Mulayam seeks vote of confidence; vote on account for next fiscal

Lucknow, Dec 15 (UNI) The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly today passed the vote on account for the next fiscal, amounting to Rs 31,521 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.

Earlier, the amount was Rs 24,559 crore, but later it was revised to Rs 31,521 crore.

This is for the fifth time that the ruling Samajwadi Party dispensation has sought a vote of confidence on the floor of the house, probably on the last day of the 14th Assembly, 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 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 this year. The main budget for 2006-07 was passed in March while 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. The Rs 31,521 crore vote on account was being sought to cover for the routine, mandatory expenditures of the government, he added.

Stating that the budget for the year was presented on February 15, 2006 the CM said, ''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.'' In the present fiscal, his government managed to increase power generration by 1200 MW Mr Yadav said adding that the ''Agreements for the new power projects worth 2530 MW have already been signed.'' In the 11th Five Year Plan, the state hopes to generate an additonal 13830 MW of power.

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