Lucknow: After storming back to power eight months back, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today celebrated her 52nd birthday with great fan-fare, launching the Rs 40,000 crore Ganga Expressway project to link Noida and Ballia besides a host of other schemes.

Cutting her birthday cake at a glittering function at her official residence, Mayawati critisised those opposing the expressway project, and the Centre for allgedly meting out step motherly treatment to Uttar Pradesh.

The Chief Minister also announced several projects including a Rs 1600 crore scheme for the nine drought affected districts in the state. Mayawati lashed out at the previous governments in the state and the Centre for their "apathy" towards the drought affected Bundelkhand region.

She also announced a health insurance scheme for the people living below the poverty line and setting up of an ultra mega thermal project of 4000 mw with the cooperation of NTPC at Lalitpur.

To provide training to the state government employees, a centre for good governance will be set up in the state capital, Mayawati said. She later told reporters that her government was committed to the welfare of sarva jan (every section of the society).

Top civil and police officials including the cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh, Chief Secretary P K Mishra and police chief Vikram Singh were seen vying with each other to offer her the birthday cake.

Source : PTI