Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today slammed the state's government, claiming it took no concrete steps to avoid Gurgaon traffic jam
situation.
"Just changing the names of schemes and cities won't help. The government will have to deliver on ground. They renamed Gurgaon as Gurugram, but after massive traffic jam there this week the people have renamed it as Gurujam," Hooda said.
"Whatever excuse the government may give, the truth is that they took no concrete step to avoid such a situation. No desilting work of Badshahpur and Najafgarh drains has taken place in the last two years," he added.
He said when Congress government led by him was in power for ten years, heavy spells were witnessed, but never before did Gurgaon see such massive traffic jams.
"See the turn which the situation took this time even when it had rained just for a few hours in Gurgaon. People were
trapped in jams for up to 20 hours," he said.
"During our time, 90 per cent work on 18 km-long Dwarka expressway was completed, but during BJP's rule, things have moved at snail's pace," he said.
"A tender for a flyover near the Hero Honda Chowk, which acts as a traffic bottleneck, had been floated in January 2014, but things have got stalled after they came to power," he
said.
He said Khattar government is trying to shift the blame to Delhi government, saying they did not open the gate of Najafgarh drain.
"When Congress was in power in Haryana, each year senior officers of the two neighbouring states used to hold meetings to avoid such situations. But now they are only trying to indulge in blame game with AAP government," he said.
Hooda also took a jibe at Khattar government for its claim about investments it had mobilised after 'Happening Haryana Global Investors Summit 2016' a few months back.
"While everyone knows that investments haven't come, however, this massive traffic jam will not only shake the faith
of investors, it will also bring a bad name to the industrial town around the world," he said.
"One does not know who actually is in command here. The Chief Minister will say one thing, his Ministers will say another," he said.
"It is a non-performing government, which believes only in Badla (vendetta), Badli (transferring officials), Nam Badal (changing names of existing schemes), Jeb Katu (burdening common man with price rise etc) and Feeta Katu Sarkar (inaugurating schemes)," he said.
Hooda said BJP made several promises to people in Haryana
before coming to power in 2014 but fulfilled nothing.
"BJP had made 154 promises to people in Haryana before coming to power in October 2014, but had failed to fulfil even a single promise so far," he said.
"They have gone back on their promise of giving Rs 2000 old age pension, they have also failed to give unemployment allowance to the youths. On the contrary, they have appointed 'Good governance associates', which clearly indicates that the BJP government in the state has lost faith in its officers and is developing a parallel system," he added.
Hooda said there is no need to talk to Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh, who has declared that Congress MLAs
in the state will resign en masse in case of an adverse verdict
from the Supreme Court on the SYL canal issue.
"What is the need to talk to him, SYL water is Haryana's right and we will get it," he asserted.
Hooda also attacked Haryana government for promoting PM Crop insurance scheme, alleging it was aimed to "benefit only private insurance companies".
He said premiums would be "compulsorily deducted" from farmers accounts in banks.
"Government is acting like an agent of private insurance companies," he said.
Hooda also slammed the Central government over price rise, saying "will the first priority for a poor be to do Yoga or to fill his stomach and feed his children".
Hooda, who yesterday took part in an all-party meeting presided over by the CM in connection with the golden jubilee celebrations of Haryana, which was carved out as a separate state in 1966, said the Congress would give support to the state government for the event.
Hooda said he had suggested that a statue of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi should be installed in the state as part
of the golden jubilee celebrations.
"We also suggested that the government should make budgetary provisions for the golden jubilee celebrations," he said.
