Mulayam's bouquet to ex-legislators on poll eve

Lucknow, Feb 22 (UNI) With Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav all set for the trust vote on February 26, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to bring a finance bill on that day to approve sops for the former legislators.

Even as the dates for assembly poll were announced yesterday, the government today gave its nod to bring a bill to hike the pension of former legislators from Rs 3,000 per month to Rs 5,000 with an annual increment of Rs 500.

The finance bill -- UP State Legislative (Member Emolument) Amendment Bill 2007 -- will also raise the annual free railway coupon of ex-MLAs from Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000.

By doing so, the government will incur an additional financial burden of Rs 9 crore.

The sops were announced by Mr Yadav in a conference of ex-legislators here on August 30, 2006. These were later approved by the state cabinet on February 6. A committee of the state assembly had also approved the same.

According to the sources, the passage of the bill will automatically be deemed as a trust vote, as it deals with finance aspect.

UNI