AAP MP calls state budget ‘planned jugglery of figures’

Lucknow: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh on Thursday called the UP budget a ‘planned jugglery of figures', accusing the state govt of first reducing the budget for the previous year and then using the reduced figures to compare with the allocation in the next year.Singh cited an example of the education sector, where Rs 1.03 lakh crore was allotted in 2025-26 which was revised to Rs 84,000 crore. For 2026-27, a budget of Rs 1.08 lakh crore was announced, and a hike of 28% over the previous year, on the basis of the revised figure, was publicised. "The actual comparison should be with the original allocated budget, not with the revised budget," he said. Similarly, in health and family welfare, after a 12% cut over the original allocation in 2024-25, a minor increase was shown as 24% growth. In sectors like transport, rural development, social welfare and agriculture too, the budget was reduced by 14% to 17% and then increased with claims of 30% to 59% growth. "In 2024-25, 65% of the budget for the housing sector was not spent. In water supply and sanitation, this figure was 33%; in irrigation and flood control, 32%; in health, 25%; in urban development, 24%; and in rural development, 24%. Only in energy department did the govt spend more than allocated budget," Singh alleged.He claimed that during a review by chief minister Yogi Adityanath, it came to light that there was underspending of up to 40% in PWD, 44% in child development, 41% in agriculture, 23% in rural development and 27% in food and logistics.