PTI
 
LUCKNOW, Oct 12: The Uttar Pradesh government has cancelled the allotment of land for a rail coach factory in Rae Bareli, which was to be inaugurated by AICC chairperson Sonia Gandhi on October 14, citing resentment among farmers and law and order problem as reasons.

"The state government had given 189.25 hectare of land for the factory in Rae Bareli on May 19 through a government order. The allotment was cancelled on Saturday on a report by the Rae Bareli district magistrate that there was resentment among farmers due to the move," Principal Secretary (Information) Vijay Shankar Pandey said.

He said the district magistrate has been asked to arrange alternate land for the project as soon as possible.

The district magistrate had, in a letter to the state government on October 10, informed that there was resentment among the farmers of the adjoining areas as they were expecting allotment of the land in their favour, Pandey said.

"There are possibilities of self-immolation type incidents and law and order problem in the area due to which the Revenue department cancelled the allotment of the said land to Rail coach factory," Pandey said.

He, however, said he was not aware about who were protesting against the project, adding the decision was taken on the district magistrate's report.

The district magistrate, in his letter, also said the land was with the agriculture department of the Centre for the past 30 years and was not utilised.

Reacting sharply to the government's decision ahead of bhoomi pujan of the factory by Gandhi, state Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi said the move showed the state government was "anti-development and anti-people".