Yogi Govt. to build Rs 234 Cr ‘zoo’ after Ashfaqullah Khan

New Delhi, 09 Jan 2020 [Fik/News Sources]: The UP Cabinet on Tuesday sanctioned Rs 234 crore for construction of a zoological garden named after Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khan in Gorakhpur. The zoo will come up across over 121 acres.

Freedom fighter Ashfaqullah Khan was sentenced to death along with Ram Prasad Bismil for the Kakori train robbery, commonly known as the Kakori conspiracy of 1925.

“The purpose of the zoological garden is the conservation of wildlife. At present, there are two zoological gardens in Uttar Pradesh, one in Lucknow and another in Kanpur. Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khand Zoological Garden was proposed in 2008-2009. With this zoo, Gorakhpur will be developed as a tourist spot and would be recognized internationally with this project,” said Cabinet Minister and government spokesperson Srikant Sharma.

In another significant decision, the Cabinet also approved the rules for settlement of retail shops of cannabis (bhang). There was already a provision under the Excise Policy 2019-2020 to allot cannabis retail shops through e-lottery, which would now be undertaken in keeping with specific rules for the same.

Approval was also given for revision in the rate of the permanent monthly allowance related to travel for nearly 1.5 lakh state employees working in different departments.