Industrial estate over 300 acres to be developed near Gohana: Hooda

New Delhi, Jun 10 (UNI) Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said an industrial estate covering an area of 300 acres would be developed near Gohana and the State Government would bear half of the cost of laying of railway line between Sonepat and Jind.

Speaking at a "Dhanyavad Rally"(thanks giving rally) at Gohana (Sonepat) to thank the people of Gohana Constituency for giving massive mandate to the Congress candidate Mr Jagbir Malik in the recent byelection, Mr Hooda assured the people of Gohana that there would not be any dearth of funds for its overall development.

He said that the setting up of an industrial estate and laying of the railway line through the town would open new opportunities for employment and generate economy, thus immensely benefiting the people of the area.

While describing this victory as the 'victory of the people', Mr Hooda revealed that before the byelections, he was suggested by some people that he could get the byelections averted with the reason that their outcome might not adversely affect his party.

Mr Hooda said he would not like to rule with bullet and lathi, but would like to serve the masses by winning the hearts of the people. It was for the people to decide, he added.

When he asked the farmers whether they had ever got so much high price for their produce, they replied in negative saying "never before". Mr Hooda said that at the same time the poor were being given foodgrains at an economical rate as the price of foodgrain being supplied to them has not been raised as per the policy of the Congress.

Haryana was the first State in the world where a scholarship ranging from Rs. 150 to Rs. 400 was being given to poor girls to continue their education from class I to XII. Similarly, students belonging to Scheduled Castes families were eligible to get such scholarships ranging from Rs. 100 to Rs. 300, he added.

Mr Hooda said that although his Government had inherited the problem of shortage of power, steps have been taken to add 5000 MW of additional generation capacity. While generation of 600 MW of power has commenced at Yamunanagar Thermal Power Plant, generation of 1200 MW would commence at Khedar Power Plant next year and thereafter, generation of 1500 MW would commence at Jharli Power Plant during the following year.

The state government has been purchasing power at a high rate of Rs. nine per unit to ensure supply of electricity to the consumers, he said and added that he would not fix dates like his predecessors to ensure uninterrupted supply of power, but would assure 20 to 22 hours regular supply after the commencement of generation of additional 5000 MW.

On the unemployment problem, the Chief Minister said that only those would remain unemployed who would deliberately not like to work. He said that the vacancies in the government sector were being filled up and steps had been taken to enable the youth to take up self employment ventures and get employment in industrial sector.

He further added that when his government assumed office, Haryana ranked at number 14 in per capita investment three-and-a-quarter years ago, but now it was at number one.

Apart from the people of the area, representatives of Dhanak Samaj, Balmiki Samaj and Sarpanch Association of Gohana honoured Mr Hooda by presenting him with turbans and mementos. The Chief Minister did not accept garlands of currency notes and returned these saying that the funds be used for developmental works.

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