Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav has asked the state government to make all efforts to close down riot relief camps in Muzaffarnagar at the earliest by persuading victims to return to their villages. The direction came at a meeting of the harmony committee,which comprises 10 ministers and is headed by Shivpal Yadav,held at his residence in Lucknow in the presence of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav late Monday. At the meeting,Mulayam reportedly expressed concern that the running of relief camps was adversely impacting the image of the Akhilesh government. It was the second meeting of the committee in the past three days. Mulayamji told us that such an atmosphere should be created that normalcy returns and relief camps are closed at the earliest. We are not throwing out inmates but helping them return home, a minister present at the meeting said. Mulayam is learnt to have said that relief camps provide tailor-made stories to the media and any development becomes news. Marriage,births,deaths and even normal illness,all make news. The medias focus is relief camps. All journalists head towards relief camps. The inmates narrate their tales and next day something new crops up, the minister said. The ministers will now camp in Muzaffarnagar and persuade inmates to return home. Orders have also been issued to build houses for victims under under Lohia Awas scheme if needed. Several delegations of Muslims from riot-hit areas,which meet Mulayam regularly in Lucknow,have also been requested to return to their villages. Eight relief camps shut Eight relief camps have been closed after people who had taken shelter there returned to their villages,said Muzaffarnagar District magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma. Over 11,000 people from Muzaffarnagar,Shamli and Baghpat had taken shelter in these camps opened in Burahana and Sadar areas of Muzaffarnagar.
