Prayagraj, Oct. 15 -- Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday laid the foundation stone for the Padma Lok Awas Yojana in Prayagraj's Kasari-Masari area, where land freed from mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed's possession will be used to provide housing to people. The project envisages 602 two-bedroom flats.

Addressing the programme, Yogi said the campaign to free land from the mafia was now paving the way for homes for the poor in Kasari-Masari. He said that during the previous regime, mafia elements treated land they set foot on as their own, while the state government remained silent.

"The mafia used to be synonymous with fear, openly brandishing weapons. Development, investment and employment cannot come in such an...