The Hindu : Other States / Uttar Pradesh News : Land scams lead to adjournment of U.P Houses

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Wednesday, Mar 16, 2005

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Other States - Uttar Pradesh

Land scams lead to adjournment of U.P Houses

LUCKNOW, MARCH 15. The Uttar Pradesh Assembly witnessed an uproar today with Bharatiya Janata Party members trooping to the well of the House shouting slogans and demanding a CBI probe into alleged expenditure on the recent `Saifai' festival and allotment of land to Reliance group at old rates.

The House was adjourned for the day when repeated pleas by the Chair failed to have any effect after taking up the day's agenda amidst the din.

As soon as the House assembled, the Leader of the Opposition, Lalji Tandon, raised what he alleged was spending of public money on the recent festival at Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav's native village Saifai, and allotment of 500 acres of land at old rates to the Reliance group.

BJP members raised anti-government slogans and waived banners claiming that under the land scam in Noida, 600 acre land was given at 1996 rates and under another scam 2,500 acres was provided to the Reliance group in Dadri in Ghaziabad.

Besides, the members alleged that there were several other scams in the state including the foodgrain scam and the misuse of government funds in Saifai and Etawah in UP.

They alleged that while the government employees were not getting salaries and pension, Rs 600 crore had been given to Saifai alone.

Mr. Tandon demanded his notice in this regard be discussed after suspending the agenda of the House.

When the Speaker rejected his demand, BJP members rushed to the well of the House shouting anti-government slogans leading to adjournment of the House till 12.20 p.m.

When the House reassembled, Mr. Tandon again pressed his demand but on being told by the Speaker that his notice had been rejected, BJP members again rushed to the well.

Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey adjourned the House for the day after taking up the agenda amid the din. However, the Bahujan Samaj Party members were not present as their boycott of the proceedings continues since yesterday over the alleged ``attitude of chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav'' in the House on Saturday. Earlier, an all party meeting called by the Speaker to end the impasse was boycotted by the BSP members. The BJP and Congress, members who were present in the meeting, however, said all members should be given a chance to speak in the House.

MLCs marshalled out

The scene was no different in the Legislative Council where BJP members rushed to the well of the House demanding a CBI probe into various scams. They demanded that question hour be adjourned and the various scams discussed on the floor of the House.

When the Chairman failed to calm the tempers of the unruly BJP members, he ordered them to be marshalled out.

Meanwhile, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, Pramod Tiwari, alleged that the ruling alliance and the BJP were deliberately not allowing the House to continue in a bid to avoid discussion on the scams. - PTI & UNI

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