Women’s safety, farmer welfare, jobs: Key highlights of UP govt’s budget 2022-23

This year, the state government laid focus on areas of safety of women, employment generation and welfare of farmers among others.

Uttar Pradesh finance minister Suresh Khanna on Thursday tabled the Yogi Adityanath government’s maiden budget in its second term in the assembly. “The economy of the state is improving rapidly. We believe that we will be successful in taking the state’s economy to USD 1 trillion,” Khanna said while presenting the budget of over ₹6.15 lakh crore.

Uttar Pradesh finance Minister Suresh Khanna shows victory signs along with chief minister Yogi Adityanath as he arrives to present the State Budget 2022-23 during the budget session of the state assembly, in Lucknow.  (ANI)

This year, the state government laid focus on areas of safety of women, employment generation and welfare of farmers among others.

Here are some of the key announcements of the budget

Women’s safety:

Khanna said the Uttar Pradesh government has set up Women Help Desk at all police stations of the state, designating women to beat constables. The grievances of women and girls are being resolved and effective action is being taken on their complaints immediately.

He said the Women and Child Protection Organisation formed in August 2020 is being implemented under the supervision of the additional director general of police.

Participation of women in the state police force:

The state government has allotted 10,370 women beat constables to 2,740 women police personnel across Uttar Pradesh districts. Apart from this, three women Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) Battalions in Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Budaun will be formed.

Employment generation:

Under the Information Technology and Electronics Industry Policy, a target of investment of ₹40,000 crore and employment generation for four lakh people has been set in five years. Khanna said the unemployment rate in the state that was 18 per cent in June 2016 has come down to 2.9% in April this year.

Khanna added that under the MNREGA scheme, 26 crore work-days were created in the financial year 2021-22, and a target has been set to generate 32 crore man-days under the scheme in the financial year 2022-23.

Under the chief minister’s Village Industries Employment Scheme, in the year 2022-23, a target has been set to employ 16,000 people by establishing 800 units, he said.

Pointing out that there is huge potential for employment generation in medical education, Khanna said about 3,000 nurses have been appointed in government medical colleges/hospitals and about 10,000 posts have been created, which will be filled in the coming years.

Start-up policy:

To promote entrepreneurship and innovation in various fields among the youth under the state’s new startup policy, a target is to establish a total of 100 incubators and 10,000 startups in the next five years.

Farmers and agriculture:

This year’s budget proposed ₹650 crore under the farmers’ accident scheme. As many as 15,000 solar pumps will be installed in this financial year and 60.20 lakh quintal seeds are proposed to be distributed to farmers.

The finance minister Suresh the budget has set a target to distribute 119.30 lakh metric tonne of fertilisers, adding a provision of ₹1,000 crore is proposed for the chief minister’s Minor Irrigation Scheme.

(With inputs from PTI, UP bureau)