Lucknow, Feb 20 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday asserted that improved fiscal management helped Uttar Pradesh move from being counted among the “bottom three” states to the “top three” in the country in terms of economic performance.
Addressing the Assembly over the budget, Adityanath said this was the first time in Uttar Pradesh’s history that a chief minister had presented the Budget for the 10th consecutive time.
He said that a marked change in perception about the state was among the biggest achievements of his government over the past nine years.
The chief minister also extended his wishes to the Leader of the Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey, praising his simplicity and long association with the socialist movement, and hoped he would remain in good health.
Referring to concerns raised by the opposition over fiscal deficit and debt, Adityanath said the state’s fiscal deficit as a percentage of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) stood at 4.39 per cent in 2016-17 when the Samajwadi Party was in power, and has now come down to 2.97 per cent in 2025-26.
“This clearly shows better financial management. Because of this discipline, bankers across the country have faith in Uttar Pradesh,” he said.
He said that the government is working towards making Uttar Pradesh a USD 1 trillion economy.
The chief minister said the change in perception about the state was one of the biggest achievements of the government.
“Before 2017, the perception about Uttar Pradesh was poor. Today, wherever a citizen of the state goes in the country or abroad, the response is positive,” he said.
The chief minister said the government has adhered strictly to the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) norms and guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India, and maintained fiscal prudence.
Emphasising the role of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the chief minister said Uttar Pradesh has around 96 lakh MSME units employing over three crore people.
The government launched the ‘One District, One Product’ (ODOP) scheme in 2018 to support traditional industries through better design, technology, marketing and financial assistance, he said.
He added that every registered MSME unit in the state is being provided an insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh by the government.
Adityanath said the Budget has been framed keeping in mind the vision of a developed India and developed Uttar Pradesh, and reiterated that India can become developed only when its states, districts and villages become self-reliant and prosperous. PTI CDN HIG HIG
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