R B SINGH

LUCKNOW, SEPTEMBER 18: THE 72 Samajwadi Party MLAs who had resigned from the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha soon after made a beeline for collecting free railway and air coupons.

Within three days of resigning on September 11, 41 SP MLAs applied and got coupons worth over Rs 3.10 lakh from the respective departments. The legislation, however, says that an MLA can be jailed if he travels on free coupons after resigning from the House.

Speaker Kesari Nath Tripathi termed as illegal the use of coupons by MLAs after their resignation. ‘‘Once an MLA resigns from the House, he loses the benefits of free railway and air coupons and the right to use the Vidhayak Nidhi.

On the list of those who availed of the coupons are Arvind Girirom Khiri who collected coupons worth Rs 30,000, followed by Jokhu Lal Yadav from Allahabad, Rs 25,500; Iqbal Mehmood from Moradabad, Rs 18,000, and Pradeep Kumar Yadav from Itawa, Rs 18,000.

Only a few of them collected coupons worth Rs 2,000 or less. Among these were Urmila Devi from Mainpuri, Vijama Yadav, and Babu Khan. Tripathi added BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya would be the new Leader of the Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha. He had already talked to Maurya to seek his opinion, Tripathi said.

The Speaker also said Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri has summoned the second session of the Vidhan Sabha on September 26. The resignations of eight more MLAs were accepted today, he said.