M A I N   N E W S

Haryana to call special session on paddy
Tribune Reporters

Ambala, October 15
Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala said here today that the state government would summon a special session of the Haryana Assembly this month on the paddy procurement issue. He announced this in reply to a question by a reporter that the Opposition leader, Mr Bhupender Singh Hooda, had demanded a special Assembly session on paddy procurement in the state.

Mr Chautala said he was ready to convene the Assembly session on the date proposed by Mr Hooda, otherwise the government would fix a date on its own.

Mr Chautala criticised Mr Bhajan Lal for his statement that the farmers had not been getting the MSP at various grain markets. He said Mr Bhajan Lal had not visited even six grain markets and should issue such statement on the basis of facts. He claimed that in all grain markets of the state the produce of the farmers were being purchased in a proper way. He claimed that not even a single farmer had faced any difficulty in this regard.

Replying on the SYL issue he said the Punjab Government should honour the Supreme Court verdict in this regard. He said as per the direction of the court if the Punjab Government did not complete the SYL canal then the Haryana Government would take up the issue with the Union Government.

Earlier, he laid down the foundation stone of a bridge on Tangri river to be constructed at a cost of Rs 4 crore. He also witnessed Dasehra celebrations at Ambala Cantt.

On the occasion Social Welfare Minister Rasal Singh, Anil Vij, Veena Chibbar, Jasbir Malour (all MLAs) and the state president of INLD, Mr Sher Singh Badsami, were also present. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr D.D. Gautam and SP, Manoj Yadav were accompanying the Chief Minister.

CHANDIGARH: Mr Hooda, while responding to Mr Chautala’s challenge, said the Congress was fully geared up to take up the causes of the farmers in the Assembly if a special session was called to discuss paddy procurement.

“We have no problem if the session is called by month-end. But ideally it should have been called earlier”, Mr Hooda said while talking to the TNS from Rohtak . He added that the CM could fix a date convenient to him for calling up the session.

Mr Hooda, who would be leaving tomorrow for visiting Jagadhri and adjacent areas’ mandis, said that right now he would not like to talk about the duration of the special session. “It would depend upon the list of business and the number of speakers who want to talk on the issue”, Mr Hooda said.