Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s generosity of enabling the MLAs to buy swanky cars costing up to Rs. 20 lakh from the “Vidhayak Nidhi” (local area development fund for legislators) may have been appreciated by the ruling party MLAs, but it has found no takers in the Opposition ranks.
The Bahujan Samaj Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party not only condemned the move but also said none of their MLAs would make use of the facility. Even the Congress opposed the move.
The announcement was made by Mr. Yadav after the Supplementary Grants were passed in the Assembly on the last day of the budget session on Tuesday. The House was later adjourned sine die.
The Chief Minister said: “Each legislator is permitted to buy a car up to the cost of Rs. 20 lakh from the Vidhayak Nidhi with its depreciation value to be worked out each year. The legislator can become the owner of the car only when he pays the depreciated amount in the fifth year.” However, the cost of petrol and diesel would not be borne by the government. Mr. Yadav said the decision was taken after much deliberation.
Opposing the proposal, Satish Mahana of the BJP said it would invite criticism as misuse of the fund. Leader of the Opposition Swamy Prasad Maurya said it would send the wrong signal to the people. Instead, some other arrangement should be worked out to enable the MLAs to become car owners. Mr. Maurya said no BSP MLA would buy a car from the fund.
Leader of the BJP Legislature Party Hukum Singh said none of the BJP MLAs would buy a car with money from the Vidhayak Nidhi. Pramod Tiwari of the Congress also opposed the move.
With the Opposition united on the issue, the Chief Minister said the scheme was optional.
Mr. Yadav announced an increase of Rs. 25 lakh in the Vidhayak Nidhi from Rs. 1.25 crore to Rs. 1.50 crore.