UP Budget on February 7; major leg up to agri, infra sectors likely

In election year, Budget size likely to breach Rs 4.75 trillion mark

The Yogi Adityanath government will table its Annual Budget in the state legislature on Thursday, February 7.

Considering it is an election year with the crucial 2019 Lok Sabha polls just months away, the UP Budget size is likely to touch Rs 4.75 trillion, which would be nearly 11% higher than the Annual Budget 2018-19 of about Rs 4.28 trillion presented in February 2018.

During the election years, successive UP Budget seizes have witnessed hikes of almost 15% compared to non-election financial years, when the average increase in size has flanked 10%. Last year, UP Budget had risen by 10% compared to the Annual Budget 2017-18 of Rs 3.84 trillion. The state budget session commences tomorrow.

Interestingly, UP annual budget ranks highest among peer states. Last year, compared to UP Budget of Rs 4.28 trillion, the budget of other big states such as Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Karnataka stood at around Rs 3.67 trillion; Rs 2.12 trillion and Rs 2.09 trillion respectively. Other states in this table include West Bengal Rs 1.95 trillion, Tamil Nadu Rs 1.93 trillion, Andhra Pradesh Rs 1.91 trillion, Madhya Pradesh Rs 1.86 trillion and Gujarat Rs 1.83 trillion.

Besides, the Adityanath government had also tabled two supplementary budgets for the current fiscal 2018-19, during the previous state legislature sittings in August and December 2018, amounting to about Rs 34,800 crore and Rs 8,000 crore, which increased the net size of UP Budget for the current fiscal to nearly Rs 4.70 trillion.

Meanwhile, the UP Budget is likely to give a major leg up to the agricultural, social and infrastructure sectors for trying to capitalise on the positive sentiments of the people during poll campaigning and later voting.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government would also attempt to top up the pro-agriculture footprint of the Union Budget 2019-20 with more supplementary schemes to provide succour to the state farmers, which form the largest chunk of voters in the state.

This would be the third annual budget of the incumbent Adityanath regime after it came to power in March 2017. The ruling BJP does not want to leave any stone unturned in keeping all the sections of society in good humour before the poll dates are announced and the model code of conduct comes into force, which would prohibit any new announcement and launch of government projects.

The government would provide outlay for the flagship projects too, including Purvanchal Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway, Bundelkhand Defence Corridor, Jewar International Airport, Lucknow Metro Rail, Ganga Expressway, Gorakhpur Link Expressway etc. In 2014 Lok Sabha poll, the BJP and its ally Apna Dal had won 73 of the total 80 constituencies in the state.