Manohar Lal Khattar’s first-term promises for home turf still on paper

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, November 24

As many as 26 announcements made by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar during his first term from 2014-19 have remained on paper.

In most of the pending works, the unavailability of land is a major issue.

The CM had made 494 announcements for the district from November 2014 to date, of them 353 have been completed, while the work on 113 is under way and 28 is still pending. Of them, 26 are of the first tenure of the Khattar government.

One announcement is pending since 2014, while four of 2015, one of 2016, eight of 2017, nine of 2018, three of 2019 and two of 2020, said the data procured by The Tribune. Of the total 28 pending, three announcements are of the Assandh block, five of Gharaunda, six of Indri, seven each of the Karnal and Nilokheri blocks.

The upgrade of the Karnal Aviation Club is one of the oldest pending announcements of the district. As per sources in the administration, the land for the project is yet to be acquired as farmers are not willing to extend the required land.

Moreover, the construction of the entrance gate on the name of Guru Nanak Dev from the Kaithal road side, the project of multi-storey parking at old vegetable market in the city, primary school in Hakikat Nagar, development and upgrade of Karna Lake and Oasis Tourist complexes are some of the projects of the CM’s constituency that are still on papers.

Similarly, the shifting of the Nilokheri grain market to the outer area is lying pending due to the land issue. Besides, the construction of railway station platform and that of sub-yard in the Sagga grain market are yet to be started. In the absence of land, the projects of Prithvi Raj Chauhan Memorial and research centre in Taraori could not be started so far, while its announcement was made by the CM on May 20, 2015. The Roadways has to deposit around Rs 377 lakh for the construction of a new bus stand in Nigdhu, due to which the project is still pending.

The projects of various roads, including ones between Budhanpur Khalsa and Bhauji; Rindal and Salarpur; Shergarh Tapu and Modipur; Butankheri and Munak Majra; four laning of Gharaunda-Phurlak Road; and Picholiya and Jani are pending. The construction of boundary wall, gate and platform in Salwan grain market, work on Barsat bypass and the upgrade of Munak purchase centre as sub-yard are yet to commence.

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