Yogi Govt's White Paper says previous UP Govts hindered development, ignored corruption

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India] Sept 18 (ANI): Yogi Adityanath led Uttar Pradesh Government on Monday released a White Paper that accused previous state governments of hindering development and ignoring corruption.

The White Paper highlights the shortcomings in the last 15-year rule. Chief Minister released the White Paper a day before his government completes six-months in office. The Yogi Government is expected to release its six-month report card on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The White Paper says that when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government assumed power on March 19, 2017 then it also inherited an environment of anarchy, crime, and corruption.

"The investors and traders were not able to conduct their businesses in the state due to the poor law and order situation. Due to the negligent policies of the erstwhile governments, the farmers were in dilapidated condition. There were no employment opportunities for the youth and there was anarchy in Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission and other employment institutions," the White Paper says.

It also levels allegations about the power, roads and other development projects.

"There was partiality in the power distribution and uninterrupted power supply was ensured in the state's around a dozen districts. Thousands of kilometres roads were full of potholes. Development projects were deliberately delayed and hence their costs increased. Many projects of the irrigation department are the live examples of it."

The White Paper further alleges that previous state governments didn't pay attention to the development of Purvanchal and Bundelkhand regions.

Bundelkhand and Purvanchal couldn't come in the mainstream due to the then governments' neglect, reads the White Paper.

It also accuses former governments for inaugurating incomplete development projects like Metro Rail, Agra-Lucknow Expressway, Jai Prakash Narayan International Center, Gomti Riverfront, International Cricket Stadium, Cancer Institute and SGPGI Trauma Centre.

"Previous government was not interested in implementing Swachh Bharat Mission launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," says Yogi Government's White Paper, which highlights the shortcomings of the state governments from 2003-04 to 2016-17.

Samajwadi Party led by Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati led Bahujan Samaj Party ruled Uttar Pradesh from 2002 to 2017 till the BJP came into power in March 2017 with an absolute majority.

After assuming the power in UP, Yogi Adityanath has been tightening noose around the pet projects of former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Addressing a press conference here after releasing the White Paper, Adityanath also hinted more actions against Akhilesh Yadav government's shortcomings.

He said, "All Lokayukta and Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) reports on Uttar Pradesh will be tabled in the Assembly and committees will be formed for further action on them."

He made this announcement when he was asked about his comments on a Lokayukta report in 2013-14 that Rs. 1400 crore should be recovered and then government didn't take any action on it.

On April 1, Yogi Adityanath ordered an inquiry by a retired High Court judge in the Gomti Riverfront Project. The project worth Rs 1,400 crore was launched by Akhilesh government for the beautification of river Gomti and surrounding areas.

Gomti River is under 'assault' at various points of its journey as it meanders through the 940-kilometre stretch of rich alluvial plains of Uttar Pradesh. From industrial effluents to domestic discharge, the river becomes more of a flowing dumping yard for the 15 smaller and bigger towns, including Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Lucknow, Sultanpur and Jaunpur, in its catchment area.

Akhilesh's another dream project- the Lucknow-Agra expressway- is also on the radar of Adityanath.

On April 22, Adityanath government ordered probe in the Lucknow-Agra expressway project and asked district magistrates of 10 districts to probe acquisition of land for the project.

It is alleged that some of the 3,500 hectare of land that was purchased for the Expressway were artificially inflated in price by officials who then received kickbacks from the landowners. Lands that were in fact farmland were listed as residential, which gave them a higher value.

It is a six-lane expressway which is expandable to eight-lanes in future and was inaugurated on November 21, 2016 by then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. (ANI)