Centre giving step-motherly treatment to UP: CM Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow: Accusing the governments at the Centre of meting out step-motherly treatment to Uttar Pradesh over the years, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today said that the state did not get enough cooperation in return for the support it extended to central governments.

"I got the chance to work with two prime ministers - Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi. We extended all support to the Centre but we did not get enough cooperation in return. Niti Ayog deducted Rs 9,000 crore central assistance to UP," he said.

Yadav was delivering the key note address on 'Phir Ek Baar Akhilesh Sarkar' during Panchayat Aaj Tak - Uttar Pradesh 'Kitna Hua Vikas'?

"Problems in villages remain the same. We made efforts to ensure progress of the state. We have done a lot in these years. The biggest expressway is being constructed in UP. We are not giving land to builders but we are constructing mandis (wholesale grain market) which will benefit farmers," he said.

"The expressway will open on October 2. It will improve the economy of the villages. We are connecting district headquarters with four-lane roads. America built roads and roads built its economy. I have said this several times that if you double the speed then you can triple the economy," he said.

Attacking the Centre, Yadav said the NDA government is giving free cylinders but it cannot be refilled without "Samajwadi party's pension" which is benefiting 55 lakh families in the state.

The Chief Minister claimed that no other state was constructing metro on such a large scale.

"It is already being constructed in Lucknow and DPR for Kanpur is being prepared. We want to construct metro in PM's constituency Varanasi," he said.

On power generation front, he said the state has doubled the generation.

He said that thanks to better power supply, the demand for invertors went down by 40 per cent in Kanpur. In Varanasi, he said, when a BJP leader staged dharna, the government provided 24-hour electricity supply.

On allegations and counter-allegations of exodus in Kairana, the Chief Minister said, "One channel is showing that the report is incorrect another is saying the report is correct."

"Is SP responsible for those who left Kairana 14 years ago? If BJP people talk about exodus, their intention is not right. I want to know why BJP people raised the issue of exodus. These BJP people have disturbed the atmosphere in Shamli," he said.

"If you are talking about Prime Minister, we want Netaji (SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav) to become PM and I will remain the CM," he said.

On being quizzed about the role of Shivpal Yadav and Ramgopal Yadav helping the CM manage the affairs of the party, he evaded a direct reply and said, "If my uncle helps me and I accept his suggestion what is wrong in it. I don't take decisions after taking permission of uncle."

Asked about the possibility of Swami Prasad Maurya joining SP, he said it was for him to decide where he wanted to go after leaving BSP.

"I have said this several times on the floor of the House that he is a good person in a wrong party. If he joins a wrong party, it will seem that there is something wrong in his personality," Yadav said.

The chief minister said the government will construct 200-km long cycle track in Lucknow. A cycle highway connecting Agra with Lion Safari will be developed which will be a unique road in the country.

Referring to drought-hit Bundelkhand, he said, "We are distributing free food in Bundelkhand."

He said the Centre sent a water train but the state government provided water. "We are going ahead with a big programme of providing fodder and water. Waterman Rajendra Singh helped us and even praised us. We got ponds dug in the region at the right time and revived rivers," he said.

On Mathura clashes, he said whatever happened there was "wrong and unfortunate." A judicial inquiry is being conducted and truth will come out, he said.