They are senior ministers and also the Muslim faces of the Samajwadi Party. Yet they are locked in a bitter battle and the bone of contention is a senior bureaucrat. Senior UP minister Azam Khan, two days ago, sent a letter to chief minister Akhilesh Yadav saying that health service in Rampur were in a deplorable condition. The health department is headed by another senior minister Ahmad Hasan and Mr Khan lashed out against the state of health services in the strongest possible words and blamed the top bosses without naming the minister. He said that there as a shortage of doctors and medicines and the health staff posted there was not working properly which was adversely affecting the people of Rampur which is his constituency. The reason for this shortage is that no doctor wants to be posted in Rampur and face the wrath of Mr Azam Khan who is known for his famous temper. The minister is believed to have blamed principal health secretary Pravir Kumar for the state of affairs and even gave the officer a piece of his mind on telephone. Mr Pravir Kumar, incidentally, was posted in the urban development department, head by Mr Azam Khan till a few months ago and was shifted to the health department after a tiff with the minister. At a function in a local hospital on Tuesday evening, Mr Ahmad Hasan had his way when he publicly lauded the efforts made by Pravin Kumar is putting the health services in the state back on rails. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, who was the chief guest at the function, also appreciated the manner in which the health sector had shown results in the past 17 months. He said that the health services had been “destroyed” by the previous Mayawati regime and it was due to the efforts of Mr Hasan that this all-important sector had been nursed back to health. The chief minister’s appreciation of Mr Ahmad Hasan has left Mr Azam Khan fuming and if sources are to be believed, the latter is preparing for a retaliatory action. Mr Azam Khan and Mr Ahmad Hasan have never been on the best of terms but Mr Hasan has never uttered a word against his senior colleague. Mr Hasan is said to be closer to the chief minister. Mr Khan, who is closer to Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, never hesitates in airing his grievances on a public platform.
