Rs. 86.56 crore spent on Mayawati's bungalow

Lucknow, June 15: The bungalow of the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mayawati, here is back in the news after the Akhilesh Yadav government disclosed in the Assembly on Thursday that Rs. 86.56 crore was spent on its construction and renovation when her Bahujan Samaj Party ruled the State from 2007 to March 2012.

Another Rs. 20.15 lakh was spent on its maintenance. But a probe was not conducted since there was no complaint of financial irregularities. And the money spent was not audited either, the government said.

To a question from Ravidas Mehrotra of the Samajwadi Party, Minister of State for Protocol Abhishek Mishra said that “from 2007 to 2012, Rs. 8,656.20 lakh [Rs. 86.56 crore] was spent on the construction works of 13A, Mall Avenue bungalow of the former Chief Minister.” The Power Maintenance Zone-2 spent Rs.11.49 lakh and the Civil Maintenance Zone-2 spent Rs.8.66 lakh on maintenance works.

As no complaint of irregularities was received, Mr. Mishra said, a probe was not done. And it would not be possible to comment on points of irregularities because the expenditure was not audited.

Irrigation Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav said the government would re-acquire the irrigation land at Noida transferred to private builders during the Mayawati regime.

He was also critical of the demolition of Parikalp Bhawan, which housed the office of the Irrigation Department, and the colony, meant for the Department staff, — spread over 21,923.92 square metres — in Lucknow for building Buddha Vihar. The initial estimate of Rs. 80 crore for Buddha Vihar was revised to Rs. 448 crore.

Presenting the Irrigation Budget for 2012-13, Mr. Shivpal Singh Yadav said that during the previous regime, irrigation land was handed over to builders after the land use pattern was changed. “The deal caused the exchequer a loss of Rs. 2,642 crore,” he said, blaming the then Chairman of Noida Authority and vowing to punish the guilty officers.