While he has been hailing the victory of AAP in Delhi as the defeat of BJP, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav cannot rule out AAP may make inroad in UP so he has to reach out to masses with good budget this is what he did.

Significantly, CM Akhilesh Yadav has emphasized on creating better infrastructure and revival of freebies and has promised better facilities for farmers.

Much significance is being attached to his announcements saying that 2015-16 would be declared “Kisan Varsh” Year of the Farmer with total focus on rural areas.

The Chief Minister has made a separate arrangement of Rs 7000 crores for feeder to cater rural areas to maintain 16-hour power supply for agriculture to enhance production and give fillip to food preprocessing industry.

His announcement to set up 1000 agri-junctions in rural areas would not only attract investment but will open new avenues of employment to rural youth. These junctions will connect farmers with national and international market which can give push to state economy.

In order to make power available to farmers chief minister Akhilesh Yadav announced 75 per cent subsidy to solar water pumps which would revolutionize the rural areas.

Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Choudhry said that the manner in which chief minister Akhilesh Yadav gives emphasis to agriculture and rural areas reminded people of late Prime Minister Charan Singh who always gave prominence to agriculture and farmers.

The allocation of Rs 20,000 crores for power sector also speaks for the chief minister’s resolve to focus on problems being faced in power supply in the state. The provision for 500 sub-stations is also being made and the state government has proposed increase the availability of power from 10,000 MW to 21,000 MW which would require substantial investment from private sector.

Free distribution of laptops is back but to only meritorious students for which Rs 100 crores have been allocated and Kanya Vidya Dhan scheme for girl students has been given Rs 300 crores.

Samajwadi Party government has given importance to social security in the state for which ambitious Samajwadi Pension Yojna get Rs 2727 crores to benefit 45 lakh families and Rs 1613 crores for old age/Kisan Pension Yojna. And pension for freedom fighters and their dependents has been raised from Rs 8,811 to Rs 12,000 per month. Similarly, pension for MISA/DIR political pensioners will also now get Rs 10,000 from Rs 4,000. The assistance under national family benefit scheme increased from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000.

With focus on better infrastructure CM Yadav has allocated Rs 12,181 crores for construction of roads and bridges along with welfare of Poorvanchal and Bundelkhand. Rs 370 crores have been allocated for broadening /strengthening of rural roads and Rs 1000 crores have been made for link district headquarters with four lane roads. The government has proposed completion of 80 long bridges and 20 railways over bridges and widening of state highways with provision of Rs 670 crores.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has also allocated Rs 3000 crores for his dream project Lucknow-Agra expressway.. Last year too chief minister had made budgetary allocation of Rs 3200 crore for expressway. The six-lane green expressway will reduced the travel time to Agra by three hours and enhance growth of entire region.

Prominent economist Arvind Mohan has hailed the UP annual budget Rs 3,02,000 crores of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav as a budget with possibilities of development and said it could be a good beginning for Uttar Pradesh. (IPA Service)