Opposition slams UP Govt for abrupt end of Budget session

Lucknow, July 18 (UNI) The brief Budget session of the Uttar Pradesh legislature which ended abruptly yesterday has drawn severe criticism from the Opposition.

The 15-day session conducted witnessed approval of several bills through which the decisions of previous Mulayam Singh Yadav government were reverted. These included shortering of the duration of minority commission, women commission and some changes in the structure of couple of boards.

During the session, leader of the House Mayawati and leader of the Opposition Mulayam Singh Yadav never faced each other directly.

Mr Yadav, in an unprecedented move, did not even speak on the budget debate.

Meanwhile, the Opposition parties, including Samajwadi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party had criticised the Government from shying away from facing a debate in the Assembly on issues of public importance.

SP leader Ambika Choudhury claimed that ''running away'' from the House proves the Mayawati Government's dictorial attitude.

The BJP leader Om Prakash Singh announced the party would withdraw its representation from the business advisory committee and other committees of the House in protest against the Government's move.

State parliamentary affairs minister Lalji Verma said the Budget was passed in a day to prevent any untoward incident in the House following the provacative attitude of the Samajwadi Party.

Besides this, due to the Presidential polls, principal secretary of the Assembly would also be busy, he added.

Yesterday on the last day of the House five bills, including Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal (conservation and maintainence) Bill 2007 were passed.

Terming the move as undemocratic and against the laid down norms, Mr Chaudhury termed the day as a ''black day'' in the history of the State legislature.

The Minister explained that since the Opposition was not allowing the smooth functioning of the house for the past three days, the Government thought it would be appropriate to bring all grants on a single day. ''Disruption of the house means a waste of public funds...the Government is against it,'' he shot back.

He said in 1990, the then government had brought all such grants on a single day and those were passed peacefully. ''There is nothing wrong in the move. It is in accordance to the laid down procedures,'' he claimed.

UNI