Govt renames HUDA, says it sounds like Hooda

Chandigarh, June 2

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Continuing with its name changing spree, the state government has renamed the Haryana Urban Development Authority as Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran, saying its acronym HUDA sounded similar to the last name of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) will now be known as Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), Minister Anil Vij said here today.

“The name HUDA caused confusion as its acronym sounded too similar to Hooda’s name,” he said, adding if the CBI raided Hooda, it gave an impression as if HUDA has been prosecuted by the investigating agency.

He said that the decision to change the name of HUDA was taken in the cabinet meeting held yesterday. The meeting was chaired by CM Manohar Lal Khattar, who is also the chairman of the state’s urban development authority.

Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran is the Hindi translation of Haryana Urban Development Authority, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Krishan Kumar Bedi said.

“People say Hooda will be jailed. However, only those who were aware about the alleged irregularities in land deals can understand whether it meant Hooda or HUDA,” Vij said.

HUDA, a statutory body of the government, was established in 1977 under the Haryana Urban Development Authority Act, 1977.

Hooda is facing a CBI probe in re-allotment of 3,360 sqm institutional plot to Associate Journal Limited (National Herald) in Panchkula, alleged irregularities in allocation of industrial plots at Panchkula and a land scam in Gurgaon.

On the state government’s decision to change names of the cities and now of HUDA, Hooda said, “The BJP government will keep changing names of villages, cities and now authorities. By this, one can think about its intentions. I have said earlier that this government’s only work is badala (vendetta), badli (transferring officials) and namkaran (changing names),” he said.

Last month, the state government had decided to rename various sports stadiums across Haryana named after former PM Rajiv Gandhi. In April last year, the government had renamed Gurgaon as Gurugram and Mewat as Nuh. — PTI