In a sudden move the Akhilesh Government passed the Budget of 60 departments in less than 60 minutes and then adjourned the Vidhan Sabha sine die much to the chagrin of the Opposition parties who called this move by the SP Government as its dictatorial attitude.
“It was a planned move of the Government. It has already prepared a 7-page supplementary Budget and presented in the House in a jiffy. This shows the Government is not willing to answer questions being raised by the Opposition parties and therefore decided to call quits,” leader of Opposition Swamy Prasad Maurya told reporters after the Vidhan Sabha was adjourned sine die.
The Assembly was to continue till July 18. In the morning when the BSP and the BJP members were creating ruckus over law and order and Moradabad incident, a Business Advisory Committee meeting was held and it decided to adjourn the Budget Session 11 days prior to its official closing. Altogether, Budget of 60 departments was passed by voice votes along with the appropriation Bills amounting to over Rs 2 lakh crore.
The Budget Session of the Assembly started on June 19 and the Budget was tabled by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav the next day. In the 13 sittings House transacted business for 66.31 hours while it was adjourned for 5.50 hours. At least 72 members, including Ministers took part in Motion of Thanks of the Governor and 131 members took part in Budget debate, spokesman Vidhan Sabha BB Dubey said.Meanwhile, the entire Opposition criticised the Samajwadi Party Government for curtailing the Budget Session. leader of the Opposition Swami Prasad Maurya said as the Government could not face the Opposition in the House, hence they decided to end the session.
“Such a move is undemocratic,” Maurya said. BJP Deputy leader of the House Satish Mahana said the sudden end of the Budget Session of the UP Assembly was a stab on the back of the people of the State. “BJP will take the issue before the peoples’ court,” he announced. Congress legislature Party leader Pradeep Mathur too criticised the Government’s decision to end the Budget Session of the Assembly abruptly.
But State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan defended the act of the Government saying that the Opposition was merely wasting the public money as they were only interested in creating disturbances.“When the Opposition is not interested in going for a healthy debate and is just interested in shouting slogans, it is better they go out on the streets and do the same,” he said.