Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Saturday announced nearly 600 new projects and welfare schemes worth Rs 4,000 crore during the mega celebrations to celebrate her 55th birthday.
She termed her birthday as Jan Kalyankari Diwas (Public Welfare Day). Earlier, she used to call it Arthik Sahyog Diwas (Financial Support Day).
Mayawati addressed the crowd at the newly constructed state-of-the-art Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar convention centre and hit out at her detractors.
"I am aware that some people will only focus their attention on my jewellery or my family members who have arrived here to join me on this occasion, but I don't care about them as my mission on this day is to do as much as I can for the good and well-being of the poor and the needy," Mayawati stated in her 25-minute long address.
While the projects included the construction of a number of roads, bridges and other infrastructure related works, she laid special emphasis on dedicating the recently renovated Hazratganj -- Lucknow's main shopping street -- to the locals.
"The makeover of Hazratganj was carried out as a part of completion of its 200 years and I am glad to dedicate it to the people of the city today," she told the gathering.
"I have decided to take up several other development projects in other cities which have been neglected in the previous regimes," she claimed.
Besides increasing the monthly pension of the poor and widows from Rs 300 to Rs 400, she also announced a hike of 10 per cent in the dearness allowance for all pensioners.
Referring to an Ordinance she issued for bringing in a new law to make all government officials accountable under the Janhit Guarantee Kanoon (People's Welfare Guarantee Law), she said, "To make lax government functionaries accountable to the people, I have decided to fix a time-frame for various tasks."
Mayawati added, "If any official fails to deliver within the prescribed time-frame, he would be liable to be penalised."
A new mobile hospital facility was also introduced under the banner of the Mahamaya Sachal Hospital Scheme to ensure basic medical facilities in remote areas.
What was seen as a major governance oriented exercise was a novel system of setting up village level 'mini secretariats' at all places with a population of over 5,000. "These mini secretariats would have the government functionaries of various departments to sort out issues, for which people have to run from pillar to post, and even travel all the way to Lucknow," she said.
Mayawati also ordered the release of 574 undertrials who were languishing in UP's jails simply because they did not have the resources to seek bail in cases of petty crimes for which they had been booked.
