After Badal, Cong 145;targets146; Chautala

Rather than getting into the nitty gritty of an inquiry commission, the Haryana Congress, after coming to power, would prosecute Indian Nati...

Rather than getting into the nitty gritty of an inquiry commission, the Haryana Congress, after coming to power, would prosecute Indian National Lok Dal president and Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala on the same pattern as Parkash Singh Badal in Punjab.

Birender Singh, who heads the state manifesto drafting committee, told reporters here that cases would be registered against Chautala on the basis of the chargesheet submitted by the Haryana Congress to Governor A.R. Kidwai on November 14. 8216;8216;We would leave it to the courts to decide once the cases are lodged,8217;8217; he added.

The 131-page chargesheet was drafted by a committee headed by former state Congress president Shamsher Singh Surjewala. The document claimed that the Chautala family, which owned merely 32 acre of agricultural land in 1977 when Devi Lal first became the chief minister, was among the richest today. It alleged irregularities in allowing the change of land use, issue of licences to builders, sanction of mines and liquor vends and grant of NOCs for setting up petrol pumps in the Chautala regime.

Asked about Congress poll promises, Birender Singh seemed disinclined to talk of free power or water. He said farmers in Haryana were more keen on an assured supply on reasonable rates.

Singh said the twin focus in the manifesto would be unemployment and debt burden. The peasants owe over Rs 4,000 crore to various lending agencies, including banks. The Congress manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls had promised to ease this burden. The state unit would wish to move in this direction, but any promise on this count would have to be weighed against the availability of funds. 8216;8216;We would not make any promise which we can not honour,8217;8217; he said.

Given the embarrassment caused by the unilateral cancellation of water-sharing agreements with neighbouring states by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, the Congress appears set to downplay the SYL canal issue. 8216;8216;It is a closed matter,8217;8217; Singh claimed, adding that the only outstanding issue now was the Supreme Court decision on the Presidential reference.

Though some state leaders are tempted to promise one job for each family, others contend it would be impractical with the number of families exceeding 30 lakh.