Uttar Pradesh Budget: Yogi govt aims to boost air connectivity, allocates ₹1,150 crore for Noida International Airport

To boost air connectivity in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath-led state government allocated ₹1,150 crore for the upcoming Noida International Airport at GautamBuddha Nagar in the state Budget for fiscal year 2024-25.

“A provision of ₹1,150 crore is proposed for the establishment of an international airport and the purchase of land in Jewar of GautamBuddha Nagar district,” said UP Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna while presenting ₹7.36 lakh crore state budget for FY25 in the Uttar Pradesh assembly on Monday.

The development of phase one of the Noida International Airport in Jewar is underway and it is expected to open for commercial operations by the end of this year. 

“With this (Noida International Airport), Uttar Pradesh will become the only state in India to have five international airports,” Khanna also said.

The government has also allocated ₹150 crore for the expansion of Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya, and ₹1,100 crore for the construction, expansion, and strengthening of airstrips as well as land acquisition in the state.

Continuous efforts are being made to enhance air connectivity in the state and to achieve this objective, initiatives are being carried out under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS-UDAN) of the Centre and Civil Aviation Promotion Policy of the state government, said the UP finance minister. 

He also mentioned that there has been a 19.2 per cent rise in the number of air passengers in the current fiscal year as compared to last year.

The focus of the Uttar Pradesh government’s budget is mostly on infrastructure development and the welfare of women, youth and farmers.

The urban development department was allocated an additional ₹2,500 crore to develop world-class infrastructure in cities.

According to the budget, ₹4,000 crore was allocated for the distribution of tablets and smartphones to students; ₹1,750 crore was allocated for the development of ‘dharmarthmarg’ (roads to religious places); ₹100 crore was allocated to the culture department for organising Mahakumbh-2025.

For Uttar Pradesh’s agriculture sector, a growth rate of 5.1 per cent has been set and ₹460 crore has been allocated for three new schemes.