‘Pattedars’ to get ownership rights soon, says Khattar

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Guhla (Kaithal), November 27

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said today his government was preparing a special policy for giving ownership rights to the tenants (pattedars) of agriculture land of the state. He was speaking at the ‘vikas’ rally organised by local BJP MLA Kulwant Bazigar at the Guhla grain market.

The CM laid foundation stones of development works worth Rs 39 crore.

“Though it’s a legal matter, our government is preparing a policy to give ownership rights to the tenants who have been cultivating government land for over 99 years. We are not like other governments that only make announcements. We are committed to solving this long pending issue,” said Khattar.

The announcement has come as a big relief to 50,000 residents of Guhla and Pehowa, who have been cultivating lakhs of acres of government land since 1954 and struggling for ownership rights.

“We are hopeful that the state government will fulfil its promise and give us ownership rights. With our hard work, we have made this infertile land fertile. We request the CM to pursue this issue,” said Harpal Singh Cheeka, convener of the Pehowa-Guhla Land Pattedar Joint Action Committee.

Khattar laid foundation stones of Guhla women college (Rs 12 crore), upgrade of the Guhla Kharka-Kherdi Daban road (Rs 3.39 crore), upgrade of Kangthali and Kikormajra (Rs 4.12 crore), strengthening of Paharpur minor (Rs 16.86 crore) and a community centre (Rs 3.26 crore).

“No government has taken care of Guhla, but we will make best efforts to develop it,” said Khattar.

Apart from laying foundation stones, the CM also announced Rs 50 crore for the strengthening of 20 roads of the area, soil testing lab for Rs 55 crore and construction of a gaushala. He also announced Rs 11 lakh from his personal fund for 10 gyms in 10 villages, ultrasound and other facilities for local hospital, sports stadium in six acres in Baupur village, new building for the Guhla Nagar Palika, a sewage water treatment plant and a PWD guest house for Rs 3.5 crore.

Some districts got fewer projects, admits CM

 Guhla (Kaithal): Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday admitted to have made fewer announcements in some districts as compared with other districts. He, though, added this was unintentional. “I am the Chief Minister of the entire state and committed to equal development of the state. In one year of the BJP government, we announced several projects for the entire state but some districts got fewer projects than others, as the BJP does not have representatives in some areas,” said Khattar during the vikas rally here. He further said the Opposition was making an issue out of it. “The allegation of intentional unequal development is baseless,” the CM said later. To a query, Khattar said he had directed authorities of districts that had not witnessed development in one year to prepare project plans. On anti-Jat-reservation statements of Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini, he said statements should not be made publically. — TNS