Other States - Haryana   

Hooda firm on Bhakra canal construction

Special Correspondent

It is meant to carry Haryana's due share of water: Chief Minister

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda made it clear on Monday that the State was constructing the Bhakra Main Line-Hansi Branch-Butana Branch Multipurpose Link Canal to carry its due share of water.

Talking to media persons here, Mr. Hooda was commenting on the remarks of his Punjab counterpart Amarinder Singh that he would not let Haryana get a drop of water. Mr. Hooda asserted that the Hansi-Butana canal was being constructed within Haryana to ensure equitable distribution of water in the State. Addressing a meeting of chairmen, vice-chairmen and members of Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samitis besides sarpanches of Fatehabad district at his residence here, Mr. Hooda said that his regime had decentralised power and made panchayati raj institutions an equal partner in the process of development. He recalled that former Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala himself used to do the works meant for a sarpanch as he had centralised power instead of sharing it. Mr.Hooda said that they, being an equal partner with the government in implementation of welfare schemes, should fully realize their responsibilities and discharge their duties honestly.

Earlier, talking to local body representatives of Yamunanagar district, he said he would hold similar meetings for all districts as it provided an opportunity to the people to give suggestions on developmental works. He urged them to formulate schemes which would ensure systematic development of their area. The Government had decided to get all the school buildings repaired, construct stadiums in big villages to promote sports and repair chaupals belonging to Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes. He said his Government had taken several steps to check the problem of unemployment. Special economic zones would be set up to accelerated the pace of overall development and generate employment opportunities.

He said the Government had fixed floor rates to acquire land of farmers, but in case anybody approached the court to get a higher rate for the land acquired, Reliance Industries would have to pay the higher rate. He asserted that while the INLD Government acquired land at the rate of Rs. 4 lakhs per acre, his Government had fixed a rate of Rs. 23 lakhs per acre.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Develop Chandigarh: Governor
Hooda firm on Bhakra canal construction
Haryana to constitute consumer welfare fund

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu