Haryana will become kerosene-free in the next year, said Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar while speaking at the ‘Mewat vikas maharally’ on Sunday.
Mr. Khattar said that every household in the State would be provided cooking gas cylinders so that they do not have to use kerosene.
Striking an emotional chord with the audience, Mr. Khattar said that it was his fifth visit to the district after his party came to power over an year ago.
The Chief Minister also said that the Kotla Lake was being re-developed at a cost of Rs.17 crore, and that on completion of the first phase; about 23,000 acre of land would get irrigation facilities besides providing water to nearby villages. He also announced that villages of Firozpur Jhirka assembly constituency would be connected to a ranney well project costing Rs.284 crore to address the problem of water shortage here.
He also announced the opening of a college in Mewat, setting up of a driving school with the help of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., up-gradation of 50 schools, 19 new primary schools, opening of a new veterinary hospital, construction of a rest house at Badkali Chowk, a 33-KV power house in Bubalheri village, and the opening of Krishi Vigyan Kendra.
About the demand to link Mewat with a railway line, the Chief Minister said that efforts were being made in this direction. He added that a survey was being conducted for the four-laning of National Highway-248A from Nuh to Rajasthan border.
With regard to the demand about filling up vacant posts of teachers in Mewat, the Chief Minister said that recruitment of 10,000 teachers was under way. He added that a transfer policy had been prepared by the Education department, which was to be implemented in the State soon. This policy has already been implemented in Mewat.
The Chief Minister also said that to overcome the shortage, teachers who opt to serve in Mewat and Morni would be paid 10 per cent extra salary.
Mr. Khattar went on to clarify that though his party had not won a single assembly seat in Mewat, it would not impact development work in the area. He also took the opportunity to highlight the “misrule” of the previous regimes and said that during five years of Congress rule, not a single meeting of the Mewat Development Authority (MDA) was held, which he said showed their callous attitude towards the area. He said that after the BJP had taken over, two MDA meetings had been held.