Firing the first salvo against Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati after taking charge as PWD minister on Monday, SP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav sought a written explanation from officials on the justification of parks and memorials built on her instructions across Uttar Pradesh.   

He sought the report from the Nirman Nigam and the Public Works Department (PWD) within a week. 

Shivpal — chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s uncle — however, said he had asked for a justification and not ordered a probe.

The CM has made it clear that statues of Mayawati and other Dalit icons in the parks and memorials will not be demolished.

“In Lucknow’s Parikalpnagar, the jail, a government colony and several offices were demolished for a memorial and a park… In Noida too, a humongous park and memorial were constructed. There has to be a reason for the same,” said Shivpal. “I will go through the reasons put up before me before I take any decision.”

On his priorities, Shivpal said he had set a month’s deadline for PWD officials to shape

up roads across UP. “In one month you will see pothole-free roads. In three months, the roads will have been repaired or re-laid. We will review the upkeep of roads every three months.”

Shivpal, who has also been allocated the irrigation department, said he had asked officials work on a strategy to ensure that floods did not wreak havoc in the state and farmers got proper irrigation facilities.