People acknowledge my regime as one with difference: Mulayam

Lucknow, Jan 3 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav today claimed that people viewed his government as ''one with a difference,'' since development had taken a leap in the state despite hurdles created by vested interests.

''The Samajwadi Party would continue to support the Centre to follow the federal structure of the country, although they are creating all sorts of hurdles,'' Mr Yadav said.

Addressing a function at his official residence here after laying the foundation of 140 bridges and inaugurating 172 new bridges constructed by the Uttar Pradesh Bridge Corporation, he said his government has started the initial process of making the state an 'Adarsh Pradesh'.

''Now, at least seven states, including Rajasthan, Uttaranchal and Jharkhand have sought the development policy framed by UP, so that they can modernise faster.'' Calling upon party workers to publicise the development in Uttar Pradesh among the masses, the SP supremo said even World Bank (WB) officials had appreciated the policies adopted by the state.

He thanked the state officials for helping the government to meet its challenges and target.

Earlier, PWD minister Shivpal Singh Yadav said in the over three year regime of the present government, 330 bridges had been completed at an estimated cost of Rs 660 crore, while work was on in another 387 bridges costing around Rs 2,300 crore.

The minister said during the SP regime, the average construction of bridges in UP was 104 bridges per year, while in the past 53 years between 1950 to 2003, it was merely 24 bridges per year.

''In the current regime, the state government has approved construction of 531 bridges costing around Rs 2,279 crore.''

UNI