Efforts on to further improve the urban system – AK Sharma
Lucknow: As per the wish of the Chief Minister of the state Yogi Adityanath (CM Yogi), work is being done to increase the civic facilities in the urban bodies of the state and to implement the implemented schemes on the ground with complete transparency and quality. For this, a total budget provision of Rs 27717.47 crore was made including Urban Development and SUDA, out of which till now 31.5 percent of the amount has been approved and 53.1 percent of this amount has been spent.
Similarly, in the Urban Development Department, out of the budget provision of Rs 20196.88 crore in the financial year 2023-24, 44 percent of the sanctioned amount of Rs 6085.37 crore has been spent under capital and revenue heads so far.
Giving this information, Urban Development and Energy Minister AK Sharma said that the Urban Development Department is trying to further improve the urban system. It is ready for better implementation of the implemented schemes and spending the allocated funds as per the target.
He (AK Sharma) said that the target is to issue more financial sanctions of Rs 3900 crore in the month of September. Instructions have been given to the officers to ensure that the released funds are spent in a timely and quality manner. There is also a budget provision of Rs 2500 crore for the Kumbh Mela-2025 to be held in the state, out of which an amount of Rs 1000 crore has been approved.
Principal Secretary Urban Development Amrit Abhijat said that in the financial year 2023-24, against the budget provision of Rs 2700 crore under the capital head of the Urban Development Department, 37.8 percent i.e. a total amount of Rs 1020.30 crore has been released so far.
Out of this, 8.1 percent i.e. a total of Rs 82.78 crore has been spent so far. Similarly, out of the budget of Rs 2500 crore released for Kumbh, major construction works are being carried out in the Kumbh Mela area. He said that the Urban Development Department has also issued financial approvals in the current financial year in comparison to other departments. He said that the funds sanctioned for development works will be spent within the stipulated time and laxity will not be tolerated at any level.
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He said that compared to previous years, more budgetary approvals have been issued this year. In the current financial year 2023-24, financial approval of 31.5 percent has been done so far against the budget provision of Rs 27717.47 crore, while in the financial year 2022-23, against the budget provision of Rs 25949.44 crore, financial approval of 12.5 percent has been done till the month of September and in the year 2021 As against the budget of Rs 23977.62 crore in FY22, financial approval of 5.3 percent was given till this month itself.
The Urban Development Department took cognizance of the news published under the title “0.7 percent budget expenditure on urban development” in the September 10, 2023 issue of the state’s Dainik Hindustan newspaper. In which it was also mentioned that out of the budget allocated for development works (capital outlay) in the UP budget for the year 2023-24, the total progress after 05 months of the financial year is only 17.2 percent.
In the above news published in some newspapers, figures have been mentioned only in relation to the capital item budget of Rs 2700 crore of the Urban Development Department and Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation Program Department, which is also not completely updated.
Therefore, it is requested that before publishing any such factual news regarding the Urban Development Department, the facts should be thoroughly verified, so that there is no possibility of adverse impact on the image of the department among the general public.
