Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated flats constructed on property seized from late gangster-turned politician Mukhtar Ansari in Lucknow Wednesday, as part of his promise to build houses for the poor on land reclaimed from the mafia.
The project, named the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Housing Scheme, has been developed on ‘enemy property’ land, which the government claims was under Ansari’s illegal possession. At a grand ceremony held at Lucknow’s Dalibagh area, the CM distributed allotment letters to 72 low-income families, calling it a significant milestone in his government’s mission to provide dignity and housing for all.
Earlier, in June 2023, Adityanath had personally handed over the keys to 76 houses built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) on land seized from slain gangster Atiq Ahmed in Prayagraj. The CM had then directed all development authorities across Uttar Pradesh to undertake similar housing projects on properties reclaimed from the mafia.
According to government functionaries, the state has identified several such parcels of land that were illegally occupied but are now free of legal disputes with any mafia family.
A senior official from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), not wanting to be named, told ThePrint, “The government has identified at least a dozen such plots of Nazul land, or enemy property or any such land not disputed anymore that were once captured by mafias who are no longer alive. There are no pending legal disputes on these properties, so we are planning to allocate them to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) under various housing schemes. These homes will be made affordable for them. This initiative reflects the Chief Minister’s vision and his repeated commitment to this cause in several meetings.”
The CMO official added that the newly developed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Housing Scheme features flats priced at Rs 10.70 lakh each, allotted through a lottery system which is only for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). Built on a 2,322-square-metre plot reclaimed from Mukhtar Ansari, the project comprises three ground plus three storey buildings with a total of 72 two-room flats, each spanning 36.65 square metres (approximately 394.5 square feet).
Every unit is equipped with water and electricity connections, and the buildings have two-wheeler parking, landscaped green areas, and security facilities.
‘Just the beginning’
Addressing the gathering in Lucknow, Adityanath said, “This is not just a housing distribution ceremony, it is a message that the poor will now receive homes built on land once occupied by the mafia. Those who glorify criminals, offer prayers at their graves, and exploit the poor must understand that such acts will no longer be tolerated in Uttar Pradesh.”
The CM warned that anyone attempting to encroach upon public land or intimidate society through illegal occupation would face strict action. “This government stands firmly to protect the rights of every citizen. This is the identity of a new India and a new Uttar Pradesh, where development moves hand in hand with faith, culture, and tradition.”
Saying this was “just the beginning”, Adityanath announced that the campaign would soon be expanded statewide to ensure that every poor person has a home of their own.
Reiterating his zero tolerance policy against the mafia, he said his government has been working since 2017 to transform Uttar Pradesh’s image by taking uncompromising action against crime and criminals. “For the past eight and a half years, we have acted relentlessly against mafias who once mocked the Constitution and held the law hostage. In those days, even officials and governments bowed before them. From east to west, north to south, including Bundelkhand, mafia dominance was once the norm, but not anymore.”
Adityanath said the state’s zero-tolerance policy has broken the backbone of the mafia. “These ruthless mafias belong to no one,” he said. “Because of them, the poor, the marginalised, traders, and even our sisters and daughters were unsafe. The government will continue its strict action not only against the mafias but also against those who patronise them.”
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)