Disgruntled opposition stages 'walkouts' from UP assembly

Lucknow, Feb 27 (UNI) It was a day of 'walkouts' for the opposition parties in the Uttar Pradesh assembly today.

First the Congress walked out after the state government refused to re-introduce leave encashment policy for the state employees.

Then the BJP followed and did the similar thing over the issue of Below Povery Line (BPL) cards. Thereafter, RLD members walked out of the House protesting treasury bench's non-commital reply over the dues of the sugar cane farmers.

The Samajwadi Party members also staged a noisy walkout over the issue of non installation of hand pumps in the drought-hit Bundelkhand region.

In the zero hour, the SP members raised the issue through an adjournment motion saying that no hand pumps were being installed in the Bundelkhand region leading to severe drinking water problem.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Lalji Verma said the present government had installed 4,682 new hand pumps in the seven drought-hit districts of Bundelkhand in the recent past while reboring had been completed for 6,591 failed hand pump in these districts.

Even after the minister assured them that their demand of hand pumps would be met, they staged a noisy walkout from the House.

During the question hour, Mr Verma made it clear that the government would not re-introduce the leave encashment for the state employees due to fund crunch.

He said the government requires Rs 845 crore annually for the scheme and if it was implemented several development works would have to be shelved.

Replying to another question, state Food and Civil Supply Minister Ram Prasad Choudhury said a new survey of the BPL beneficieries was underway and would be completed by March 31 next.

He said at present the Centre has sanctioned foodgrains for 1.06 crore BPL families and if, after the survey, the number increases the government would seek more allocation.

He denied any death due to starvation in the state even as SP member Mohammad Azam Khan claimed that one death was reported from Rampur.

State Sugarcane Development Minister Nasimuddin Siddique refused to reply the question over the pending dues of the cane farmers leading to walkout by the RLD members.

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