The Hindu : Other States / Haryana News : Chautala's pre-poll bonanza continues

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Thursday, Nov 25, 2004

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Chautala's pre-poll bonanza continues

By Our Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, NOV.24. The Haryana Chief Minister, Om Prakash Chautala, today announced a bonanza of incentives and concessions for the farming community including an increase in the price of sugarcane, reduction in the interest rate of cooperative loans and exemption from stamp duty on mortgaging land for taking loans for purchase of tractors or installation of tube wells.

Addressing a public meeting in the native village of late Chhotu Ram, widely regarded as the "messiah'' of Haryana farmers, at Garhi Sampla, to mark his 124th birth anniversary, Mr.Chautala announced that the village would be named after him and known as Chhotu Ram Nagar.

Since state Assembly elections are round the corner, the Indian National Lok Dal supremo used the function as an opportunity to woo the farming community which is said not to be quite happy with his present tenure, according to political observers here.

He announced the Government's decision to increase up to Rs.117 per quintal the price of sugarcane which at Rs.110 per quintal was already the highest-ever given by any Government in the country. Striking a political note and indulging in Congress-bashing, Mr.Chautala charged that the Congress regimes had not given any remunerative price to the farmers. And the day was not far away when the Sutlej-Yamuna Canal too would be completed, he asserted.

He also announced the decision to slash the rate of interest in case of cooperative loans from 11 per cent to 10 per cent. He claimed that his regime had earlier reduced the rate of interest on cooperative loans from 18 per cent to 11 per cent.

Mr. Chautala further said that the State Government would purchase male calves of murrah buffaloes at a rate of Rs.3,000 each.

He also announced the decision to give grant-in-aid of Rs.30 lakhs for the Chair named after Sir Chhotu Ram instituted at Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak. An ITI would also be set up at Sampla <243>which would be upgraded to a tehsil.

Mr. Chautala unveiled a life size statue of Sir Chhotu Ram after inaugurating a museum to commemorate his memory.

He hit out at the senior Congress leader and grandson of Sir Chhotu Ram, Birender Singh, and said that he was not the "true heir'' of the great leader.

Meanwhile, Mr. Birender Singh addressed a meeting organised by the Deen Bandhu Chhotu Ram Vichar Manch at Gohana in which glowing tributes were paid to his late grandfather. Asserting that he was the "heir'' of his grandfather, he said he was following the high path set by him and fully implementing his policies and programmes. He criticised the performance of the Chief Minister.

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