UP minister bats for encroachers

Threatens to commit suicide if demolition continues in Gonda district

UP minister Vinod Singh alias Pandit Singh, who has a long criminal past and who was recently in the news after he allegedly kidnapped a senior medical officer, has now threatened to take on government officers if they continued to demolish illegally constructed shops and houses, and remove encroachments in his Assembly constituency in Gonda district.

According to reports, Pandit has asked the officers to stop their anti-encroachment drive, and threatened to commit suicide if they continued. He seems unmindful of the fact that the drive was launched on directions from the Allahabad High Court.
“Traders and other people are harassed in the name of anti-encroachment drive. Businessmen have suffered heavy losses due to demolition of their structures,” Singh said.

He said he will find out if there is a provision to compensate those who suffered financial loss in the drive. “If there is such a provision, I will certainly help them,” said the minister of state for secondary education.

District officers, however, have made it clear that they will continue the drive. “Encroachment has made life difficult for ordinary people, and results in heavy traffic jam besides causing waterlogging whenever it rains,” said an officer.

According to the officers, the drive is being conducted on the directive of the HC and the UP chief secretary, and there is no question of stopping it.

Vinod Singh, who was earlier minister of state for revenue, was sacked after he allegedly kidnapped the chief medical officer of Gonda a few months ago. The medical officer had refused to appoint candidates recommended by Gonda to various posts of doctors.

Singh then barged into the CMO’s house with his goons, took him forcibly to his vehicle and tried to force him to issue the appointment letters.

The terrified officer managed to inform senior district officers, and was escorted to Lucknow with police protection.

Singh was later sacked after widespread condemnation by opposition parties and health officers. But he returned in the recent ministerial reshuffle, and was re-inducted after chief minister Akhilesh Yadav gave him a clean chit.