Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday presented a supplementary budget of Rs 7,301.52 crore in the state Legislative Assembly for financial year 2021-22 to meet additional expenditure.
The supplementary budget was presented by Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Khanna said the supplementary budget is very small and should be passed without any discussion. “It is only 1.33 per cent of the annual budget of Rs 5.5 lakh crore presented by the government earlier,” Khanna said.
Introducing the supplementary budget, Khanna said the focus is on extremely important issues of public welfare or fulfilling any particular scheme.
“There are some new demands in this, especially for creating job opportunities for the youth for which Rs 3,000 crore have been allocated. The other highlights are social security fund for advocates, improvement in electricity system, construction of Ambedkar Smarak and Saanskritik Kendra, conservation of cattle and increasing the basic infrastructure in Ayodhya,” he said.
He pointed out that in a span of four-and-a-half years of the government, the perception of the public has changed. “The biggest parameter is the evaluation of any government, and the view of the public is that the Yogi Adityanath government in UP has made new records, and has also broken some records.
“Hence, I would like to urge the House through you (Speaker) to pass the 1.33 per cent supplementary budget without any discussion, it would be good,” he said.
Subsequently, Leader of Opposition Ram Govind Choudhary apparently taking a dig at Khanna, said the government has made new records, to which Khanna retorted,”This is true.”
Further, pointing at Yogi Adityanath, Khanna said, “He is the Ram of politics, and he is sitting here to defeat the evil powers.” This prompted a loud desk-thumping by the members of the ruling party.
Later on, Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit informed the House that an oil painting of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar will be installed in the House.
“Uma Shankar Singh had said about the installation of an oil painting of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, and an oil painting is being made. It has been ordered by the Vidhan Sabha, and the Chief Minister was consulted on this. It will be installed,” Dixit said.
Former UP Cabinet minister and chief of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) Om Prakash Rajbhar on Wednesday had demanded that an oil painting of Ambedkar be installed inside Vidhan Sabha Bhavan, and sat on a protest.
On Tuesday, Rajbhar had handed over a letter in this regard to the UP Assembly Speaker.
Meanwhile, the entire Question Hour was washed out as members of Opposition Samajwadi Party and Congress trooped into Well of the House on the issue of price rise.
As soon as the House assembled at 11 am, members of Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress stormed in Well of the House and started raising slogans against the government over price rise.
Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Ram Govind Choudhary said “inflation has skyrocketed, and the public is feeling harassed due to the soaring prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas”.
As soon as Choudhary said this, the SP members trooped into Well of the House, and raised slogans. Congress members also followed suit.
Speaker Dixit said, “The state government has nothing to do with inflation. If your ‘rangarang karyakram’ (colourful programme) is over, then let the House function.”
However, the Opposition members continued to raise slogans, leading to adjournment of the House proceedings for 40 minutes, which was later extended for the entire Question Hour, till 12.20 pm, by the Speaker.
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