Uttar Pradesh’s budget session turned tense as Leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey held the Yogi Adityanath government accountable for a staggering debt pile-up over Rs 9 lakh crore. His scathing attack extended to deficient healthcare services and rampant fee exploitation by private educational bodies, painting a grim picture of governance failures.
Dismissing official narratives on economic growth, Pandey highlighted the per capita income disparity—Rs 1.20 lakh, merely half the national benchmark. ‘No need for such fanfare amid these truths,’ he asserted forcefully.
On health fronts, the opposition leader cited alarming stats: a mere 0.37 doctors serving every 1,000 residents, far below global standards. He criticized the referral culture dominating even medical colleges, leaving patients in perpetual limbo. ‘Health is about life and death; scrap contractual hires and end referrals,’ he demanded.
In a moment of levity, he teased Health Minister Brijesh Pathak: ‘I won’t chase you, but address these woes.’ The house roared in amusement.
Pandey pushed for stringent laws against private schools’ fee hikes, referencing the embarrassing Galgotias University incident where a showcased robot turned out to be Chinese-made. ‘High fees, and now searching for their robot dog,’ he mocked, eliciting chuckles from CM Yogi and members alike.
Lamenting the fall from grace of institutions like Allahabad University, he stressed elevating academic standards. Finally, invoking Ganga’s plight, he urged immediate pollution abatement measures to restore the sacred river’s sanctity.
While Minister Suresh Khanna raised preliminary objections, he conceded the debt numbers, underscoring the opposition’s pointed interventions in the ongoing assembly proceedings.