'Will have to pay heavily for illegal land grabs,' warns CM Adityanath

Lucknow, Nov 5 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday issued a stern warning to the mafia and those shielding them, saying anyone indulging in illegal encroachments or trying to terrorise society would have to "pay heavily".

Speaking after inaugurating the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Awas Yojana on the land recovered from mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari at Ekta Van in Dalibagh on the occasion of Kartik Purnima, the chief minister distributed allotment letters to 72 families from the economically weaker section.

"This is not merely an allotment of houses; it is a message that the land snatched from the mafia will now house the poor," Adityanath said.

Reiterating his government's tough stance and zero tolerance policy on crime, he said, anyone who encroaches on public land or grabs land of the poor will have to pay a heavy price. He also planted a sapling in the housing complex.

Extending greetings on Kartik Purnima, he said, "While lakhs of devotees are taking holy dips in Garhmukteshwar, Prayagraj, Kashi, and Ayodhya, it is a blessing that we can hand over homes to beneficiaries on land freed from mafia control in Lucknow." He added that the Lucknow Development Authority had allotted these flats, each measuring 36.65 square metres, for Rs 10.70 lakh each, while their market value was nearly Rs 1 crore.

The LDA constructed three G+3 blocks comprising 72 flats, each measuring 36.65 square metres, on the approximately 2,322 square metres of land reclaimed from Ansari's possession. The online registration for the scheme began on October 4 and ended on November 3.

Jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died of a cardiac arrest at a hospital in Banda in Uttar Pradesh on March 28, 2024.

Ansari faced over 60 criminal cases, and by September 2022, he had been sentenced in eight different cases by various courts in Uttar Pradesh. He was serving his sentence in Banda Jail and was included in a list of 66 gangsters released by Uttar Pradesh Police last year Additionally, Adityanath announced that the government would soon bring new residential schemes for other eligible applicants.

"Out of 8,000 applications, 5,700 were found eligible, and 72 families have received homes in the first phase. These homes, covered under the 'Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana', will become even more affordable," he assured.

One of the allottees, Sonu Kumar Kanojia, said, "We have lived for years in rented houses, struggling to save enough for our own home. Today, because of the chief minister, we finally have one." Highlighting the state's development, Adityanath said, "We have already provided 60 lakh homes across the state. Uttar Pradesh now has investment worth Rs 15 lakh crore on the ground and Rs 5 lakh crore in the pipeline. Riots have ended, and festivals are celebrated peacefully." Calling Ekta Van a tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Adityanath announced that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Employment Centres would be established across 75 districts to promote local employment and skill development. PTI ABN SHS ABN SHS MPL MPL