M A I N   N E W S

27 projects in 15 minutes, Hooda on a spree
Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service

Bawani Khera (Bhiwani), July 13
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his entourage descended on Bhiwani’s Bawani Khera village on Saturday and unveiled 27 development projects spread over several kilometres in around 15 minutes, setting a record of sorts.

Hooda first headed to a pandal next to the rally venue where 27 decorated project stones had been meticulously lined up. He went from one stone to the next, pulled the cord to unveil the plaque, posed for a photo and moved on.

While Hooda laid the foundation stone for 23 projects, the remaining four were completed projects that he had inaugurated. He, however, chose to visit the site to lay the stone of the Government College for Women’s building. By evening, the stones had been taken away by government staff for safekeeping.

And then began politics as usual. Addressing the ‘Pragati Rally’ organised by local MLA and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Ram Kishan Fauji, Hooda lauded the UPA’s ambitious food security scheme. He said it was the biggest scheme for the welfare of the poor and would ensure foodgrain to about 52 per cent rural and 51 per cent urban population at a very nominal rate.

Rolling out comparative figures of development works during his tenure and that of his predecessor Om Prakash Chautala, Hooda said his government had spent Rs 632.73 crore on development programmes in the Bawani Khera constituency in eight years, whereas only Rs 85.53 crore was spent on the area during the INLD’s six-year rule.

Similarly, he said his government spent Rs 4429.84 crore on development schemes in Bhiwani district 2005 onwards, while the Indian National Lok Dal government had spent a meagre Rs 280.71 crore from 1999-2005 even though Ajay Singh Chautala represented Bhiwani in Parliament.

The credit game for the inclusion of Bhiwani and Mahindergarh in the National Capital Region was again seen at the rally.

While Public Health Engineering, Excise and Taxation Minister Kiran Choudhry once again praised her daughter Shruti Choudhry’s for inclusion of the area in the National Capital Region, Cooperation and Housing Minister Satpal Sangwan claimed he and other ministers of the district had written to the Central Government for the same.

Reading out the demands of the residents of the area, rally organiser and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Ram Kishan Fauji told Hooda in a lighter vein that he deserved to be elevated into the state Cabinet being the senior most MLA from his community.

Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president Phool Chand Mullana and former chief minister Master Hukam Singh also addressed the rally.