It is incomprehensible how a leader of a state government can think of bestowing the bounty of luxury cars on legislators out of development funds. Uttar Pradesh’s young chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, in whom many had seen the face of an upright, dynamic and progressive India, achieved just this feat on Tuesday.
Indications are that there might be a backtrack in the face of stinging public criticism — first from Opposition parties in the state and then in the media. This is to be welcomed.
No state can afford such largesse, not least one that has just appealed to the Centre for development assistance of Rs 90,000 crores. In any case, local area development funds given to MLAs, from which cars of the value of upto Rs 20 lakhs could be purchased by MLAs according to the chief minister’s scheme, are meant for constituency programmes that are intended to benefit the community at large. This definition cannot be stretched to include vehicles that might afford legislators the chance to go sightseeing in their constituency.
We wish the chief minister would show the same solicitude for the poor of his very poor state. Legislators are in any case a spoilt lot. It is evident Mr Yadav had hoped to win over the loyalty of all MLAs — including his political opponents — through his cynical move, for floor-crossing and defections have become common in state legislatures. The CM should also pay urgent attention to the deplorable law and order situation in his state.