15.4.12

Akhilesh's wishlist



In a meeting with the PM in New Delhi that lasted for over an hour, Akhilesh’s exhaustive charter of demands for UP spanned different sectors, including roads, electricity, education, health, drinking water, irrigation, flood control and social welfare. Calling his meeting with Singh a “good one’’, Akhilesh also said that it was in the Centre’s interest to approve fund-allocation for UP. “If UP progresses, it automatically means that India gains as well,’’ he said. Following his meeting with the PM, Akhilesh also met President Pratibha Patil. Akhilesh was accompanied by a delegation of senior officers from the state, lead by chief secretary Jawed Usmani.

CHARTER OF DEMANDS

Special Financial package for Uttar Pradesh; approvals for schemes pending at the Centre. Additional allocation for special sectors schemes, including roads, electricity, education, health, drinking water supply, irrigation, flood control and social welfare.

Demand for increasing Central assistance for Kumbh mela from 30% of the cost to 90% and for onetime release of the entire amount for infrastructure schemes.

HEALTH

Demand for immediate approval of the state government’s proposal for immunisation programme for Japanese Encephalitis and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES). Also demand for immediate implementation of the proposals made by Centre’s Group of Ministers in this regard Demand for Rs 101.81 crore for setting up Educational and Professional rehabilitation centres under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in the 7districts affected by AES and JE

Rs 580.42 crore towards improving the quality of drinking water supply facilities in JE and AES affected districts.

Also, for Rs 94.44 crore for implementation of Total Sanitation Campaign and provision of water-sealed toilets in affected districts.

Approval for proposal to upgrade Gorakhpur and Jhansi state Medical Colleges at Rs 150 crore each.

Also, demand for starting Level II trauma centres in 6 state medical colleges

Demand for appropriate amount for acquiring 100 ambulances and 65 crane for UP, under the National Highway Accident Relief Service Scheme in the 12th Plan

POWER SECTOR

Additional supply of coal from Coal India Limited; 2.10 lakh tonnes for Rosa power plant and 2.80 lakh tonnes for Anpara `C’ to meet the 2000 mega watt power deficit during peak hours Grant of upto Rs 5000 crore from the World Bank’s Clean Technology Fund to meet the production, distribution and transmission needs of the state.

Demand for allocation of power from the Dadri unit in keeping with the existing formula; request to the PM to issue instructions to the Power ministry for the same Concern raised over the slow progress of works undertaken by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) in Harduaganj and Parichha extension and Parichha D.

Apart from facing a power deficit, state government also having to pay, as a result, a hefty sum as interest due to the delay

ROADS

Allocation of state share from within Central Roads Fund on the basis of population figures and fuel usage Rs 2500 crore per annum from the Central Road Fund for connecting all district headquarters with 4-lane roads; a total of Rs 11,800 crore Akhilesh said is required for the purpose

Special package of Rs 1000 crore towards inter-state connectivity; for upgrading 500 kilometres of roads connecting UP’s borders with Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh

Rs 550 crore for schemes pertaining to the construction of 25 Railway Over Bridges in the state Approval for upgradation of 12,000 km of roads built under the Pradahan mantra Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) as a result of heavy vehicular traffic. Demand for relaxing the existing minimum requirement for PMGSY–of connecting pockets with minimum population of 500 persons – in the sparsely-populated Bundelkhand region.

EDUCATION

Release of pending Rs 3284.68 crore towards scholarship schemes for OBC children at middle school and secondary levels.

Request for the Centre to bear the entire cost of providing scholarships to scheduled caste students.

Demand for setting up 9 state universities in UP.

Also, for release of pending sum of Rs 346.82 crore as additional allocations to UP. This is to be used for constructing new buildings for schools and paying arrears to teachers.

Demand for extension of deadline to hire qualified B.Ed teachers as primary teachers from 1 January 2012 to March 31, 2015. At present UP has 2.86 lakh vacancies for primary school teachers. Annually, 12,000 posts are expected to fall vacant

Request for central aide for free distribution of school uniform, books and providing necessary resources to government unaided and private schools.

AGRICULTURE

Release of pending Rs 922.28 crore towards strengthening the Short term Cooperative Credit Structure.

Also extension of deadline for grant of licenses to Cooperative Banks to March 2014.

Expecting a rise of 5 lakh in number of shelterless families in new BPL survey, demand for approval of Rs 14,500 crore expenditure for construction of 30 lakh houses under Indira Awas Yojana in 12th Plan.

Rs 1500 crore from the Water Resources Ministry for ground water rechange and rain water harvesting projects.

DRINKING WATER SUPPLY

Demand for minimum central allocation of Rs 3000 crore per year for National Rural Drinking Water Supply programme to meet the target of providing all rural habitations with pipeline drinking water supply.

Release of Rs 1100 crore financial package for flood control and disbursal of pending Rs 194.78 crore due to UP under the 11th Plan. The money was to be spent on flood management scheme under the Central Rehabilitation Programme.

Release of pending funds under all irrigation schemes including those for Rivers Sharada, Saryu, Rapti and Karnali.

Rs 133,73 crore for electrification of tubewells.

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