Erstwhile Hooda Govt discriminated amongst districts in Haryana: CM Khattar

Chandigarh, March 7: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said the previous Congress government of Bhupinder Singh Hooda had adopted a pick and choose policy in the allocation of funds to various districts during its 10-year tenure.

Addressing the media after releasing the part-II of a white paper on the finances of Haryana, Khattar said the Hooda government clearly discriminated against majority of districts at the cost of three districts - Rohtak (Hooda's home district), Jhajjar and Sonipat.

"The maximum funds raised under HRDF (Haryana Rural Development Fund) between 2004-05 and 2013-14 were confined to three districts for development whereas the rest 18 were totally ignored," Khattar said.

"The first part of the white paper says that the previous government had given priority to some areas and adopted discrimination in development. Data disclosed in the second part of the white paper also says a similar story. The entire amount was spent in the districts of Rohtak, Jhajjar and Sonipat," he said.

Countering allegations by opposition Congress leaders that the part-I of the white paper were "lies", the chief minister said: "The aim of releasing the white paper is not vindictive. It is to show the financial irregularities committed during the last 10 years in the state."

He said the first BJP government in Haryana would ensure development of all areas of the state without discrimination.

He said the new government was working out modalities to make the public sector units (PSUs) in the state financially viable.

Khattar said gross financial irregularities have been detected in the functioning of the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) and the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA).

IANS