UP: Mulayam seeks fresh vote of confidence

Lucknow, Dec 15: Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly today passed the vote on account for the next fiscal amounting to Rs 24, 559 crore which Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav said should be considered as a fresh vote of confidence for his three-and-a-half year old government.

This is for the fifth time that the ruling Samajwadi Party dispensation has sought a vote of confidence on the floor of the house, amidst speculations that the Centre may impose President's rule in the state ahead of assembly elections due early next year.

The state cabinet has already cleared the proposal for seeking the approval from the assembly for the vote on account for the first four months (April-July, 2007) of the next fiscal 2007-08. The vote on account was passed by a voice vote soon after it was tabled by the chief minister.

This was the fifth finance bill to be presented in the assembly by the present government in 2006. The main budget for 2006-07 was passed in March while within next two month in May the government brought the first supplementary budget followed by the second one in August and third in October.

Presenting the interim budget, the CM said it was the duty of the new government to seek a fresh full budget for the next fiscal. He said the Rs 24,559 crore vote on account was being sought to cover for the routine, mandatory expenditures of the government.

Presenting interim budget, the CM said the budget for the year was presented on February 15, 2006. ''We had promised to set up 28 sugar mills in the state...I am happy to claim that while 16 have already been set, 12 others would come up shortly.'' Mr Yadav said in the present fiscal, his government managed to increase power generration by 1200 MW. ''Agreements for new power projects worth 2530 MW have already been signed,'' he added.

He said in the 11th Five Year Plan, the state hopes to generate an additonal 13830 MW of power.

Describing the achievements of his government, Mr Yadav said a total of six lakh youths were either provided with government jobs or provided with Unemployment Allowance of Rs 500 per month. ''We also distributed Kanya Vidyadhan to six lakh girls at the rate of Rs 20,000 each to enable them cmplete higher studies,'' he added.

By seeking the consideration and passage of the finance bill (vote on account) by the assembly, Chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav wanted to give a clear message that his government enjoyed a comfortable majority on the floor of the house.

The CM has recently charged that the state governor T V Rajeswar and the UPA government at the Centre were conspiring to topple his government ahead of the crucial assembly polls due in 2007.

Technically the term of the state assembly ends on May 14, next year, as after the assembly elections in February 2002, the assembly was duly constituted after the Mayawati led BSP-BJP coalition government took office in May and first meeting of the assembly was held on May 13, 2002.

Though the term of assembly ends in May the SP led government is anxious for the assembly polls in February, next year.

The CM had already communicated to the Election Commission favouring polls in February 2007. Though the EC is yet to announce the poll dates, the SP led government is not taking any chance and wants to be ready in all respects for the polls in February.

If the polls are to be held in February 2007, along with three other states Punjab, Manipur and Uttarakhand, then the notification have to be issued latest by January 5, next year after the publication of the revised electoral rolls.

On the other hand the ruling SP apprehends the Congress would do its best to stall the polls beyond May next year, so as to pave the way for the automatic imposition of the President's rule in UP, after the end of the term of the present assembly on May 14, next yeaer.

During the recent visit of the CEC, N Gopalaswamy to Lucknow all the opposition parties including the congress had told him that free and fair polls were not possible under the present regime of Mulayam Singh Yadav and demanded imposition of Central rule in UP.

UNI