Mulayam seeks vote on account; house adjourned sine die

Lucknow, Dec 15 (UNI) Amid speculations of an impending President's rule in the state, the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly today passed the vote on account for the next fiscal, amounting to Rs 31,521 crore, perhaps the last financial bill of the 14th assembly.

Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav asserted that the vote on account should be considered as a fresh vote of confidence for his three-and-a-half year old government. Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey accepted the proposal.

Soon thereafter, the house was adjourned sine die by the Speaker.

The prolonged Monsoon session of the legislature started on August 21 and ended today after four months. The house, however, met only on 14 occasions during the long session.

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.

Earlier, the amount of vote on account was for Rs 24,559 crore, but later it was revised to Rs 31,521 crore.

After much delay, the government also announced the state advisory price for sugarcane.

While the Early variety has been placed at Rs 130 per quintal, the Common variety has been placed at Rs 125 per quintal. The government has announced Rs 122.50 per qunital as the SAP (purchase price in common parlance) for late variety of sugarcane.

Last year, the SAP band was between Rs 115 and Rs 120 per qunital.

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.

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