Mayawati spent Rs 5000 crore on dalit memorials

LUCKNOW: The previous Bahujan Samaj Party government led by chief minister Mayawati had sanctioned more than Rs 5,000 crore for construction of parks and memorials in the name of dalit icons and installation of statues between 2008 to 2012.
The information was given in a written reply in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) legislative council on a question raised by Congress member Naseeb Pathan on year-wise fund allocation for parks and statues between January 2008 to May 2012.The government, however, evaded query on whether the expenditure on dalit memorials "unnecessary" and "obstructed development"" of the state. The government said that since the matter related to expenditure on dalit memorials is subjudice, it will not comment on it.
In his reply, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said that between this period total Rs 5,372.41 crore rore was sanctioned for parks and statues. While Rs 377.8 crore was sanctioned between January and March 2008, an allocation of Rs 1435.64 crore was made in the financial year 2008-09, he said. Further, an allocation of Rs 1067.83 crore was made in 2009-10, Rs 1264.48 crore in 2010-11 and 628.38 crore in 2011-12. In addition, the Public Works Department (PWD) spent Rs 118.46 crore and irrigation department Rs 479.78 crore during this period for projects related to dalit memorials.
The fund was utilised to construct Bhimrao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal, Kanshiram Smarak Sthal, Baudh Shanti Upvan, Kanshiram Green (Eco) Park, Bheemrao Ambedkar crossing, Smriti Upvan, Ramabai Ambedkar ground, park between Gomti barrage and Lamartinere ground, Lord Buddha crossing and Awadh hospital crossing at Lucknow. Gautam Buddha University, Badalpur and sector-95 park of Noida in Gautam Buddha Nagar.
Significantly, SP and its chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had earlier said that more than Rs 40,000 crore was spent on memorials. Yadav had said that the cost should also include the loss due to demolish existing residential and official buildings, rate of the land and man power put in the construction of dalit memorials and parks. He also said that the damage to environment due to cutting of hundreds of trees and stone cutting is huge and cannot be calculated in monetary terms.