Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday announced largesse for MLAs. Speaking on the penultimate day of the budget session, Akhilesh said, "An MLA could purchase car worth Rs. 20 lakh from the MLA area development fund (vidhayak nidhi)". He also announced an increase of Rs. 25 lakh in the MLA area development fund. Now an MLA can spend Rs. 1.50 crore annually from the fund.
The present strength of the state assembly is 402 MLAs. The proposal of the CM would make additional burden of around Rs. 80 crore on the state exchequer.
Though the ruling Samajwadi Party MLAs welcomed the announcement by the chief minister by thumping the table, it failed to enthuse the MLAs of the opposition parties.
The leader of the BJP legislature party, Hukum Singh said, "BJP MLAs have decided not to purchase car from the MLA area development fund as the fund was allocated to MLAs for development works in respective assembly segments".
"The fund is meant for the welfare of the masses and not for the personal expenditure of the MLAs" Singh said and added "the people would doubt the integrity of the MLA if he uses public money for personal convenience".
The leader of the opposition and BSP MLA Swami Prasad Maurya said purchase of the car from MLA area development fund by the MLAs would send a wrong message to the people.
The BSP MLAs have also decided not to purchase car from the development fund. The chief minister should allocate fund under different head for the purchase of the car by the MLAs.
The Congress too opposed the proposal for the purchase of the car from MLA area development fund. The Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said the decision of the state government to permit MLA to purchase car from area development fund would set a wrong precedence. It would also send a wrong message to the people.
The MLAs who have been elected to the legislative assembly for the first time would be under suspicion, as the people would think that they are misutilizing the public money.
Welcoming the suggestion of the opposition MLAs Akhilesh Yadav said, "The purchase of the vehicle from area development fund was not compulsory. Only those MLA who wish to purchase a car could spend Rs. 20 lakh from the fund.
"Several MLAs in the legislative assembly are poor and they could not afford a car. They can use the fund to purchase a car. The value of the car would depreciate each year and after five years the MLA can purchase the car at the market value".
Even as the opposition leaders rejected the proposal of the chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav said, "The state government would invite suggestions from the MLAs over the launch of the Lohia village development scheme. In this budget the state government would not allot hand pumps to MLAs.
"The PWD minister Shivpal Singh Yadav has already considered the demand of the MLAs for the construction of the roads in respective constituencies. The MLA could recommend two villages in their assembly segment for the pipe water supply scheme
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