Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda reiterated that the government has betrayed the residents of Chanaut village. He said it is deeply unfortunate that the village is forced to resort to protests and hunger strikes for such a basic amenity.
“A government representative had installed a water connection point (T-junction) for the village in the presence of the administration, yet it was later removed and declared illegal. To this day, the government has failed to answer a crucial question: if the connection was illegal and not authorized by the government, why was the administration present on-site during its installation? Why did they remain mere spectators at that time,” he questioned.
Addressing a press conference here today, Hooda stated that the government bears the responsibility of supplying water to both Chanaut village and Hansi city. “It is deeply unfortunate that the village is forced to resort to protests and hunger strikes for such a basic amenity. The government must immediately engage in dialogue with the villagers and resolve the issue,” he said.
He noted that the Congress government had established water supply systems across the entire state, and no village or region had to stage such protests back then. However, today, water scarcity plagues not just Chanaut but many parts of Haryana. In many colonies of Rohtak, the water supply is contaminated, causing people to fall ill.
Commenting on PM Modi's visit to Haryana, Hooda remarked that while introducing hydrogen trains is a positive step, the BJP should also acknowledge who built the railway line on which these trains will run. The railway line connecting Sonipat to Jind via Gohana was established by the Congress government.
He demanded that if the Prime Minister is visiting Haryana, he should ensure a resolution regarding the state's water rights before leaving. A Supreme Court verdict on the SYL (Sutlej-Yamuna Link) issue was delivered years ago, yet the central government has failed to implement it or secure Haryana's share of water.
Hooda further stated that granting a parallel electricity distribution license to 'Eleven Power Private Limited' in Gurugram and Nuh is a detrimental move towards privatization, and the Congress party strongly opposes it. This anti-people decision must be withdrawn.
“The agricultural consumer segment is being separated from the main distribution utility (Agri-DISCOM) starting August 15th to benefit a private company. This move is designed to exempt the private company from the obligation of supplying electricity to farmers— a sector that receives subsidized power,” he said.
“The private company will supply electricity only to profitable areas (industrial zones, malls, and commercial hubs), leaving rural populations, the poor, and the farming community dependent on the government corporation (DHBVN). Deprived of this revenue, the corporation would face a crisis, potentially plunging a large section of the population into an energy crisis,” he added.
The former Chief Minister pointed out that Gurugram contributes one-third of DHBVN's total revenue; handing this area over to private companies would severely damage the corporation's financial health.
The Leader of the Opposition once again expressed concern over rising crime rates. He described Haryana as the most unsafe state in the country due to the prevalence of organised crime. He said criminals are acting with impunity, committing acts such as robbery, dacoity, extortion, shootings, and murder.
Referring to the 'Ram Mandir' robbery incident that occurred in broad daylight, he remarked, "My grandfather's name was Maturam, 'Ram' was part of his name, and I am a believer in Ram. Who are these people who have appointed themselves as the 'contractors' of Ram and even embezzled the offerings? The SIT (Special Investigation Team) has been formed merely to stage a cover-up," he said.
MLAs Bharat Bhushan Batra, Shakuntala Khatak, and Balram Dangi, along with former ministers Subhash Batra and Anand Singh Dangi, and former Chairman Chakravarti Sharma, accompanied Hooda at the press conference.
On this occasion, Bharat Bhushan Batra announced that PGI would soon get a new 30-foot-wide access road, for which he has secured approval for ₹16 crore in funding. This road will alleviate traffic congestion in the city and benefit both patients and their attendants.
Batra also addressed several other issues— including the encroachment of 'Peerbodhi' land by the land mafia and the 'Amrit Yojana' scam, effectively holding a mirror to the government regarding its performance.
Also read: Punjab Congress needs unity, not 'compromised leaders': Randhawa
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