Yogi releases 'White Paper' indicting Maya, Akhilesh govts over corruption

On the eve of completing six months in office, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday released a ‘White Paper’ indicting the previous Mayawati (2007-12) and Akhilesh Yadav (2012-17) regimes over alleged corruption, misrule and anti-people policies for the backwardness of the state.

The 24-page White Paper contained abridged details of the functioning of 25 different sectors and state departments under previous chief ministers, especially during Akhilesh rule.

Addressing the media on the occasion, Adityanath said the purpose of the White Paper was to apprise the people about the dismal condition in which the state was handed over to the now ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

He termed the White Paper as a specimen of his government’s accountability and transparency since the people had the right to know about the regime in power.

Adityanath said although the list of misdoings by the previous regimes was longish, yet he would concentrate on two topics viz public sector utilities (PSU) and UP’s fiscal health.

He informed during 2011-12, the 65 state PSUs had accrued losses of about Rs 6,489 crore, which rose to Rs 17,789 crore.  “Besides, the accumulated losses of these PSUs at the end of 2011-12 standing at Rs 29,380 crore increased significantly to Rs 91,401 crore in 2015-16.”

Additionally, the debt of the state PSUs increased from Rs 35,952 crore in 2011-12 to Rs 75,950 crore in 2015-16.

“I firmly believe that the PSUs are vital components for creating jobs, spurring economic and all-round development in the state. But, the previous regimes exhibited gross neglect and anti-people stance, while also indulging in corruption to ensure that these utilities were ultimately becoming defunct,” he underlined.

Taking up the issue of public debt, the CM informed the public debt of UP increased from Rs 1,34,9156 crore at the end of March 2007 fiscal to Rs 3,74,775 crore at the end of March 2017, a hike of almost two and half times.

“The previous government only targeted at keeping the fiscal deficit below 3 percent by cutting down on the expenditure towards public welfare schemes and policies, while allocating liberal budgets towards extravagant projects and whimsical schemes,” he alleged.

Meanwhile, Adityanath said his government would issue another document detailing about the work done during his 6 months in office.

Earlier, on June 27, Yogi had released a booklet titled ‘100 din Vishwas ke’ (100 days of trust) summarising the ‘achievements’ of his 100-day rule. The booklet had likewise blamed the alleged misrule over the last 15 years under successive regimes for the rot facing the country’s most populous state.

Yogi had taken over the state reigns on March 19, 2017, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah apart from chief ministers of several BJP ruled states.