Uttar Pradesh Muslim clerics are now up in arms against the use of loudspeakers in mosques for popularizing government schemes.

Maulana Saif Abbas, a Shia cleric, told reporters that a government's good work should not need loudspeakers. "Good work speaks for itself. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal did not require loudspeakers to talk about his work because the work speaks for itself."

UP Minister Mohsin Raza, however, defended the decision and said that there was nothing wrong in popularising the achievements of the government. "People will get to know what are the schemes and the benefits that they can avail," he said.

It may be recalled that the UP Power Corporation has now decided to use loudspeakers installed in mosques to make announcements for the state government's new scheme which allows farmers to pay their tube well bill in easy instalments.

The scheme called 'UP Kisan Asaan Kisht Yojna' is aimed at enabling tube well owners to pay their bills in easy instalments without interest. The power corporation wants maximum number of farmers to register for the scheme.

According to Pashchimanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited (PVVNL) officials, announcements will be made in all 14 districts under its jurisdiction.

The 14 districts of west UP that fall under PVVNL jurisdiction are Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Hapur, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Moradabad, Sambhal, Amroha, Rampur and Bijnor.

PVVNL managing director Arvind Mallapa Bangari, had said, "It is good that loudspeakers that have caused undue tensions in the past will be put to some good use now. I feel that announcements through loudspeakers will spread the word faster and ensure maximum registration for the scheme."

Loudspeakers, installed in mosques, have often been a cause of communal dispute in western UP.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)