Date: 
28.03.2010

New Delhi: If the multi-crore garland wasn't enough, here's more embarrassment for the BSP government in Uttar Pradesh. A latest RTI reveals that the amount spent by Chief Minister Mayawati on just two of her dream Dalit memorials is roughly 3 per cent of the entire state govt budget or more than the entire budget provision for agricultural projects in the state.

Mayawati’s claim that money spent on statues of Dalit leaders was only one per cent of the state budget are belied by an RTI by her political opponents. The latest information released by the state government's Rajkiya Nirman Nigam Ltd, the nodal agency for the construction of the memorials reveal that out of a total annual budget of Rs 1,33,000 (one lakh thirty three thousand crore) earmarked for the year 2009 -2010; the UP govt spent a whopping sum of Rs 4436 crore in only two of Mayawati's dream projects – the Ambedkar park and Kanshi Ram memorial – both in Lucknow.

This comes roughly to 3.3 per cent of the state's total budget or 11 per cent of planned expenditure.

Chief spokesperson, UP Congress Akhilesh Pratap Singh said, "Mayawati ko priorities ka pata nahin hai (Mayawati has lost all her priorities)."

The RTI's startling facts have given a tool in Mayawati's political opponents who now allege that Mayawati govt is spending less money on welfare schemes when compared to erecting statues and memorials.

* In 2009-10 state government spent only Rs 6 crore for establishment of homes for old women

* Rs 40 crore for the treatment of serious illness of the poor.

* Rs 12 crore for marriage of poor girls of minority classes.

* Only Rs 378 crore for drinking water for rural areas

* And, only 200 crores for housing of scheduled castes .

Recently even the Supreme Court imposed a complete ban on the construction work in Mayawati's dream projects. Though Mayawati might have easily got away after wearing a money garland before her millions of supporters, facts revealed by this latest RTI have certainly exposed the lost priorities of her government.

City: 
NEW DELHI
Source url: 
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/maya-spends-more-on-statues-than-on-farmers/112093-37.html?from=tn
Author: 
Abhishek Patni
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