In Rs 19,825-crore supplementary budget, big push to infra, Akhilesh’s pet projects

On Monday, he presented the supplementary budget’s revenue and capital heads (at Rs 15,164 and Rs 4,660 crore, respectively) amid the Opposition members rushing to the well demanding discussion on “poor law and order situation”.

[related-post]

Giving priority to infrastructure development, the government has proposed Rs 754 crore for irrigation (which includes Rs 100 crore each for Kanhar project and channelisation in river Gomti, and Rs 220 crore for providing free irrigation to farmers); Rs 700 crore for roads (including Rs 235 crore for four laning, Rs 20 crore in Naxal-infested areas, and Rs 20 crore for identifying black spots in accident-prone areas).

In the revenue sector, Rs 5,209 crore has been proposed for relief in case of natural calamities. In the power sector, provision for Rs 389 crore (including Rs 202 crore for repayment of bank loans and Rs 60 crore for Lohia village electrification) has been made. Besides making a provision of Rs 1,529 crore for sugar mills to clear the farmers’ cane dues, Rs 100 crore for Cooperative Sugar Mill Sangh, too, has been set aside.

For the CM’s dream projects, a provision of Rs 200 crore has been made for Lucknow Metro; Rs 300 crore for Agra-Lucknow Expressway with another Rs 1,000 as a token amount to cover Ballia via Azamgarh under the project; and Rs 20 crore for Samajwadi Shudh Drinking Water Scheme.

For the weaver community, a provision of Rs 5 crore has been done to provide subsidy in power to handloom weavers and another Rs 2 crore to other artisans.

In the IT sector, Rs 8.96 crore has been proposed for setting up a mega call centre, and Rs 14.50 crore for purchasing land for software technology park in Kanpur and Gorakhpur.

Other major provisions include Rs 100 crore each for Dial-100 service and cancer institute in Lucknow, Rs 175 crore for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Rs 23 crore for water supply in Japanese Encephalitis-infected habitats, Rs 200 crore for a new High Court building, Rs 20 crore for roads leading to Taj Mahal, Rs 15 crore for Mughal museums in Agra, Rs 1.88 crore for the Centre’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ scheme, Rs 40 lakh for ministers’ vehicles, Rs 10 crore for guest house in Delhi and Noida, Rs 4 crore for Bhajan Sandhya Sthal in Ayodhya and Chitrakoot, and Rs 150 crore for publicity.

An amount of Rs 60 crore for electrification in Lohia villages, Rs 10 crore for mango mandi in Malihabad, Rs 5 crore for hearse car, Rs 7 crore for FSL lab and Rs 53.50 crore for 5 mw grid connected solar power plant, Rs 20 crore for ambulances, Rs 20.35 crore for shifting buildings from Chak Gajaria IT city, too, has been proposed.

Additionally, Rs 50 crore for developing infrastructure facilities in Lucknow, Rs 25 crore for Lohia Medical Institute, Rs 20 lakh for setting up Bhojpuri Academy, Rs 41 lakh for Go Sewa Aayog, Rs 8.5 crore for a driving institute in Rae Bareli, Rs 1.50 crore for art gallery to showcase articles of Gumnami Baba are some of the other areas the government has included in the supplementary budget.