Born on 15 March 1953 in Ambala Cantt, Anil K Vij, who was elected for the fifth time as Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Ambala Cantonment Constituency was inducted in the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Haryana in the year 2014 as a Cabinet Minister with portfolios like Ayush, Heath Services, Medical Education, Science and Technology, Sports and Youth Affairs. He is the Punjabi face of Haryana BJP and is also among the permanent invitees to the BJP National Executive.
In 2014, Vij was among the leading BJP contenders for the post of Chief Minister in Haryana along with current CM Khattar.
He said, “In the last five years, our Government has worked a lot in the field of sports and health services. As a result, Haryana has been ranked the first state in the country to improve health standards at the fastest pace, according to the latest report of the NITI Ayog. In sports, we give sportsmen the highest winning amount in India. We give them the best job opportunities.”
Living at Shashtri Colony, Ambala Cantt, Vij who is unmarried, had started his career as a business person and later as an employee of State Bank of India. Now he is a full time politician.
In an exclusive interview with The Pioneer, Vij reveals major work and achievements of his five years’ tenure as a cabinet minister in the State. He also reveals his political journey as well as his strategy for the upcoming assembly polls. Excerpts from the interview.
You had started your career as businessman and later worked with SBI. After working in SBI for around 16 years, why did you choose politics? How has been your political journey so far?
I completed my schooling from Banarasi Dass High School in 1968 and then completed graduation in 1972 from Sanatan Dharam College. I had joined Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad, a student wing of BJP, while studying at SD College Ambala Cantt. In 1970, I became general secretary of ABVP. I started my own business and later got a job in SBI in 1974. In 1990, when senior BJP leader late Sushma Swaraj was elected to Rajya Sabha, the Ambala Cantonment seat became vacant. I offered to resign from the service and joined BJP. I contested a by-election on BJP ticket and won. In 1996 and 2000, I contested election as an independent candidate and won both times.
In 2009, I was elected as BJP’s member of the legislative assembly from Ambala Cantonment Constituency. In 2014, I was again elected as BJP MLA from Ambala Cantonment and now serving the people as a cabinet minister of the State.
Some State players were miffed over prize money under new sports policy. Intentional players like Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat had earlier alleged that Haryana Government is disrespecting the sports fraternity. Have you addressed their concerns?
My Government has always given the biggest prize money as compared to other states. We provide them the best job opportunities. I have never disrespected any sportsperson. On the basis of sports policy, prize money was distributed. In the past five years, Rs 425 crore in prize money had been distributed among 11,293 players. About Rs 29 crore was distributed among 175 players in 2014-15, Rs 89.9 crore among 3,416 players in 2015-16, Rs 48.88 crore among 1,862 players in 2016-17, Rs 41.73 crore among 160 players in 2017-18, Rs 33.31 crores among 1,166 players in 2018-19 and Rs 92.49 crores among 2,930 players this fiscal.
What has your Government done to groom future players? Girls have been performing exceptionally well at National and International level sports competitions. In the last five years, what are the steps you have taken to encourage more youths especially girls to choose their career in sports?
In five years, the State Government has constructed many small sports stadium in villages, besides establishing 880 Yogshalas and Vyayamshalas at village level. The Sports School, Rai (Sonipat) has been upgraded to a Sports University. The Sports University of Haryana is the third sports university established by a state government in India after Swarnim Gujarat Sports University (Gandhinagar) and Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University (Chennai).
The University will conduct academic and training programmes in physical education and sports sciences, including sports technology and sports medicine. Courses will include training for sports management, sports infrastructure engineering, sports psychology, sports nutrition, sports journalism and sports marketing. Girls have made State proud by winning medals. Same facilities are given to them.
Few days back, senior leader of BJP and former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj passed away. She had started her career in politics from Ambala Cantonment Constituency from where you have been contesting elections. How do you recall her?
Sushma ji was as a leader with rare qualities. I recalled that Sushma ji was elected as an MLA for the first time at a young age of 25 and later, went on to become the education minister of Haryana. She was a member of the Haryana Legislative Assembly from 1977-82 and 1987-90 during the days of the then State Governments headed by Chaudhary Devi Lal. In 1990, she moved to the Rajya Sabha, since then I have been representing the Ambala Cantonment constituency.
You have been in active politics for around 30 years. You were one of the contenders for the post of Chief Minister in 2014. Do you have any regret that you have not become the chief minister? Do you still aspire to become chief minister of the State in future?
After joining politics, I have worked selflessly for the welfare of the people and betterment of the State. I am a party worker and always think about the progress of the party. I do not have any regret over chief ministerial post. Future will decide my fate but I follow high command’s instruction.
What are your major achievements in five years as a Minister?
The major achievements of our Government in five years are setting up three Universities include Shri Krishna Ayush University Kurukshetra, Haryana; Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayaya University of Health Sciences, Karnal and Sports University Rai, Sonipat in the state. Apart from this, six Nursing Colleges have been set up in six districts of the state to ensure skilled nurses are deployed in the Government hospitals of the state. Haryana has done the best in improving health standards. Haryana’s infant mortality rate which was 41 in 2014 has come down to 30. Similarly, the maternal mortality rate has decreased from 127 to 101 and growth of OPD and IPD in Government hospitals has increased by about 30 per cent. This has increased the faith of the people towards the Government hospitals and they consider themselves more secure here.
To provide health services and free medicines to the people, AYUSH and Health Departments have also been organising camps from time to time. In the ongoing Shravana month, lakhs of men and women travel to Haridwar and other places to fetch Kaward and return. Kawadias are being provided all kind of facilities. Haryana has registered a growth in health standards, which will further improve in future. The State Government is considering making compulsorily one year of government service for medical students studying in government-run medical colleges.
News of doctors being attacked by the relatives of deceased patient reported from time to time. Are doctors safe in Haryana?
Security of the doctors is our prime responsibility. We have decided to provide round-the-clock security to doctors and paramedical staff working in civil hospitals in the state. As many as 1,730 home guards have been deployed in various government run hospitals of the state. Other measures like installation of additional CCTV cameras have been ordered in the Government hospitals.
State assembly poll is approaching. What are the development works you have done for the people of your constituency?
I am always available for the people of my constituency. They had made me their representative in the Assembly for five terms. Health services under the BJP-led state government have been improved so as in my Constituency. Sports facilities have been improved in my Constituency as well as other parts of the State. I am confident of winning the election as I have worked selflessly for their betterment. We will go to the people with only the agenda of development. The victory of the BJP in the state assembly is inevitable with full majority.
Haryana Assembly passed a resolution, thanking the Central Government for taking the decision to revoke Article 370 and Article 35 A of the Constitution which granted special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Will your party bring this issue in the forthcoming election to woo the voters?
Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed a special status within the Indian union. It was the only state in the country which had its own constitution and its own flag, besides the national tricolor and now all that has gone. It was our manifesto to scrap Article 370 in J & K. The dream of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and crores of Indian has now fulfilled. In the last five years, several developmental works have been completed for the welfare of the people in Haryana. BJP will contest the Assembly election-2019 on the agenda of development.