New Delhi, January 17
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav today met Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee demanding permission for sanctioning power plants with up to 3000 MW capacity.
Mr Yadav, who also met Deputy Prime Minister
L.K. Advani, said the state at present had the powers to
sanction a power plant with 500 MW and the sanctioning process for plants with
higher capacity was time consuming. Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh was also present at the meeting.
He urged the Centre to remove conditions for the release of Rs 485 crore for sugarcane farmers. He demanded the release of pending grants of the state besides seeking funds for Rajya Sadak
Ayog.
Talking to mediapersons later, he cautioned the Congress against a tie-up with the BSP. “If the Congress does so, it would have to explain to people.”
Mr Yadav rubbished questions on his “closeness’’ with the ruling NDA. The Chief Minister emphasised that he had only discussed development issues with the Prime Minister.
He reiterated that his party would not join any front or alliance for the Lok Sabha poll. “We are committed to give and take issue-based support,” he said. The Samajwadi Party would not approach the Congress for an alliance. “The Congress is already talking to other parties,” he said.
On Ayodhya, Mr Yadav said he would be happy if the matter was resolved peacefully.
“If there is a consensus between the two communities, I will be a very happy man. But if there is no agreement then a court decision should be followed,” Mr Yadav said.
Asked about his move to abolish nine districts in Uttar Pradesh, Mr Yadav said the decision was in the interest of people.
“We will save a lot of wasteful expenditure which can be utilised elsewhere,” he said.
He sought immediate release of Raghuraj Pratap Singh, alias Raja Bhaiya, an independent MLA from
Kunda, his father Uday Pratap Singh and MDMK leader Vaiko and demanded scrapping of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA).
