The Uttar Pradesh State Advisory Council (UPSAC), which used to review the work of government departments on behalf of Chief Minister Mayawati, has become defunct in recent months.

The council, headed by BSP general secretary S C Mishra, still exists on paper with an office in the secretariat annexe. Interestingly, not a single meeting of the council has been held after the Lok Sabha elections.

While Mishra, now looking after the party’s legal affairs and contesting cases in the SC, could not be reached, UPSAC secretary R P Singh, also a secretary in the Urban Development department t, refused to comment on the inactivity of the council.

Before the election notification was issued, the council was hyperactive though. It would summon senior officials of almost every department for meetings, make recommendations. After every meeting, a detailed statement was issued to the media.

The council was also authorised to review law and order, make recommendations regarding policy and legislative matters, and carry out any task assigned by the CM.

A senior official said, “The UPSAC is an advisory body and derives its powers directly from the chief minister.”

The officer pointed out that now Mayawati herself holds all important meetings.

After the setback in the LS elections, Mayawati had announced that she was sparing Mishra from political work and asking him to concentrate on legal matters. She also said she herself would handle the task of bringing upper castes to the party fold — until then it was Mishra’s responsibility. She, however, made no mention of the UPSAC.

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