UP assembly approves budgetary demands for about Rs 2000 crore

Lucknow, oct 31(UNI) Uttar Pradesh assembly today passed the first supplementary budget for the current financial year to the tune of Rs 1999.85 crore amid ruckus created by the opposition Samajwadi Party members.

The budget and related appropriation bills were passed without any discussion.

Budget was passed amid vociferous protest by the main opposition Samajwadi Party over the arrest of its member Arvind Giri. The SP members staged a walkout from the House.

In the later stages, BJP member Hukum Singh and Congress legislature party leader Pramod Tiwari said that they should have been given time to go through the budget copies in order to give their suggestions.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Lalji Verma, giving a brief outline of the budget, said that Rs 436 crore were sought for mid-day meal for school chilren and Rs 332 crore for providing benefits to the students of schedule castes and schedule tribes.

He made it clear that the government has alloted Rs 472 crore for various development works on the name of Kanshi Ram and B R Ambedkar.

Later the government tabled 18 ordinances which were promulgated when the house was not in session and 16 bills replacing these ordinances.

UNI