Amid heated exchanges, supplementary budget passed in UP

 Amid heated exchanges between the treasury and the opposition benches, the Rs 8,054.49-crore supplementary budget presented by the state government on Wednesday was passed in both Houses of the state legislature on Thursday.

Even as the opposition lawmakers called the budgetary provisions "jumlebaazi", Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said his government is working for an all-round development of the state.

In his address, the Chief Minister targeted the Samajwadi Party (SP) and said this party has the habit of making a mountain out of a molehill. The people, he added, have not given up their habit of conspiracies and "I am sure that they will never mend their ways, and if at all they change, they will do so after many births".

While speaking on the supplementary budget, Adityanath listed the achievements of his government and slammed the opposition for indulging in gimmicks. He added that his government had ensured that the supplementary budget had something for all sections of the society and was in line with the dreams of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He also pointed out that the long-sick and loss-making Uttar Pradesh State Roadways Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) had logged a Rs 400-crore profit this year and that the Mandi Samiti had earnings worth Rs 218 crore. 

The Chief Minister also informed that the national coverage of Uttar Pradesh in the Swachh Bharat Mission had increased from 23 to 96 per cent and that the sate government is set to provide toilets to 44 lakh households.

He also lambasted the opposition for trying to portray the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as an anti-farmer party and said they very well understand who their well wisher actually was. 

Speaking on the forthcoming Kumbh-2019 in Allahabad next year, the Chief Minister said this time pilgrims would be able to visit and have darshan of the "Akshay Vat" and that the area of the Kumbh has been increased from 1,700 to 3,200 hectares.-IANS