UP Assembly speaker slams MLA for spitting pan masala in Vidhan Sabha

Addressing the UP Assembly before the House proceedings began, Speaker Satish Mahana emphasised the importance of maintaining cleanliness in the Assembly

Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana on Tuesday reprimanded MLAs after learning that a member had spat pan masala inside the Vidhan Sabha hall. He said that he personally oversaw the cleaning of the area.

 

Addressing the House before proceedings began, Mahana emphasised the importance of maintaining cleanliness in the Assembly. “This morning, I received information that in this hall of our Vidhan Sabha, some Members have spit after consuming pan masala. So, I came here and got it cleaned. I have seen the MLA in the video. But I do not want to humiliate any individual. So, I am not taking their name.” 

He urged all Members to ensure that nobody repeats the same. “Keeping this Assembly clean is our responsibility...If the MLA in question comes and tells me that they have done this, it will be good; otherwise, I will call them,” he said.

 

UP budget 2025-26 presented in the Assembly

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna presented the state budget for 2025-26 on February 20. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath highlighted that the budget is 9.8 per cent higher than the previous year, with a strong focus on infrastructure development.

 

“This budget is over Rs 8,08,736 crore, which is 9.8 per cent higher than the 2024-25 budget. On one hand, the growth in the budget size reflects the state’s strength, while on the other hand, it also shows the commitment of the double-engineered government,” news agency ANI quoted CM Yogi Adityanath as saying at a press conference.

 

Adityanath also pointed out Uttar Pradesh’s economic progress, noting that the state, previously ranked 6th or 7th in the country, now holds the position of India’s second-largest economy.

 

“According to the report by NITI Aayog on the fiscal health of states, Uttar Pradesh has been placed in the front-runner category. Between 2018 and 2022, the state’s physical health index increased by 8.9 per cent, and during this period, UP succeeded in reducing unemployment and creating additional jobs,” Adityanath said.

 

[With inputs from ANI]