UP Budget: In new schemes, target zero poverty, clean air

For the ‘Zero Poverty Uttar Pradesh Campaign’, a provision of Rs 250 crore has been made to ensure adequate availability of food and clothing, good education, medical and housing facilities as well as sustainable income to poor families of the state.

As part of the ‘Chevening Uttar Pradesh Government Scholarship’ programme, the government has made a provision of Rs 2 crore for the ‘Chevening Programme’ run by the UK government, with a scholarship for five students every year. This programme will be run in collaboration with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for obtaining a master’s degree in any subject from a recognised university in the UK.

Under the ‘Cookery and Bakery Training Scheme’, Rs 62.40 lakh has been allocated to provide one-month cooking or bakery training at the training centres at 18 divisional headquarters.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with state Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna before the presentation of the State Budget 2025-26 in the Assembly, in Lucknow. (Source: PTI)

Also, to provide affordable, quality and nutritious food to people in all the urban bodies of the state, a sum of Rs 10 crore has been allocated for setting up ‘Annapurna Kitchens’.

Besides, a provision of Rs 98 crore has been made for the multi-sectoral ‘UP Clean Air Management Project’ to be implemented through a special purpose vehicle (SPV).

Moreover, Rs 400 crore has been set aside for the purchase of new electric buses by the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation(UPSRTC) and Rs 50 crore for setting up charging stations for these buses.

A provision of Rs 20 crore has been made for solar rooftop panels at the official buildings of the police department. Another Rs 100 crore has been provided for solar rooftop panels on non-residential buildings of PWD.

With a provision of Rs 1.54 crore for “safe residential facilities” for working women at affordable rates in urban areas, Sakhi Niwas will be opened in Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Lucknow, Agra, Bareilly, Meerut, Gautam Buddha Nagar and Ghaziabad.

Another Rs 3.82 crore provision has been made for construction of hostels for working women. Eight ‘Shramik Mahila Hostels’ with a capacity of 500 each have been proposed in Gautam Buddha Nagar and Lucknow districts.

Other grants include Rs 236 crore for construction of a bridge over the Ganga in Prayagraj, Rs 315 crore for a bridge over the Yamuna in Prayagraj, Rs 700 crore for development and beautification of religious routes across the state, Rs 5 crore for setting up a science city in Varanasi, Rs 25 crore for a science city in Agra, Rs 50 lakh each for developing leather parks in districts and Rs 1 crore for the Chief Minister Textile and Apparel park.

Also, a provision of Rs 90 crore has been made for setting up a new sugar mill and generation plant in Pipraich, Gorakhpur, and Rs 50 crore for establishing a new sugar mill in Chata area of Mathura. Rs 450 crore and Rs 350 crore have been set aside for regional development funds for Purvanchal and Bundelkhand.