Hindustan
Times: Gurgaon: Tuesday, 16 February 2016.
Chief
minister Manohar Lal Khattar had released Rs. 14.30 crore for the state in
2014-15 under the discretionary fund, however, an RTI reply from the government
has revealed that it has not spent a penny of this fund in Gurgaon.
The
government in its reply said Rs. 8.76 crore, a whopping 60% of the entire
amount was spent in Karnal, the CM’s constituency.
Chief
ministers’ discretionary fund is meant to provide immediate relief during
calamities, disasters and other similar incidents when the other government
machinery is slow and bound by rules and regulations. The apex court in 2011
had upheld this quota stating that the power of the chief minister to give
monetary relief was power accompanied with duty.
While the
funds in the CM’s discretionary quota are meant exclusively for an emergency,
what is surprising is that Khattar has bestowed a major part of his largesse to
only six villages in Karnal for development work.
An amount of
Rs. 1 crore each has been given to gram panchayats of Pundrak, Kalampura,
Rattangarh, Zarifa Viran, Kacchwa, and Dabri.
In
comparison, villages and cities and towns in the Gurgaon district, which voted
for the BJP, received nothing from the chief minister’s fund.
The failure
of the state to spend funds in Gurgaon has not gone down well with the people
of Gurgaon. It has led to apprehensions that Khattar could repeat what the
erstwhile CMs in Haryana did shower favour on their own constituencies.
RTI activist
Harinder Dhingra, who filed the RTI application, has alleged that the situation
is the same across all parties and that all chief ministers have been
consistent in favouring their constituencies.
“During the
Chautala government, Hisar was the favourite. When Bansi Lal became chief
minister, all development happened in Bhiwani and Rohtak was known to be the
CM’s city,” said Dhingra.
State
Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, who was in Gurgaon on Monday, alleged that the
Khattar government had failed not only Gurgaon but the entire state. “Why did
Gurgaon lose to Karnal in the smart city race? Where are the promised Gurgaon
Development Authority and the Dwarka Metro? This government is selective in
giving compensation and growth and development has come to a standstill,” he said.
Several local
business leaders also said that this discrimination should stop as Gurgaon is
the economic powerhouse of Haryana.
Bhupeshwar
Dayal, officer on special duty to Haryana CM, said, “We will look into the
details of the information received. However, the government led by the CM is
committed to developing Gurgaon and the Happening Haryana summit is a major
initiative. We plan to introduce the Dwarka Metro and money won’t be a
constraint for the city.
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