The Uttar Pradesh government has laid special emphasis on preserving and promoting cultural heritage in the budget for the financial year 2024-25. The government has proposed an allocation of Rs 2600 crore in the budget for next year’s Maha Kumbh. A significant budget provision has also been made for the development of Ayodhya.
Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, while presenting the proposed budget estimates for the financial year 2024-25 in the Assembly on Monday, said that in the budget, Rs 2500 crore will be allocated for the Urban Development Department and Rs 100 crore for the Culture Department for organizing Mahakumbh 2025. It is proposed to allocate Rs.
A budget provision of Rs 1750 crore has been made for the development of charitable routes in the state. He said that there is a provision of Rs 100 crore for the all-round development of Ayodhya. Apart from this, an allocation of Rs 10 crore has been proposed in the budget for the International Ramayana and Vedic Research Institute in Ayodhya itself. An allocation of Rs 150 crore is proposed for the establishment and expansion of ‘Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham’ in Ayodhya.
Khanna said that there is a provision of Rs 14.68 crore in the budget for the establishment of Nishad Raj Guha Cultural Center in Shrangverpur, Rs 11.79 crore for the establishment of Music College in Hariharpur, Azamgarh and Rs 10.53 crore for the establishment of Maharishi Valmiki Cultural Center in Chitrakoot. Has been done.
Development will happen through Chief Minister Tourism Development Partnership Scheme
The Finance Minister said that for the development and beautification of cultural heritage areas Ayodhya, Varanasi, Chitrakoot, Lucknow, Vindhyachal, Prayagraj, Naimisharanya, Gorakhpur, Mathura, Bateshwar Dham, Garhmukteshwar, Shuktirtha Dham, Maa Shakumbhari Devi, Sarnath and other important tourist places. Work is being done. He said that under the “Chief Minister Tourism Development Partnership Scheme”, there is a plan to develop a tourist destination in every assembly constituency of Uttar Pradesh.
Deepotsav was organized on a large scale in Ayodhya
Khanna said that more than 37 crore 90 lakh tourists came to Uttar Pradesh from January to October in the year 2023, out of which the number of Indian tourists is about 37 crore 77 lakh and the number of foreign tourists is about 13 lakh 43 thousand. He said that like every year, in this financial year too, Deepotsav was organized on a large scale in Ayodhya. On this occasion, a world record was made by lighting 22 lakh 23 thousand lamps on Ram Ki Pauri.
Khanna said that India’s culture has been very rich religiously, intellectually and scientifically. It has been a matter of surprise for the world as to how such an ancient culture has still remained unbroken despite centuries of external invasions. This may be a matter of surprise for them but for us it is a lifestyle.
Ignoring cultural heritage by previous governments
The Finance Minister alleged, “Previous governments ignored our cultural heritage but under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, our cultural stream is becoming more fluid.” Greece, Egypt, Roma all have disappeared from where, but till now the remaining names and traces are ours.