Lucknow, February 18: The Uttar Pradesh Assembly’s budget session witnessed heated debates on Wednesday regarding the free irrigation electricity scheme for farmers and the deteriorating condition of rural roads. The ruling party and the opposition clashed over these pressing issues.
Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Atul Pradhan raised concerns about the irrigation department’s tube wells. The minister defended the government’s stance with data related to the scheme. Intense discussions also emerged regarding road renovation and urban development plans during the eighth day of the budget session.
Atul Pradhan, representing Meerut, questioned the government’s claim that five lakh farmers had not registered for the free irrigation scheme. He demanded to know why these farmers were not being registered. He alleged that while the government stated that unregistered farmers would not receive electricity bills, many farmers were facing outstanding dues.
In response, the minister clarified that since 2023, irrigation has been made free for farmers. There are 1,564,219 private tube wells in the state, with 1,059,041 farmers having registered. He emphasized that registration is mandatory to avail of the scheme, and no bill recovery actions are being taken against those who have not registered.
During the session, Anil Pradhan, an SP MLA from Chitrakoot, highlighted the poor state of roads in his constituency. He pointed out that 90% of rural connectivity routes are in a dilapidated condition, with no action taken despite numerous complaints.
Finance Minister Suresh Khanna responded by stating that this is not the SP government but Yogi’s government, where road renovations that used to take eight years are now completed in five. He noted that roads in mining areas deteriorate quickly, but the government is ensuring prompt repairs. For road renovations in Chitrakoot, ₹26.8 crore has been allocated.
Ashu Malik, an SP MLA from Saharanpur, raised questions regarding the financial benefits for 32 villages included in the municipal corporation. The minister replied that the relevant municipal corporation was established in 2009, while the Chief Minister’s urban scheme started in 2017, thus the scheme does not apply to it. However, development works are being carried out through new initiatives.
– Vickety/AS
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