For Gyan Chand Gupta Speaker of Haryana Vidhan Sabha, quality, purposeful and meaningful discussion is the key. He says he is the Speaker for all 90 legislators and will keep interest of all of them in mind irrespective of parties they belong to. Issue based discussion as well as people’s pertinent issues should be raised by legislators at Vidhan Sabha, Gupta says, adding that legislators of the 14 Vidhan Sabha should set an example of not having any adjournments.
Born on May 25, 1948 in Dera Bassi, Gupta, who was also Chandigarh Mayor, said that his constituency Panchkula will be made smart city. For this, a 32-member Panchkula development advisory committee has recently been set up, which will revive beautification as well as development works in the city. Committee members would give him suggestions on mainly six fields - cleanliness of the city, education, health, sports, industry and law and order.
In the 2019 Assembly polls, Gupta contested from Panchkula on BJP ticket and defeated former deputy chief minister Chandra Mohan with a margin of 5,385 votes in the Assembly elections. In the 2014 Assembly elections, Gupta had defeated the INLD’s Kulbhushan Goyal (who later joined the BJP) with a margin of 44,602 votes.
In an exclusive interview with The Pioneer, the Speaker reveals his political journey and priorities as Speaker of the State. Excerpts from the interview:
How do you view your new role as Haryana Speaker?
It is a great responsibility for me. I understand the seriousness of it.
How do you look at your second straight win from Panchkula seat?
It's not my victory. It's the victory of the residents of Panchkula and of all the workers of the Panchkula unit of BJP, who stood firmly with me during this journey.
What will be your main development agendas for the constituency?
My agenda was development of Panchkula even during my first tenure, and we ensured that by spending Rs 2,000 crore here. Now, my top agenda is to bring Panchkula on the national map with national-level projects in the constituency.
How would you react to your victory over Congress' Chandra Mohan by a slim margin of 5,633 votes, while in 2014 you had won by 44,602 votes? What did you lack this time?
I accept it's a low-margin win. Development has been done but the areas where I lacked, will be focussed on.
Citizens of Panchkula have once against expressed faith in you. What is your message to them?
I thank all the citizens of Panchkula for believing in me for a second time and I dedicate this victory to them. I will try to do all that I can do for them in the next five years. I want to make it clear that what Congress could not do in its 10-year tenure, I have done it in the last five years with rapid development in the constituency. I am fully well aware of the issues faced by the public and I am committed for the development of the city and villages.
You must have made some promises during election for your constituency people. What are priorities for your constituency?
Overall development has been carried out by the BJP-led government across the state, especially in Panchkula. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has sanctioned an initial budget of Rs 5 crore for starting various development projects for the constituency. I want to make it clear that during the election the people were promised to make Panchkula smart city. For this, a 32-member Panchkula development advisory committee has been set up for Panchkula district, which will revive beautification as well as development works in the town. Committee members would give him suggestions on mainly six fields - cleanliness of the city, education, health, sports, industry and law and order. There would be a sub-committee comprising 4 to 5 persons from different fields. Through this committee, reviews of people could reach the government about the beautification and development works being carried out in the town. The first meeting of the advisory committee would be held in the first week of January.
You met Punjab Speaker and discussed Haryana’s allocated rooms in the Vidhan Sabha. What is the progress in this direction?
As many as 20 rooms in the Vidhan Sabha which were allocated to Haryana on October 17, 1966 during formation of the State have been possessed by Punjab government since then. Today Haryana needs such rooms as State is facing a crunch of space in Vidhan Sabha. Around a year ago, Haryana government had written a letter to Punjab Vidhan Sabha chief engineer seeking possession of 20 such allocated rooms to Haryana but nothing has happened so far. To secure the possession of 20 rooms, I met Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana Kanwar Pal Singh and discussed this issue with him. It was a productive and positive meeting between us. We both have decided to have a secretary level meeting to resolve the issue. Such meeting will be called soon. We need all allocated space to accommodate ministers and officers in the Vidhan Sabha which will help us completing Vidhan Sabha related works smoothly and effectively.
Half the MLAs are new and first-time legislator in the Vidhan Sabha this time. Your comment.
