Khattar juggles national role, keeps state close to heart

Union Minister of Power, Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar may be travelling from Gujarat to Karnataka to Assam in his national role, but his focus on Haryana remains undiminished.

Last month, he reviewed the implementation of various urban missions in the north-eastern states at a meeting in Guwahati and visited Vantara in Gujarat as part of a study for the proposed jungle safari in Haryana. This past weekend, he joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bengaluru for the inauguration of the Yellow Line Metro.

Even while handling national responsibilities, the former Haryana Chief Minister — who led the state for a decade — stays deeply involved with its projects. Spending a week in Haryana last month, Khattar inspected the jungle safari site in Gurugram and Nuh with Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav earlier this month, and is expected at a programme in Rohtak’s Maharshi Dayanand University later this week.

In Karnal and Panipat — both part of his Karnal Lok Sabha constituency — he has visited villages to review development works, assessed project progress, and held departmental review meetings in Chandigarh with state officials. A fortnight ago, he personally inspected centres in Panipat to ensure the smooth conduct of the CET examination.

Karnal MLA Jagmohan Anand said, “Haryana is the former CM’s karambhoomi. Given the revolt against his nomination from Karnal in 2014, Khattar has come a long way. He endeared and established himself and won the Karnal Assembly seat by a huge mandate. As the then CM, and now as a Union Minister, he visits his seat every fortnight, keeping in touch with every development and connected with his people.”

Though he handed over the baton to his protégé Nayab Singh Saini in March last year, Khattar continues to “guide” the government when asked.

“As a Union Minister, he goes to every state but there is no denying the fact that he has been the CM for a decade, he represents the Karnal parliamentary seat and Haryana has a special place in his heart. He reviews the working of his departments and he is only discharging his responsibility,” said Parveen Attrey, media adviser to the CM.