Haryana Assembly session on Monday likely to be stormy

Chandigarh, February 25

The Haryana's Budget Session starting on Monday is likely to be stormy, with the Opposition likely to corner the BJP government over several issues, among them the ongoing Jat protests for reservation and the row over the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal.

The session will commence with the address of Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki, an official spokesman said on Saturday.

The Budget for 2017-2018 is likely to be presented on March 6 and the session is to continue till March 10, official sources said.

However, the Business Advisory Committee of the Haryana Assembly will take the final call in this regard.

The Jat reservation issue is set to figure prominently in the forthcoming session as the community members have been protesting for nearly a month in support of their various demands.

Besides seeking quota in education and government jobs under the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) category, their demands include the release of those jailed during last year's stir, withdrawal of cases and government jobs for the kin of those killed and injured.

The INLD, the main opposition party in Haryana, and the Congress have come out in support of the agitating Jats this time and have asked the government to meet their demands.

While senior INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala recently addressed sit-ins being staged by the Jats at several places in the state, former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the Khattar Government should fulfill the promises made to the community last year.

"The government should fulfil the promises it made to them (the Jats)," Hooda said, accusing the BJP government of "again mishandling the whole issue".

Both the Congress and the INLD are drawing up strategies to take on the ruling benches on the issue.

Haryana was on the boil for nearly a fortnight in February last year due to the Jat agitation, during which 30 people were killed and property worth crores of rupees was destroyed at many places by miscreants.

The Opposition is also set to raise the SYL canal issue.

On Thursday, a group of INLD leaders and workers led by Chautala tried to march into neighbouring Punjab to dig its portion of the SYL canal. However, the march was foiled by the Punjab Police.

The INLD leaders have maintained that the Supreme Court has given the order in favour of Haryana on the construction of SYL and have accused the BJP governments at the Centre and in Haryana of not doing anything to implement the decision.

Besides, both the Congress and the INLD would seek reply from the government on other crucial issues like the state's law and order situation and farmers.

Recently, Chautala along with 15 MLAs of INLD were in judicial custody in Patiala jail for violating section 144 during their protest to dig the SYL canal.

Opposition parties are also going to target the government on controversy related to 464 acres of prime land in Gwal Pahari in Gurugram district.

The BJP MLA from Gurugram Umesh Aggarwal has attacked the state government, raising questions about the ownership of Gwal Pahari land in Gurugram.

Hooda said while the government often talks about showing zero tolerance towards corruption, its own legislators were pointing fingers.

Notably, recently the MC Gurugram had sent notices to individuals to vacate its over 450 acres of land in Gwal Pahari. The land is currently in the hands of various individuals, private developers and farmhouse owners.

The entitlement of the land in question and the mutation has been in dispute for over three decades.

Gwal Pahari is part of the Aravali range with Gurugram-Faridabad road passing through it. Due to its prime location and scope for development, it is highly sought after by developers and realtors.

Meanwhile, the Assembly is also likely to pay tributes to the sons-of-the-soil who sacrificed their lives for their motherland while fighting militants in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, among others.

Among the latest casualty is a young officer hailing from Mahendergarh district Major Satish Dahiya who was killed while fighting militants at Kralgund in Kupwara district on February 15. — PTI