Is the UP Budget 2026 Misleading the Public?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Lucknow, Feb 11 (NationPress) The Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh, including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, expressed their discontent with the state Budget 2026 on Wednesday, accusing it of being crafted to mislead and deceive the public.
Opposition officials argued that the budget lacks a clear vision, does not tackle unemployment, and fails to offer a solid plan for farmers, workers, women, and youth. They also pointed out that prior commitments made by the government remain unfulfilled.
The Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Mata Prasad Pandey, addressed the media, stating: "Our stance is that this is a deficit budget, which isn't deemed favorable. A sound budget features elevated capital expenditure. In this case, revenue expenditure surpasses capital expenditure. Capital expenditure fosters asset creation and income generation. A high revenue expenditure coupled with low capital expenditure indicates a poor budget."
Congress state President Ajay Rai further critiqued the state government, asserting that the budget aims to mislead the citizens.
"This budget is intended to mislead the public. The previous budget presented by (Chief Minister) Yogi ji (Adityanath) — over the span of nine months — has resulted in no funding reaching any department," he remarked.
Congress MLA Aradhna Mishra Mona characterized the budget as "hollow and directionless," claiming it fails to introduce anything new. "This budget is entirely hollow and lacks direction. It offers nothing new for workers or farmers. Previous promises are unmet. There is no provision for women, no strategy for addressing youth unemployment, and no fresh initiatives for industrialization," she added.
Samajwadi Party MLA Shivpal Singh Yadav stated that the budget overlooks significant regions of the state.
"This budget is devoid of substance. Additionally, it is evident that Purvanchal has been sidelined. There is no allocation for Purvanchal, nor for Bundelkhand. Thus, this budget is merely a facade. It is intended to deceive the public. The people will receive nothing but betrayal from it," he stated.
Samajwadi Party Deputy Chief Whip R.K. Verma expressed worries about rising unemployment and stagnant industrial growth.
"The citizens of Uttar Pradesh are burdened by this hefty budget. With rising unemployment, many are compelled to migrate to states like Gujarat, Mumbai, and Delhi for livelihood, with some resorting to driving taxis for survival. The youth are in dire need of jobs. You have signed MoUs worth crores, but where are the factories? No industries have been established, and no jobs have been created," he remarked.
He further challenged the government regarding allocations for job creation and support for competitive exam candidates.
Samajwadi Party MLA Naseem Solanki noted that the Opposition is dissatisfied with the budget. "We are not content, but we will observe how they implement it in practice," he stated.