Focusing on agriculture, infrastructure, rural development, youth welfare, drought-hit Bundelkhand and Samajwadi Pension Scheme for the rural poor and women, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav presented a tax-free deficit Budget of Rs 3.47 lakh crore for 2016-17 in the UP Assembly on Friday.
With this, Yadav also became the first CM of the State to have tabled five annual Budgets in a row, since the first Assembly polls in 1952.
The CM, who also holds the Finance portfolio, tabled the Budget on Friday afternoon amid some interruptions by the opposition parties during his hour-long speech of 68 pages.
The Budget size for 2016-17 fiscal is Rs 3.47 lakh crore which is 14.6 per cent higher than the budget of 2015-16. No new taxes have been imposed and an estimated deficit of
Rs 49,960 crore has been left uncovered for 2016-17.
With the state set to go to the hustings, the CM announced new schemes with an estimated outlay of Rs 13,842 crore. He said that the fiscal deficit exceeded the 3 per cent cap due to the issue of bonds worth Rs 1,33,003 crore for bailout package for power distribution companies under UDAY (Ujjawal Discom Assurance Yojana) announced by the Centre.
As per Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, the fiscal deficit of the state should be within 3 per cent.
Shortly after presenting the Budget, the CM told the media that the next fiscal has been dedicated to the farmers and the youth as ‘Kisan Evam Yuva Varsh’.
Referring to NITI Ayog data, he said that the State had attained the top spot in capital expenditure.
“UP emerging as the top State spending on capital account proves that we have skillfully utilised our resources while adhering to the norms of the financial discipline,’’ CM said.
He added, “Each and every section of the society will be benefitted by development due to hike in expenditure from capital account.”
Yadav said the government had stressed on infrastructure, keeping in view the needs of the farmers and the rural poor.
“Some new schemes have been included in the budget so as to meet the future requirements of the youth and the needs of the farmers,” he said.
“Without causing any trouble to the farmers, the government has started construction of the Greenfield Agra-lucknow Expressway, the longest in the country, which would be operational by next year. District headquarters have been linked with four-lane road projects and Bareilly-Haldwani, Bahraich-Shravasti and Kalpi-Hamirpur and several other highway projects are operational,’’ Yadav said.
“As the people await the completion of the Metro rail in lucknow, the government has made financial provisions for Metros in Kanpur and Varanasi,’’ the CM said.
To make the balance sheets of the power distribution companies healthy, additional power generation, transmission and distribution have been ensured and the state is implementing the UDAY scheme of the Centre.
“The UP government is committed to providing 16 hours’ power supply to rural areas and 22 hours’s to urban areas. We are set to hike the availability of power from present 11,000 MW to 21,000 MW. Besides, large number of transmission and distribution sub stations and power transmission lines have been set up,” the Chief Minister said.
Referring to the health sector, Yadav said that UP operates the largest fleet of free ambulance service in the country and have opened new medical colleges. He said land for medical college at Chandauli had been allotted while construction of Jaunpur medical college was in progress.
The government has also sanctioned Rs 40 crore for a government medial college at Najeebabad in Bijnor, he added.
He said the construction of cancer and cardiology institute in Kannauj was also in progress.
On the shortfall in revenue recovery by the Excise department, the Chief minister said, “Efforts are on to curb liquor smuggling into UP from other states, several rackets have been busted and people have been arrested and the drive is on.’’
Akhilesh Yadav said that for helping cane farmers and ensuring that no sugar mill is closed, the government has taken steps to extend adequate relief to both.