Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda on Friday said the ruling BJP-JJP in Haryana had failed to mitigate the problems faced by different sections of society following the COVID-19 lockdown .
“The State government has not provided the needed economic relief to small and medium industries, resulting in large-scale migration of workers from the State. There is an immediate need to provide direct help to the people but the government has failed to do so because the debt on the State has increased from ₹60,000 crore to ₹2 lakh crore during the BJP’s term. The problem of migration cannot be solved unless the employers assure their workers of support. The government should give them financial support so that they can continue to give salaries to their workers. Only then can the migration be stopped. This is a time to provide financial support, not loans,” said Mr. Hooda.
“From shopkeepers to industrialists, everyone is being forced to lay off workers. Instead of stopping them from doing so, the government is itself retrenching its temporary employees,” alleged Mr. Hooda, during a video conference.
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‘Farmers not paid’
Mr. Hooda also alleged that farmers were not getting timely payments for their produce purchased by the government agencies. “The government is not sticking to the payment schedule. The pace of lifting of crop from mandis is also sluggish. The State’s Agriculture Minister himself had said a couple of days ago that the farmers were paid only till April 25,” said Mr. Hooda, adding that the government had so far paid only ₹1,500 crore out of the ₹12,500 crore due to wheat farmers.
Opposing the State government’s decision to restrict paddy sowing in 19 blocks across the State to conserve water, Mr. Hooda said the decision should be withdrawn immediately. Mr. Hooda said groundwater recharge and efficient irrigation was the way forward. “Banning paddy cultivation is not the solution. It is important to worry about groundwater, but this is not the time to put restrictions on farmers, instead the government should provide whatever relief they can to farmers. The Congress government had started the Dadupur Nalvi water recharge project but unfortunately, the BJP government stopped it,” alleged Mr. Hooda.
Also read:Coronavirus | Hooda wants safety kits for private, govt. doctors
Separately, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala accused the BJP government of attempting to cover up the probe into the alleged liquor scam. “To investigate the liquor scam, a Special Enquiry Team (SET) has been set up by the government instead of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is an attempt to sweep the scam under the carpet.
“Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar should answer why the SET was constituted while rejecting the proposal to constitute SIT to inquire into the liquor scam. Is it not a fact that SIT, constituted under the section 2(h) and 2(o) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), 1973 is empowered to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the scam by visiting every godown linked to the liquor scam, confiscate the documents, conduct raids, check the records of Excise Department and Police department and arrest the culprits. The present SET has no such powers then how it will hold an enquiry into the liquor scam?” quipped Mr. Surjewala.
