legislative Council witnessed uproar on the issue of non-payment of Rs 20 crore cess pending on Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, of which senior cabinet minister Mohd Azam Khan is the Chancellor. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Naseemudin Siddiqui, who is leader of Opposition in the House, said that on January 23, Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board had issued a notice to the Vice-Chancellor of the university in which it was stated that construction of 16 buildings and boundary wall had been completed. The BSP members said 22 buildings and a lake were under construction at a total cost of Rs 2,000 crore.
Siddiqui said the Board in its notice had said that as per the Act, the university administration had to pay as cess one per cent of the total cost, which was Rs 20 crore. He said 15 days were given to pay cess, but even nearly two months after the deadline, it was not deposited. Siddiqui alleged that since Urban Development Minister Azam Khan was its Chancellor, so no one can dare to speak. He alleged that the Board convener and advisor H S Yadav, who had sent notice to the University, was terminated for daring to issue a notice.
Replying on behalf of the government, labour Minister, Shahid Manzoor said there was a process as per which cess would be realised. He said cess was also not paid on parks and memorials constructed during previous BSP regime and added that the SP government would realise cess on each and every statue of elephant installed in parks. Elephant is the symbol of BSP. Accusing the minister of deviating from the topic, Siddiqui protested and questioned whether any time limit has been fixed to realise cess from Jauhar University. To this, leader of the House, Ahmad Hasan said BSP members were raising fingers only at Jauhar University which was not fair. Dissatisfied with the reply of the government, BSP members walked out of the House shouting slogans.
Meanwhile, mush to the surprise of the ruling Samajwadi Party, their MlA, Devendra Pratap Singh, raised the issue of growing lawlessness in Gorakhpur and even accused the district police chief of facilitating the criminals and even lending a helping hand to bail out murder accused. Citing an example, he claimed that on March 6 last, lal Bihari and Chandan, both residents of Janglaramgarh in Kharobar area, were attacked by the criminals who fired several rounds in which the victim received three bullets and were now battling for their lives.
He said that the local police in this case helped the criminals to go scot free and even not hesitated to register a criminal case against the victims just to pressurise them not to open their mouths. He claimed that similarly on February 28, Rambhuhal Yadav and his uncle Ram Niwas Yadav, were sprayed with bullets in Badhalganj. Surprisingly the incident took place hardly ten meters distance from the police station, but the police official including the station officer, not even came out and facilitated the criminals to safely escape from the spot.
Devendra Pratap demanded that as the district police chief is facilitating the criminals so the government must ensure that a case should be registered, probe into the matter should be made in some other district and the role of district police chief should be enquired and if his charges are found to be true, than SSP Gorakhpur must be removed. later Chairman of the House, Ganesh Shankar Pandey, directed the government to make a probe into the matter by Inspector General of Gorakhpur Zone, and take further necessary action as per the IG’s findings. He also directed to produce the enquiry report in the on-going session of the Council.