Day after Sonia b’day, CM gifts Rae Bareli Rs 200 cr

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav hit Congress base with a Rs 200-crore package on Sonia Gandhi’s birthday, following th...

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav hit Congress base with a Rs 200-crore package on Sonia Gandhi’s birthday, following the UPA chairperson’s accusations last week that the ruling party had ignored development in the state.

In Rae Bareli today, besides inaugurating 43 projects, Mulayam laid the foundation stone of around 60 new schemes encompassing road, power, health and water sectors, and also distributed Kanya Vidya Dhan scheme cheques of Rs 20,000 each to 2,300 girls living below the poverty line. The money is given to Intermediate (class 12) pass girls for pursuing higher education.

Besides, the chief minister announced 24-hour uninterrupted power supply for Rae Bareli town and said it would be made a model district by March 31, 2006.

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‘‘Dekhen Dilli ki sarkar Rae Bareli ko model zila banati hai ki nahin, magar hum ise model zila banayenge kyonki hamari sarkar bedhbhav nahin karti jaisa ki kendre sarkar ne UP ke saath kiya hai,’’ Mulayam said. The chief minister announced Rs 10 crore for making it into a model district and dispelled notions that Saifai topped the priority list. ‘‘Rae Bareli is on number one slot,’’ Mulayam said.

Sonia is scheduled to visit Rae Bareli on December 16 to review the progress of development schemes in her constituency. Today, he seemed to have pre-empted those efforts. He cautioned District Magistrate Jitendra Kumar that he would be pulled up if the projects were not completed in a time-bound manner. ‘‘The first progress report should be sent to the government within 10 days of the announcement,’’ Mulayam told district officials.

Without taking Sonia’s name, the chief minister said: ‘‘Mulayam Singh Yadav ko janhit ki parvah hai, hum vote ki chinta nahin karte hain, hamari sarkar janata ke hit mein hi kaam karegi’’ (Mulayam’s only concern is public welfare and is not bothered about votes, the government would continue working in public interest).”

Mulayam’s largesse for ally’s bastion

• 33/11 kilowatt power sub-station in Sareni Assembly segment — Rs 35 lakh

• Sub-station at Maleka village — Rs 35 lakh

• Primary health centre, Pardespur in Salon assembly segment — Rs 33 lakh

• Siwan-Ajitpur approach road in Sataon Assembly segment — Rs 49 lakh

• Urhwa approach road in Tiloi Assembly segment — Rs 35 lakh

• Touli road in Bachhrawan Assembly segment — Rs 51 lakh

• Check dam on Badela Nala — Rs 10 lakh

• Indoor stadium in Nihastha village — Rs 21 lakh