Truth of BJP govt’s Smart City scheme exposed: Akhilesh

There is waterlogging in many cities, including Gorakhpur, Agra, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Aligarh...roads have been dug up and drains are clogged. BJP’s double engine govt of Delhi, Lucknow and the triple engine government including the municipal corpns of the metros have failed, alleges SP chief

LUCKNOW Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in UP of failing to rid several districts of waterlogging and clogged drains during monsoon season, alleging corruption in the Jal Jeevan Mission, cleaning of rivers and other schemes.

The budget of thousands of crores for the Namami Gange project has been cleared, but the Ganga has not been cleaned, said Yadav. (File Photo)

“They cheated the public in the name of Jal Jeevan Mission and other schemes. There has been large-scale corruption and loot in these schemes. As soon as the rains came, the truth of the BJP government’s Smart City scheme was exposed,” Yadav said in a statement.

“There is waterlogging in many cities, including Gorakhpur, Agra, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Aligarh...roads have been dug up and drains are clogged. The BJP’s double engine government of Delhi, Lucknow and the triple engine government including the municipal corporations of the metros have failed,” he alleged.

The SP chief further said: “In the last nine years, the BJP government has not been able to make a single city smart. Roads have been dug up at many places and the general public is fed up with the inaction. Similarly, the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme of this government is making new records of corruption. Water tanks built under this scheme are not able to bear the burden of BJP’s corruption. Tanks are collapsing every month in some or the other district.”

“The budget of thousands of crores for the Namami Gange project has been cleared, but the Ganga has not been cleaned. Other departments are not untouched by the corruption happening in the BJP government,” he added.

Akhilesh meets youth on bicycle journey to Mecca

Akhilesh Yadav met Hakim Hafiz Talib, 24, who set out on a bicycle journey to Mecca for Haj, at the Samajwadi Party office in Lucknow on Friday. Talib started from Hyderabad on May 1 and reached Lucknow on July 2, where he was warmly welcomed.

Yadav praised his passion, courage and intention, saying: “The journey of Haj is a sacred and rewarding deed. To undertake this journey by bicycle shows the purity of intention and true passion.”

He asked Talib to pray for peace, brotherhood and prosperity in the country so that India continues to move forward strongly on the path of progress.