Rahul Gandhi, you are wrong: Yogi Adityanath Government

NEW DELHI: The Yogi Adityanath government has contested Rahul Gandhi’s jibe based on a news report that the UP government has massively cut education funds in its recent budget. The funds have in fact been increased by almost 25% in the present budget, UP government has said.

“Great move CM Yogi - next you can save more money by closing all the hospitals,” Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi had tweeted on Saturday, quoting a news report which claimed education funds had been slashed by as much as 90% in UP’s recent budget. The report claimed only Rs 576 Cr had been allotted for secondary education in this budget against Rs 9990 Cr last year and only Rs 272 Cr for higher education compared to Rs 2742 Cr allotted last year. These figures are at complete variance with official figures cited in the UP 2017-18 budget document.

Uttar Pradesh deputy Chief Minister and education minister Dinesh Sharma told ET that the said figures in the news report were completely wrong and the government had paid full attention to education. The Chief Minister’s Office on Sunday issued a statement saying the total budget for education (basic, secondary and higher education) in the present budget has risen by 25.4% from Rs 49607 Cr last year to Rs 62185 Cr.

“The budget for basic education has increased from Rs 38066 Cr last year to Rs 50142 Cr. The budget for secondary education has increased from Rs 8956 Cr last year to Rs 9384 Cr and budget for higher education has increased from 2585 Cr last year to Rs 2655 Cr,” the UP government said in a statement on Sunday, pointing to its official budget document.