Lucknow, Feb 11 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Khanna on Wednesday presented a Rs 9,12,696.35 crore budget for the financial year 2026-27 in the Assembly, an increase of nearly 12.9 per cent over the previous year. The Budget includes new schemes worth Rs 43,565.33 crore. The government has placed special emphasis on capital expenditure, fiscal discipline, strengthening law and order, and expanding health and medical infrastructure.

Capital expenditure has been pegged at 19.5 per cent of the total outlay. Education has been allocated 12.4 per cent of the Budget, medical and health services 6 per cent, and agriculture and allied sectors 9 per cent. In line with the 16th Central Finance Commission’s recommendations, the fiscal deficit for 2026-27 has been capped at 3 per cent of GSDP, a limit that will remain applicable until 2030-31. Khanna said the government remains committed to prudent financial management. The state’s debt-to-GSDP ratio, which stood at 29.3 per cent in 2016-17, declined to 27.9 per cent in 2019-20. It rose to 33.4 per cent in 2021-22 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but has since been brought down to below 27 per cent in 2024-25. The target is to reduce it further to 23.1 per cent in 2026-27 and below 20 per cent in the medium term.

Significant provisions have been made to enhance police infrastructure. Compared to 2016, incidents of robbery, loot, murder, riots and kidnapping for ransom have reportedly declined by 89 per cent, 85 per cent, 47 per cent, 70 per cent and 62 per cent, respectively. A reduction has also been recorded in crimes against women and atrocities against the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. The Budget earmarks Rs 1,374 crore for the construction of non-residential police buildings and Rs 1,243 crore for residential facilities. Additionally, Rs 346 crore has been allocated for infrastructure in newly created districts, Rs 200 crore for fire stations, and Rs 190 crore for strengthening firefighting systems in multi-storey buildings. Under Mission Shakti, Rs 25 crore has been allocated for vehicles for female beat officers.

A total of Rs 14,997 crore has been allocated for medical education. Uttar Pradesh currently has 81 medical colleges -- 45 government and 36 private. Medical colleges will be established in 16 underdeveloped districts under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. MBBS seats have increased from 4,540 in 2017 to 12,800, while postgraduate seats have risen from 1,221 to 4,995. An allocation of Rs 1,023 crore has been proposed for 14 new medical colleges. The Medical, Health and Family Welfare Department has been allocated Rs 37,956 crore, a 15 per cent increase over last year. Rs 8,641 crore has been earmarked for the National Rural Health Mission and Rs 2,000 crore for the Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission. As many as 49.22 lakh families are benefiting under the Ayushman Bharat - Mukhyamantri Jan Arogya Yojana.

Further, Rs 315 crore has been allocated for the Cancer Institute in Lucknow and Rs 130 crore for free treatment of incurable diseases. The National Mental Health Programme is now operational in all 75 districts, and infectious diseases are being monitored through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Portal. The state’s GSDP for 2024-25 (Quick Estimates) is projected at Rs 30.25 lakh crore, reflecting a 13.4 per cent growth over the previous year. Per capita income has risen from Rs 54,564 in 2016-17 to Rs 1,09,844, and is estimated to reach Rs 1,20,000 in 2025-26.

The government claims that nearly six crore people have been lifted out of poverty, while the unemployment rate has declined to 2.24 per cent. The state’s per capita income is projected to rise to Rs 1,20,000 in 25-26. Uttar Pradesh’s ranking in the SDG India Index has improved from 29th in 2018-19 to 18th in 2023-24. The state hosted its fourth Global Investors Summit in February 2024, signing MoUs worth nearly Rs 50 lakh crore with the potential to generate around 10 lakh jobs. Groundbreaking ceremonies have been conducted for over 16,000 projects involving investments of approximately Rs 15 lakh crore.

Uttar Pradesh accounts for 65 per cent of India’s mobile phone production and hosts 55 per cent of the country’s electronic component units. Electronics exports have reached Rs 44,744 crore. The state has achieved “Leader Category” status in the national startup rankings and secured first position among landlocked states in the Export Preparedness Index 2024 released by NITI Aayog. To boost technology-driven growth, the government has announced a New and Emerging Technologies Mission, along with the establishment of a data authority and eight data centre parks with a total capacity of 900 MW. An AI Mission and the “Tech Yuva Samarth Yuva Yojana” will be launched to provide youth training and opportunities in emerging technologies.

The state leads the country in the production of wheat, paddy, sugarcane, potato and several horticultural crops. Agricultural export hubs will be developed to enhance farmers’ income and connect them to global markets. The irrigated area has expanded significantly, and crop intensity has increased from 162.7 per cent in 2016-17 to 193.7 per cent in 2024-25. Thermal power generation capacity has increased by over 55 per cent to 9,120 MW in 2025-26 (till December), while 2,815 MW of solar capacity has been installed.

To promote industrial development, Rs 575 crore has been allocated for the new Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Employment and Industrial Zone scheme. The Chief Minister Youth Self-Employment Scheme will also be launched. Skill development centres will be expanded under the PPP model, with dedicated centres for women.

--IANS