‘Credit war’ erupts among parties

Pradeep Sharma

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 4

‘Credit war’ over unprecedented development in Haryana during the last 50 years erupted among the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress and the INLD during the one-day special Swaran Jayanti Session of the Vidhan Sabha here today.

While the ruling BJP, which had been in power for over two years, tried to take the lion’s share of credit for bringing out a systemic change in Haryana notorious for rampant corruption and nepotism, the Congress and the INLD tried to run down the BJP government for its various acts of omission and commission.

The tone for discussion on charting out a vision for Haryana’s future was set by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ram Bilas Sharma, who came down heavily on the Opposition for walking out of the yesterday’s special golden jubilee function at Panchkula midway terming it in “poor taste.”

Sharma, who credited unprecedented development in the state to all chief ministers since Haryana’s inception, conveniently forgot to mention Bhajan Lal and Om Prakash Chautala.

Leader of Opposition Abhay Chautala took strong exception to this and claimed that major developments in the state took places during the INLD regimes headed by Devi Lal and Chautala. He also raised accusing fingers at the role of certain Jan Sangh leaders and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s father Ranbir Singh in Haryana’s creation.

However, urging political parties to rise above petty politics for celebrating the golden jubilee of Haryana’s formation, Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu asserted that the state created a distinct identity for itself in the fields of economics and politics and had even left Punjab far behind in terms of development.

While the plan outlay of Haryana was Rs 26 crore at the time of reorganisation of Punjab, the plan outlay of Punjab stood at Rs 44 crore. “Today, the Plan outlay of Haryana and Punjab stands at Rs 24,871 crore and Rs 21,174 crore, respectively. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Haryana has increased from Rs 332 crore in 1966 to Rs 3,96,642 crore, and that of Punjab has increased from Rs 570.69 crore to Rs 3,31,940 crore during the same period. Similarly, the per capita income in Haryana is Rs 1.32 lakh per person and in Punjab, it is Rs 1,01,400 per person,” he added.

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda tried to strike a reconciliatory note saying that the state government and the Opposition should join hands to work for the people’s welfare. He also put the record straight claiming that his father vehemently supported demands for a separate state of Haryana.

However, Congress Legislature Party Leader Kiran Chaudhry took stroke exception to undermining the role of former Chief Minister Bansi Lal in creating infrastructure for Haryana in initial years.

Vij at it again

Health Minister Anil Vij likened two neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana to Siamese twins. Even after 50 years, Haryana is ‘deprived of’ its separate capital, high court and Hindi-speaking areas. Vij wanted the members to rise above party politics and resolve to achieve these objectives in the years to come.