NARAINGARH, January 28: Refuting the opposition claim that his government had imposed taxes to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore, Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal today said the amount totalled up to only Rs 394 crore.Addressing an election meeting in support of BJP candidate Suraj Bhan here, he said no chief minister had provided as many facilities to farmers and other sections of the society as he had managed.
Criticising the alliance between the Haryana Lok Dal (Rashtriya) and BSP, he said both the parties believed in the cult of violence and had destroyed public property worth crores during the Mandal Commission agitation. Bansi Lal said he had fulfilled all but one of his poll promises, that of 24-hour power supply. He, however, hastened to add that people in the state would start getting electricity round the clock within two years after increase in the power generation capacity.
The Chief Minster claimed a marked decline in the crime rate -- the crime graph showing 6,000 less cases during his tenure.He said in future, recruitment, especially for police personnel, would be through "recruitment melas" to give it transparency and the computer records would be maintained.
Bansi Lal reiterated his warning to HSEB employees responsible for pilferage and theft of power to mend their ways and bring the board on a sound footing.
Earlier, BJP candidate Suraj Bhan, former Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, said that while BSP leaders Kanshi Ram and Mayawati were out to create hatred by fanning the frenzy of casteism, the Congress was undecided on its candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. He said HLD (R) chief Om Parkash Chautala and BSP's Nagra were creating disputes between the Dalits and members of the high castes. Local legislator Raj Kumar Saini, who is also the Minister of Roadways, also spoke on the occasion.
Interestingly, Akali leaders, led by the Haryana Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhdev Singh Gobindgarh, left the venue as soon as Bansi Lal arrived on the dias to the surprise of the organisers.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
