Uttar Pradesh Budget Highlights: Rs 247 crore allocated for maintenance of cow-shelters

Lucknow, Feb 7: Uttar Pradesh finance minister Rajesh Agarwal presented the state budget for financial year 2019-20. This is Yogi Adityanath government's third Budget.

The Budget size amounting to Rs 4,79,701 crore for the 2019-20 fiscal is 12 per cent higher than the previous year's Budget of Rs. 4,28,384.52 crore.

Considering it is an election year with the 2019 Lok Sabha polls just months away, the Budget is crucial for the Yogi Adityanath Government.

UP Budget Highlights:

• Rs 247.60 crore has been allocated for the maintenance of cow -shelters in rural areas and Rs 200 crore allocated for 'Kanha Gaushala and Besahara Pashu Ashram' in urban areas
• Rs 1000 crore allocated for development of airports - Rs 800 crore for airport in Jewar and Rs 200 crore in Ayodhya. Rs 459 crore allocated for modernisation of Arabic/Persian language Madrasas
• Rs 1,075 crore has been allocated to acquire land for construction of residential and non-residential buildings in newly created districts and newly created courts in the state.
• Rs 2,275 crore has been allocated for Mid Day Meal programme.
• Rs 6,000 crore has been allocated for Swachh Bharat Mission.Rs 2,954 crore has been allocated for the National Rural Drinking Water Programme and Rs 1,393 crore for National Rural Livelihood Mission.
• Rs 3,000 crore allocated for piped drinking water scheme in Bundelkhand, Vindhya region and the villages affected by low quality water.

On the first day of the Budget Session, Opposition members hurled paper balls towards the podium and raised slogans as Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik addressed a joint sitting of the state legislature on the Budget Session's first day on Tuesday.

In his about 55-minute speech, the governor highlighted the welfare and development schemes of the state government, and also justified the renaming of Allahabad and Faizabad districts, saying, "my government has restored their cultural names."

In his 28-pages address, Naik said there has been "considerable improvement in the law and order (situation) in the state".

"Now, the common man is fear free and women are not afraid of coming out of their houses even during the night," he said.

The governor said due to the drive against criminals, there has been a substantial decline in serious crimes as compared to the last year.

"As many as 7,626 culprits were arrested in 3,285 police action against them. During these actions, 946 culprits sustained injuries, 73 others were killed. In these operations, 576 police personnel sustained injuries and four jawans attained martyrdom," Naik said.

On farmer's welfare, Naik said, "A record purchase of 52.92 lakh metric tonnes of wheat was made from 11,27,195 farmers under the price support scheme in 2018-19 and online payment of Rs 9231.99 crore was made within 72 hours."

Naik claimed that MoUs worth Rs 4.68 lakh crore were signed during the investor summit in February 2018 and foundation stones of 81 projects, involving an investment of over Rs 61,000 crore, was laid in July by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

(With PTI inputs)