Uttar Pradesh to churn out trained politicians from Ghaziabad institute 

The UP cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to one of its kind 'political training institute' in Ghaziabad where aspiring politicians will be imparted nuances of the profession.
Image for representational purpose. (File | PTI)
Image for representational purpose. (File | PTI)

LUCKNOW: At a time when UP Assembly has over 50 per cent first time MLAs who are hardly aware of the decorum of legislature and the way to conduct themselves in public, the UP cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to one of its kind 'political training institute' in Ghaziabad where aspiring politicians will be imparted nuances of the profession.

Remember the first session of the newly-elected Uttar Pradesh assembly on May 16, 2017? It was a scene of utter anarchy with MLAs from the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) flexing their collective muscle by disrupting Governor Ram Naik's joint address.

Throughout the 35-minute speech, SP lawmaker Rajesh Yadav kept blowing a whistle to ensure Naik couldn't be heard. His colleagues were throwing paper balls at him, some of which even hit the Governor despite marshals trying to shield him with files.

It was a behaviour which sullied the image of the highest seat of state legislature. Fresh from the crushing defeat in 2017 polls, the opposition MLAs ensured that the customary address of the Governor was drowned out in the commotion.

Not only inside the house but out of it also, the legislators sometimes get so emboldened by their newly acquired stature and indulge in acts reflecting their brazenness.

Taking a few examples, there were reports on Wednesday about how Brijesh Prajapati, the BJP MLA from Tindwari, Banda in Bundelkahnd region, took a mining officer hostage in a room of district circuit house and thrashed him badly. Similarly, last year, BJP MLA Kesar Singh and MP Priyanka Rawat were accused of misbehaving with officials.

Singh, the BJP MLA from Nawabganj in Bareilly district, allegedly thrashed a bank manager, while Rawat, the party's MP from Barabanki, was accused of threatening an Additional SP to "skin him alive".

The likes of Kuldeep Singh Sengar, BJP MLA from Unnao, Gayatri Prajapti of SP, Purushottam Dwivedi of BSP, all belong to the same tribe and are in jail on charges of gang rape and molestation. Who can forget the chillingbroad day light murder of a PWD engineer by the then BSP MLA Shekhar Tiwari of Auriyya during Mayawati's regime in 2011.

These are just a few samples of the unruly behaviour of public representatives who seem to lose the perspective on reaching the corridors of power. Keeping their behaviour in mind, the UP government thought it was imperative for the lawmakers to learn a few lessons of politics so tat they can moderate their behaviour. Consequently, the decision to set up an institute to produce netas like any other professional came through.

A resolution to this effect was passed at the cabinet chaired by CM Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday and state would thus become the first to have India's first school for the politicians who would be trained to contest elections, win them, behave in public, with their workers, in their constituency, on social media, in their institutions from panchayat to the parliament besides getting ideological training also.

In the classrooms, there would neither be examinations nor any degree or certificate. But they would be trained and shaped by the stalwarts from different fields.

The institute will come up Ghaziabad on 4-hectare land at a cost of nearly Rs 200 crore and the construction work on would start by the year end.

India's only and the largest school for the netas, the institute would be developed and funded by the urban development department.

"The institute will have 180 one BHK set for the male politicians and 80 for female ones," informed Urban Development minister Suresh Khanna adding that professionals and academicians from different field would be appointed in the institute to be headed by the director-rank officer who would also invite specialists from different fields as guest lecturers.

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