Mulayam govt. gave rise to corruption, tender mafia: Minister

Lucknow, May 19 (UNI) The Bahujan Samaj Party government today lashed out at the policies of the previous Mulayam Singh government, charging it with encouraging corruption in the state.

Newly-appointed minister in charge of PWD and Irrigation, Nasimuddin Siddique said here that while the previous government had made tall claims about construction of 412 bridges in a record time, only a selected few districts had been benefitted.

''Eighty per cent of the bridges were constructed in nine districts...we want to develop the entire state,'' he said. The minister said, while the new government was not against the so called ''elite districts'', it wanted the developmental work to be shared by all the 70 districts of the state.

Mr Siddiqui was referring to the districts from where top Samajwadi Party leaders contested elections.

There were reports that longer and taller bridges were constructed at several places only to help contractors gain more profit, he said adding such bridges will be earmarked and contractors identified,'' he added.

The minister said that bridges sanctioned till August, 2003-- till when Mayawati-led government was in power-- where construction had not started, would now be given priority.

The minister added that though roads were constructed, most of the construction was of poor quality little to nothing was done to maintain them. ''In this case too, only a few districts recieved good road infrastructure while rest of the state was ignored,'' he alleged.

Mr Siddiqui said the ''tender mafia'' managed to get hold of several government works during the past regime. This would end and the government would ensure a transparent system, he asserted.

The minister noted that poor quality of cement was used by the UP Rajakiya Nirman Nigam which resulted in the collapse of two buildings -- one in Lucknow and the other in (Saifai) Etawah, and led to the death of one person.

''I will carry out surprise checks personally...cells will be formed in various such bodies to ensure transparent and corruption-free practices,'' he emphasised.

The Minister said the Ambedkar villages created during the previous Mayawati regime were also ignored and promised to revive the scheme.

UNI