UP: Houses for poor to come up on land seized from Atiq Ahmed in Prayagraj

LUCKNOW: In a stern message to perpetrators of organised crime, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath would soon lay foundation stone for the houses for the poor under Prime Minister Awas Yojna (PMAY) on the land that had been confiscated from the jailed mafia don and former MP Atiq Ahmed in Prayagraj.
The CM, sources said, has directed the officials to expedite the procedure so that the foundation laying ceremony could take place as early as possible.
At the Team-9 meeting held on Friday, Yogi also directed the officials from the housing department to expeditiously come up with the blueprint to construct houses for homeless, government officials, lawyers and journalists on the land vacated from the mafia and criminals.
More than 1.5 lakh acre of land in possession of mafia and anti-social elements has been by the government so far. The land available for such projects with the government is worth at least Rs 1,850 crore.
Data shared by the revenue department shows that till August 15, more than 1,54,249 acre of land had been freed. The revenue department has registered 4,407 FIRs, 22,992 revenue suits and 857 civil suits. In addition to this, 187 people have been sent to jail while 2,464 have been identified as encroachers.
During the drive, properties of 41 listed mafia have been impounded and arm licences of 28 persons have been cancelled. Owners of such properties include Mukhtaar Ansari, Atiq Ahmed and their aides. In September this year, officials demolished the illegal structure belonging to Atiq on Chakia Road at Khuldabad area in Prayagraj. The officials had then claimed that they had freed around 700 square metre land after the demolition. The estimated cost of the land is Rs 30 crore, the officials had claimed. Similar drives were carried out against Ansari and his aides in Mau and even in Lucknow.
After the demolition drive, the CM had gone one step ahead and announced to get houses for the poor constructed on the land freed from the mafia. At the Team-9 meeting held today, officials discussed the construction of houses under PMAY at Prayagraj on the land freed from Ahmed. The tract of land for the purpose would be identified soon and the foundation of houses would be laid, said a government spokesperson.
Sources also said that it has been decided that around 76 houses under the scheme would be constructed in a four-storey apartment in Prayagraj. Sources said that once all the formalities are complete, the foundation laying ceremony would be done by the CM.
“The government is also preparing to build housing for its employees on land that was freed from the possession of mafia like Mukhtar Ansari, Ateeq Ahmed and Badan Singh Baddo. Work is also being carried out to build shelters for the poor on land freed by the government by demolishing the illegal 'havelis' of the mafia,” said a government spokesperson.