With a change of guard in Uttar Pradesh, work has come to a grinding halt in the developmental projects initiated in the Mayawati government.
Though there has been no formal order in this regard, the eager-to-please bureaucrats have stopped work on projects that include Kanshi Ram Nagar Vikas Yojana, Kanshi Ram Samagra Shahri Garib Awas Yojana, Mahamaya Arthik Madad Yojana and Kanshi Ram Dalit Bahulya Samagra Vikas Yojana.
All these projects were being implemented by the urban development ministry in coordination with other departments at an estimated annual cost of `10,000. The urban development ministry is now headed by senior SP minister Mohammed Azam Khan.
“The projects will now be suitably modified to fit into the priorities of the new government. We have simply started winding up with payments for the work undertaken and accomplished, and will start allotting new work only after the government gives us the green signal,” said a senior official in the urban development ministry.
The Akhilesh Yadav government has been moving at a lightening speed to fulfil the promises made in the Samajwadi Party manifesto and within 12 hours of being sworn in, the chief minister announced payment of unemployment allowances to unemployed youth, laptops and tablets to students passing Classes 12 and 10, respectively, and `30,000 to every Muslim girl who passes Class 10.
The state government would obviously need funds for its ambitious schemes and the money is likely to be diverted from the schemes initiated by the previous government.
According to sources, the Akhilesh government is also likely to curb the maintenance of parks and memorials constructed during Mayawati rule which was estimated to cost around `300 crores per year. The state government is planning to outsource the maintenance work of the memorial and also the security of the monuments to a private security agency.