Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday made a surprise visit to Rae Bareli, the parliamentary constituency of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and inspected development in lohia village there besides eating mid-day meal with the students of a primary school. During the visit the Chief Minister suspended district supply officer
Vidyaram Ahirwar and civil supplies inspector SK Bajpai and ordered transfer of basic shiksha adhikari (BSA) Gyanendra Pratap Singh for dereliction of duty. The visit sparked a political debate as it comes after the Congress chief lambasted the state Government for lack of development in her constituency. last week, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had visited Amethi and Rae Bareli. The Chief Minister’s visit was kept a secret and he left behind his official fleet while going to Rae Bareli. He along with Samajwadi
Party legislator Ramlal Akela and Chief Secretary Jawed Usmani reached Raain village of Bachhrawan block and stayed there for over 90 minutes and interacted with the local people. “Kya sab theek haiIJ” the Yadav enquired from Sukhai lal, who was dazed on finding the Chief Minister right in front of him. The Chief Minister put a hand across the villager’s shoulder to calm him and said: “Don’t be afraid. Tell me about your problems.” Sukhai could not utter a word but the villagers bared their hearts in the chaupal held under a banyan tree. Yadav gave a patient hearing to the people’s grievances. The villagers demanded roads, a bridge over the river Sai and a stadium.
The Chief Minister did not disappoint them and announced Rs 2.5 crore for construction of a bridge and also sanctioned a 10 km-road. The Chief Minister also assured the villagers to raise the status of Bachhrawan to nagar palika from nagar panchayat. As it was close to lunch time, the Chief Minister had mid-day meal with the students along with the Chief Secretary. Both looked satisfied with the quality of food prepared there. However, the Chief Minister expressed annoyance at the delay in implementation of several schemes and projects. The Chief Minister’s surprise visit caught the Rae Bareli district authorities unawares. The officials reached the village one by one as
Yadav was patiently hearing the woes of the villagers. Sources said Yadav was earlier slated to go to Manpur village in Satawa block but it was postponed. This was the first surprise inspection of the Chief Minister in the present 17-month-long Samajwadi Party rule in Rae Bareli to get first hand information of development works. last year, he had made a surprise visit to Unnao to check wheat purchasing centre. The visit gains political importance as the surprise inspection has close resemblance to such visits of Rahul Gandhi who has made trips to rural areas of UP and held chaupals. Akhilesh Yadav’s visit to Rae Bareli also hints at a possible showdown between the ruling Samajwadi Party and the Congress before the lok Sabha election.