SP workers beneficiaries of unemployment allowance: Cong

Lucknow, June 16: Congress today alleged that activists of the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh were actual beneficiaries of the 'unemployment allowance' scheme launched by Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Congress claimed the scheme was announced to quell a possible rebellion within the SP ranks ahead of the 2007 Assembly polls.

''The SP is now limited to a few leaders...there was widespread resentment among lower rung leaders. To check this trend, the allowance is being doled out,'' UP Congress chief spokesperson Akhilesh Pratap Singh said here.

''Almost 90 per cent of the recepients are associated with the SP and the list was arranged by the district SP unit leaders.'' Earlier today, the CM distributed cheques to about 100 unemployed graduate and post-graduate youth of six districts in Lucknow division. Rest of the over 52,000 youth were given cheques by UP ministers.

As many as 8.80 lakh people have been registered at the various employment exchanges in UP, of which only 1.14 lakh have so far been found eligible to receive unemployment allowance.

The CM had made the announcement to this effect in the State Assembly during budget session on February 15. The eligible recepients for the allowance should be at least a graduate in the age group upto 35 yrs.

The largest Indian state now has the distinction of giving maximum monthly allowance of Rs 500. Earlier, Haryana had given monthly unemployment allowance of Rs 350, according to officials.

UP has already made allocation of Rs 400 crore under one of the most ambitious schemes of the Mulayam regime.

UNI