New House protocol for UP governor

When the Budget Session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly begins on Friday, UP governor Ram Naik will be welcomed under the new protocol rules.

The governor, who will address the joint session of the state legislature, will be welcomed by the chief minister, parliamentary affairs minister and the chief secretary who will escort him to the Vidhan Sabha.

The protocol will be similar to the one that is followed when the President addresses the joint session of Parliament and this has been adopted on the request of Mr Naik.

The proceedings of the Vidhan Sabha are also being digitalised and after the first phase of the work is over, online proceedings can be viewed.

The Assembly session will also see UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav presenting his last Budget on February 12 since elections in the state are due early next year. A supplementary budget will also be tabled by the chief minister.

For the Opposition, the session will be an opportunity to grill the government on several issues.

The governor has written letters to leaders of all political parties, urging them to maintain decorum of the state legislature and peacefully listen to the address of governor to the joint session of the state legislature. “There is no dearth of issues. The government has proved a failure on all issues — whether it is law and order or farmers’ issues or power crisis. The money allocated for various departments remains unutilised which belies all claims of development that the chief minister makes,” said state BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak.

The lokayukta row, lack of development in Bundelkhand, plight of cane-growers and allegations of unfair means in panchayat polls will also find echo in the Assembly.

The Akhilesh government, on the other hand, is preparing for present a budget that will have sops for all sections of society. “Elections are a year away and this will be a chance for us to fulfil the aspirations of all sections of society”, said a senior minister. The budget session will continue for 43 days and will conclude on March 11.