Khattar reaches Kandela to pre-empt Hooda’s plan

KANDELA (JIND): To pre-empt the move of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda who has planned the Jan Sampark Abhiyan from the district’s Kandela village from May 31, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today laid the foundation stone of a hall over the historic chaubatara of the Kandela Khap.

A farmer argues with CM’s security staff in Safidon. Tribune photo

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Kandela (Jind), May 24

To pre-empt the move of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda who has planned the Jan Sampark Abhiyan from the district’s Kandela village from May 31, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today laid the foundation stone of a hall over the historic chaubatara of the Kandela Khap.

Kandela khap president Tek Ram Kandela, who broke his more than two-decade-old alliance with the INLD to join the Congress during the last Assembly elections, gave a feeler to Khattar and Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala to join the saffron party.

Tek Ram handed over a charter of demands to him. The CM neither made any announcement to accept the demands nor he hinted at taking Tek Ram into the BJP fold.

“Khaps are legal. These provide justice to the poor in villages. I have taken a stand for khaps because I am aware of their working. Several politicians are blaming khaps, as they do not have information about khaps,” Khattar said.

Khattar laid the foundation stone of the hall 5 metre from another stone laid by Hooda for the construction of chaubutara. Khap leaders had covered that stone.

Barala’s claim that the BJP government had given the highest compensation of Rs 1,092 crore to farmers for crop loss invited reactions from farmers during the function. They interrupted Barala and protested against the non-disbursal of compensation to them. But Barala took a U-turn and said there were discrepancies in the assessment of crop damage.

“At some places, assessment of crop damage was not done properly. But due to problems in some areas, we could not allege farmers of all Haryana have not received compensation,” Barala said.

Kandela farmers demanded re-assessment of the damage.

“The government has taken action against corrupt Revenue Department officers for the wrong assessment of crops and more officers will face action,” the CM added.