Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal on Thursday said that after the BJP came to power in the State in 2014, nepotism and regionalism have been replaced by a commitment to equitable development, even as the Congress termed the BJP rule of nine years a complete failure.
Addressing a press conference here on the completion of his nine-year term in office, Mr. Lal said the State government’s significant achievements include a robust anti-corruption system that bolsters trust and redirects public resources for people’s betterment.
Toll plaza closure
Mr. Lal also announced the closure of six toll plazas located on the State highways in November and December. He said the decision is in response to demands from the people as well as considering the financial burden and inconvenience the plazas posed to the public. The move comes ahead of the upcoming elections to the Assembly and the Lok Sabha in 2024.
Mr. Lal said the Haryana government, over the past nine years, had focused on economic growth, industrial development, and the overall well-being of its residents. “In these nine years, the State’s exports have surged from ₹68,032 crore in 2014 to an impressive ₹2,45,453 crore in the fiscal year 2022-23, demonstrating a remarkable uptick in economic prosperity. Haryana has successfully attracted investments worth ₹18,422 crore, leading to the establishment of 1,59,622 MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) in the State. This substantial industrial expansion has concurrently generated employment opportunities for approximately 12.60 lakh individuals,” he said.
“...The State government had started Mission Merit and based on transparency, 1.10 lakh youth have got government jobs and there are plans to provide 60,000 more jobs,” he added.
Non-performing govt.: Hooda
The Congress, meanwhile took a dig at the BJP, accusing the State government of taking Haryana from the heights of development to the depths of destruction in its nine years.
Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that during the Congress’s tenure till 2014, Haryana was the number one State in the country in terms of per capita income, per capita investment, law and order, and employment. However, the BJP governments had made the State number one in terms of unemployment, crime, and drug abuse, he said.
“It has been a non-performing government, which has failed on all fronts and their performance has been unsatisfactory. In such a situation, what is the current government celebrating? On the contrary, this government should apologise to the people for wasting nine years of Haryana,” he said in a statement.
