The Hindu : New Delhi News : Haryana session on Sept. 29

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 15, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Haryana session on Sept. 29

By Our Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, SEPT.14. The Haryana Cabinet, which met here today under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister,Om Prakash Chautala, decided that the next Session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha would be summoned on September 29.

The Cabinet also decided to rename the Non-Conventional Energy Sources Department as Renewable Energy Department.

Earlier talking to mediapersons, Mr.Chautala reiterated that the elections to the State Assembly would be held next year as scheduled.

The Indian National Lok Dal supremo asserted that the relations between his family and that of the Akali Dal leader, Parkash Singh Badal, were age-old and his political opponents were unnecessarily trying to politicalise them. He said that those criticising the inclusion of Sukhbir Singh Badal in the delegation would also be upset about his visit to the house in which Sir Chhotu Ram used to live in Lahore since he belonged to the Unionist Party. He said that politics should never be mixed with social and family ties. He assured the people that he would let none, not even his late father, come between him and the interests of the State.

He said that the issue of Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal had been decided by the Supreme Court in favour of Haryana. As a result of wrong policies of the Congress, the construction of the remaining portion of the canal in Punjab territory had been delayed by 20 years, causing great financial loss tofarmers of Haryana.

Lashing out at the Congress MP from Rohtak, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Mr.Chautala charged that he was not able to digest the

success of the "Goodwill Mission'' to Pakistan. Mr.Hooda only wanted to gain cheap publicity by issuing "irresponsible'' statements to remain in news. During the last Lok Sabha election, Mr.Hooda had asked the people to elect him as an MP and he would become the Chief Minister of Haryana "automatically''. Later, he began saying that he had not accepted the post of Agriculture Minister because he wanted to become the Chief Minister. Another Congress leader, Birender Singh, was propagating that it was not even necessary to be an MLA to become the Chief Minister as he was not able to find an Assembly constituency from where he could contest.

Replying to another question, Mr.Chautala said that there was no controversy whatsoever about the appointment of Chander Singh as the State Election Commissoner as he was a competent and honest officer.

To another question, he rebutted that there had been any bungling in the auctioning of land because the present State Government had ensured transparency in the auction process as video films were prepared during auctioning. He said that the law was being followed in its true spirit and his Government would not tolerate loss to the State exchequer at any cost. He asserted that there was nothing unusual in the State Governor seeking a report from the Government regarding the "auction'' on the basis of memorandum submitted to him by the opposition.

He admitted that he had suffered a political loss by implementing VAT system in the interest of the people of the State. He criticised the Haryana

Congress leaders for launching a crusade againt the State Government during the recent Lok Sabha elections for the implementation of VAT. He said that these leaders should now resign since the Congress Government at the Centre had praised the Haryana Government for the implementation of VAT system and directed the other State Governments to follow Haryana by April 1, 2005.

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