E-Paper
UP supplementary budget: Lion’s share for power sector, push to Ayodhya projects
₹10,000 crore earmarked for the power sector and funding for populist announcements that includes ₹900 crore for free electricity supply to farmers (private tubewells).
The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday presented its first supplementary budget of ₹28,760.67 crore for 2023-24 with
₹10,000 crore earmarked for the power sector and funding for populist announcements that includes ₹900 crore for free electricity supply to farmers (private tubewells).
It also gave a push to Ayodhya projects with an allocation of nearly ₹170 crore for the pilgrim town with a stress on renovation of 100-year-old temples across the state ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
A sum of over ₹4250 crore has been earmarked for road infrastructure and ₹854 crore for disaster relief.
The first supplementary budget comes nearly nine months after the state government had presented an annual budget of ₹6.90 lakh crore for 2023-24, including allocations of ₹1.87 lakh crore for capital expenditure.
The supplementary budget includes new demands of ₹7421.21 crore, about one- fourth of its total size. Allocations of ₹9714 crore have been made for capital expenditure in the supplementary budget.
Minister for finance Suresh Khanna presented the supplementary demands in the state assembly in the presence of chief minister Yogi Adityanath whose home district Gorakhpur, too, has got funds earmarked for various projects that include ₹12 crore for NCC Training Academy and ₹5 crore for Sainik School there.
The allocations of nearly ₹170 crore for Ayodhya include ₹100 crore for Ramotsava in 2023-2024 and ₹25 crore for International Ramayan and Vedic Research Institute. A token sum of ₹1 lakh has been earmarked for construction of Sri Ram Avtaran Corridor from Sri Ramjanmbhoomi to Prabhu Sri Ram Putroshthi Yagya Sthali and Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama Marg Sthal Makhauda Dham in Basti. A sum of ₹ 6 crore has been earmarked for the renovation of more than 100 temples,paths, dharamshalas or pilgrimage centres. A demand of ₹496 crore has been made for works relating to information and publicity.
In the power sector, a sum of ₹1000 crore has been earmarked to provide a discount in the rate of electricity supplied to power loom weavers. Other allocations include ₹3200 crore to fund losses of power distribution companies (discoms), ₹1300 crore (2023-2024) and ₹574.64 crore (2020-2021) to the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) as reimbursement subsidy.
A sum of ₹1028 crore has been earmarked to strengthen power distribution infrastructure in Noida and Mau.
Allocations for infrastructure development include ₹518.87 crore earmarked to pay additional 6% (in addition to GST) amount to the developers of the Ganga Expressway project. A sum of ₹51 crore has been earmarked to setting up of PM Mega Integrated Textiles Park in Lucknow-Hardoi and ₹550 crore allocated to UP Cooperative Sugar Mills Federation to take loan to clear dues of farmers. A sum of ₹231 crore has been earmarked to repay loans drawn for Lucknow and Kanpur Metro Rail projects. A sum of ₹28.9 crore has been allocated to agriculture related expenditure under eight different heads.
A sum of ₹250 crore has been earmarked for maintenance of stray cows with additional ₹10 crore to set up cow conservation centres. A sum of ₹1 crore has been given to the UPSRTC as compensation for providing free bus rides to women in the 60-year plus age group. A sum of ₹51 crore has been earmarked to honour winners of medals in the Asian Games-2022, Para Asian Games-2022 and National Games.
Another demand of ₹50 crore has been made for setting up of the State Capital Regional Development Authority.
A sum of ₹300 crore has been earmarked for scholarship to class 10 students.
A sum of ₹300 crore has been allocated to the development authorities/UP housing development board and ₹276.38 crore from 2% of stamp duty collected by the state government.
The Bhatkhande Sanskriti University gets ₹10 crore for maintenance of its Lucknow campus, ₹4.19 crore to clear dues and pension share of former employees.
A token sum of ₹1 lakh has been given for the panch takht yatra for Sikhs from Uttar Pradesh.
A sum of ₹10 crore has been earmarked for construction of integrated divisional offices at Varanasi and Gorakhpur. A token sum has been given to set up convention centres at the state’s development authorities and Uttar Pradesh Housing Development Board. A sum of ₹1.44 crore has been earmarked to clear the pending bills of solar spinning wheels (2022-2023) under the Khadi and Village Industry Development and Self Employment generation promotion policy.
OTHER IMPORTANT DEMANDS
₹130 crore to buy machines and equipment in government press
₹288 crore for payment of loan under Atma Nirbhar Bharat scheme
₹2.34 crore for digital pictures of President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others on horizontal screen
₹2.5 crore to implement e-Vidhan in the legislative council.
₹1.6 crore for installing digital sound system in the Vidhan Sabha Hall and PD Tandon Hall of the state legislative assembly.
