Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday met Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and apprised him of the situation in his state, particularly in the wake of the ban on the Students Islamic Movement Of India (SIMI). Later, Singh claimed that the situation in the state was well under control and there was no question of communal tension. The CM said no arrests were made after violence broke out at Lucknow after the ban on SIMI. The Samajwadi Party was spreading rumours that Muslim religious leaders were being arrested.
To a query, Singh gave a clean chit to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal saying that these organisations were not even remotely anti-national. Rajnath said that he had urged Vajpayee to take measures for early release of the state share of foodgrain out of the central share.
Uttar Pradesh produces 9.5 lakh tonnes of wheat and five lakh tonnes of rice per year whereas the annual requirement was 4.5 lakh tonnes of wheat and two lakh tonnes of rice.
The CM said that surplus stocks worth Rs 1,270 crore should be moved out of the Food Corporation of India godowns to make way for fresh arrivals.
He had also asked the Centre to release the remaining amount for centrally-sponsored schemes totalling Rs 2,400 crore per year. In this fiscal, Rs 844 crore had been received. Singh said the state required Rs 615 crore per year till 2077 for electrification of villages under the Prime Minister`s Gramodyog Scheme. Under the Prime Minister`s Sadak Yojana, Rs 315 crore had been received thus far.
The state required Rs 1,100 crore per year till 2007 to connect all villages with a population of over 500, he added. Bureau Report