The Opposition and government are busy planning for the upcoming state Budget Session, set to resume on Tuesday. Sources in the government told The Indian Express that the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has compiled a 200-page report on “burning issues” that the Opposition parties may seek to exploit. The CMO has collected detailed information from about 65 departments for the purpose. Even on Sunday the CMO was abuzz with activity to ensure all points were recorded in the report; they have been told to present it to the CM, deputy CMs and parliamentary affairs minister in advance for study and prepare responses. “While departments like Religious Affairs, Language, and a few others had nothing to send, about 65 other departments have given details regarding the matters,” said a senior official, adding that the most focus was on cases of major crime incidents in the last three months. Other issues related to farmers, education, rural development and health. Leader of Opposition and Samajwadi Party MLA Ram Govind Chaudhary confirmed that law and order would be among the main issues that would be raised. “The BJP government is misleading people through issues of cow, triple talaq and cleanliness campaign. These matters are not going to develop the state. Farmers are being exploited. While CM is claiming that banks will not issue notices to farmers, private agencies hired by banks are making recovery from farmers. We will raise these issues effectively in the House,” said Chaudhary. SP has called meetings of its legislature group on Monday to give final shape to its strategy for the Assembly session. BSP legislators too will meet on Monday. Its party leader in the Assembly Lalji Verma said that law and order, atrocities on Dalits, the hijacking of a bus in Lakhimpur, among others, would be the significant issues that the BSP would raise in the Assembly. “The state government has failed on all the fronts. Criminals are out of control. BJP had promised loan waiver for all farmers, but government fixed a cut-off date and also restricted the amount on the waiver. No youth has been given employment in 100-days,” Verma said. He also said the state government was not seen serious for the session because the House will have sitting of only around 12 days while budget session should ideally run for at least 35 days for detailed discussion on the budget of important departments. Congress too has listed specific incidents of crime to target the state government on law order. Congress legislature party leader Ajay Kumar said, “Murders are happening in CM’s home district Gorakhpur. Passengers were looted in a bus in Lakhimpur while a trader was killed in Maharajganj.” Congress will also be raising issue of GST. “Congress is not against GST, but it has been forced on traders and farmers. Despite promise of crop loan waiver, farmers have committed suicide. Also, monsoon season has started but government has not made sufficient arrangement to protect villages from floods in eastern UP,” added Ajay Kumar.
