SWC budget not slashed, says Akhilesh

Reacting to the controversy over his government’s move to buy luxury bulletproof cars for his fleet, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said those raising such questions now should have done so earlier and also taken note of the vehicles he had been using so far.

He was obviously referring to the SUVs (he had been using so far) apparently bought during the previous regime.

“You have not taken note of the car I have been moving on till now. And any questions about buying luxury cars should have been raised six months ago (when the proposal was made). You are raising this question when these vehicles are about to join the fleet,” said the chief minister while replying to questions after flagging off 300 airconditioned ambulances for 102 national ambulance service.

Akhilesh was asked to comment on reports that his government was buying luxury cars at a time when budget of the state women commission had been slashed.

The state government in its annual budget for 2014-2015, passed by state legislature early this month, had made a provision of Rs 6.90 crore to buy two bulletproof Toyota Land Cruisers (3.24 crore) and two Mercedes Benz vehicles (3.66 crore) for chief minister’s security.

Akhilesh said his state government had not cut down the budget of the state women commission as being reported. In fact, the budgetary allocations had been raised, he said.

An official press release issued later said a sum of Rs 2.62 crore had been allocated for the state women commission in 2012-2013, which was raised to Rs 2.73 crore in 2013-2014 and Rs 3.05 crore in 2014-2015.

About the ambulance service, the chief minister said his government was running the ambulance service rising above political considerations. He said a woman health worker (Asha worker) would accompany the patients and the new ambulances would have the provision for delivery on board.

Uttar Pradesh was the first state to launch the 108 ambulance service on such a large scale earlier, he said.

Replying to a question on droughtlike conditions, the chief minister said there had been a deficit rainfall across the state. The state government would send a report in this regard to the Centre as well, he said.

He said relief would soon be distributed to natural calamity victims in the Bundelkhand region.

Asked whether his government would perform ‘pooja’ to please the rain gods, the chief minister said they (BJP government at Centre) would have to perform a greater ‘pooja’ for this purpose as they believed in all such things.