The state government has released Rs. 200 crore for constructing boundary walls of cemeteries of minority community, said minority welfare minister Azam Khan said on Monday. Khan said that the government has issued a GO to this effect. The move, he said, was aimed at checking encroachment of cemeteries. “The amount has to be spent only on such cemeteries that are being used by minority community and not on personal or private cemeteries,” Khan said.

Khan said that the total amount earmarked would be meant for minority cemeteries in Agra ( Rs. 589.90 lakh), Aligarh ( Rs. 652.17 lakh), Azamgarh ( Rs. 716.47 lakh), Allahabad ( Rs. 944.44 lakh), Kanpur ( Rs. 950.57 lakh), Gorakhpur ( Rs. 964.47 lakh), Chitrakoot ( Rs. 180.75 lakh), Jhansi ( Rs. 222 lakh), Devipatan ( Rs. 1436.57 lakh), Faizabad ( Rs. 1042.56 lakh), Bareilly ( Rs. 1759.15 lakh), Basti ( Rs. 795.26 lakh), Moradabad ( Rs. 3012.31 lakh), Meerut ( Rs. 1845.40 lakh), Lucknow ( Rs. 2150.31 lakh), Varanasi ( Rs. 883.07 lakh), Vindhyanchal ( Rs. 258.53 lakh) and districts in Saharanpur division ( Rs. 1596.07 lakh).

Khan said the allocation has been made keeping in mind the strength of minority population in each area.