Yogi’s UP budget misses out on 5 key poll promises

The Yogi Government presented its annual budget on Tuesday that centred upon its promised crop loan waiver to the tune of ₹36,000 crore. Waiving of crop loan being one of the main poll promises of the BJP, the party claimed that government has fulfilled the promises it had made during campaign. The fact is that the Yogi government very deftly pulled wool over people’s eyes. He skipped many promises which were an integral part of the party’s election manifesto - Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra. His first budget smells of Hindutva.

The budget announced the launch of Swadesh Darshan Yojana that will focus on Ramayana, Krishna and the Buddhist circuit. A sum of ₹1240 crore has been earmarked for this. Budgetary allocations have also been made for setting up of Gita Shodh Sansthan and Krishna Museum. Besides, ₹800 crore has been proposed for development of roads and power infrastructure in Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura. Another ₹200 crore has been proposed for setting up of a cultural centre in Varanasi.

The government has also proposed the development of Parikrama Marg and conservation of cultural heritage in Chitrakoot. Kailash Mansarovar Bhawan will be set up at Ghaziabad at the cost of ₹20 crore.

Amid this humdrum of promoting ‘Hindu tourism’, the Yogi government has failed to propose any money for the schemes it had promised during election campaign only because it does not have required fund. Five big misses are:

• Yogi Government has shelved the poll promise of giving laptops to students who have passed Class XII exams this year. BJP’s Sankalp Patra says that all Class XII students would be given laptops if they take admission in colleges. But now, the government does not have enough money to give laptops because of its commitment to clear crop loan. Besides, it is committed to paying salary as per the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission, said a senior officer said.
• The Sankalp Patra says that Government will launch Swami Vivekanand Yuva Internet Yojana under which students who take admission in colleges will get free 1 GB Internet facility every month. The budget is silent on this scheme.
• The BJP had promised Bhagya Lakshmi Yojana under which government would give a bond of ₹50,000 to a girl child of a family belonging to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) section. The aim was to encourage education of girl children. According to the scheme, a girl child of a poor family was to get ₹3,000 when she enters class 6, ₹ 5000 when she enters class 8 and at matriculation, she would get ₹ 7,000 and ₹8,000 in class 12. When she is 21 years old, she was to get ₹2 lakh as per the scheme. This scheme does not find any mention in Yogi’s budget.
• The BJP had promised Garib Kalyan Card – a welfare Card for the poor – which, it said, would ensure that the poor get all government facilities. This card was also supposed to help poor to get a loan or even a house at a concessional price. This card has not found any place in the budget.
• The BJP had promised to set up a Mukhya Mantri Krishi Sichai Fund with an allocated fund of ₹20,000 crore. The budget does not mention a word about this.