Govt will have zero tolerance to graft: Khattar

Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 16

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will launch a good governance initiative on December 25. He said he listened to people’s grievances during “janta darbas” and it was time to respond to their aspirations and expectations.

The Haryana Government has proposed to introduce a new grievance redress system besides taking steps to introduce transparency, accountability and zero tolerance for corruption.

In his first interview to The Tribune, Khattar outlined his governance priorities and the target he has set for himself for the next five years. Planning to use technology to reduce corruption, he said he would introduce online property registration in eight tehsils.

“I am learning something every day and my resolve to work for people has become stronger after noticing common man’s struggle to deal with personal and social problems,” he said.

About the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, he said: “Like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, I also belong to the RSS school of thought and put service of people and the nation above everything.”

Expressing disagreement with Union Law Minister Sadanand Gowda over khap panchayats, Khattar said he was against any Central law to ban khaps and other “customary courts”. Terming khaps part of the social system that has served a useful purpose for the past 1,100 years, the Chief Minister said there was a misconception about khaps that misled people into terming them kangaroo courts.

Justifying his decision to withhold bravery honour for Sonepat sisters Pooja and Aarti, he said initially it seemed to be an act of heroism but soon other angles to the story cropped up which raised doubts on the girls’ version. “Many people have come forward in the boys’ favour. The government has constituted a special investigation team to probe the incident and once it submits the report, the government will act,” he said.

About women’s safety, he said: “I have instructed the police to take crime against women very seriously and ensure security of every woman.”

Kattar denied going slow on the Robert Vadra-DLF land deal. “My priority is to set up a system that deals with the change of land use (CLU) so that more Vadras do not exploit the situation and cheat the state,” he said, adding: “There is no doubt that Vadra has committed a “theft” on state exchequer and the money that belongs to the state must be recovered. Law will take its course but after we have a transparent system in place. I don’t want to look vindictive against any person or family.”

Refuting the charge of being “remote-controlled from Delhi”, he said: “I have a mind of my own and every decision is taken here in consultation with my team comprising Cabinet Ministers.”