Congress slams govt over non-functional portals in Haryana, says why need ministers if portals can do everything

Supporting Choudhry’s assertion, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said, “This government has a habit of opening portals. If portals alone can do everything, why do we need ministers? Why do we need the government? Let the portals do everything.”

During the Zero Hour, Congress MLA Bishan Lal Saini also slammed the state government and said, “About two years ago, the chief minister had launched the ‘Apne Mann Ki Baat Batao’ portal. We from Radaur spoke our minds out, not once but 253 times on this portal. Not a single thing was heard. No action was taken on the issues that we raised through this portal.”

Scoring on the absence of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Dushyant Chautala, Saini added, “The chief minister is not sitting here and even the deputy chief minister is absent so whom should we convey our issues to?”

JJP MLA from Barwala, Jogi Ram Sihag, demanded the government to raise the financial powers of the sarpanches to at least Rs 20 lakh. Supporting Sihag’s demand, Congress MLA from Gohana Jagbir Singh Malik also requested the government to implement it and demanded that the pending grants to the sarpanches should also be released.

Malik also raised the issue of protesting contractual employees in several parts of the state and said the government should immediately redress the demands being raised by them.

Malik also accused the government of providing him “wrong information” about the encroached land in Gohana, his constituency. Speaker Gian Chand Gupta told Malik “In case any official has provided wrong information, he/she would be called to the Vidhan Sabha and his/her explanation will be sought.” The Speaker also asked him to submit his complaint in writing and assured him of action.

Malik also alleged that there were at least 3,400 fake ration cards detected in his constituency but the government did not take any action against the delinquent officials.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA from Barwala Shish Pal said, “Recently, posts of 4,000 teachers were advertised and not even a single post for Punjabi teacher was among them.” He also raised the issue of vacant tehsildar posts in his constituency and supported the recommendation of raising the financial powers of the sarpanches which was echoed by Congress MLA from Israna, Balbir Singh. Pal further demanded the government to not only withdraw but also cancel all FIRs registered against farmers during the farmers’ agitation.

Reacting to the demands, Panchayat Minister Devender Babli said, “No financial powers of sarpanches have been curtailed. The government has only said that it would change the sarpanches’ work from manual to digital. Last night, I had a meeting with the Chief Minister till midnight and the draft was prepared. It’s only that the works undertaken by the sarpanches would be done through e-tendering.”

The state government had said that the Sarpanches’ financial power to get development work (till Rs. 1.99 lakh) can be done manually and beyond that, the work would have to be allocated via e-tendering process. Sarpanches, in several parts of the State, are protesting against this rule.

Narendra Gupta, BJP MLA from Faridabad, demanded trauma centres on the national highways citing the special road-safety survey conducted and published by a national Hindi daily highlighting road accidents and fatalities including the black spots across the state.

Independent MLA from Meham, Balraj Kundu, raised the issue of crop compensation to the farmers who lost their crops due to incessant water logging. “This government talks about Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas. For the last three years, I have been demanding a girls’ college, repair works of dilapidated roads and a better sewerage system in my constituency but no action has been taken. The Haryana government should also consider implementing the Old Pension Scheme as done by Himachal Pradesh and Punjab,” Kundu said.

BJP MLA from Badhkhal, Seema Trikha appreciated and thanked the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government in Haryana for taking several initiatives and providing a corruption-free and transparent government.

Many MLAs raised the issues of potholed roads and spoke about other issues pertaining to their respective constituencies.