Lucknow, February 20: Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai has criticised the Budget for the financial year 2025-26 presented in the state assembly on Thursday, terming it "disappointing" and an "exercise in deception". Accusing the Yogi Adityanath government of presenting inflated figures to mask its failures, Rai said, "Year after year, the state Budget has become nothing more than a ritual. False promises, misleading statistics, and fake dreams are being peddled to deceive the 25 crore people of Uttar Pradesh."

Rai cited the Comptroller and Auditor General's (CAG) report to claim that while the government boasts of reduced debt, Uttar Pradesh's financial burden has actually increased. "As of March 31, 2024, the total debt of the state stood at Rs 6,67,106.03 crore," Rai said. Referring to per capita income, Rai said, "The government takes pride in claiming a significant rise, but the reality is that Uttar Pradesh ranks 28th among Indian states in this parameter." Uttar Pradesh Budget 2025-26: UP Government Earmarks INR 1.06 Lakh Crore for Education, INR 50,550 Crore for Health; Agriculture Gets INR 89,353 Crore.

Accusing the BJP government of neglecting farmers' issues, the Congress leader said, "The farmers recently had to buy fertiliser from the black market, while compensation for crops damaged by hailstorms has also not been disbursed. In the last seven years, price of sugarcane has been raised by just Rs 55 per quintal, despite skyrocketing inflation." Rai also questioned the fate of the agricultural schemes introduced in the previous budgets, such as the Rajya Krishi Vikas Yojana, UP Agrees Yojana, and automatic rain gauge installation, claiming that the latest Budget made no mention of their progress.

Calling the Budget "disappointing" for women, Rai said, "LPG connections are distributed under the Ujjwala scheme but there is no policy to ensure cylinder refills. The Budget lacks a concrete plan for women's participation in development." On employment, the Congress leader accused the state government of manipulating statistics. "Incomplete medical colleges, crumbling primary schools, students without books and uniforms, inflation-stricken people, rising lawlessness, and a government lost in self-praise -- this is the real story of 'Yogi Raj' in Uttar Pradesh," Rai said. Uttar Pradesh Budget 2025-26: UP Government Earmarks INR 1.06 Lakh Crore for Education, INR 50,550 Crore for Health; Agriculture Gets INR 89,353 Crore.

Earlier on Thursday, state Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna tabled a Rs 8,08,736-crore Budget for the financial year 2025-26 in the state assembly, with a focus on research and development and information technology. Khanna in his speech said around 22 per cent of the Budget has been allocated for development purposes, 13 per cent for education, 11 per cent for agriculture and related services, while six per cent has been allocated for health.