Other States - Uttar Pradesh   

U.P. honours 15 surviving MLAs of first Assembly

Atiq Khan

N.D. Tiwari felicitated; calls for joint development initiative

Photo: Subir Roy

FELICITATED: Uttaranchal Chief Minister N.D. Tiwari being welcomed by U.P. Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav in the Vidhan Sabha in Lucknow on Friday.

LUCKNOW: Uttaranchal Chief Minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari on Friday called for a joint Uttar Pradesh-Uttaranchal development initiative and also suggested setting up of joint ventures in the power sector for overcoming electricity crisis in the region. Mr. Tewari said joint power undertakings would not only benefit the two neighbouring States but also strengthen the Northern Grid.

The Uttaranchal Chief Minister said emergence of India as an advanced nation was not possible without the development of U.P. He laid emphasis on the development "mantra" and stated that both U.P. and his State can work for a common cause without bothering about differences on some policy issues.

The Chief Minister said though he was a `sevak' of Uttaranchal, he was not averse to the possibility of the neighbouring States forging a working relationship for the sake of development.

Addressing the function to mark the felicitation of 15 surviving MLAs, including himself, of the first Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly which was in session from 1952 to 1957, in the hallowed portals of the Vidhan Sabha here, Mr. Tewari exhorted the Members to make a resolve for a joint development initiative.

He said Tehri Dam built at a cost of Rs. 7,500 crores was complete and water would be released to U.P. soon, which, he added, would augment farm productivity in Narora and Ram Ganga Command Area in the State.

Stating that comparisons were being drawn between India and China as the superpowers of the 21st Century, the Uttaranchal leader said U.P. could contribute significantly to the country's emergence as an economic powerhouse. Mr. Tewari said with the current focus on software technology, Noida and Greater Noida had emerged as IT hubs but more needed to be done for the State to move ahead of the southern States.

In his address, U.P. Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav said it was a historic day for the State and the entire House was one in making the resolve to follow the ideals of the 15 MLAs. Lauding their contribution to development and social equality, Mr. Yadav described them as the country's treasure and said, "We are here because of you."

Mr. Yadav said the State had set the course of the country's politics and had given eight Prime Ministers, which was all the more reason to preserve and follow the legacy of the Members of the first House.

Vidhan Sabha Speaker, Leader of the Opposition and deputy speakers of all the parties also paid glowing tributes to the surviving MLAs of 1952.

Mr. Tewari was among the 15 MLAs to be honoured by Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey, Mr. Yadav, Leader of the Opposition Lalji Tandon, Deputy Speaker Rajesh Agarwal and leaders of Bahujan Samaj Party, Congress, Loktantrik Bahujan Dal, RLD and CPI (M). Mr. Tewari was elected MLA from Naini Tal on Praja Socialist Party (PSP) ticket.

The other former MLAs of the first Assembly to be felicitated were Raja Ram Kisan, Kalicharan Tandon, Nageshwar Prasad Singh, Ram Chandra Vikal, Virendra Verma, Guru Prasad Singh, Tej Pratap Singh, Veer Sain Singh, Kamal Ahmed Rizvi, Tula Ram, Shri Ram Nath, Karan Singh, Rajeshwar Singh and Khyali Ram Shastri. They were all presented with mementos and angavastram.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

U.P. honours 15 surviving MLAs of first Assembly
Investors migrating to Uttaranchal from U.P.
Allahabad High Court directive on Haj pilgrims

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu