UP gifts Rs.20 lakh to MLAs for cars, opposition protests

Lucknow, July 3 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh government Tuesday allowed the legislators to withdraw Rs.20 lakh from their development fund to purchase a car, a move that has triggered a political storm in the state with the Congress, BJP and BSP protesting against it.

If all the 402 legislators in the state assembly purchase cars from their local area development (LAD) funds, it will cost the exchequer by Rs.80.60 crore.

The announcement was made by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, was met with stiff protest by opposition benches as MLAs from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) opposed the move saying they found the whole decision very strange.

Senior BJP leader and legislator Kalraj Mishra said the party was against the move as the funds were supposed to be used for development of their areas and not for personal use. According to established guidelines for the use of MLA funds, the fund cannot be used for personal use.

Angry at the move, the state unit president of the BJP Laxmikant Bajpayi has shot off a letter to the legislative assembly speaker Mata Prasad Pandey informing that no legislator of the BJP would avail this facility.

BSP's Swamy Prasad Maurya said this sop for MLAs was not acceptable as it would tarnish their image in the eyes of the people. Each MLA gets Rs.1 crore every year during his/her five year term for development of their respective constituencies.