Oppn prepares to grill govt in UP Budget session from tomorrow

Lucknow, Feb 17: Opposition parties appeared all set to grill the Uttar Pradesh government on a host of issues during the over month-long budget session of the state legislature beginning tomorrow.

Issues like dismal law and order situation, hooch deaths, recovery of skeletons and problems faced by farmers will be raised by Opposition BSP, BJP and Congress to pin down the Samajwadi Party government on the floor of the House.

The session will begin with the customary address by Governor Ram Naik to the joint sitting during which he will outline the policies and achievements of the Akhilesh Yadav government. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and senior BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya said his party will raise issues pertaining to dismal law and order, hooch deaths, recovery of skeletons, problems faced by sugarcane and paddy growers and swine flu among others.

The party will also raise "illegal" allotment of government land to a trust run by senior state minister Azam Khan in Rampur.

BJP Legislature Party leader Suresh Khanna said his party will raise issues of public interest like bad roads, pending cane arrear dues, poor primary education facilities besides the prevailing 'goonda raj' in the state.

CLP leader Pradeep Mathur said his party will highlight the failures of the state government in an effective and forceful manner, while RLD leader Dalbir Singh said issues including plight of farmers and setting up of High Court bench in the western region will be raised. According to Pradeep Dubey, Principal Secretary (Vidhan Sabha Secretariat), the session will conclude on March 27.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who holds the finance portfolio, will present the 2015-16 budget on February 24.

PTI