india

Updated: Sep 13, 2019 15:21 IST

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday handed over land documents to 281 locals in Sonbhadra district, where 11 tribals were killed in a land dispute in July, but with a ‘shahzadi’ dig at Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi.

“I want to ask ‘shahzadi’ of the Congress whether she will apologise for injustice done to the poor tribals… will she fight to ensure action against those involved in land grab?” the chief minister asked. Yogi has earlier also blamed Congress for the deaths in Umbha village accusing it of a “political conspiracy” the roots of which he claimed were laid more than 50 years ago.

“A Congress Rajya Sabha MP had registered a society in 1952 and had fraudulently grabbed the land of poor tribals, land owners were made landless by him,” Yogi said accusing the Congress of turning poor tribals, who were land owners, into labourers.

Yogi added that a probe had revealed that SP, BSP and Congress in collusion with land sharks had during their respective rules grabbed more than 1 lakh beegha of the land of tribals. “We will spare none,” he assured while adding that a SIT was probing the issue and would submit its report within three months.

On July 17, 11 tribals were killed in indiscriminate firing, allegedly by a local village head and his aides in a dispute over possession of farming land. This was followed by a political blame game with Samajwadi Party and the Congress blaming the state’s Bharatiya Janata Party government, the chief minister blaming the Congress, and the Bahujan Samaj party blaming both the Congress and the BJP.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi attempted to enter the village to meet the tribals and was detained in Chunar town, around 65 km from the site of the massacre. She later visited the village in August 13.

On Friday, Yogi gave allotment of lease of a total 852 beegha of land to 281 beneficiaries, mostly tribals. He also gifted developmental projects worth Rs 339.80 crore to the district laying the foundation of 11 schemes and inaugurating 35 projects. Yogi also announced a residential girl school and a police outpost for the village.

The chief minister said that 292 families in Umbha were given benefit of Mukhyamantri Awas Yojna. Families of 11 people, who were killed in the firing incident, were given monetary assistance worth Rs 18.50 lakh each. Mahila pension was sanctioned to their families and each injured was given monetary assistance of Rs 6 lakh.

Yogi said that Golden cards were given to 510 locals and 201 locals under Ayushman Bharat scheme and Mukhyamantri Jan Arogya scheme.