Lucknow, Feb 5 (UNI) Special attention has been given to the development of rural areas and farmers in the annual budget of the Uttar Pradesh government for the financial year 2024-25 which was presented in both the state legislature and which Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath dedicated to Lord Ram.
While tabling the budget proposal in the House on Monday, Finance Minister Suresh Khanna said his government’s policies are specially dedicated to the uplift of youth, women, farmers and the poor.
He said that the ban on giving new private tubewell connections in the dark zone has been lifted, which has directly benefited about one lakh farmers.
He said about 37 lakh Kisan Credit Cards were distributed till October 2023 in the current fiscal under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and compensation of Rs 831 crore was paid to about 10 lakh insured farmers till October 2023 for 2022-2023.
The Finance Minister said that under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana an amount of about Rs 63,000 crores was transferred to the accounts of two crore 62 lakh farmers through DBT till December 2023.
“Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan-Dhan Yojana, small and marginal farmers of the state are being provided a fixed monthly pension of Rs 3,000 for both men and women on attaining the age of 60 years,” he said.
He said that his government has paid a record sugarcane price of more than Rs 2,33,793 crore to about 48 lakh sugarcane farmers from the year 2017 to January 29, 2024.
“This sugarcane price payment is Rs 20,274 crore more than the combined sugarcane price payment of Rs 2,01,519 crore in the previous 22 years.
Khanna said that for the crushing season 2023-2024, the price of early variety of sugarcane has been increased from Rs 350 to Rs 370, that of normal variety from Rs 340 to Rs 360 and the price of unsuitable variety from Rs 335 to Rs 355 per quintal. “31 irrigation projects were completed by the government, which created irrigation potential in more than 22.75 lakh hectares and benefited 46 lakh 69 thousand farmers,” he said.
He said that modernisation of 6,600 government tube wells in various districts and reconstruction of 569 failed government tube wells located in dark zones were in progress.
“Through these works, irrigation capacity of about 1.33 lakh hectares will be restored and about 1.10 lakh farmer families will be benefited,” he said.
The Minister said, “A budget provision of Rs 1,100 crore is proposed to provide free water facility to farmers from canals and government tube wells. A budget provision of Rs 1530.60 crore is proposed for river improvement and erosion prevention projects (NABARD funded).”
He said that there is a provision of Rs 70 crore for 569 failed tube wells in the dark zone.
“A provision of Rs 1,020 crore is proposed for the CM Minor Irrigation Scheme. A provision of Rs 1,800 crore is proposed for supplying electricity at concessional rates to private tube well consumers, which is 20 percent more than the current year,” he said.
Khanna said that a provision of Rs 400 crore is proposed for Kanha Gaushala and Destitute Animal Shelter Scheme, which is more than double as compared to the current year.
“Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural), only 1.40 lakh houses were sanctioned in the year 2016, whereas till now 36.15 lakh houses have been sanctioned by the government, out of which 34.14 lakh houses are complete while the remaining are under construction for the financial year. A provision of approximately Rs 2,441 crore is proposed in 2024-2025,” he said.
He said that under the CM Housing Scheme (Rural), construction of 2.03 lakh houses was completed from the financial year 2018-19 to 2023-24.
“A provision of Rs 1,140 crore is proposed for the scheme,” he said.
The Minister said that under the Legislative Area Development Scheme, a provision of Rs 2,520 crore (including GST) is proposed for development works in the financial year 2024-25. “A provision of about Rs 5,060 crore is proposed for the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
A provision of about Rs 3.695 crore is proposed for the National Rural Livelihood Mission,” he said.
He said, “Besides, a scheme of Rs 3,668 crore is proposed for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. A provision of Rs 4867.39 crore is proposed for Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural), which is more than double compared to the current year, while a provision of about Rs 57 crore is proposed for the construction of multipurpose Panchayat buildings.”
Khanna said that a provision of Rs 33 crore is proposed for UP Matru Bhoomi Yojana. “The target is to achieve the growth rate of the agriculture sector in the state at 5.1 percent. A provision of Rs 2,400 crore is proposed for supplying electricity at concessional rates to private tube wells of farmers, which is 25 percent more than the current financial year. A provision of Rs 449.45 crore lakh is proposed for the implementation of PM Kusum Yojana, which is more than double as compared to the current fiscal,” he said.
He said that with the aim of promoting agriculture, three new schemes, State Agricultural Development Scheme, World Bank Assisted Agrice Scheme are being started and Automatic Weather Station-Automatic Rain Gauge have been launched in the development blocks and gram panchayats of the state. “For which a provision of Rs 200-200 crore and Rs 60 crore respectively is proposed,” he said.
The Minister said that Mukhyamantri Khet Suraksha Yojana is being launched for which a provision of Rs 50 crore has been made.
He said that the average sugarcane productivity in the state increased from 72 metric tons per hectare to 84 metric tons per hectare, due to which farmers got additional income of 25 per cent.
He said that a provision of Rs 100 crore is proposed for setting up of Mahatma Buddha Agricultural and Technological University, Kushinagar.
