Infra, agri to be focus areas in Yogi govt's 10th budget

Lucknow: Infrastructure development, education, and agriculture, along with women and youth are likely to be the focus area as finance minister Suresh Khanna tables his 7th and Yogi govt's 10th consecutive budget on Wednesday. This is likely to be the last budget before the 2027 assembly polls slated to take place Feb-March next year for which .The budget for the year 2026-27 is likely to see an approximately 10% increase from the current fiscal and is likely to touch the Rs 9 lakh crore-mark. The total budget outlay for the current fiscal stands at approximately Rs 8.33 lakh crore. Initially, the size of budget 2025-26 tabled last year was Rs 8.08 lakh crore, but it increased following addition of a supplementary budget.
Like the previous year, experts expect the FM to table a revenue surplus budget. Last year, the budget was around Rs 60,000 crore in revenue surplus, with the focus areas being infrastructure development, education, and agriculture. Around 22% was marked for infrastructure, 13% for education, and 11% for agriculture. The UP govt's push this year will remain on these sectors, with several development projects, including new expressways, already planned. What looks to be a rosy picture for the govt is the fact that, slowly but surely, the state is moving towards becoming a 1-trillion-dollar economy, with the total GSDP of the state reaching Rs 30.8 lakh crore, with an estimate of the economy size of the state reaching over Rs 36 lakh crore by the end of 2026-27. This year, the focus is also likely to be on women and youth. The budget is also expected to see a couple of new schemes. The focus is also likely to be on the creation of new job and employment opportunities.According to sources in the finance department, it is a known fact that the govt does not have the capacity to increase employment by a big number; hence, the focus would be on making more and more people skilled so that they are able to do something. The budget, thus, is likely to have a focus on skill development and MSME sectors, they believe.However, the challenge for the finance minister will be to counter the loss, even if it is for the short term, after GST liberalisation during Diwali last year brought most items lower from 28% slab. The loss to the state exchequer will be a challenge for the state govt, experts opined. Among the major central share that is already due, the state govt's concern is also on the non-payment of dues until now against "piped water to all household" under the Namami Gange project. The state govt is waiting for dues to the tune of Rs 33,000 crore under the project, sources in the department said.