Khattar shown black flags in Pinjore

Tribune News Service
Panchkula, November 15

Cutting across party lines, leaders of various political organisations today showed black flags to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in protest against the setting up of a fruit and vegetable market at HMT, Pinjore.

Protesters led by HPCC general secretary Manveer Kaur Gill, district INLD president Pradeep Chaudhary, HMT Bachao Sangharsh Committee patron Vijay Bansal and several employees of the company raised slogans against the state government when the Haryana Chief Minister’s convoy passed from the main gate of the HMT on the Panchkula-Kalka highway.

Bansal said they had already issued a legal notice to the government and the authorities concerned for setting up the 100-crore market project at the HMT, Pinjore. He said if the government failed to take note of their notice, they would move the Punjab and Haryana High Court against its arbitrary order of setting up the fruit and vegetable market here.

Later, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today announced Rs 30 crore for various developmental projects in the Kalka Assembly Constituency.

Khattar announced this after laying the foundation stone of the market in Kalka. He also held a roadshow from Kali Devi Temple in Kalka to Pinjore. A large number of people took part in the roadshow. He said this year the state budget was Rs 15,000 crore, which was 90 per cent more than the budget estimates of 2014-15. He said the same would be doubled in the next financial year.

Khattar said the vegetable and fruit market, to be set up in 78.33 acres at a cost of Rs 100 crore, would provide jobs to local unemployed youth. The market would not only help local residents but also those from the neighbouring hill state.

He said farmers from Shimla and other regions of Himachal Pradesh would not have to waste time in travelling up to Delhi to sell their produce.

The Haryana Chief Minister said the market to be set up by the Agriculture Marketing Board would have facilities such as washing, grading, packaging and waxing, freezing, cold store and logistics. He said for the first phase of the project, a sum of Rs 10.27 crore had been released for constructing a boundary wall, 6.83-km-long road, 3,968 sq m platform, 3,600 sq m covered shed and a separate block for washrooms.

Meanwhile sensing trouble, officials of the Haryana Marketing Board had shifted the venue of the stone-laying ceremony from the HMT, Pinjore, to Kalka. The police had made elaborate arrangements to thwart any attempt of the protesters to disturb the roadshow.

Slogans raised against govt

Protesters led by HPCC general secretary Manveer Kaur Gill, district INLD president Pradeep Chaudhary, HMT Bachao Sangharsh Committee patron Vijay Bansal and several employees of the company raised slogans against the state government when the Haryana Chief Minister’s convoy passed from the main gate of the HMT on Panchkula-Kalka highway.

Venue shifted

Sensing trouble, officials of the Haryana Marketing Board had shifted the venue of the stone-laying ceremony from the HMT, Pinjore, to Kalka. The police had made elaborate arrangements to thwart the attempt of protesters to disturb the roadshow of the Chief Minister.