Hooda forays into Chautala's citadel

CHANDIGARH: In an attempt to increase his influence in the area dominated by former CM, Om Parkash Chautala, Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday addressed an impressive rally in Jind city of the state. The candidates of Indian National Lok Dal led by Chautala had won all five assembly seats of the district during the 2009 assembly polls.
After launching 16 new developmental projects involving investment of Rs 160 crore, Hooda said that he had worked to ensure inclusive and overall development of the state which is borne out by facts and figures.
Launching a scathing attack on INLD and its leader, Om Prakash Chautala, Hooda said that some narrow minded leaders felt that there had been very little development in the state.
Refuting their assertion, Hooda quoted official figures to point out that when Chautala was the chief minister and MLA from Narvana, a sum of Rs 539.26 crore was spent in Jind during his six-year tenure while the present state government had so far spent Rs 2,468.9 crore on various development works in the district.
Hooda said that these people were unable to do anything but the state government had done a lot during the last seven years. He assured the people that the pace of the development would be further accelerated.
Hooda said that he had special affection for Jind. “I have designed a roadmap for the development of Jind, and in the next five to seven years, Jind would be similar to Gurgaon in terms of development”, Hooda added.
The chief minster said that to make the farmers prosperous, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) should be fixed by adding 50 per cent profit to the cost of production. Thereafter, no matter how much the cost increases, the farmers would not be affected, and it would usher in a new revolution in the country, said Hooda amidst thunderous applause.
Hooda disclosed that, the working group of chief ministers headed by him had already given this recommendation to the central government in this regard. Most of his recommendations have already been accepted by the central government.
The chief minister said that the state government has implemented various schemes for the development of all sections of society. He said that Haryana was the first State where 19.70 lakh school children of weaker sections were being given monthly scholarships.
Political advisor to chief minister Prof Virender Singh, former union minister Jai Prakash, district Congress president Jasbir Deswal, former minister Bacchan Singh Arya, Congress spokesman Karambir Saini, former MLA Sher Singh, Kulbir Singh Malik, Bhag Singh Chaatar, Rambhaj and other senior Congress leaders were also present.
Eariler, Hooda laid the foundation stone of Haryana Institute of Education and Research which would cost about Rs 38 crore.
In addition to it, he also inaugurated newly constructed Poly Clinic Building costing Rs 3.47 crore at sector 8 in the district and laid the foundation stones of construction of an additional building costing Rs 30 crore at General Hospital to make it 200-bedded, building of Nursing School of GNM costing Rs six crore, beautification of Rani Pond costing Rs 8.2 crore, Rajiv Gandhi Park costing Rs 3.46 crore, expansion of Mini Secretariat costing Rs 11 crore, New HUDA sports complex costing over Rs 81 lakh, HUDA Gymkhana club costing Rs 7.5 crore, Sewarage Treatment Plant of 10 million liter per day capacity costing Rs 13.82 crore, 33 KV substations to be set up village at Sindhavi Khera costing Rs 4.5 crore, Poly clinic for cattle costing Rs 4.56 crore and Veterinary Hospital to be set up at Khera Khemavati costing Rs 33 lakh.