Akhilesh gives PM Rs 70k cr wishlist

Almost five years after the then UP chief minister Mayawati called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and demanded a special package of Rs 80,000 crore for Uttar Pradesh,the states new Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday paid a courtesy call to the Prime Minister and requested smooth transfer of central aid upward of Rs 70,000 crore for the sectors identified by him for the state over the next five years.

Almost five years after the then UP chief minister Mayawati called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and demanded a special package of Rs 80,000 crore for Uttar Pradesh,the states new Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday paid a courtesy call to the Prime Minister and requested smooth transfer of central aid upward of Rs 70,000 crore for the sectors identified by him for the state over the next five years.

While Mayawati faulted the Congress-led UPA government throughout her tenure for not granting the package of Rs 80,000 crore,which the Central government dithered over the lack of specifics,Akhileshs demands for a total of Rs 72,853.96 crore from Centre came with details of specific heads where it will be spent. It ranged from Rs 12 crore for constituting 601 village defence committees in three Naxal-affected districts to Rs 14,500 crore for construction of 30 lakh houses for the poor under the centrally sponsored Indira Awaas Yojana in the state.

The Centre should grant these funds. Only then will the development work reach the people. If UP moves on the path of progress,then the country will move on that path too, Akhilesh said,briefing reporters after his meeting with the Prime Minister. Later,he also called on President Pratibha Patil for a courtesy meeting.

Akhilesh,however,refrained from terming his demands as a package from the Centre and underlined them as central governments commitments under various schemes.

We have not demanded any package for the state. A host of issues related to the development of Uttar Pradesh including roads,problems related to coal shortage for power generation,irrigation and drinking water among others were discussed, he said.

If the quantum of central aid is taken as an indication of Akhileshs priorities,he appears to be giving higher priority to power,roads,drinking water and education.

According to his demands presented to the Prime Minister,Akhilesh reminded 2000 MW of power shortage in the state and requested assured coal supply to the tune of 4.90 lakh tonnes for two thermal power plants as necessary to attract private investment in the sector in the state.

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He demanded about Rs 20,000 crores for the roads,which include inter-states roads,roads connecting districts,upgradation of rural roads and other several demands with central obligations. The Chief Minister also requested Rs 15,000 crore of central assistance for the next five years for providing piped drinking water to habitations across the state.

As for the education sector,he requested Rs 3,150 crore central assistance to set up nine new high quality universities in each division of the state. He also requested the Prime Minister to extend the deadline of filling the teachers vacancies to March 2015 given the lack of trained teachers required to the tune of 2.86 lakh in schools across the state to meet the criteria for Right to Education Act.

It was a good meeting with the Prime Minister. Honble Prime Minister has assured that all central scheme funds will be provided to UP, Akhilesh said.

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