The supplementary grant of over Rs 25,347 crore with a voice vote was passed in the Vidhan Sabha not before Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav blamed the Centre for being partisan towards UP and not releasing funds meant for development of the state.
“The Samajwadi Party government is carrying out development from its own resources as the Centre, which is supposed to release the state’s share, has refused to do so despite several reminders,” Yadav said in a brief address at the Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday.
Amid pandemonium by BJP members in the Assembly during the passage of the supplementary budgetary grants, Yadav categorically said that the condition of national highways is bad in UP but the Centre has not been giving funds. “Besides, no financial assistance has been given to repair the roads under Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojana,” he said.
Yadav, who is also the Finance minister, asked the agitating BJP members to gherao the Parliament and protest the apathetic attitude of the BJP-led Union government instead of misusing their energy by shouting slogans in the UP Vidhan Sabha.
“In the supplementary budget, the government sought Rs 2000 crore for distribution of compensation to those farmers whose crop was destroyed in the hail storm and drought. We are forced to do as the Centre has not released funds. If the NDA government cannot release funds for welfare of farmers how can it claim itself to be sympathetic towards farmers,” Chief Minister asked.
The CM said that the funds sought in the supplementary budget would also provide electricity to over 60,000 primary schools and funds would be allocated for Samajwadi Poorwanchal Expressway for development of eastern UP.
Taking a jibe at the PM’s faux pas on electrification of Nagla Fatela village of Hathras during his I-day speech, Yadav said that the PM was trying to reap political mileage from the issue while the fact remains that the village was electrified and the villagers were watching the PM’s speech on television that very day.
Claiming that people would show BJP its real place in the coming Assembly polls, Yadav said that the demonstrations in the state by the party was an effort to divert attention of people from thefailure of the Union government.
During the CM’s address, Parliamentary Affairs minister Azam Khan criticised the conduct of BJP members and even termed them as ‘ coward’ for not participating in the debate. He along with other SP members shouted ‘ shame-shame’ when the BJP members continued sloganeering against the government during the CM’s brief address.
Earlier, leader of Opposition and BSP member Gayacharan Dinker opposed the supplementary budget saying that since the government has failed to utilize the main budgetary allotments, there was no need for the supplementary budget.
“Not more than 23 per cent of the budget has been spent so far. Departments like Agriculture, Backward Welfare and Transport have spent only around 2 to 5 per cent of budget so far,” he pointed out.
Aday after being tabled atthe Assembly, the supplementary budget and related appropriation bills to the tune of over Rs 25, 347 crores was passed through voice vote at one go on Wednesday.