Former CM Hooda Raises Alarm Over Recruitment Issues
Background of the Controversy
The ongoing budget session of the Haryana Assembly has been marked by significant turmoil, particularly regarding the inspector recruitment scandal from 2008, during Bhupinder Hooda's tenure as Chief Minister. The issue resurfaced in the assembly, prompting a heated response from Congress leaders. Shortly after proceedings began, BJP MLA Om Prakash Yadav threatened to walk out unless answers were provided. In response, Hooda read a High Court ruling, asserting that it did not indicate any irregularities in the recruitment process.
The court's decision was scrutinized, with Chief Minister Saini noting that the case dates back to 2008. He mentioned that Amit Kumar from Panipat had filed a petition alleging discrepancies in the recruitment process, claiming he received lower marks despite being a top candidate. Kumar also alleged that two candidates, Arjun Rathi and Deepak, did not even take the written exam, submitting blank papers instead.
Hooda objected to the discussion of the court ruling within the assembly, stating, "If the Chief Minister's claims regarding the court's decision are accurate, I will resign from the assembly." The Chief Minister responded, allowing Hooda to express his views.
Saini emphasized that if any injustice had occurred, the court had commented on it. This led to further uproar in the assembly, prompting Saini to suggest consulting the Advocate General to determine if a special agency could investigate the matter.
During the debate on the inspector recruitment issue, Minister Anil Vij interjected, claiming that Hooda had omitted key points from the High Court's ruling, misleading the assembly. Vij also addressed personal attacks regarding his age, asserting he is 45 years old. The Speaker humorously remarked that Vij is still youthful.
Vij stated, "I ran with a 45-year-old and won. I have the right to speak, just as you do. We are both equal in this assembly."
Before the zero hour, Congress MLA Raghuveer Kadiyan raised concerns about budget allocations for various schemes, presenting a 160-page report indicating that 215 projects had not utilized a budget of 6,000 crore rupees. He accused Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda of misleading the assembly.
Kadiyan proposed a privilege motion against Dhanda to maintain the dignity of the assembly. In response, Dhanda stated that they had patiently listened to all allegations, while Speaker Harvinder Kalyan advised Kadiyan to address his concerns during his allotted time, leading to further disruptions from Congress members.
Earlier, in response to a question from Congress MLA Induraj Narwal, CM Naib Singh Saini assured that no roads in Haryana would remain damaged in the next six months, promising repairs for all roads. He compared travel times from Gohana to Chandigarh before and after 2014.
In a separate inquiry, INLD MLA Aditya Chautala raised the issue of outstanding agricultural loans among farmers, asking for district-wise details. Minister Dr. Arvind Sharma revealed that as of December 31, 2024, over 27 lakh farmers owed 60,700 crore rupees.
Responding to Chautala's concerns, Saini explained that farmers often take out loans and repay them, describing it as a rotation. He noted that loans for agricultural equipment are available, with the government covering interest costs, making it easier for farmers to borrow.
Chautala countered that the government needed to address the issues farmers face due to its policies, emphasizing the burden of loans from private banks that often lead to farmers selling their land.
Chautala also highlighted a problem with a pipeline that had burst in his constituency, despite a significant budget allocation in 2019. He called for an investigation into the matter, stating that villagers were still facing water shortages.
Minister Shruti Chaudhary responded, urging Chautala to submit a written complaint for strict action to be taken.
