BSP leaders walk out of UP Assembly; Want all high-tension wires over populated areas removed

Lucknow, July 23: The BSP walked out of the UP Legislative Assembly on Tuesday dissatisfied with UP government's reply on steps taken by it to remove overhead power lines, a week after 50 children were injured when a cable fell inside a school campus in Balrampur.

Raising the issue through an adjournment motion during the Zero Hour, the opposition party had urged the government to remove all high-tension wires passing over populated areas at the state's expense. The BSP members, led by Lalji Verma and Sukhdev Rajbhar, also demanded that a survey be conducted to identify the areas the power lines are in a bad shape and require replacement. They said this was necessary to avoid incidents like the one that happened in Balrampur on July 15.

Fifty children suffered burn injuries after they came in contact with a high-tension wire in their school campus. The children were at a distance from the wire when it snapped, but rainwater had collected in the campus due which they came in contact with electricity.

A day after the incident, the Uttar Pradesh government had ordered officials to remove electric wires passing over school buildings. Replying to the motion on Tuesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance of the issues raised by the opposition members but asked them to praise the work the government has done to improve the power sector. Khanna rued that the BJP government inherited the power sector in a very bad shape.

Leader of Opposition Ram Govind Chaudhary of the Samajwadi Party alleged that the government was claiming credit for schemes run by the previous Congress and SP governments.

"The power generation has not increased by a single unit. They are patting their backs for the work done by Congress, Samajwadi Party and BSP," Chaudhary said. Minister Khanna retorted by saying it was their "sins" which earned the BJP a sweeping majority both at the Centre and in the state. Dissatisfied with the reply, BSP leaders walked out of the assembly.