Haryana Assembly: BJP MLAs claim state witnessing fast development; Cong counters

Chandigarh, Mar 11 (PTI) Ruling BJP MLAs on Tuesday claimed in the Haryana Assembly that the state is witnessing fast development under the party-led government, which the opposition countered saying that the state has fallen behind on several parameters.

The MLAs were participating in a discussion on the Governor's Address in the State Assembly. During this, two senior BJP MLAs also entered into a verbal spat after one of them remarked on the other, and the entire exchange was later expunged by Assembly Speaker, Harvinder Kalyan.

The ruling party legislators talked about various steps that the BJP government has taken in the state for the welfare of various sections in the past decade.

BJP MLA Laxman Singh Yadav said all-round development has been undertaken by the state government, but the opposition cannot see it.

Another BJP MLA Kanwar Singh Yadav said if the opposition claims no development has been undertaken, then why people brought back the BJP to power for a third consecutive term? "Our intent and policy is clear. The state is witnessing fast development," the BJP member said.

He targeted the Congress, saying people have repeatedly rejected them. "Their situation is such that today they are unable to even pick up their legislative party leader (CLP)." Meanwhile, Congress member Ashok Arora, while participating in the discussion on the Governor's Address, said the Address is supposed to be the roadmap of the government, which shows what it intends to do for the public and how to facilitate them, but none of it was mentioned this time.

"It is the government's responsibility that people should get good education, good health, security and youth gets employment. But all these things are missing in Haryana today," Arora said.

He also said the government's "Bina Parchi, Bina Kharchi" claims are hollow as corruption is rampant and many scams have taken place during the BJP rule.

Ashok Arora claimed that a list of nearly 400 'patwaris' (revenue officials) who were allegedly involved in corrupt practices came out.

Intervening, Minister Arvind Sharma told Ashok Arora to find out during which government's time these patwaris were appointed.

Arora said that the government talks about making Haryana "viksit", "but 75 per cent of the state population is below the poverty line".

He said youth are not getting employment and many are forced to adopt illegal "donkey" routes to go abroad in search of employment where they get caught and then deported.

Arora also raised the Dadupur Nalvi and SYL canal issue. On Dadupur, he said, "We have seen canals being built, but never getting closed down", as the Congress leader took on the BJP government for scrapping the project over seven years ago.

On SYL, he said despite the apex court ruling in Haryana's favour, the state was yet to get its share of water and urged the chief minister to lead an all-party meeting to meet the Prime Minister on the issue.

"Youths are falling prey to drugs and taking to crime. This is the result of unemployment," Congress' Kuldeep Vats claimed.

Congress' Pooja Chaudhary targeted the government on various fronts. She said, "3/4th population is living below the poverty line. If the policies of the government were right, the income of the poor would have doubled and not their number".

On the farmers' issue, she asked if the government's policies are "farmer-centric", then why peasants are still unhappy? She said the government should specify the income of how many farmers has been doubled.

Pooja said that the BJP talked of giving 2 lakh jobs per year, but during the past ten years of rule in the state, it could give only 1.75 lakh government jobs.

The paper leak mafia is flourishing in Haryana. From state board exams to recruitment exams, there have been incidents of many paper leaks, Congress MLA Aditya Surjewala alleged.

In several parameters of higher education, Haryana lags behind. Among the top 100 public universities, not even one university is of the state, he said. PTI SUN HIG HIG