Budget session kicks off with bedlam

The SP members then trooped in the well of the House and threw paper balls at the governor. The SP members held placards carrying slogans like “Pidit Janata Ki Pukar,Jaldi Jaye Ye Sarkar”,“Divya ,Sheelu Kare Pukar,Band Karo Ab Balatkaar” and “Bhrashtachar Ka Bolbala,Mukhyamantri Ka Muh Kala”. In the din,the Governor could read only the first and the last line of his address and left the House.

The Opposition accused the BSP regime of indulging in corruption and demanded the governor should dismiss the Mayawati government.

“The constitutional order in UP has collapsed and there is complete goondaraj in the state and the governor should immediately dismiss the government,” Leader of the Opposition Shivpal Yadav said. He said the government’s praise in the Governor’s address was undeserved.

Yadav said Independent MLA from Kunda,Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya,should be immediately released. Bhaiyya was arrested for allegedly threatening a candidate during the recent panchayat elections in the state.

The Congress also condemned the government. “We respect the Governor but he read the address prepared by the government which has lost people’s confidence. Neither development works were undertaken nor employment was given and it was only harassment of women that has increased in the BSP regime,” said Pramod Tewari,the leader of the Congress in Assembly.

In his address,the governor criticised the Centre for erratic funding of the Centrally sponsored schemes. “The Central government does not release its full share as per the schedule. Besides,the Centre has also introduced a new practice under which the grant is released at the end of the financial year,which delays the development and the grant remains unutilised with the states. Secondly,the amount equivalent to the remainder is deducted from the next year’s grant,” he said.

He further said the Centre owed more than Rs 2,000 crore on account of scholarships for the OBCs alone to the state. He said the Centre has neither taken any positive decision on the state’s demand for special economic package of Rs 80,000 crore for Bundelkhand region and Eastern UP nor made any special financial assistance so far.

The Governor lauded the government on the law and order issue. He claimed that the “rule of law” has been established in the state by creating a development-oriented atmosphere which is free from injustice,crime,fear and corruption.

Women safe,law & order better in UP than many states: Maya

Condemning the Samajwadi Party for creating a disturbance in the Assembly and preventing Governor BL Joshi from delivering his address at the joint session,Chief Minister Mayawati claimed the women in UP are safe and the law and order situation was far better than in many states.

“The incidents of atrocities on women were far less in UP than in many other states,and the women are safe in my government; the law and order in the state is far better as compared to other states,” she said while talking to reporters after the Governor’s address on Friday.

“It is well known that what happened at Kareli in Allahabad during the SP regime,that is an example of atrocities against women,” Mayawati said,referring to the incident in which girls were raped at a madrasa at Kareli and the names of a few SP leaders had figured in the matter.

The Congress was not let off either. Mayawati said it was during the party’s regime Phoolan Devi was forced to take up weapons to fight feudal lords who were her tormentors. Claiming prompt action by her government in all incidents of crime against women,she said: “As soon as an incident came to my notice,action was taken against the guilty and even members of the ruling party were not spared. This kind of action never happened during the SP regime.”