Akhilesh parries question on merger of QED, SP

Lucknow, Aug 17 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief MinisterAkhilesh Yadav today parried questions on the merger of mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s party Quami Ekta Dal withSamajwadi Party, merely saying that SP would again formgovernment in the state. "Samajwadi Party will form government in the state again(in 2017). What I can say is that SP will government again inthe state due to the development works initiated by it,"Akhilesh told reporters, avoiding a direct reply when askedabout QED’s merger with SP again. Akhilesh was briefing media after a Cabinet meeting inwhich a Metro Rail project was approved for Allahabad. "The work of construction of Metro is going on in Lucknowand the DPRs (Detailed Project Report) for Varanasi and Kanpurhave already been approved. We have decided to start metro inAllahabad and report for the same will be prepared," he said. He claimed that UP was the only state in the country inwhich such a large number of Metro Rail projects wereunderway. Akhilesh said the Cabinet has also approved scheme ofproviding free school bags and books to students till classVIII in government schools. A decision to increase thesalaries of Cabinet and state ministers was also approved. On minister Ziauddin Rizvi, who could not take oath lastmonth as he had gone for ‘Umrah’, Akhilesh said, "Oath willtake place soon". Akhilesh’s uncle and senior cabinet minister ShivpalYadav was not present in the Cabinet meeting. Party sources said he had gone to Moradabad to attend aprogramme. PTI ABN AAR ZMNAAR