₹200 cr for Ayodhya and Varanasi, cheaper loans for farmers in UP Budget | Key points

Uttar Pradesh finance minister Suresh Kumar Khanna on Monday presented a ₹5,50,270.78 crore budget for 2021-22 in the assembly to make the state ‘atmanirbhar' or self-reliant. The budget included new schemes of ₹27,598.40 crore, Khanna said while presenting the state’s first paperless budget.

Chief minister Adityanath congratulated the finance minister and the people of the state after the presentation of the budget. “Focus on electricity, water, road and the size of the budget has been increased. The budget for the future of the exploited and deprived has also been enhanced. This budget is full of democratic spirit,” Adityanath said.

Here are some major announcements made in the UP budget:

1. With the purpose of increasing tourism in the state, the government allocated ₹100 crore each for the development of tourism-related facilities and beautification of Ayodhya and Varanasi.

2. ₹400 crore was allotted for the Ganga Expressway.

3. The government announced the establishment of an electronic city near Jewar Airport and the setting up of defence electronics manufacturing cluster in Bundelkhand.

4. ₹22 crore were allocated for the health water scheme and Rs. 2031 crore were allocated for the improvement of sanitation by the government.

5. ₹15,000 crore provision was made by the government for the Jaljivan Mission.

6. The government also announced that nine medical colleges will be built and allocated ₹1950 crore for the same. Atal residential schools will also be opened in all mandals.

7. For the farmers, the government announced that 400 crores will be provided for cheaper loans.

8. The government also plans to develop Jewar Airport as Asia's biggest airport and proposed to set aside ₹2,000 crore for Jewar Airport. The state government has also increased the number of runways of the Jewar airport to six, from two proposed earlier. The first phase of the airport, which is expected to be completed by 2023, will be spread over 1,334 hectares and would cost ₹4,588 crore.

9. The government also announced new schemes for women and child welfare allocating ₹100 crore for Saksham Suposhan Yojna. Malnourished children (six months to five-year-old) and teenage girls (11 to 14-year-old) who are not enrolled in school will be provided nutritious food under the scheme. It also allocated ₹200 crore for Mahila Samrthya Yojna under which women, especially in rural pockets of the state will be motivated to form cooperatives and will be trained for the same.