UP has moved from 'policy paralysis' to a land of 'unlimited potential' in 9 years: CM Yogi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said the state has successfully transformed its perception over the past nine years, moving from "policy paralysis" to a land of "unlimited potential," as the government presented its 10th budget in the Assembly.

Speaking with reporters, Adityanath said the budget reflects the sentiments and aspirations of the people and noted that the size of the state budget has more than tripled during the nine-year period.

"Uttar Pradesh has successfully transformed its perception over the past nine years, emerging from policy paralysis and changing perceptions to present UP as a land of unlimited potential," the chief minister said.

Highlighting the theme of the 2026-27 budget, the chief minister said, "This budget is dedicated to safe women, capable youth, happy farmers and work for every hand, a prosperous Uttar Pradesh through technological investment. This budget presents a new saga of nine years of new construction before the countrymen."

Adityanath termed the budget historic, saying it was the 10th budget presented by his government. "This is the tenth budget of our government. This is the first time that a Chief Minister has had the opportunity to present the tenth budget. This has never happened before in a state like UP."

The chief minister also stressed that no new taxes had been imposed in the past nine years. He added that through efficient financial management and by plugging leakages, the state has moved from being categorised as a 'BIMARU' state to a revenue-surplus state.

"By stopping all the tax evasion and leakages in UP through efficient financial management, we have succeeded in transforming UP from a BIMARU state to a revenue surplus state, presenting it as a breakthrough in the Indian economy," he said.

In addition, the chief minister said that over Rs 43,565 crore has been proposed exclusively for new schemes in the 2026-27 Budget. He added that more than Rs 2 lakh crore has been earmarked for capital expenditure, which would play a crucial role in asset creation, infrastructure development and strengthening the economy, besides generating employment opportunities.

He also noted that budgetary allocations for various departments have been significantly enhanced.

Adityanath claimed that the state's debt burden, which was over 30 per cent in 2017, was brought down to 27 per cent within two to three years of his government taking office. Although the ratio rose during the Covid period, it has again been reduced to 27 per cent, with a target to bring it down further to 23 per cent in the current financial year, he said.

He asserted that on the strength of improved financial management and sustained development without imposing additional taxes, Uttar Pradesh has emerged among the top three state economies in the country.

The chief minister further claimed that the unemployment rate in the state, which he said stood between 17 and 19 per cent before 2017, has been reduced to 2.24 per cent.

Stressing a focus on youth employment, he said initiatives such as MSME start-ups, the 'One District, One Product' programme and promotion of local entrepreneurs have helped position Uttar Pradesh as both an investment destination and a job-creating state.

He also announced provisions in the budget for emerging technologies, including setting up data centre clusters for artificial intelligence and related sectors, and said the agriculture sector would be promoted on an income-based and value-addition model to help farmers transition from being beneficiaries to active partners in development.

Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Suresh Khanna presented a Rs 9,12,696.35 crore budget for the financial year 2026-27 in the state Assembly, marking an increase of about 12.2 per cent over the previous year's outlay.