Akhilesh hints at power hike

Akhilesh said this while speaking about the “corruption” in the previous Mayawati government and how it had “emptied the coffers” and failed to set set up new plants. He said the previous government had signed an agreement to give power distribution in Kanpur to a private firm at rates which required to be revised.

“The MoUs were signed for setting up power plants without actually checking the coal linkages. In Kanpur,there is an anomaly in rates fixed for the private company. We are going to revise the rates soon,” he said.

He also accused the previous government for its failure to utilise the coal block given to the UP government in Orissa. He said the government would soon bring a new solar policy to encourage solar power plants,especially in Bundelkhand region.

Speaking about corruption in Noida during previous regime,Yadav talked about a “happiness tax” because of which industries stopped coming to Noida. Reacting to Leader of Opposition Swami Prasad Maurya’s claim that the BSP government had left behind a surplus of Rs 13,000 crore,the chief minister said,“They have not told the House about the liabilities that they have left for us.” Among these were Rs 6,214 crore pending as land compensation,Rs 7,000 crore liability for power purchases,Rs 670 crore of arrears in the Basic Education Department,and Rs 1,400 crore to be paid to the Uttarakhand government.

Accusing the previous government of misusing public money for personal benefits,Yadav said a 12-seater helicopter had been converted into a four-seater for comfort.

Babus need to be controlled: CM

Accusing the previous government of “spoiling’’ the bureaucrats,he said legislators are supreme in democracy. “Officers would be brought under control,their habits would change. They will have to remember that MLAs are supreme,” he said,adding that certain officers ruled in the previous government even had the liberty to decide issues related with MLAs.

An emotional Azam

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan turned emotional while speaking about Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur. Accusing the previous regime of “humiliation,atrocities and insult”,he said he had sold off his personal land to invest in Jauhar University,leaving hardly anything for his own children. “But the previous government used bulldozers on it. They lodged cases against us even under SC/ST Act,” said Khan with tears flowing from his eyes. He said the government would soon open the university in the next one year.

Withdrawal of terror cases only after thorough probe: Govt

The state government informed the Legislative Council on Friday that it will withdraw the cases against persons named in terror-related cases only if they were found innocent in an inquiry. Speaking on behalf of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav during question hour,Leader of the House Ahmed Hasan said “several innocent persons” had been framed in cases related with terrorism in the past.

“Cases would be withdrawn against only those persons who will be found innocent in inquiry. There is no set standard for selection of persons for withdrawal of cases but it will be done on the merit of the cases as per existing rules,” Hasan said.

Hriday Narain Dixit of the BJP said that since the Samajwadi Party come to the power,there has been talk that the government was going to withdraw cases against many people. He wanted to known what kind of cases will be withdrawn and whether cases of murder,attempt to murder and terror will also be withdrawn.

He also said that withdrawal of such cases would demoralise police and other investigative agencies who work hard in the investigation,collect evidence and file chargesheets.

Ahmed Hasan said several lakh fake cases were registered in the state during the past five years. The government would ensure justice to those innocent people. He also promised action against police officers who registered fake cases and framed serious charges against innocent people.

He said the withdrawal of cases is a legal process and it will not affect the law and order.

BSP MLC seeks protection against police harassment

Bahujan Samaj Party MLC Chaudhary Lekhraj Singh on Friday told the Legislative Council that the police were harassing him after registering a case against him in connection with last week’s communal violence in Kosi Kalan in Mathura district. He said police were conducting daily raids of his residence.

Singh said he had been named in the case although he was present in the Legislative Council at the time of the violence. He urged Chairman Ganesh Shankar Pandey to ask the state government to protect him.

Singh,along with his brother Chaudhary Laxmi Narayan,who was a minister in the Mayawati government,and his son Nardev Singh have been named in a case of the murder of twin brothers during Mathura riots.

Singh said the video footage of the incident could be verified to prove his claims. “If me or my brother or my son are seen in the footage,I will quit from House membership and surrender with my family and go to jail,” Singh said.

When Leader of House Ahmed Hasan asked Singh to make a written submission,the chairman said Revenue Minister Ambika Chaudhary had earlier given him an assurance of a high-level inquiry into the matter. He asked the Leader of the House to take the matter seriously as it concerned a member.

‘Law to check misuse
of ground water’

The state government is contemplating bringing in a legislation to check excessive exploitation of underground water. “We are contemplating to bring in a legislation to check excessive exploitation of underground water through boring,which is causing decrease in the levels of underground water,” said minister Paras Nath Yadav said in reply to a question in the Assembly on Friday. The state government will also ensure that encroachments on ponds could be removed on a priority basis,he added. The minister said that in 67 development blocks in 25 districts including Lucknow,Agra,Kanpur,Bareilly,Rae Bareli and JP Nagar had registered record fall in the underground water level.

‘No adulterated vegetables found this year’

No cases of colouring or use of oxytocin in vegetables sold in markets were found in UP this year. This was stated by minister Waqar Ahmad Shah in its reply to a question raised by Congress MLA Mukesh alias Gyanendra Srivastava in the Assembly on Friday. He said that in the first four months of this year (till April),331 inspections of vegetable vendors were carried out during which none of the samples were found adulterated. Shah said though many times it came to the notice of the government through media that oxytocin was used in vegetables for various purposes,but its use was not detected anywhere. Between April 1,2011 and March 31 this year,17 people were arrested for allegedly selling oxytocin,he said.

‘To consider hike in pension’

Concerned over price rise,the state government on Friday said it was considering an increase in old-age and widow pensions. The government,in reply to a question raised by BJP MLA Shyamdeo Roy Chowhdury in the Assembly,said it was considering increasing pensions,which had not been increased since 2007.

‘Industrial policy for jobs’

An industrial policy will be formulated to attract industries,CM Akhilesh Yadav told the Assembly on Friday. He said that he also wanted to bring more employment opportunities for the people but no auto industry has come to UP as the economic situation is not such that they (auto industry) could be attracted with concessions.