Lucknow: Raising questions on the Uttar Pradesh Budget, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday asked the state government what is there in it for 90 per cent of the people, who are the PDA - the SP coinage for the backward sections of the society, Dalits and minorities.
"Whether the budget of UP is Rs 7 lakh crore or Rs 8 lakh crore... the question remains what is there in it for 90 per cent of the people, meaning the PDA," Yadav said in his post on 'X' while reacting to the Rs 7.36 lakh crore budget presented in the state assembly on Monday.
यूपी का बजट चाहे 7 लाख करोड़ का हो या 8 लाख करोड़ का… सवाल यही रहेगा कि 90% जनता के लिए मतलब PDA के लिए उसमें क्या है।
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) February 5, 2024
दरअसल भाजपा की नीति आम जनता विरोधी है, वो 10% सम्पन्न लोगों के लिए 90% बजट रखती है और 90% ज़रूरतमंद जनता के लिए केवल नाममात्र का 10% बजट।
उप्र की भाजपा सरकार… pic.twitter.com/VSLhb21ycN
PDA is a term coined by Yadav to refer to the "Picchde, Dalit and Alpsankhyak".
Taking potshots at the Yogi Adityanath government, Yadav said, "Actually, the BJP's policy is anti-common people, it keeps 90 per cent of the budget for 10 per cent of the rich people and only a nominal 10 per cent of the budget for the 90 per cent of the needy people." The Samajwadi Party chief said the BJP government "should not get entangled in figures".
"It should tell the simple fact that how much relief will this budget provide from inflation? How many youths will get employment? How much will actually be spent on measures to reduce crime and corruption? And what are the provisions to promote business and shopkeeping which are facing the brunt of recession and GST," he added.
Escalating his attack on the ruling BJP, Yadav asked," Whether theft of the farmer's bags will stop or not? Whether the right price for crops and farmers' income will be doubled or not? Will the labourers get the right price for his hard work or not?" "Whether CCTVs will be installed at various places to control criminals to give freedom to women to go out of the house without fear? Will employees get their old pension or not? How much allocation has been made for good medicines and education? What is the nominal provision for the scheme of providing water to homes and running toilets smoothly?" the SP chief asked.
"How much provision has been made in Gorakhpur for providing free training in boating and swimming to the people of Gorakhpur in the rainy season? How much budget is there for new power plants? Leave aside new roads, just tell me whether there is any provision in the budget for filling potholes on roads or not?" he queried.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) chief further said, "Please keep a separate thick file of how much provision has been made by your BJP government for spreading of false claims before the public." The Uttar Pradesh government earlier in the day presented the budget for financial year 2024-25 with an allocation of Rs 7.36 lakh crore, prioritising infrastructure development as well as welfare of women, youths and farmers.