Guv-govt tussle echoes in House
TRADING BARBS Azam Khan’s comment on ‘saffronisation of Raj Bhawan’ draws BJP ire
LUCKNOW: A day after governor Ram Naik refused to give his assent to the appointment of lokayukta, parliamentary affairs minister Azam Khan said Raj Bhawan has been converted into a ‘Rajniti Bhawan’.
Making a statement on the floor of Vidhan Sabha Khan said, “Both legislative assembly and council have passed the UP Municipal Corporation Amendment Bill but governor has refused to give his assent to it. The bill is pending since long and if the governor has any personal grievance against me then he should punish me rather than keep the legislation pending.”
Lashing out at the governor, Khan said rather than suppressing the democratic process he should return the legislation if he wants amendment or has detected any mistake. The legislation would be sent to Raj Bhawan with amendment, he said.
Objecting over Khan’s statement, leader of BJP legislature party Suresh Khanna urged speaker Mata Prasad Pandey to remove the statement from the proceedings of the house.
It was then the turn of backward welfare minister Ambika Chaudhary to hit out at the governor. Rebuffing Khanna, he said the governor should maintain dignity of the post and act within Constitutional framework. “Questions are being raised over the act of the governor as he has failed to maintain gravity of the post,” he said.
Hardly had Chaudhary completed his statement, the BJP members were up on their feet demanding apology from him for targeting Raj Bhawan. Then Khan said, “I have expressed my pain in the house and have said nothing over the governor’s statement on Ayodhya issue. The governor should maintain dignity of the post,” he said.
Even as BJP members continued to register protest labour minister Shahid Manjoor said the governor did not belong to any particular political party but represented all. Seconding the issue, Khan said, “The BJP members should think over the issue seriously. Governor belongs to all parties and BJP should desist from saffronisation of Raj Bhawan.”
In the zero hour when the BJP members tried to raise the con- troversy over the appointment of lokayukta, Khan said when the issue of appointment of lokayukta will be raised in the house then the House will also discuss role of the governor as well. Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey directed the BJP members to restore decorum in the house. BJP DISPUTES GOVT CLAIM ON RAIN DEATHS, STAGES WALKOUT The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members staged a walkout in the Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday, disputing the state government’s claim that 93 persons had died in rain and hailstorm since February 2015 in Uttar Pradesh.
Replying to a question, revenue minister Shivpal Yadav announced the 93 deaths and said the state government had given a compensation of ` 12 lakh each to the families of all those who had died.
The minister said the state government had submitted a memorandum to the Centre, demanding a sum of ` 4790 crore. The state government, however, had not received the central funds for relief, claimed Yadav. Suresh Khanna, the BJP legislature party leader, said the state government’s claims of 93 deaths in rain and hailstorm did not match the information it gave to the Vidhan Parishad, saying 233 persons had died in such incidents. The BSP and BJP members staged a walkout when minister for medical and health Shankhlal Manjhi failed to satisfy them over the steps the state government had taken to
control malaria and encephalitis. GOVT PLANS 24-HR POWER SUPPLY AFTER 2019
The state government said it has proposed round-the-clock power supply, except for tubewells, at all places in the state after 2019. “After 2019, 24-hour power supply is proposed at all places except for tubewells,” state power minister Yasir Shah said in a reply during Question Hour in the Assembly today. SLAIN LAWYER’S DAUGHTER TO GET JOB
The state government would take action against the killers of a lawyer Vijay Kumar Srivastava in Gorakhpur and give a job to his daughter as well. Parliamentary affairs minister Azam Khan gave this assurance in the assembly after BJP’s RMD Agarwal raised the issue during zero hour. He said land sharks killed the lawyers. Normal life in Gorakhpur was hit as lawyers launched an agitation. UNIVERSITY BILL PASSED
The assembly passed Era University, Lucknow, UP, Bill 2015 paving way for establishment of a university in the city. The university will be run by Era Educational Trust. BJP leader RMD Agarwal said all the private medical colleges should be affiliated to the new university. BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya said the university would promote quality education in the state. STAMP BILL
The House passed the Indian Stamp (UP Amendment) Bill, 2015. Stamp minister Raja Mahendra Aridaman Singh said the bill would not only add to state government revenue but also ensure quick disposal of stamp appeal cases. AYURVEDIC, UNANI DOCS TO GET ALLOPATHIC NOD
The UP Indian Medicine (Amendment) Bill, 2015 was passed by legislative assembly. The Ayurvedic and Unani doctors will be authorised to practice modern medicine and prescribe allopathic medicine. Cabinet minister Ambika Chaudhary said there was a scarcity of MBBS doctors to provide cheap and quality medical facility. A large number of Ayurvedic and Unani doctors were available in the government hospitals. Now, it had become necessary that they be authorised to practise modern medicine.