2025-25 UP Budget's theme is 'priority to deprived': Yogi Adityanath

Lucknow, Mar 4 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday outlined the thematic approach of his government's budgets over the years, asserting that each budget has been designed to address key developmental priorities. The 2025-26 Budget is inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and follows the theme "vanchit ko vareeyeta" (priority to the deprived), he added.

Adityanath was speaking in the state legislative Assembly about the 2025-26 Budget, which he described as his government's ninth and the biggest so far.

"Every budget follows a specific theme. In 2017 and 2018, we focused on farmers, launching a major loan waiver programme to support them. Today, we take pride in saying that farmer suicides have stopped in Uttar Pradesh," he said.

The 2018-19 Budget prioritised infrastructure and industrial growth, leading to the state's first Investors' Summit. In 2019-20, the focus was on women's empowerment under Mission Shakti, while the 2020-21 Budget was dedicated to the youth.

Adityanath noted that the 2021-22 Budget emphasised self-reliance and the 2022-23 Budget aimed to transition from upliftment to self-sufficiency. The 2023-24 Budget laid the foundation for an inclusive and self-reliant UP, he said.

"The 2024-25 budget was dedicated to public welfare, keeping the ideals of 'Ram Rajya' alive as we celebrated the consecration of Lord Ram in Ayodhya," he added.

The latest 2025-26 Budget, he said, is inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and follows the theme "vanchit ko vareeyeta" (priority to the deprived).

"It covers everything from agriculture to welfare, faith to livelihood and education to self-reliance, ensuring a stronger foundation for a developed Uttar Pradesh," he asserted.

Responding to opposition leader Mata Prasad Pandey's claim that the 2024-25 Budget was Rs 9 lakh crore, Adityanath clarified that it was Rs 7.36 lakh crore, later increased by two supplementary budgets.

"This year, the base budget itself stands at Rs 8.08 lakh crore," he said, taking a jibe at Pandey.

"When you speak from your wisdom, you make sense. But when you read from a script, you go off track," the chief minister added.

Adityanath also compared his government's spending to that of the previous Samajwadi Party (SP)-led government (2015-17), stating that expenditure and budget size have significantly increased under the BJP government.

He also highlighted the rise in various tax collections made by his government which he said has risen manifold from the previous SP-led regime. PTI KIS KSS KSS

Source: PTI