UP wants ₹1.3 lakh crore from Centre for big upgrades
Uttar Pradesh has asked the central government for a huge ₹1.3 lakh crore boost to fund new projects—think an AIIMS in western UP, an IIT in Bundelkhand, and metro expansions in cities like Lucknow, Kanpur, and Agra.
The request was made during a pre-Budget meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman ahead of the Union Budget 2026-27.
Why should you care?
UP's wishlist is all about making life better—more solar-powered cities (including Ayodhya), cleaner water with thousands of new ponds, and upgraded schools under the PM-Shri scheme.
But there's pressure: the state's share in the divisible pool of central taxes has fallen from 19.67% to about 17.93%, and tax receipts from items such as pan masala and tobacco have declined from roughly ₹1,000 crore pre-GST to about ₹300 crore after GST, so these funds are crucial to keep development rolling ahead of the next Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.