Yogi Adityanath invokes Ram, describes state budget as a step toward making a new Uttar Pradesh full of industry and hope

Quoting a couplet from Goswami Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said the Uttar Pradesh budget for 2024-25 has been dedicated to Lord Ram and will ensure Lok Mangal (public welfare).

“Ehi maha adi madhya avasana, prabhu pratipadya Ram bhagwana (Lord Ram is synonymous with Lok Mangal and Shri Ram Lalla is at the beginning, middle and end of this budget),” chief minister Yogi Adityanath said at a press conference after the budget was presented.

Yogi Adityanath described the budget as a document for the overall and balanced development of the state.

“The budget is for the well-being of all, to fulfil our vow for the welfare of the masses and is a step toward making a new Uttar Pradesh embedded with celebrations, industry and hope,” he said.

The budget aims to make Uttar Pradesh the growth engine in the country’s development and it will be a milestone in achieving the trillion-dollar economy target. It’s also a step toward making the concept of ‘Green Budget’ meaningful with green tagging of 17 state government departments. U.P. will become the first state to do green tagging,” he said.

To protect the agriculture sector from global warming, automatic rain gauges will be installed in every gram panchayat, he said.

“Our budget is also a pink budget as it lays stress on the welfare of the women and girls. It will pave way for empowerment of the women with the launch of new schemes for their welfare. The allocation of funds for women-centric schemes has been increased. We have made the budget process completely digital,” he said.

“My government has tabled eight budgets after it came to power in 2017. The first budget (2017-18) was dedicated to farmers, the second (2018-19) to infrastructure and industrial development, the third (2019-20) to women empowerment, the fourth (2020-21) to youths, fifth (2021-22) to making U.P. self-sufficient, the sixth (2022-23) to empowerment through self-reliance and the seventh budget (2023-24) was meant to accelerate all-inclusive development of Uttar Pradesh,” he said.

“The eighth budget (2024-25) is the biggest budget of ₹ 7,36,437.71 crore in the history of the state. This budget is dedicated to faith, antyodaya and economy. The increase in the size of the state budget -- 6.7% compared to 2023-24 -- is based on the commitment of the double engine government to expand the state economy and fulfil the Prime Minister’s vision of “sabka saath, sabka vishwas, sabka vikas aur sabka prayas,” he said.

Enumerating the budget highlights, the chief minister said a provision for capital expenditure of ₹2.04 lakh crore has been made for the first time.

The expenditure on infrastructure will not only generate employment but also strengthen the economy.

In 2016-17, the state’s GSDP was ₹12 lakh crore and it has doubled to ₹25 lakh crore in 2024-25. The per capita income has also doubled, he said.

Asserting that Uttar Pradesh has become the second largest economy in the country, he said the state government has stopped tax evasion and taken measures to eliminate revenue leakage.

“Today, Uttar Pradesh has become a revenue surplus state. No additional tax has been imposed nor the burden on the common man increased. A series of development and welfare projects has been launched since 2017,” he said.

He expressed satisfaction over the state government’s effort to keep fiscal deficit at 3.46 per cent, which is within the fiscal deficit limit of 3.5 per cent under the FRBM Act.

“It shows that the government’s vision is for security, development and good governance as well as fiscal discipline in the budget,” he said.

The state government has been successful in controlling the unemployment rate in the last seven years, he said.

In 2016-17, the unemployment rate in the state was 19.2%, which was reduced to 2.4% in 2024, he added.

“New employment opportunities and a new environment for industrial investment have been created. MSME units have revived. The schemes like ODOP and Vishwakarma Shram Samman have given U.P. a new identity in the country,” he said.

The chief minister said the budget has new proposals for welfare of the poor, women empowerment, youths and farmers in the state.

New projects worth ₹24,863.57 crore have been included in the budget, he said.

The youths will get interest-free loan of ₹5 lakh under the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan Yojana, he said.

Under the Employment Promotion Fund, arrangements have been made for training, internship and apprenticeship, he said.

The state government plans to establish Government Institute of Fashion Technology in Varanasi, two mega government ITIs (industrial training institutes), besides upgrading 69 ITIs.

He also mentioned the proposals for establishment of sports science and injury centre, launch of Senior Citizen Welfare Fund and development of 22,000 mini anganwadi centres as main anganwadi centres.

The launch of Bundelkhand Industrial Development Authority will pave the way for formation of a new industrial city in the state after 46 years near Jhansi.

Provision has been made for spiritual tourism in U.P, including in Ayodhya, Kashi, Mathura, Naimish, Vindhyachal, Devipatan, Bareilly and Kumbh Museum in Prayagraj.

Funds have also been allocated for a music college in Hariharpur, Azamgarh and establishment of the International Ramayana and Vedic Research Centre in Ayodhya, he said.