With the passage of contentious Punjab Land Preservation (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the State Assembly, the Manohar Lal Khattar Government in Haryana seems to have given much-needed ammunition to the opposition parties, ahead of the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.
While the Haryana Government has been claiming that the amendment has been made in public interest and to strike a balance in regulating environment and development, it has ended up serving on a platter ammunition that the leaders of opposition parties are likely to make full use of in the hustings.
The leaders of opposition parties—Congress, Indian National Lok Dal, Jannayak Janta Party and Aam Aadmi Party—have termed the amendment in PLPA as a “multi-crore scam” and keeping alive the controversial issue, in a bid to dent the ruling BJP’s reputation as it heads to Lok Sabha polls.
Last week, Punjab Land Preservation (Haryana Amendment) Bill 2019 was passed in the State Assembly, amid sloganeering and walkout by the opposition. The amendment has opened up thousands of acres to real estate and other non-forest activity that were protected under the previous 119-year old PLPA.
The Supreme Court had also come down heavily on the Haryana Government for passing amendments to the PLPA. The Apex Court had asked the State not to take any further action on the law and termed it “shocking” that the Haryana Government has taken this step despite being told earlier by the court not to do so.
The opposition parties, meanwhile, have alleged that the amendment in PLPA is a multi-crore scam which will benefit the mining mafia and real estate developers. While the Opposition parties are yet to produce proof to substantiate its claims, the controversial issue is likely to resonate all through the election campaign.
Upping the ante against the State Government, a delegation of Congress leaders, led by former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday, met Haryana Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya to request him not to give his assent to the amendment in the PLPA.
Hooda was accompanied by MLAs Karan Dalal, Geeta Bhukkal, Lalit Nagar, Shakuntala Khatak among other senior Congress leaders.
After the meeting, the two-time former Chief Minister Hooda, while talking to the mediapersons said the Congress has urged the Governor to return the Bill and not to give his assent to the amendment.
“The Congress has also urged him to order a high-level probe so that those who stand to gain due to the amendment to the Act are exposed. We have also demanded dismissal of the State Government as the amendment in PLPA is a multi-crore scam with real estate developers and mining mafia to be benefitted. This amendment Bill was passed on the last day of Budget Session of State Assembly even after vociferous protest by the Congress,” Hooda said.
He further said, “The delegation also apprised the Governor about the recent directions of SC over the amendment in PLPA. Even the top environmentalists have expressed fear that if Aravalli forest cover is tinkered with, it can play havoc with the environment of Delhi NCR. The cities like Gurugram and Faridabad are already facing pollution problem and can become gas chambers.”
He added that the Governor has assured the party delegation to look into the issue.
Hooda had earlier announced to revoke the amendments, when the Congress comes to power in Haryana.
On the other hand, Jananayak Janta Party has also stepped up its diatribe against the Government and held protest in Faridabad over the issue of amendment in PLPA. The party has also warned of a statewide protest if the Government goes ahead with the amendment.
A day before, Hisar MP and JJP leader Dusyant Chautala had said that his party is looking into, who all have purchased lands in the Aravallis recently. He had alleged that the Government wanted to extend benefit to its own people and hence used its majority for passing the PLPA amendment Bill in the Haryana Assembly.
Following Supreme Court’s observations on the issue, the main Opposition, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has been demanding Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s resignation.
Leader of opposition and INLD’s senior leader Abhay Chautala have termed the amendment a brazen act by the Government to ignore the pleas and arguments of the INLD, other political parties and environmentalists.