Uttar Pradesh has to aim big for achieving the ambitious target of taking the state’s economy to $1 trillion and to finance the increased expenditure, the government has sought a supplementary budget of Rs 33,769 crore for the current fiscal 2022-23, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday.
With the supplementary grants, the size of the current fiscal budget has crossed Rs 6.5 lakh crore. The chief minister was replying to the debate on Tuesday on the supplementary budget tabled in the assembly by Finance Minister Suresh Khanna on Monday.
“The opposition has questioned the rationale of the supplementary budget even as the utilisation of the budgeted amount for different grants in 2022-23 is around 40 per cent. The opposition is curious to know about the utilisation of the budget and I welcome their curiosity,” the CM said, adding: “The PM has set the target of making India a $5 trillion economy and UP can make a big contribution in achieving this goal by taking its economy to $1 trillion. This is the reason for seeking approval of the legislature for supplementary grants to finance the increased expenditure on infrastructure and other development projects.”
“The 2018 Kumbh in Prayagraj had made a huge contribution to the image makeover of Uttar Pradesh and over 24 pilgrims had visited the mega event. We have started making preparation for the 2025 Kumbh and made a provision of Rs 521 crore. Moreover, India will host the heads of states of 20 countries for the G20 summit and the heads of states and delegates will visit four places in Uttar Pradesh, and the government made a provision of Rs 4,000 crore for the development of new cities and Smart City mission,” the CM said.
Yogi said that despite the order of the Supreme Court after the Nirbhaya rape incident in Delhi, no city in Uttar Pradesh had been made a ‘safe city’. “The present government is working on making 18 cities, including Gautam Buddha Nagar, safe. In the last five-and-a-half years, more than Rs 4 lakh crore were invested in UP which is becoming a data centre hub. In 2015-16, the exports here were worth 50,000 crore whereas in 2021, commodities worth Rs 1.56 lakh crore were exported,” he said.
Yogi said UP is the first state in the country where 18 cities, including 17 municipal corporation towns, will be linked to the safe city network and for comprehensive development of urban areas, a provision of Rs 4,000 crore has been made in the supplementary budget.
He said Uttar Pradesh has the junction of both the dedicated rail corridors – western dedicated rail corridor and eastern dedicated rail corridor near Dadri in Ghaziabad. With the completion of these two projects, UP would emerge as an important logistic hub in the country, Yogi said.
“UP is the only state to have six expressways, and it has given a big boost to the state’s economy. There were only two airports till 2017, but today there are nine operational airports, including three international ones providing connectivity to 77 destinations across the country. The work is in progress for ten other airports. The work on the Smart City mission has been underway for the last five years and 10 cities were chosen for the project where the Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS) system has been implemented. ITMS has been linked to the Safe City, which will tremendously enhance the capability of police to maintain law and order,” the CM said.
“UP has made huge strides in enhancing medical and health facilities. There were only 12 medical colleges till 2017 but today 35 new medical colleges are in various stages of completion, and our target is to have one medical college in each district. There were no intensive care units in 20 districts but today there are ICUs and ventilators in each of the 75 districts. Work is underway to link each primary health centre to tele-consolations in association with SGPGI,” the CM said, adding: “UP has made progress in health parameters with the implementation of National Health Mission and mother & infant mortality rate has come down near the national average.”
The CM also referred to the provision of Rs 8,000 crore for the development of industrial clusters along the expressways and Rs 1,200 crore for UP Power Corporation which will benefit the farmers who will pay only 50 per cent of the power bills on private tubewell. The CM also referred to reforms, modernisation and increase in capacity for training police recruits. “So far, 1.64 lakh police personnel have been recruited and the police commissionerate system has been implemented in seven districts. Besides, cyber police stations will be set up in each police range. The academic session will commence soon in the Forensic Science Institute coming up in Lucknow,” Yogi said.
On governance, the CM said that in ten districts, the district courts are operating from rented buildings, and a provision of Rs 400 crore has been made in the supplementary budget for construction of district court buildings. “My government is sincerely pursuing the agenda of development and uplift of people without discrimination and none can question the honesty of the government,” the CM said.
Asking the opposition parties to come forward for the success of the Global Investors Summit to be held in February, 2023, Yogi said: “The government wants to involve small traders and entrepreneurs at district and small town level, and the opposition party leaders can contribute by persuading people to invest in 25 sectors identified by the state government.”