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Journalism of Courage
Rs 5 crore vs Rs 1 crore: Why UP’s Opposition MLAs are crying foul over development funds
Leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey has written to UP CM Yogi Adityanath over the 'unfair' funding gap
UP Assembly LoP Mata Prasad Pandey and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. (Twitter: X/@pmataprasadsp
/File Photo)
Leader of Opposition in Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Mata Prasad Pandey, has written to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath alleging unequal allocation of funds between MLAs of the ruling BJP and the Opposition parties under the state government’s Twarit Arthik Vikas Yojana (Accelerated Economic Development Plan) and sought parity in awarding the grants.
In the letter dated April 29, Pandey said while MLAs from the ruling party have been allocated up to Rs 5 crore each for road construction works, those from the Opposition parties have received only Rs 1 crore each.
Calling the allocations unfair, Pandey argued that balanced development requires equal attention to all constituencies. “Keval ek party ke vidhayakon ke kshetra ke vikas se pradesh viksit nahi ho sakta (the state cannot develop if only constituencies of one party are prioritised),” he said.
Urging the Chief Minister to ensure equal allocation in the state’s interest, he added, “In the interest of the entire state, equal funds should also be allocated to the Opposition MLAs.”
Sources indicated that under “discretionary” development schemes, allocations often depend on administrative approvals, project size, and recommendations at the district level. However, the Opposition leaders claim the current gap has limited their ability to carry out even basic infrastructural work, with smaller allocations translating into only a few minor road projects in their constituencies.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Pandey said, “Even as it is a discretionary fund, there is a huge difference in the projects approved for Opposition MLAs and those of the ruling party. As Leader of Opposition, I got approvals for about 2.95 crore but that is not the case with the rest of the MLAs.”
Samajwadi Party MLA Ragini Sonkar also alleged, “All MLAs are the same and so are the needs of the public. So how there can be such large discrimination in allocations under the Twarit Arthik Vikas Yojana? I have been given an approval of only Rs 65 lakh. Similar is the case with many other women MLAs of SP. However, those who have shifted their loyalties to the ruling party got more.”
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Dismissing the SP leaders’ allegations, a senior BJP leader, said, “It is a discretionary fund, which is given based on the requirement. It is wrong to allege such a thing.”
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