Budget discussion in U.P. assembly: LoP hauls govt over public issues

Leader of opposition in the legislative assembly and Samajwadi Party leader, Mata Prasad Pandey, on Tuesday invoked Plato stating that he preached harmony and equality in society, whereas the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is promoting a communal agenda.

Taking part in the discussion on the annual budget 2025-26 in the legislative assembly, Pandey said that the state government should appoint a permanent DGP to ensure that the police works impartially. The state government misused the police force in the recent assembly election to terrorise opposition leaders and to create fear among the voters, he said.

Slamming the state government over the privatisation of power distribution companies Pandey said that privatisation will end reservation in power companies and private players will exploit the consumers. Rather than privatising, the government should run companies and work to bring it out of loss, he said.

Pandey alleged that there was an increase in corruption in government departments. No action has been taken against employees and police personnel indulging in corruption. Instead, senior officers are protecting corrupt personnel.

Raising concern over the poor quality construction work by the public works department (PWD) Pandey said, the department has constructed poor quality roads in various districts. Cracks have appeared in the police station constructed in Gorakhpur and there are potholes in the roads. Earlier, the construction company had to maintain the roads for five years but now the state government has amended it to two years, he said.

Pandey said the pollution in the Ganga has increased despite the state government spending big funds on Namami Gange projects. The drains that fall into the Ganga in Kanpur have not been tapped, he said.

In comparison to 2016, when the SP government was in power, the crime rate has increased under the BJP government, he said.

He said that several schools are being run with a single teacher. Rather than closing schools, the government should increase the strength of teachers to provide education to children in rural areas.

The ITIs constructed by the state government in several districts are not functional even as buildings have been constructed. The state government should allot funds to run the ITIs, he said.

The state government departments have failed to spend the fund allocated in the previous budgets. The fiscal deficit is increasing in successive budgets. Adequate funds have not been allocated to important departments like rural development in the 2025-26 budget. The CAG has raised objections over the expenditure of the fund by the state government in the year 2022-23, Pandey said.