The Hindu : Other States / Union Territories News : One month in office, Hooda emerges stronger

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Wednesday, Apr 06, 2005

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One month in office, Hooda emerges stronger

By Rajesh Ahuja

CHANDIGARH, APRIL 5. The most notable achievement so far of the one-month-old Bhupinder Singh Hooda Government in Haryana is political stability and a commitment to implement the ruling Congress Party's manifesto in toto.

According to political analysts, the "infighting'' among the party leaders who were aspiring for the top slot seems to have not only evaporated after they accepted the party supremo, Sonia Gandhi's diktat that Mr. Hooda, a sitting Member of Parliament, would be the Chief Minister but also calm has set in and the Council of Ministers is working smoothly. Moreover, the "hiccups'' among a few Ministers over the appointment of Chander Mohan, son of the former Chief Minister and PCC president, Bhajan Lal, as the Deputy Chief Minister seem to have subsided. And the void created by the sudden demise of two key Ministers, Surender Singh and O.P. Jindal, in an air crash may be

difficult to fill but as time moves on, new faces may emerge to take their place.

In fact, a clear message has gone down to the bureaucracy which implements the political will of the rulers that Mr. Hooda means business and he wants concrete results. Corruption, in whatsoever form or shape it may manifest, would not be tolerated at any cost and those who violate this precept would have to face the consequences.

According to political observers Mr. Hooda is adhering to the mantra enunciated by Mrs. Gandhi and the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, during the run-up to the elections in Haryana that the Congress Government would provide a clean and transparent regime to the public who endured and suffered the "corrupt misrule'' of the Chautala regime.

Interestingly, Mr. Hooda is reading each and every file instead of relying on the traditional notings made by the bureaucrats and he is taking every decision after thorough perusal of the pros and cons with special emphasis on whether it would help the poorest of the poor in the State.

It is also being said that the Excise Policy has already yielded rich dividends. The Government is currently formulating and revising the Industrial Policy in view of the large-scale exodus of the big

industry from the State to the neighbouring States thanks to the "virtual harassment unleashed by the erstwhile INLD regime'' and the woes of the small traders. The new policy would be in accordance with the party's manifesto, it is being said.

The new Government is laying greater focus on undoing the wrongs and erroneous policies of the Chautala set-up and education, transport, environment and rural development will receive fresh fillip under the new guidelines.

The shaking up of the bureaucratic set-up is done by every new Government that comes to power but it is for the first time in Haryana that Mr. Hooda has given clear instructions that he would not tolerate any act of corruption even from his own partymen and MLAs.

Haryana watchers are also looking with keen interest at the steps being taken by the new regime to improve law and order in the State; decentralize the powers and restore the credibility of the Panchayati Raj institutions and constitutional bodies though time will tell how far the Government is successful in transforming the traditional system and bringing in `utopia' as promised to the electorate.

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One month in office, Hooda emerges stronger