The Akhilesh Yadav government has removed Waseem Ahmad Khan,Chairman of the UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB),who was appointed on the recommendation of Syed Ahmad Bukhari,the Iman of Delhis Jama Masjid,in May last year. UPPCB secretary J S Yadav confirmed that Khan has been removed and the charge of chairman given to Principal Secretary of Forests. Khan has now been appointed Chairman of Civil Defence Council. An indication of the impending action came earlier in the day,when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Hukum Singh moved an adjournment notice in the state assembly over illegal slaughter of milch animals. Replying to it,Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Khan said that the situation is very serious. We are trying our best. All slaughter houses have been equipped with CCTVs. But still they are slaughtering more than the stipulated number of animals. We understand that the role of UPPCB officials is also not fair. But a decision regarding UPPCB has been taken by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav,it will be intimated soon, Azam Khan said. Since the beginning,Azam Khan has opposed Imam Bukharis involvement in party affairs. Bukharis son-in-law Umar Ali Khan has been made an MLC by the Samajwadi Party.
