Maya doles out Rs 4,000-cr schemes

Apparently with an eye on next year’s Assembly elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati unveiled over 600 projects worth Rs 4,000 crore on the occasion of her 55th birthday today. She also announced the implementation of Janhit Guarantee Act, aimed at making government officials accountable to public and ensuring timely delivery of services, especially those related to dalits and poor.

Describing the Act as “historic”, she said it was being done to fix accountability on officers who would be penalised in case of laxity. “Every year my birthday is celebrated as ‘Jan Kalyankari Diwas’ on which my government takes decisions in the interest of the people and gift them developmental schemes,” she said.

“As part of my birthday celebrations, which is dedicated towards public welfare and uplift of poor, especially dalits, camps on various schemes for the benefit of downtrodden are being organised in all the 72 districts,” she said. Mayawati also announced increase of financial aid under ‘Mukhyamantri Mahamaya Gareeb Arthik Madad Yojna’ to Rs 400 a month from Rs 300 at present, benefiting 31 lakh families.

She announced increase in dearness allowance for state government employees and pension by 10 per cent with retrospective effect from July 1. To provide medical and health facilities in remote areas, ‘Mukhyamantri Mahamaya Mobile Hospital scheme’ was launched to benefit people in 133 blocks across 15 districts. The chief minister also directed release of poor, old and sick prisoners lodged in various jails across the state.