The purge by the chief minister is being seen as his continuing campaign to restore the clean image of the government.

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LUCKNOW : Reasserting his authority, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, in a sudden move on Saturday evening, sacked 70 persons holding the minister of state (MoS) rank allegedly for non-performance and serving their own interests. At present, there were 82 such ‘ministers’ in the Samajwadi Party government and only 12 of them, all holding constitutional posts, have been spared.The action has come barely 15 days after SP general secretary Ram Gopal yadav had said at the party executive meet in lucknow that many of these ‘ministers’ were involved in ‘nefarious’ activities and recommended strong action against them. Besides, a PIL challenging these appointments in the high court was coming up for hearing next month.Although there was no official release about the sacking, the appointment department confirmed that 70 nominated ministers had been removed and 12 of them spared. There was confusion about the number as an earlier release said that 16 nominated ministers had been allowed to continue, but later the number was revised to 12.Among those who have survived the axe are planning commission deputy chairman NC Bajpei; UP Bhasha Sansthan chairman, legendary poet Gopal Das Neeraj and Hindi Sansthan chairman Uday Pratap Singh. Javed Abdi, who was made up pollution control board chairman after being allotted the house adjacent to the chief minister’s, has survived too.After SP came to power in march 2012, more than 100 loyal party workers and legislators, who couldn’t be accommodated in the ministry were made heads of various commissions and corporations, besides advisors in government departments. Majority of them were given the MOS status entitled to red beacon car – a status symbol in political circles.Earlier, the chief minister removed 36 of these ministerial-rank holders in may after the party’s debacle in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. They were accused of doing nothing for the victory of party candidates. Later some of them were reinstated. Now, 72 more have been sacked, ostensibly for not working for the benefit of the government and serving their own interests.The purge by the chief minister is being seen as his continuing campaign to restore the clean image of the government and also to quell the dissatisfaction in the rank and file of the ruling party as the nominated ministers were often being accused of causing heart burn among the loyal and committed workers. “Those rewarded with ‘lal battis’ were either turncoats, power brokers or courtiers of the senior leaders,” said a party worker, pleading anonymity.