Yogi Adityanath seeks Rs 380 bn grant from Centre for development projects

Adityanath government will table Annual Budget 2018 in UP legislature on Friday

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has demanded release of grants worth Rs 380 billion for different projects from the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

The Adityanath government has claimed the funds were meant to be released during the previous Akhilesh Yadav regime, however, the latter failed to take follow up action and such the grants were still outstanding.

The incumbent state government has established a channel of communication with the federal policy think tank, Niti Aayog for getting the grants released, UP health minister and spokesperson Siddharth Nath Singh said in Lucknow on Monday.

Singh would hold parleys with National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar and CEO Amitabh Kant, apart from senior bureaucrats in New Delhi on Tuesday seeking the immediate release of grants through NITI Aayog. Singh informed that 18 central government departments had been urged for releasing the required funds for various state level development projects underway.

Some of these departments are urban development, human resources and development, rural development, social justice and employment, minorities welfare, women and child development, agriculture and farmers’ welfare, drinking water and sanitation, food supplies and consumer welfare, home, health and family welfare, youth welfare and sports, MSME etc.

Singh claimed it was for the first time that the Niti Aayog had convened such a meeting with UP to discuss pending issues.

Meanwhile, the Adityanath government would table Annual Budget 2018 in UP legislature on Friday.

Last year, NITI Aayog had suggested the Adityanath government for reorganising state ministries and departments for better governance, accountability and swifter decision making. Rajiv Kumar had also said the Aayog was satisfied with the progress made by the Adityanath government, especially since June 2017, when specific timelines and parameters were set.

In consultation with Aayog, the UP government has constituted 9 committees related to various socioeconomic development verticals viz nutrition, health, education, drinking water, rural development, irrigation, water resources, industry, agriculture and sanitation.

However, the Aayog has noted UP faced tough challenges with regards to its urban housing and outdoor defecation free (ODF) targets.

Meanwhile, the state government plans to disband hordes of government schemes, which have outlived their utility and relevance. Besides, non-essential government posts would also be abolished for leaner administrative machinery.

The CM has already issued directives to this effect, following which the UP chief secretary had constituted two separate committees to identify non-essential government schemes and posts in every department. The government departments are customarily asked to abolish non-essential schemes and posts before the state Budget is prepared every year. However, it is never taken seriously and routinely brushed under the carpet. However, the present dispensation has decided to act in right earnest.

The schemes deemed non-relevant would be discontinued and the employees working on these posts would be redeployed.