We will organise two day long orientation programme for all MLAs in the first week of January. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has been requested to give blessing to the newly elected members of the Haryana Assembly. They have also been requested to send experts also for this orientation programme. I personally met the Lok Sabha Speaker. Our approach would be to have a quality, purposeful and meaningful discussion in the House. Assembly session should be completed with dignified and peacefully manner.
What are the projects you brought in Panchkula during your last tenure?
For the development of the constituency, several projects worth more than Rs 2, 000 crore were brought in the last five years. The works include construction of four-lane road from Panchkula to Yamunanagar at a cost of Rs 611 crore, country’s first AYUSH institute on 20-acre land in Mata Mansa Devi, 250-bedded Ayush Hospital, construction of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Sector 23 at a cost of Rs 150 crore, upgradation of Civil Hospital in Sector 6, establishment of Haryana Roadways workshop, induction of 117 buses in its fleet, construction of an AC multi-purpose hall at Tau Devi Lal Sports Stadium. The development works carried out in rural areas include: establishment of sewerage system in 11 villages under the Center’s Amrut scheme, sanction of construction of Sainik Education Centre in Bataur village, reconstruction of broken roads, bridges and so on.
When did you think of joining politics? You were Chandigarh Mayor once. How has been your political journey so far?
I completed Class XI. I could not complete my higher studies due to family reason. I got admission in 3-year- diploma in electric engineering but I could not complete my engineering due to family problems. Today, nine members of my closed family are engineers. My own uncle and maternal uncle were freedom fighter. My father was elected member of councillor in Dera Bassi Municipal Corporation. I was mayor in Chandigarh. I joined RSS in 1962 when I was in Class VIII. I have done first year course in RSS in 1987. In 1988, I joined BJP as Chandigarh State Working Committee member. I became Chandigarh State BJP secretary in 1985-86 while in 1989 as Chandigarh Vice President. In 1991, I was made president of BJP Chandigarh while 1993-95, I became elected state president of BJP Chandigarh. I was Chandigarh Mayor in 1997-98. I joined Haryana BJP and became State treasurer in 2002 while vice president in 2005.I contested Assembly election in 2009 but lost the election. In 2014, I won the election and secured the post of chief whip of party in the Assembly. Now I have been given responsibility of Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha. I thank the party high command and Chief Minister for giving me such a big responsibility.
Being an MLA of Panchkula, you have tried to get colleges of Panchkula affiliated with Panjab University. For this, you had met vice- president of India and Home Minister of India. What is the progress?
Youth of Pankhula are facing difficulties to get admission in PU. Regarding this issue, we have met Vice president M. Venkaiah Naidu and home minister Amit Shah. I hope the issue will be resolved soon. Students of Ambala and Panchkula suffered a lot as they could not get their admission in PU colleges. As per UT admission norms, 80 per cent seats reserved for those students who have completed Class X and Class XII in Chandigarh. 15 per cent open for rest of India including Haryana. Most of the students of Panchkula and Ambala and Yamunanagar do not get chance study in Panjab University. Some students met me and expressed their concerns over this issue. Moreover, today Panjab University is facing financial crunch. High Court also took the cognisance of this issue. As 92 per cent of the total fund is being given by the central government. Four per cent each were given by the Punjab and Haryana government. Haryana is not giving its fund to PU since 1996. Now Haryana government has decided to give four per cent of Haryana’s share to PU. We also seek seats in PU’s Senate. I want around 25 colleges of Haryana’s Panchkula and Ambala, neighbouring districts of Chandigarh should get affiliated from Panjab University.
During Assemble session, disruption and adjournment have been witnessed. How will you ensure smooth Assembly session as Speaker?
As a speaker I want to make clear that there should be healthy discussion in the Vidhan Sabha. I would like to have an issue based discussion as well as people’s pertinent issues to be raised by legislators.
I am a Speaker of all the 90 legislators of the Vidhan Sabha and will keep interest of all irrespective of parties they belong to. Being a Speaker, I would like to have an issue based discussion as well as people’s pertinent issues to be raised by legislators. The precious time of Vidhan Sabha should not be wasted either to politicise issues or or on meaningless discussions. This is platform to discuss the issue of people not to secure political mileage over others. I will continue to appeal the MLAs to have a healthy and fruitful discussion in the Vidhan Sabha.