Adityanath govt tables supplementary budget of Rs 11,388 cr

Provision of Rs 1,215 cr made for the construction of toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission

The Yogi Adityanath government on Monday tabled its first supplementary budget of over Rs 11,388 crore in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) legislature seeking additional funds for infrastructure and other development projects in the state.

Of the supplementary budget, about Rs 6,773 crore and Rs 4,615 crore pertained to revenue and capital expenditure, respectively.

The supplementary budget, coupled with the annual budget, of Rs 3,84,000 crore presented by the Yogi government on July 11, 2017, pegs the consolidated budget of the country’s second-largest economy at almost Rs 3,95,388 crore, a shade below Rs 4,00,000 crore.

Another sitting would be held during the 2018 budget Session of the UP legislature, and keeping in mind the practice of the incumbent state governments tabling supplementary budgets, it is most likely that the Yogi government would breach the mark of Rs 4,00,000 crore during this financial year itself in consolidated UP budgetary grants.

Supplementary budget is tabled to get the legislature's approval for meeting additional expenses during the course of the financial year over ongoing or proposed projects.

Meanwhile, the departments accounting for the bulk of the supplementary budget proposals include agriculture and allied sectors at about Rs 1,215 crore, energy Rs 760 crore, social welfare department Rs 1,394 crore and finance department (allowances and pension) Rs 1,800 crore.

The government has made a provision of over Rs 1,215 crore for the construction of toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission. Besides, Rs 10 crore have has allocated for the development of burial grounds in the rural areas.

The government has sought the legislative nod for Rs 150 crore towards the proposed Purvanchal Expressway that seeks to connect the impoverished eastern UP region to Lucknow. The flagship project would traverse nine districts viz. Lucknow, Barabanki, Faizabad, Ambedkarnagar, Amethi, Sultanpur, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur.

So far, about 80 per cent of land has been acquired by UP Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) for the project. Land acquisition alone is estimated to cost nearly Rs 7,000 crore or about a third of the total project cost estimated at Rs 20,000 crore.

Besides, over Rs 11 crore has been sought for setting up a helpline and its operation.

Additionally, Rs 580 crore has been sought for power distribution projects under the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana, while Rs 100 crore would be provided to the state power utility UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) for upgrade of power transmission lines.

Meanwhile, Opposition parties cornered the Yogi government over the alleged deteriorating law and order citing the latest case of BJP legislator’s son's murder in the posh and highly secured Hazratganj area. The Opposition benches maintained the Yogi government had failed to rein in the criminal elements and that crime against women had also spurted over the past few months.

In his reply, Yogi said no criminal and land mafia would be spared and police had been given free hand to deal effectively with the troublemakers.