700 acres to be developed as housing colonies in Lucknow

Lucknow, Sep 4 (UNI) The Uttar Pradesh government today decided to re-allot 700 acres of land on Lucknow-Faizabad highway in the state capital to the UP Housing and Development Board.

In a cabinet meeting decision here, the government has sanctioned the land scattered around in five villages -- Chinhat, Kanchanpur Matiyari, Hardasi Khera, Takrohi and Kamta.

This land was earlier acquired by the state government for the UP Co-operative Housing Federation.

As per the scheme, the federation was to make the bulk allotment to housing co-operative societies.

The land was acquired during the BSP-BJP regime in 2002, but the project was shelved soon after the change of regime in August 2003.

As per the proposal endorsed by the cabinet, the housing board will develop the township on this land.

The cabinet also approved the proposal for the transfer of state employees to Uttaranchal, as per the guidelines framed by the Centre.

UP also gave its nod on the lines of financial assistance given to SC/STs for their daughter marriage and medical treatment. The facility will also be given to OBCs living below poverty line.

In another decision, the 'UP State Agriculture Marketing Board Act' will be amended for the benefit of traders.

With this amendment, the traders would escape penal interest on late payment of Mandi fee. This facility has already been given by the government to the traders in case of late payment of the trade tax.

The cabinet also decided to transfer over Rs two lakh of the UP Hindi Sansthan in bad debt as it cannot be recovered. The recovery was ordered following a special audit in the account for the yrs 1992-98, conducted by the UP government.

A proposal for the revision of pay scales as per the Fifth Pay Commission report to the employees of the two sports colleges at Lucknow and Gorakhpur was also approved by the cabinet.

UNI MB VS VD VA RN1739