Mayawati demands Rs 27 crore for new statues

Lucknow, Aug 3 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Monday demanded for a budget of Rs 27 crore for statues at the Kashiram memorial and for other structures in the state.

Presenting the supplementary budget, she demanded for an additional Rs 550 crore for her dream projects, which includes Rs 27 crore for new statues.

Rs 1,500 crore has already been spent on several structures, including on her own statues.

Earlier, a two Judge bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice P Sathasivam, had refused to stop the installation of statues of Mayawati and other Dalit leaders in Noida.

The apex court bench said, the process has been approved by the state cabinet, the court can't intervene, till reports of misappropriation are brought into focus.

Environmentalists are opposing the installation of statues of Mayawati, her political mentor Kanshi Ram and Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar on the Yamuna Riverbed near Sector 15A of Noida, alleging that the installation violates green laws.

Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh alleged that the government is spending around Rs 2,000 crore for installing these statues across the state. (ANI)