Govt cares for people of SP MLAs'€™ constituencies even if they don'€™t: UP minister

Uttar Pradesh minister Dinesh Pratap Singh on Thursday said that even if Samajwadi Party legislators do not worry about the people of their constituencies, the state government certainly does. Singh made the remarks during the Question Hour on the fourth day of the Budget session while responding to a question by SP MLA RK Verma regarding employment, trade, industry and marketing related to agricultural produce in the state. Verma, while raising a supplementary question, alleged that farmers are being lathi-charged when they demand fertilisers and claimed that despite the presentation of multiple budgets, farmers' incomes have not increased. He also asked whether the government has prepared any action plan to promote employment, trade and marketing linked to agricultural produce and whether the proposed industrial corridor in Prayagraj's Soraon could be developed as an agricultural corridor. Responding, Singh questioned the relevance of the queries and said the member should be aware of the department to which the question pertains. Singh, minister of state (independent charge) for agricultural marketing and agricultural foreign trade, remarked that it would have been better if the people of the MLA's constituency had asked him how concerned he was about their welfare. Addressing the Chair, the minister said, ''I want to say with pride in this House that whether SP MLAs are concerned about their constituencies or not, the state government is concerned about the people of their areas.'' During the exchange, Verma objected to the minister referring to him as MLA from Alapur, clarifying that he represents the Raniganj constituency in Pratapgarh district. Singh later corrected himself after referring to official papers.