A day after Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav termed the Congress a party of cheats, Union Finance minister P Chidambaram said that the Centre was doing its best to provide all help to the UP government.
"I must assure Netaji (as Mulayam Singh is called) that the Union government will support the SP regime in taking the state to a new high because CM Akhilesh Yadav is doing exemplary good work," said Chidambaram short while after inaugurating 300 bank branches in the state.
The Finance minister’s statement assumes importance because it came in the wake of recent statements of Mulayam Singh Yadav who had charged the Congress of ditching the country and forecast that the lok Sabha polls could be held in November.
Chidambaram even put UP in a bigger bracket as he said: "A developed UP will help taking India forward. The Centre has never discriminated with any state including UP and has always tried to fulfill its demands."
"The CM has asked for funds in several projects. I will call Akhilesh Yadav along and his officials to New Delhi shortly to discuss the matter and I assure him all possible assistance," said the Union minister referring to the breakfast meeting with the CM where the latter had asked for more funds for UP.
Chidambaram said that every state has the right to demand funds for its development and the Centre always tries to meet the expectations of the state government.
The UP government sought funds for irrigation, urban infrastructure projects and National Highways. The Centre was also asked to consider providing viability gap funding of the lucknow-Agra Expressway.
Giving details about the funds allocated to UP, Chidambaram said the state was given Rs 96,224 crore as their share on Central taxes besides the annual allocation had been hiked to Rs 57,800 crores in 2012-13 from Rs 47,000 crores sanctioned in 2011-12.
"Similarly, 24 central projects each of over Rs 150 crores are being implemented in the state costing around Rs 18,550 crore. In these projects, the Centre had already spent Rs 11,253 crores so far," informed the Union Finance minister.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in his address stressed on the development schemes being launched by the state government. He talked about Kanya Vidyadhan, unemployment allowance and scheme to distribute laptops to class XII pass students.
"Opening of bank branches will help people, particularly in the rural areas, as there would be an access to easy loan," the Chief Minister said.
Chairman cum Managing Director of Bank of Baroda S S Mundra said that UP has a total of 13,952 bank branches of which 72 per cent are situated in rural and semi-urban areas.
300 bank branches inaugurated
Creating a sort of records Union Finance minister P Chidambaram inaugurated 300 bank branches spread out in almost all 75 districts of the state.
'' It is for the first time that 300 bank branches were being inaugurated in a day. Iit is like making a triple century in a cricket match,'' he said while addressing the function here on Friday.
Earlier the highest number of bank branches being inaugurated in a day was 100.'' But today we tripled the number,'' he said.
The Union minister also announced that by March 2014, all the bank branches in the country would have their own ATMs. Presently there are around 1.06 lakh ATMs in the country.
Chidambaram said for the past 2 to 3 years 6000 bank branches are being opened every year or 18 to 19 branches per day in the country. UP will get another 2700 bank branches during 2013-14 which will increase the banks density which is now one bank for every 16,000 population.
During the programme, Chidambaram interacted with managers of four new branches through video-conferencing which include Tirwa branch of Central Bank of India in Kannauj, Madhupuri branch of Union Bank of India in Rae Bareli, Deoband branch of Allahabad Bank in Saharanpur district and Salempur branch of State Bank of India in Deoria.