Congress panel to probe BJP Govt scams: Hooda

Haryana Congress will form a committee to prepare a report on the alleged corruption and scams during the BJP Government in the State, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said on Tuesday, a day after the Congress Legislature Party meeting was held here under his chairmanship.

The committee will be headed by MLA Ashok Arora and have senior party leader Raghuvir Singh Kadian as a special invitee. He said other decisions were also taken at the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting on Monday evening.

The Congress has also decided to bring an adjournment motion on the IDFC “bank scam”, while attention notices on ‘deteriorating’ law and order will also be given, he said.

The former Haryana chief minister, who was flanked by MLAs including Kuldeep Vats, Geeta Bhukkal, Vikas Saharan and Jassi Petwar, lashed out at the BJP Government in the State on various issues.

With Gujarat set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, Hooda said the CLP unanimously passed a resolution backing the demand of the Congress MPs that Haryana should co-host the games.

“Our players have brought laurels for the country in various championships, including the Olympics, and even recently won a number of medals in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Haryana should be made co-host for the 2030 CWG, he said.

Hooda also defended the previous Congress Government’s ‘Padak Lao, Padh Pao’ (win a medal, get a job) policy in Haryana, crediting the initiative for the State players winning medals at the international level.

Earlier, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had criticised the Congress regime’s sports policy, dismissing it as an empty slogan.

Attacking the BJP Government, Hooda asked, “Did they build even one stadium? We created sports infrastructure and appointed 18 DSPs (posts given to sportspersons who won medals in prestigious events).”

Hooda also targeted the Saini Government over the recently signed agreement between Haryana and Rajasthan over the Yamuna Water Project, saying that the BJP Government has forgotten about the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal dispute, a long-standing water-sharing conflict between Punjab and Haryana over the Ravi-Beas River waters

“First, the Haryana Government should get SYL waters for the State. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini is touring (poll-bound) Punjab these days, but he does not ask them to give SYL water for our State,” he said.

Further attacking Saini on his frequent visits to Punjab in recent months, Hooda said, “Haryana needs a full-time chief minister, not part-time.”

Notably, under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed, Rajasthan will utilise the surplus rainwater available in Haryana between July and October through a dedicated pipeline for drinking water purposes.

Hooda was also asked to comment on the acquittal of former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s in the sexual harassment allegations.

A week after his acquittal, Singh on Monday alleged that “a conspiracy” was hatched against him after he defeated Congress leader Deepender Hooda in the wrestling body’s election.

“The case was registered during the BJP Government’s time, not during our time... Rest, the matter is sub judice,” Hooda said, while declining to comment further.

Hooda also alleged that youth are facing exploitation under the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam ( HKRN).

Notably, the HKRN provides contractual manpower to all Government departments in the State.

“There is no gratuity, no provident fund. The Government notification on employment under the HKRN mentions that they are deployed, instead of employed. We demand that they should be given the same pay and facilities as regular employees. On August 19, Congress will hold a dharna in Panchkula in which all MLAs will demand that those working under the HKRN system should be regularised,” he said.

Hooda said the recent rains caused damage at many places, claiming that failure to clean sewers and drains on time aggravated problems for the people.

Hooda also alleged that there was a shortage of fertilisers and farmers were facing problems. The former chief minister claimed that the State Government failed to utilise the full stock of urea and other fertilisers allocated to Haryana by the Centre.

“Till August, the allocation of urea from the Centre was over 9.65 lakh metric tonnes and the State Government lifted only over 8.14 lakh MT. In DAP, allocation was 2.53 LMT and the State has lifted 1.15 LMT so far,” he claimed.

On the E20 issue, Hooda said ethanol blending in petrol went up from a modest 1.5 per cent during the Congress-led UPA Government’s time, to 20 per cent now, “impacting fuel average and life of vehicles.”