SP MLA assails two ministers for

Rizvi added: “They never hold any meeting of SP workers. They never call any meeting nor ask officials to pay attention to SP workers.”

The MLA said he had also apprised Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav of corruption in the district. “I had told the CM several times but he has not taken any action yet. I cannot understand what sort of government this is,” he stated.

Rizvi claimed officials in Ballia have “fixed rates” for every work. “From the police station to the collectorate,every work has a rate. Can you imagine that a police constable sat on dharna at Sikanderpur police station when he was denied his share in the bribe? It is happening in Ballia,” he said.

Rizvi said that even small tasks like issuing certificates cannot be done without bribing the officials concerned. “Crime is on the rise. The whole machinery in Ballia has collapsed while people continue to say that there are two ministers from this district.”

He also said he will launch an agitation against corrupt officials in the district. “I have been a district unit president and still consider myself a grassroots worker. I cannot take this lying down. If no one is reacting,I will lay siege to the Sikanderpur tehsil in July,” Rizvi said.

The SP has won five out of seven Assembly seats in Ballia district. Though party’s senior leader and revenue minister Ambika Choudhary lost the election from Phephna,he was still inducted as cabinet minister. Ram Govind Choudhary is Basic Education Minister.