Adityanath scraps ration cards with Akhilesh photo

In two major decisions taken by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to roll back all ration cards having photographs of former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and ordered a probe into the Gomti river front project within 45 days. The Gomti riverfront project was launched by ousted Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to channelise the river by constructing a diaphragm wall and by landscaping and constructing intercepting drains on both banks.

Adityanath was unhappy that although two years had lapsed, and over Rs 1,427 crore had been spent, only 60 per cent of the work was complete, an official release said. While interacting with officials and staff involved in the project, Adityanath said that a demand of an additional amount of Rs 1,500 crore was being made for the project, which was initially scheduled to be completed by May 2017.

"The aim of the project should have been cleaning the water and blocking the drains discharging sewage into the river but that was not done," the chief minister said. The incumbent Uttar Pradesh CM had asked officials to link the project with the Centre's Namami Gange project and start working to plug the drains discharging sewage into the river. He also rued that the work was being carried out without keeping this in mind and instead, funds were being used on "unproductive" things such as erecting fountains and other decorative structures.

Warning that his government would be firm in dealing with corruption and would not allow "loot" of government funds at any cost, the Chief Minister had ordered a review of the project within a week by the principal secretary of the department concerned to ascertain its actual cost.

In the matter of ration cards, the Adityanath government has decided to roll back all the ration cards having photographs of Akhilesh Yadav, which were printed by the ousted government. The Akhilesh government had got printed about 60 lakh ration cards ahead of UP assembly election.

Now, the Yogi government is planning to bring Aadhaar-linked ration cards in Uttar Pradesh. These ration cards will have bar codes. The new ration cards will reportedly be smart cards with silicon chips.

The new ration card will have all the details of the beneficiary. Till the new cards are made and distributed, provisions will be given to the beneficiaries through paper-slips. The ration cards could not be distributed as the Model Code of Conduct came into force before the Akhilesh government could give away to the beneficiaries. Beside Akhilesh's photograph, the ration cards have the red and green colours of the Samajwadi Party flag.