No farmer to be arrested for recovery of loan: Hooda

Hisar, Mar 5 (UNI) Taking notice of the suicides committed by the heavily indebted farmers, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today announced that no farmer in the state would be arrested for the recovery of loans.

''No farmer will be arrested for non-payment of loan returns, as we (the government) are committed to working for the peasants,'' Mr Hooda said while addressing a largely attended 'Nav Nirman' rally, organised here to mark the completion and achievements of the one year old Hooda government in Haryana.

Mr Hooda declared to introduce insurance scheme for all persons between the age of 18 and 60 for Rs one lakh in case of accidental death. He also announced a substantial hike in the monthly remuneration of village chowkidars from Rs 400 to Rs 1000.

Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) chief Bhajan Lal and his MP son Kuldip Bishnoi did not participate in the rally.

Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan addressed the rally.

Mr Hooda today said, ''it is my second life because I had a close brush with death in the Ganges and God saved me from the clutches of death''. ''Therefore, I have decided to devote the remaining years of my life into the service of the people.'' He said that within a short span of period, the promises made to the people have been fulfilled and now a rule of law and a spirit of security prevailed among the people of the state.

Mr Hooda said the people had not forgotten ''the atmosphere of fear which prevailed during the previous government of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD)''. There was no rule of law, administration had rusted and a democratically formed government was being run in an autocratic manner during the INLD regime, Mr Hooda said.

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