Amethi: Union minister Smriti Irani on Sunday alleged that 65 acres of land was taken away from Amethi residents during the 1980s to set up a cycle factory and later it was transferred to the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust.

"Rajiv Gandhi Charitable trust bought that 65 acres of farmers' land allotted to Samrat Cycles in the 1980s," Irani, the union human resource development minister said here while addressing a gathering.

Irani, who was in Amethi to hand over the first installment of premium of Pradhanmantri Bima Surakhsha Yojana to about 25,000 women of Amethi who subscribed to the scheme, added that: "The factory has not been set up. The land should go back to the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation."

The minister promised to the people that she would try to get coverage of Rs.50,000 to Rs.10 lakh for poor street vendors of Amethi under Prime Minister's Mudra Yojana.

She also regretted that development works in Amethi, the parliamentary constituency of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, have been neglected by successive governments, adding that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre was trying its level best to cover the gap by implementing various schemes in the area.

(IANS)