No mention of SC-ordered greenery in Maya's budget

Lucknow, Aug 11: Nothing seems to stop Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati from going ahead with her memorial projects as she has now set aside Rs 500 crore for these projects in the supplementary budget, in which Supreme Court-ordered projects to increase green cover did not figure.

The supplementary Rs 5,461 crore budget was tabled before the state assembly on Tuesday, Aug 10. Out of the Rs 500 crore earmarked for memorial projects, a majority of Rs 409 crore has been alloted for 190-acre Kanshiram Eco Park coming up on the site of the shifted Lucknow district jail.

This bold step from the Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) supremo comes despite the Supreme Court's action against her projects.

The supplementary budget failed to set aside any money towards increasing the green cover of the areas, which is the most-recent order of the Supreme Court.

On a panel's finding that over 6,000 trees were cut down to make space for Mayawati's Noida park project, the apex court had in Jul 2010 ordered the UP government to take steps to restore the greenery.

Directing the authorities to increase the green area to 60 per cent, the Supreme Court had also directed the authorities to plant of indigenous trees such as neem, peepal and banyan tree instead of trees to beautify the place.

OneIndia News