The Samajwadi Party government on Thursday withdrew over 450 homeguards deployed for the security of various memorials and parks built in the city the name of dalit icons by previous chief minister Mayawati. An inquiry has also been ordered to find out under what circumstances the previous regime had decided to demolish the Parikalp Nagar residential colony meant for irrigation department engineers. The colony was demolished for expansion of the eco-garden project which was later merged with Budh Vihar Shanti Upvan.
Minister for homeguards and vocational education, Brahma Shankar Tripathi told journalists, “The homeguards deployed for the security of memorials, statues and parks have been withdrawn with immediate effect.” He said that these homeguards were deployed in addition to the Suraksha Vahini raised especially for the security of these projects. “As there is a dedicated force for the security of memorials, there is no need to deploy home guards. They can be used for other tasks as per the requirement,” he added.
The minister further said that the homeguards were posted at dalit memorials for the past three years. “Their deployment was causing unnecessary burden on the state exchequer,” he said. The sanctioned strength of homeguards in the state is around 1.17 lakh and they are used on duties like policing, traffic duty, election duty as per the requirement and are paid an honorarium of Rs 160 per day. During the previous government, 75 homeguards were deployed at the official residence of the chief minister, 36 with the then minister of the department and 50 with his minister of state and 39 at the fifth floor of the secretariat annexe having chief minister’s office, the minister said.
He also said that complaints of anomalies in the recruitment by the previous government have been taken seriously and guilty would be dealt with strictly. On the other hand, public works department minister Shivpal Yadav has ordered an inquiry into the Parikalp Nagar case. He also directed officers concerned to produce all documents related to construction of dalit memorials. The demolition of colony had resulted in hardships for the engineers who were given only a day to vacant and look for other residential accommodation.
Yadav also transferred 15 executive engineers, eight superintendent engineers and two chief engineers of the irrigation department. These engineers were said to be close to Naseemuddin Siddiqui, the public works department and irrigation minister in Mayawati regime. Yadav has also ordered an inquiry into alleged anomalies in projects related to flood control in previous government.