Yogi to bulldoze Akhilesh’s cycle tracks

Lucknow: The BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government has finally decided to demolish cycle tracks constructed during the previous Samjwadi Party regime in order to ease traffic congestion.

“We will demolish cycle tracks in the state which are unused and are causing traffic congestion. The demolition process will begin shortly from Bareilly,” Mr Suresh Khanna, urban development minister told reporters here on Tuesday.

The cycle is the election symbol of the Samajwadi Party and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had built cycle tracks to encourage people to use the bicycle in order to stay healthy and also reduce pollution.

Reacting sharply to the Yogi government’s decision to demolish cycle tracks, former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has said that when he returns to power, he will not only reconstruct the cycle tracks and expand them but will also encourage tourism by cycle.

In a statement, Mr Yadav said that any cyclist, who meets with an accident, would be given a compensation of Rs 10 lakhs when he comes back to power.

He further said that the BJP government’s decision to demolish cycle tracks would not only increase road accidents but would also lead to a rise n pollution levels.

“This is an anti-people decision which reflects the BJP’s anti-development mindset”, he said.

The Akhilesh government, according to rough estimates, had spent over `900 crore on cycle tracks in various cities across the state.

The cost of razing them, however, will not be much since all that is required is to pull out the poles that had been dug into the ground to segregate the track form the main road.

The minister said that a blueprint was still being prepared in this regard.