The Indian Express   24.08.2012

‘Scrap Rampur Development Authority’

Urban Development Minister Azam Khan wants the Rampur Development Authority (RDA) in his home district to be abolished for non-performance. However, instead of making a request to the Chief Minister, who is also the Housing Minister, he has written to Principal Secretary of Housing Shambhu Nath Shukla.

Earlier, he had once ignored Medical and Health Minister Ahmed Hasan, and written to Principal Secretary of Medical and Health for locking up the hospitals in Rampur or deputing sufficient doctors.

The RDA was formed on Azam’s recommendation during the previous Samajwadi Party government, which was headed by Mulayam Singh. The Minister also inaugurated the RDA’s office in a rented building at Awas Vikas Colony.

Now, Azam believes that the RDA has failed in its objective and has launched no housing scheme. In fact, the RDA could not get any land and did not even prepare a master plan of the city. The minister said that in the last six years, the RDA did not clear even a single map of a building.

It also failed to utilise the grant meant for development works. Rather, it had become a centre of corruption and the officials were engaged in extorting money from people.