Uttar PradeshNews:
State Bureau, Lucknow. After the state government presented the budget for the financial year 2026-26 in both the houses of the legislature, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the expansion of Ganga Expressway in a press conference on Wednesday. The 594 km long Ganga Expressway, which is almost ready from Prayagraj to Meerut, will now be extended from Sonbhadra to Haridwar.
The Chief Minister said that the Ganga Expressway will expand beyond Prayagraj to Mirzapur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Sonbhadra i.e. Shaktinagar. Funds have been arranged for connectivity with Ganga Expressway of Agra-Lucknow-Hardoi-Farrukhabad. Similarly, an announcement has also been made in the budget to take the Ganga Expressway from Meerut to Haridwar. The work of taking Purvanchal Link Expressway from Ghazipur to Shaktinagar of Chandauli, Sonbhadra will be done. He said that better connectivity is the basis of investment.
The Chief Minister said that the state which was once counted in the category of ‘sick’, has today emerged as the ‘growth engine’ of the country’s economy. Describing it as a decisive step towards “Developed India-2047”, he said that this budget will write a new script of public aspirations, investment expansion and employment generation. The Chief Minister said that without imposing new taxes in nine years, the state’s economy has given a new height. New schemes worth more than Rs 43 thousand crore and capital expenditure of more than Rs 2.5 lakh crore will give impetus to infrastructure and employment generation in the state.
The government is calling the announcement of formation of State Data Authority, Data Center Cluster, UP AI Mission and Cyber Security Operation Center in the budget as the foundation of the future economy. Emphasis has been laid in this budget on skill development hub, digital entrepreneurship scheme and startups. New opportunities will be created for the youth through ‘Deep Tech’ collaboration with IIT Kanpur and IIT BHU. Deep tech is technology based on advanced scientific research and engineering innovation. The Chief Minister said that “Rule of law (rule of law) is the only guarantee of real growth.”
The Chief Minister said that a plan has been announced to connect 23 lakh diesel pumps in the agriculture sector with solar in a phased manner. Provision of 90 percent subsidy has been made to SC-ST and women farmers and 80 percent subsidy to other farmers. A target has been set to create revolving fund, Agri Export Hub and additional storage capacity of two lakh metric tonnes for Farmer Producer Organization (FPO). The government is working towards making Annadata an entrepreneur.
Women Entrepreneur Product and Marketing Center (C-Mart Model), Women Entrepreneur Credit Card and interest free loan facility have been announced in the budget. Steps like Shramjeevi Mahila Hostel and waiver of license fee for women guides aim to further increase women labor force participation. The Chief Minister said that a provision of Rs 400 crore has been made in the budget to provide scooties to girls, especially meritorious students, in higher education.
The Chief Minister said that it has been announced to establish a sports college at every divisional headquarters. The government claims that the unemployment rate has come down to 2.24 percent, which was between 17-19 percent before 2017. Describing this budget as a “decisive leap for the new Uttar Pradesh”, the Chief Minister said that there is a strategic script to make the state a trillion dollar economy in the year 2029-30. The Chief Minister also made a veiled attack on the previous governments by saying, “The system was the same, but if the leadership changed, the results changed.”
