Mulayam govt was unconstitutional: UP governor

In a severe indictment of the previous Mulayam Singh Yadav government, Uttar Pradesh Governor T V Rajeswar on Monday termed the Samajwadi Party-led dispensation as "unconstitutional" as it was formed by splitting political parties, and ridiculed a commercial featuring Amitabh Bachchan.

In his address to the joint sitting of the state legislature, Rajeswar, while outlining the priorities of Mayawati government, said that an atomosphere of "anarchy" prevailed in UP during the last four years.

"The people's verdict was ridiculed by forming an unconstitutional government after splitting political parties," he said.

Referring to the commercial featuring Bachchan, where the megastar praised the Mulayam Singh government by saying 'UP mein hai dam kyonki jurm yahan hai kum' (UP has power as the crime is less here), he said an "insult was inflicted" on the people by airing the "crude joke" that there was less crime in UP.

He said the state government would come down hard on the mafia and criminal elements and establish the rule of law.

"Stringents laws such as NSA, Gangsters Act and Goonda Act would be slapped on hardenend criminals," he said adding, focus on development would include all sections of the society.

The governor also lambasted the now scrapped Uttar Pradesh Development Council and said that industries had been cheated in its name by the previous regime.

Vowing to root out corruption in transfers and postings, he said that the government would set up a services board, which would be empowered to take decisions about transferring senior administrative and police officers.

Rajeswar referred to the creation of several new districts by the earlier Bahujan Samaj Party regime which were scrapped by the previous SP government and said that the present government would provide all basic facilities for restoring these districts.

He said the government would pay special attention to electricity and roads and added that new power units would be set up in the state.

The government will seriously consider the possibility of establishing power generation project based on the by-product of sugar mills and the development of small hydro-electricity project, he said.

A target of linking 3,000 villages with metal roads under various schemes of the Public Works Department has been set up for the current financial year of which 1,500 villages will be 'Ambedkar Gram', he said.

Land reforms and rural development programmes would be implemented effectively so that the weaker sections got its full benefit, he said.

Rajeswar said that a drive would be launched to allot gram sabha land to landless people. Special facilities would be provided to meritorious students of SC, ST categories and weaker sections.

District magistrates and chief development officers would review the progress of all schemes being run for the welfare of SC/ST, backward classes and other economically weaker sections, he said.

The governor said the government would create a conducive atmosphere for setting up quality universities in private sector.

The government would also provide security to employees serving in the Naxal affected areas, he said adding, the government would very soon bring its new budget.