Q.11. What provisions have been made in the budget of Uttar Pradesh for 2023-24 to improve its infrastructure?

A good infrastructure is crucial for a state’s economy for several reasons:

• Facilitating Business Operations: Infrastructure such as roads, ports, and airports enables businesses to transport goods efficiently, reducing costs and improving competitiveness. It also helps in establishing supply chains and distribution networks.
• Attracting Investments: A state with good infrastructure is more likely to attract investments from businesses looking for a conducive environment to operate. Investors consider factors like transportation, communication, and utilities infrastructure before making investment decisions.
• Boosting Productivity: Modern infrastructure, including technology-enabled systems, can enhance productivity by reducing downtime, improving connectivity, and streamlining processes. This leads to higher output per worker and overall economic growth.
• Supporting Tourism: Infrastructure like airports, highways, hotels, and tourist attractions are essential for the tourism industry. A well-developed tourism sector brings in revenue, creates jobs, and stimulates related businesses.
• Enhancing Quality of Life: Infrastructure extends beyond business needs; it includes amenities like clean water, sanitation, healthcare facilities, schools, and public transportation. These contribute to a better quality of life for residents and attract skilled workers to the state.
• Disaster Resilience: Infrastructure planning can include measures to mitigate the impact of natural disasters. This includes building sturdy structures, implementing early warning systems, and having efficient emergency response mechanisms, all of which reduce economic losses during disasters.
• Connectivity and Global Integration: In today’s interconnected world, infrastructure facilitates connectivity with other regions and countries. This connectivity is vital for trade, cultural exchange, technology transfer, and accessing global markets.

In short, good infrastructure is a foundation for economic growth, attracting investments, improving productivity, supporting key industries like tourism, enhancing the quality of life, ensuring resilience against disasters, and fostering connectivity and integration on a global scale. Keeping all these in mind, In the Uttar Pradesh Budget for 2023-24, several provisions have been made to enhance infrastructure development in the state. Here are some key highlights related to infrastructure:

• Roads and Bridges:
  • A provision of over ₹21,159 crore has been allocated for the construction of roads and bridges.
  • Additionally, ₹6,209 crore has been earmarked for the maintenance of existing roads and bridges.
• Urban Infrastructure: Budgetary provisions for improving urban infrastructure like water supply, sewage systems, waste management, and smart city initiatives.
• Rural Development: Funds for rural infrastructure development, including rural roads, electrification, irrigation projects, and agricultural facilities like cold storage units and market yards.
• Power Subsidy:
  • To ensure uninterrupted power supply for private tube-well owners, the government has allocated ₹2,400 crore for power subsidies.
• Agricultural Marketing Facilities:
  • ₹3,473 crore is proposed for the construction of bridges and roads specifically for agricultural marketing facilities.
• Smart Schools:
  • Under Operation Kayakalp, ₹1,000 crore has been proposed for the development of infrastructure facilities in primary and upper primary schools, aiming to transform them into smart schools.
• Water Resources: Allocation of funds for water resource management, including the construction of dams, reservoirs, canals, and irrigation systems to improve agricultural productivity and address water scarcity issues.
• Digital Infrastructure: Budget provisions for enhancing digital infrastructure, such as expanding broadband connectivity, setting up IT parks, promoting e-governance initiatives, and improving digital literacy.
• Healthcare and Education: Investments in healthcare infrastructure like hospitals, clinics, and medical colleges, as well as budgetary allocations for improving educational infrastructure such as schools, colleges, and vocational training centers.
• Tourism Infrastructure: Funds for developing tourism infrastructure such as hotels, resorts, tourist information centers, heritage sites preservation, and promotion of tourism-related activities.

These allocations demonstrate the state’s commitment to improving infrastructure, connectivity, and overall development in Uttar Pradesh.