The third day of Haryana Assembly began on a noisy note, with the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress legislators indulging in heated exchanges during Question Hour after Health Minister Anil Vij made ‘objectionable remarks’ targeting legislator Kiran Choudhary.
The 38 minutes of Question Hour on the third day of the Monsoon session remained interrupted after Congress CLP leader Kiran Choudhary sought a reply from Mr. Vij regarding health centres in the State.
Ms. Choudhary alleged that the Community Health Centres and Primary Health Centres in Tosham, Miran and Kairu, Dinod, Dhani Mahu and Bhushan were in pathetic state, and asked what action was taken by the government to set them right.
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The Tosham MLA also alleged that the BJP government was turning a blind eye towards her constituency and 75 per cent funds for proposed medical college in Bhiwani had been withdrawn.
This irked the outspoken Mr. Vij, who took on Ms. Choudhary, saying she was not versed with facts on the ground, following which the BJP leader passed some ‘objectionable remarks’ against her.
However, Mr. Choudhary and other Congress MLAs were up on their legs, asking Mr. Vij to tender an apology, with Ms. Choudhary threatening to bring privilege motion against him if he does not take back his words.
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Speaker Kanwar Pal told the members that the remarks had been expunged from the proceedings.
Chief Minister M. L.Khattar also tried pacify the members in the House and said while pointing towards Ms. Choudhary that “she had also written a letter to him and pointed out that an ultrasound machine had not been installed at health facility in her constituency.”
Mr. Khattar told the House that in the absence of required infrastructure, the machine had not been installed, but assured that the same would be in place within the next 15 days.
Meanwhile, the ruling BJP also came in from some sharp attack from another woman legislator, Renuka Bishnoi of the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC).
Renuka raised the matter pertaining to the health institution of her constituency Hansi in Hisar district.
Renuka said on one hand the BJP government generates great hype over Beti BachaoBeti Padhao , but turns a blind eye when it comes to setting things right on the ground.
Citing an example, the HJC legislator said that “on August 20, a pregnant woman came to a (govt) hospital at Hansi but in the absence of a gynaecologist, she was referred to Rohtak.
“At Rohtak, she was told that the ventilator was not available and was turned back,” she said.
“On her way back to Hansi, the woman who was being shunted from pillar to post, delivered a baby girl inside the ambulance. When the child’s condition worsened, she was taken to a private nursing home to Hansi where the infant breathed her last.
“It is unfortunate that the hospital at Hansi, which caters to about 100 villages, has no gynaecologist, this is when we keep talking so much about Beti Bachao. .,” she told the House.
In his reply, Health Minister Anil Vij said 761 new doctors were being recruited, out of which 389 had already been given the appointment letters.
“In the next 2-3 months, you will not find a single hospital in Haryana, where any post of doctor will be left vacant,” he said. - PTI