LUCKNOW Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday termed UP’s Budget-2023-24 as “directionless”, saying it neither offers solutions to the present problems nor shows the way for the future.
Yadav, who is the leader of opposition, said many parameters of the state had not improved. Speaking in the UP Assembly on the recently presented state Budget, he claimed a 2021 report placed UP at number 4 from the bottom on a list of 28 states with “low poverty”, and second-last on the “good health” list.
“The budget is not taking UP towards one trillion-dollar economy and has disappointed people. The state government should work on socialist principles – ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’. Ram Rajya in Uttar Pradesh is not possible without socialism,” he said while speaking during a general discussion on the budgetin the legislative assembly.
Yadav also reiterated his party’s demand for a caste census to redefine the reservation policy.
The SP chief said: “Leaders of various political parties want caste-based census in UP and the ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ mantra cannot be fulfilled without this. This census will pave way for equality in society and people will get rights and dignity. I will call upon all opposition parties to support SP’s demand for caste census, which was the dream of Ambedkar and Lohia.”
“This was the seventh budget of the government. Every time, it says the budget presented is historic and the biggest. Even after that, many parameters of the state have not improved. Promises made in the Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra have not been implemented in the budget,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“This was the seventh budget of the government. Every time, it says the budget presented is historic and the biggest. Even after that, many parameters of the state have not improved. Promises made in the Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra have not been implemented in the budget,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Chief minister Yogi Adityanath was present in the House at the time and was expected to respond on Wednesday, winding up the debate on the UP Budget.
The SP chief said the double engine government had promised farmers that their income would be doubled, but that did not happen and there was no focus on employment.
“The government is showing a dream of achieving USD 1 trillion economy, but it should see the Niti Aayog report –‘Satat Vikas Lakshya-2021’ and see where Uttar Pradesh stands,” he added.
The former CM said the state government should tell people how it would improve on various parameters set by NITI Ayog.
“The rate of UP GDP growth, according to the central government agency, was 16.8% in 2021-22. The average growth rate of 2017-18 and 2021-22 is 7.8%. But during the SP government, the average growth rate of GDP was 12.2%,” he said.
“To achieve one-trillion economy target by 2026-27, the state government will have to achieve 34% growth target. But how is it possible when the state government’s track record is poor over the past six years? The SP is standing with the government on whatever assistance it wants for achieving 34% target,” he said.
“The CM should explain how his government will achieve 34% growth target. If the BJP government adopts the SP election manifesto, it can achieve the target,” claimed Yadav.
Yadav opposed the Centre’s new Agnipath recruitment scheme, which allows most soldiers to serve only a short term in the armed forces. “Army jawans should be given permanent jobs,” he said.