Uttar Pradesh flush with Central funds

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had bit of advice for Planning Commission --- keep Samajwadi Party in good humour. And the panel delivered on it by agreeing to the state’s demand of Rs 69,200 crore annual plan for 2013-14, second highest for any state after Bihar.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had bit of advice for Planning Commission --- keep Samajwadi Party in good humour. And the panel delivered on it by agreeing to the state’s demand of Rs 69,200 crore annual plan for 2013-14, second highest for any state after Bihar.

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The plan panel had proposed annual plan of Rs 66,000 crore for Uttar Pradesh but accepted Yadav’s demand despite the state government showing lowest expenditure of allocated Central funds in the last six years.

The hike as compared to allocation for 2012-13 of Rs 57,800 crore was around 20%, slightly lower than 21.1 % increase for the new found UPA ally Bihar.

The plan size include Rs 11,335 crore central assistance, in addition to around Rs 18,000 crore which would flow from the Centre to Uttar Pradesh through various Central Sponsored Schemes. “The plan funding from the Central Government to the State of Uttar Pradesh, from all sources, is expected to be over Rs.30,000 crore during 2013-14,” a planning commission statement said.

“We will try to utilise the funds for economic and social gains in Uttar Pradesh,” Yadav later told reporters, while applauding his government for success of free laptop scheme to college going students.

At the meeting on Thursday, Yadav announced that hiring would soon start for 73,000 trainee teachers and 30,000 teachers for maths and science in government run schools. He already said 10,000 teachers have already been hired.

The chief minister also sought central funds for conducting various religious functions like the recent Khumb Mela on the banks of river Ganga. He said this after he received kudos from planning commission deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia for successful Khumb Mela at Allahabad in January 2013.

Yadav, however, refrains from speaking on the Food Security Law saying the Samajwadi Party will announce its position in Parliament.