Lucknow, Dec 15 (IANS): Major departments in the Uttar Pradesh government have managed to spend only about 50 per cent of the budgetary allocations for various development projects in 2023-2024 (till mid-December).

As the sanctions for the supplementary budget are being released, the state government is left with a large chunk of funds for projects ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Besides an annual budget of Rs 6.90 lakh crore approved for 2023-2024, the state government got a supplementary budget of Rs 28,760.67 crore passed in the state legislature, taking the size of Uttar Pradesh’s total budget to Rs 7.19 lakh crore.

Minister for finance Suresh Khanna, without divulging further details of the funds spent by departments, said: “Various departments have spent 50 per cent of the funds and efforts will be made to expedite the expenditure in coming months.”

A scrutiny of the state government’s spendings (as given on the Koshvani UP website) indicates that major departments have not been able to spend a large chunk of funds.

Many of them have spent less than 50 per cent of the funds, as per the data of expenditure up to November 30.

Data indicates that the state energy department spent only Rs 34,365.31 crore against the budgetary provision of Rs 62,196.18 crore.

The agriculture department was able to spend Rs 3,148.61 crore against the provision of Rs 7,943.15 crore.

The state rural development department spent Rs 15,002.35 crore against a budget of Rs 31,359.72 crore.

The state government was able to spend Rs 4,915.27 crore of medical education department against the budgetary provision of Rs 11,141.24 crore.

The backward class welfare department spent Rs 762.35 crore against the budget provision of Rs 1,566.82 crore while the social welfare department (including SC welfare) spent Rs 3,595.45 crore against a provision of Rs 12,555.35 crore.

The state government had incurred 51 per cent of the targeted capital expenditure against the required 45 per cent to get the remaining amount of interest-free loan for capital expenditure for a period of 50 years from the Centre under the latter’s special assistance scheme for states.

A wide variation is seen among different departments in this context. Spending in civil aviation has been 61 per cent (evident from faster development of airports including the one in Ayodhya), transport 52 per cent, energy 52 per cent, industry about 40 per cent, roads and bridges only 25 per cent and 36 per cent.

A senior official in the finance department said: “It is a trend that the expenditure picks up in the last quarter of the financial year. Though challenging, it may be expected that the government will be able to meet is annual targets of expenditure.”