UP Budget 2026-27: Push for women empowerment, police infra in pre-poll outlay

The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday laid special emphasis on women empowerment and strengthening law and order in its 2026-27 Budget, seen as the last full-fledged Budget of the Yogi Adityanath dispensation ahead of the Assembly elections due next year.

Finance Minister Suresh Khanna presented a Rs 9.12 lakh crore Budget for the financial year 2026-27 in the state Assembly. Tabling the Budget before the House, Khanna said the total outlay marked an increase of about 12.2 per cent over the previous year's allocation.

According to an official statement issued after the Budget presentation, several provisions have been made for women-centric schemes and police modernisation. Under Mission Shakti, Rs 25 crore has been proposed for the purchase of vehicles for women beat personnel to facilitate field visits. The statement said integration of security, health, and employment services under the scheme is accelerating women’s self-reliance and social participation.

As part of the Safe City project, deployment of women police beats, an extensive CCTV network, and Anti-Romeo squads has enhanced safety at public and work places. Working Women Hostels are being constructed in municipal corporations to ensure safe accommodation for working women. Under the Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana, 26.81 lakh girls had benefited till January 2026.

The statement noted that in 58,000 gram panchayats in 2025-26, 39,880 BC Sakhis conducted financial transactions worth over Rs 39,000 crore, earning around Rs 107 crore in commissions. Five milk producer companies were proposed under the Mahila Samarthya Yojana, of which units in Gorakhpur, Bareilly, and Rae Bareli have begun procurement and marketing, while those in Prayagraj and Lucknow are proposed. Around 60,000 women sugarcane farmers are being given priority in the issuance of cane slips.

On law and order, the government reiterated that strengthening policing remains a top priority. Citing comparative data with 2016, the statement said cases of dacoity, robbery, murder, rioting, and kidnapping for ransom have declined by 89 per cent, 85 per cent, 47 per cent, 70 per cent, and 62 per cent respectively. Crimes against women, including murder, dowry death, rape, and molestation, have fallen by 48 per cent, 19 per cent, 67 per cent, and 34 per cent respectively compared to 2016.

Cases related to atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have also registered a significant decline in categories such as murder, arson, rape, and grievous hurt.

For strengthening infrastructure, Rs 1,374 crore has been proposed for the construction of non-residential police buildings and Rs 1,243 crore for residential buildings. An additional Rs 346 crore has been earmarked for police infrastructure in newly created districts.

Further, Rs 200 crore has been proposed for residential and non-residential buildings of fire stations, and Rs 190 crore for fire safety arrangements in multi-storey buildings and to operationalise newly constructed centres.