The Rashtriya Lok Dal and the Congress in Uttar Pradesh have objected to the Samajwadi Party-led government's decision to grant Rs 69 crore to a college managed by Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav's brother in Saifai village.

The Supreme Court, acting on a special leave petition, had also issued notice to the state for doling out generous grants to Chaudhary Charan Singh Degree College run by state Public Works Department Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav over a period of two years.

The Congress had earlier approached the governor demanding an inquiry to ascertain whether the funds given to the college were utilised properly.

The Bharatiya Janata Party and Bahujan Samajwadi Party have termed the government's decision as 'unfortunate' and accused it of 'favouritism'.

However, defending the grant, Minister for Higher Education Ram Asrey on Tuesday said several other colleges in the state had also received financial aid.

"The government has accorded top priority to higher education and is taking concrete steps in the direction, but the opposition has chosen to overlook them and is instead raising a hue and cry over just one college," the minister said.

Rs 15 crore had been set aside for setting up new colleges, Rs 10 crore for Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Law Institute, Rs 1.70 crore for Rajarshi Tandon Open University and Rs 72 lakh for Saket Degree College in Ayodhya, he added.

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