Yogi govt rolls out sops for UP farmers

Lucknow, Feb 22 The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, that presented its first paperless Budget on Monday, has rolled out a number of sops for farmers.

UP Finance Minister Suresh Khanna, in his Budget speech, said that the state government was committed to the promise of doubling farmers' income and had earmarked a sum for Rs 700 crore for free irrigation.

The government has announced Rs 600 crore for farmers' accident welfare scheme. A sum of Rs 400 crore has been set aside for providing crop loans to farmers. The government has earmarked Rs 3,100 crore for farmers' pension. The state government, in 2021-22, also proposes to set up 15,000 solar pumps.

For empowering women, the Yogi government plans to distribute tablets to girl students and a sum of Rs 1,200 crore has been marked for this.

A sum for Rs 100 crore has been set aside for ensuring proper nutrition to girls and Rs 32 crore for setting up Mahila Shakti Kendras.

In its fifth Budget, the state government has made provision of Rs 20 crore for the Abhyudhay scheme that gives free coaching to youth for competitive examinations.

The size of the Budget is Rs 5.50 lakh crore.

Some other highlights of the Budget are:

- Folk artists facing financial crisis will get monthly assistance of Rs 2,000.

- A university in every division, Rs 200 crore for model colleges in 26 districts.

- Rs 100 crore for Metro rail projects in Varanasi and Gorakhpur.

- Rs 50 crore for Rashtriya Prerna Sthal in Lucknow.

- Rs 140 crore for overall development of Ayodhya.

- Rs 101 crore for airport in Ayodhya, Rs 2,000 crore for airports Jewar, Chitrakoot and Sonbhadra.

- Rs 750 crore for Gorakhpur Expressway, Rs 1,107 crore - Purvanchal Expressway, Rs 1,492cr - Bundelkhand Expressway.

- Rs 50 crore allocated for Covid vaccination.

( With inputs from IANS )