Akhilesh Yadav's U-turn on cars for MLAs from Vidhayak Nidhi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s proposal to allow legislators to purchase a car worth Rs 20 lakh from MLA Local Area Development Fund (Vidhayak Nidhi) drew sharp reaction from Opposition parties who said that this decision would dent their public image. The BJP, the BSP and the Congress immediately declared that their legislators would not use this fund for non-development purposes like car purchasing. The Chief Minister’s announcement came on Tuesday when he declared increase in Vidhayak Nidhi from existing Rs 1.25 crore to Rs 1.50 crore and also proposed that legislators — both MLAs and MLCs — can purchase a car worth up to Rs 20 lakh from this fund.
He clarified that it would not be mandatory for each legislator to purchase a vehicle. “The proposal will help poor legislators to get a new car. With this vehicle, they will be able to cover their constituency better,” Yadav said. The Vidhan Sabha has 403 members while Vidhan Parishad has 110. If all the MLAs buy a vehicle worth Rs 20 lakh, the cost to the State exchequer would be more than Rs 100 crore. He said that the legislators, after completion of their term, could deposit the depreciated cost of the vehicle in the State exchequer and get the car registered in their names. If they failed to do so, the car would become Government property, he added. “The Government will not pay for petrol or its maintenance as they get money for this under different heads,” the Chief Minister clarified.