Mayawati tables tax free, surplus budget for UP

Lucknow, June 29: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, who also holds the Finance portfolio, today presented a tax free, surplus budget for the fiscal 2007-08 with an aim to developing rural infrastructure and improving urban areas.

The Chief Minister also tabled the vote on account for August and September as the previous Mulayam Singh Yadav government had sought vote on account only till July 31, 2007. She said the government was seeking vote on account for two months as it would take time to properly implement the budgetary proposals.

The state government expects its revenue receipts to be Rs 99709.26 crore during the fiscal 2007-08, whereas the expenditure is expected to be Rs 100911.41 crore. Though with a deficit of Rs 1202.12 crore, after adjusting the available public funds of Rs 1823.08 crore, the surplus comes to Rs 620.96 crore.

With the tabling of the budget, UP has become the first state in the country to peg its expenditure above the Rs one lakh crore mark.

This year's budgetary provisions are 22 per cent more than the previous year.

In her speech on the floor of the house, the CM said Kanshiram ji Nagar Vikas Yojna would be launched to improve the urban areas of the state. ''A provision of Rs 200 crore has been made for the purpose...interest free loans would be provided to urban units to develop their infrastructres,'' she said.

At the same time, the government was committed to the development of rural areas of the state, she said, adding, ''A total of 3000 gram sabha roads will be developed at a cost of Rs 1000 crore. Similarly, 3200 km of pucca sampark (links) roads would also be constructed for 1000 villages at a cost of Rs 8000 crore.'' The budget also provides for construction of 2.5 lakh Indira Awas (houses) at a cost of Rs 160 crore.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government has also doubled budgetary provisions for the 'power starved' Power department. While last year the provisions were worth Rs 4530 crore, the present provisions are pegged at Rs 9209 crore. A special package of Rs 395 crore has been earmarked for the development of Bundelhand and Poorvanchal areas of the state.

''Thirty backward districts would be be helped through another package of Rs 500 crore,'' Ms Mayawati added.

Meanwhile, the government has also decided to increase the legislators' local area development (LAD) fund from the present Rs one crore to Rs 1.25 crore.

In the Health sector, the government has decided to set up allopathic colleges at Ambedkar Nagar and Saharanpur. Sant Kabir Nagar, Shravasti, Auriyya, Balrampur and Sant Ravidas Nagar districts would now have separate district hospitals. UP's industrial capital of Kanpur would have a new 100-bed hospital.

On the law and order front, the state government has decided to sanction Rs five crore to install jammers and close circuit TV cameras (CCTV) in jails which of late had been in limelight for riots between inmates and police.

The government has also sanctioned Rs 180 crore for police moderanisation.

The CM announced that a new sugar policy was also in the offing which would cater to the interest of farmers and sugar mills. Loss making sugar mills could be up for sale to the private sector.

Ms Mayawati said since this is the first year of the 11th Five Year Plan (FYP), UP has set an ambitious 10 per cent growth rate for itself. While the national growth target last year was 7.6 per cent, UP's target was 5.1 per cent.

The government expected two lakh crore worth of investment in the public sector. The figure for the private sector was estimated at Rs six lakh crore.

UNI