Opposition Parties Decry Uttar Pradesh Budget as 'Farewell' for Yogi Government
In a sharp critique of the Uttar Pradesh government's financial planning, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has branded the state's 2026-27 budget a "farewell budget" for the Yogi Adityanath-led administration and the BJP, predicting their exit after the 2027 Assembly elections. Speaking at a press conference in Lucknow on Wednesday, Yadav lambasted the budget as a reflection of governmental incompetence, pointing to low expenditure rates in the previous fiscal year.
Low Spending Figures Highlight Governance Failures
Yadav emphasized that while the government boasts a budget size exceeding Rs 9 lakh crore, the actual spending paints a grim picture. He revealed that, on average, the state failed to utilize even 50% of allocated funds, with specific sectors suffering particularly poor expenditure rates:
- Agriculture: Only 50% of funds were spent.
- Rural Development: A mere 36% expenditure recorded.
- Animal Husbandry: 60% of allocations utilized.
- Health: Approximately 58% spending achieved.
- Women Welfare: 53% of funds deployed.
- Basic Education: 62% expenditure noted.
According to Yadav, these figures underscore a "failure of government and governance," attributing the shortfall to incompetence among officials. He argued that the budget's large size is misleading, as the real issue lies in execution. "It is common that every budget is bigger than the previous one. The real question is how much of it is actually spent," he stated, questioning the BJP's focus on budgetary scale over practical implementation.
Congress Joins Criticism, Points to Unspent Funds
Echoing Yadav's concerns, Congress leaders also voiced strong objections to the budget. Congress Legislature Party Leader Aradhana Mishra highlighted that over 40% of funds remain unspent across most departments in the previous budget, dismissing claims of a surplus revenue budget as false. She described the 2026-27 budget as neither futuristic nor surplus, labeling it misleading due to departments surrendering 40% of prior allocations.
Congress State President Ajay Rai further criticized the budget, calling it "full of false figures and hollow claims." He asserted that the government has failed to deliver on promises, offering nothing substantial for key demographics like women, youth, farmers, or laborers, thereby playing with public sentiments.
Allegations of Strategic and Visionary Deficits
Yadav also targeted the government's economic strategy, noting that to achieve a 1-trillion dollar economy target, Uttar Pradesh would need a growth rate of 30%, which he claims is absent. He accused the BJP of forgetting its own manifesto, even in this final budget before elections, and highlighted a lack of clear plans to address unemployment. "If the outlay is so large, why is the government unable to spend it? This shows a failure of governance," he reiterated, reinforcing the opposition's stance that the budget signals an impending political change in the state.
