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Uttar Pradesh assembly budget session: Ask questions, don’t resort to political theatrics, says deputy CM Brajesh Pathak
For a few minutes, Pathak and Opposition members were engaged in a heated conversation over the manner in which questions were to be asked in the House.
Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak on Monday took a swipe at the Opposition in the state assembly, asserting that legislative proceedings must not be reduced to political theatrics. He urged members to maintain procedural discipline and raise structured, point-wise questions to ensure meaningful debate and accountability.
“I request the speaker to instruct the members to ask questions in points to get a pointwise answer as was demanded by Kamal Akhtar and RK Verma,” Pathak said.
“Agar ye zara bhi political karenge hum pura political raita faila denge (If they go in for politicking, then I will reply in an even more political manner),” Pathak said at the beginning of the day as RK Verma of the Samajwadi Party stood up and asked the second starred question.
For a few minutes, Pathak and Opposition members were engaged in a heated conversation over the manner in which questions were to be asked in the House.
Verma had started by reading, “Gaon Ki Galiyon Mein Dhoop Sang Jalti Hoon.” This irked the deputy CM who intervened to ask for precise questions.
Pathak also said the Samajwadi Party has always misled people for the sake of votes. “After elections, they never worked for people,” he said, adding they will be wiped out post 2027 polls.
After Pathak mentioned “political raita”, SP’s Kamal Akhtar said, “The minister must specify where they make raita in their department.”
Replying to a question on Asha workers, Pathak said, “After the Samajwadi Party government’s tenure, the wages of Asha workers has been doubled by the BJP. Asha workers are getting an honorarium of ₹3500 per month. In 2018, the regular wages were increased from ₹1000 to ₹2000. In 2022, the state increased its share from ₹750, which was given during the SP’s time, to ₹1500 now.”
He said ASHA workers were being given maternity leave and night-stay facilities when they reported for delivery cases.
Replying to another question, Pathak said 74,900 contractual staff and 7829 outsourced employees are working under the health department.
In reply to another question, Pathak said the time taken to give permission for organ transplant will be reduced. Efforts will be made to give such a permission after due formalities in a week only, he added.
Licences of 178 pvt hospitals
cancelled, 59 revived
The deputy chief minister also said the licences of 178 private hospitals in the state were cancelled, adding that licences of 59 hospitals were revived after an appeal and the recommendation of a probe team.
He was replying to a supplementary question by Atul Pradhan of the Samajwadi Party.
“We got complaints about 500 (private) hospitals and licences of 178 were terminated. Of them, 59 were allowed to operate again after they appealed and a probe team suggested,” he said.
Cases were lodged against 281 other hospitals for irregularities and a total of 533 hospitals were sealed, he said.
Notices were issued to 1542 hospitals for anomalies, he said
In all, notices were served on 426 pathology labs and licences of 84 suspended. After an appeal, 33 were allowed to restart.
Dy CM switches to Awadhi to reply to SP members
Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak on Monday adopted a regional tone to answer Samajwadi Party members in the house during Question Hour. Replying to Samajwadi Party members’ question on Asha workers, Pathak spoke for over a minute in Awadhi.
He said, “Chaar dayen ban chuki sarkar, kabhahu nahin sochin. Inka pareshani ya nahin ki Asha worker. Inka pareshani, ye hai ki kaiso pan jugad lagey, woh Munshi Premchand ke kahani hai do bailon wala. Jugad lagey wala nahin hai, safalta mile wala nahi hain. Ye Mungerilal ka haseen sapna hain. Abhi jite hao adhe bhi nai dikhiyo, jaun chunav hoye wala hai 2027 wala. (They formed the government four times but were not worried about Asha workers but thought about their own welfare, just as mentioned in Munshi Premchand’s story ‘Do Bailon Ki Jodi.’ But nothing will work and it will remain a daydream in 2027 also and not even half of the number of members at present will be seen then.)”
