Of the loan amount, as much as Rs 20 lakh will be government subsidy. The government is also working on setting up ‘Krishi Samarth Kendra’ and nearly 1,000 such kendras will be set up during the next three years.