Haryana Assembly today witnessed uproar after a Congress MLA alleged that some people "sitting in the House" were involved in illegal mining and a privilege motion was brought against him for "misleading" the House.
After the general discussion on the budget estimates resumed in Haryana Vidhan Sabha, senior Congress MLA and former Speaker Kuldeep Sharma alleged that illegal mining was rampant in the state with the alleged patronage of the BJP-led state government.
"I represent an area along side Yamuna, and illegal mining is taking place there. I even told the Chief Minister that it does not look good that I should take names, who are into it, in the House. Definitely, there are such people who are with the government and with their support, the illegal mining is taking place.
"Everyday, the cases of illegal mining is taking place. I myself had caught three-four trucks carrying illegal mining material," he said.
When treasury bench members asked him to name them, Sharma alleged "From Yamunanagar till Delhi border, illegal mining is taking place. There is no one place (where illegal mining is not taking place). They are sitting here (in the House) who are getting it (illegal mining) done".
This invited sharp reaction from the treasury benches, with BJP MLA Moolchand Sharma asking Kuldeep to name those involved in illegal mining.
Haryana Minister Krishan Lal Panwar accused Kuldeep of misleading the House.
Turning the heat on to Congress MLA from Ganaur, treasury benches asked him either name those involved in illegal mining or withdraw his statement and seek an apology from the House.
Leader of Opposition Abhay Chautala told the Speaker that Congress MLA has made serious allegation against the BJP government and the House should know who were into it.
Following which, Deputy Speaker Santosh Yadav asked Kuldeep to reveal the names.
Taking a swipe at Kuldeep, state health minister Anil Vij
said "Hiding corruption is also counted as corrupt practice. If he knows the names, then he should tell the House."
After the treasury benches and INLD MLAs put pressure on the Congress legislator, he alleged saying "Whose name should I take? When trucks laden with illegal mining material were not being caught and let go. Who is doing it? The government is doing this."
When Kuldeep refused to disclose the names, Education minister Ram Bilas Sharma brought a resolution to condemn his statement.
To this, Chautala said the issue could not be dismissed by just passing a resolution to condemn his statement.
"He has made serious allegation and it is a big issue," he said.
Haryana minister O P Dhankar said Kuldeep has "insulted" the House with his statement and sought appropriate action against Congress MLA for his "irresponsible" statement.
He said "we will hold an inquiry and you first give us the names."
Then Vij and Pawan Saini sought to bring privilege motion against the Congress MLA.
Coming out in support of Kuldeep, Congress Legislature Party leader Kiran Chaudhary also alleged that there was no doubt that illegal mining was taking place in the state.
The Congress MLA from Lalit Nagar alleged that a relative of a state minister was involved in illegal mining, then former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda demanded that the government should disclose the name of that relative.
Later, Haryana Minister Gyan Chand Gupta brought the privilege motion against Kuldeep, saying that he made allegation that some people were sitting here who were getting the illegal mining done.
However, he expressed inability to disclose those names, thereby he misled the House, said Gupta.
Thereafter, the Speaker asked the privilege committee to come out with the report during the first sitting of the next session of the state assembly.
Earlier, treasury benches and Congress MLAs sparred over
the name of a Health university which is to come up at Karnal.
During the discussion, Kuldeep claimed that as per the state's Economic Survey, the name of university at Kutail village in Karnal is Kalpana Chawla Health University but now has been changed to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay University at the behest of BJP.
Hooda also attacked the government, saying when he had raised the matter, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had informed the House that the name of the upcoming university was not decided earlier.
"But this Economic Survey says Kalpana Chawla Health University. Then who is right," Hooda sai and accused the government of misleading the House.
In his reply, Health minister Anil Vij said during the meeting to decide the name of the university, only one name came up and that was Pandit Deendayal.
BJP MLA Harvinder Kalyan said that the CM had earlier said that the medical college and university in the name of Kalpana Chawla was to come up at one campus.
"Later, it was found that the land for both the college and the university was insufficient and then it was decided to set up a medical university at Kutail which was to be named after Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay while medical college would remain in the name of Kalpana Chawla," he said.
Vij, then, said there could be a mistake in printing in Economic survey which will be rectified.
Earlier, Congress MLA picked holes in the state budget for the year 2017-18 presented by Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu yesterday.
Kuldeep sought assurance from the FM whether the state government would not impose fresh tax till the next budget is tabled.
He said it has happened many a times, the budget is announced tax free but the tax is imposed later.
He also accused the BJP government of allegedly ignoring Ganaur assembly constituency which he represents.
Kuldeep also raised questions over the research being carried out in agricultural university for improving the variety of foodgrain and other crops.
Taking a jibe at the higher allocation of funds by the government for education in the budget, Congress MLA claimed that there were only 15 regular principals in the government colleges while 12 were irregular principals, thereby affecting the studies.
Later, heated arguments took place between the BJP MLAs and the INLD members over state leader late Chhotu Ram.
BJP MLA Prem Lata alleged that the previous governments did not remember Chhotu Ram, inviting sharp reactions from the INLD.
Chautala said Union minister Birender Singh, when he was
with Congress, never cared to remember Chhotu Ram when he set up several institutes in the state and kept their names after late Rajiv Gandhi.
He also alleged that the government had reduced budgetary allocation of some key departments.
He said that farmers were facing hardships, but the government was not moved by their plight.
Chautala said that budgetary allocation for the agriculture sector this year had been reduced in comparison to previous year.
Touching upon another issue, Chautala hit out at the Khattar government over alleged worsening law and order situation, pointing out that incidents of loot, murder and rape were rampant.
Earlier, Haryana Urban Local Bodies Minister Kavita Jain said permanent arrangements for drinking water supply would be made in 26 villages included in Municipal Corporation, Sonipat under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
The Minister, replying to a question by MLA Jai Tirath Dahiya, said that development works to the tune of Rs 12.20 crore had already been completed in these villages, whereas work was underway on projects worth Rs 8.37 crore.
Similarly, tenders have been invited for works to the tune of Rs 13 crore and estimates have been prepared for projects worth Rs 32 crore.
Describing the allegations of Dahiya that Rs 700 crore meant for the 26 villages were being used in Sonipat, as merely an attempt to mislead people, Jain said funds to the tune of Rs 157 crore, and not Rs 700 crore, had been earmarked for these villages.
Seven Municipal Corporations, including Sonipat, were constituted during the Congress dispensation, and these 26 villages were included in the Corporation at the same time, she added.
Replying to another question, she said that date palm trees had been planted in Sonipat for beautification of the city.
While the trees usually shed leaves once after transplantation before regaining their foliage, the contractor would replace free-of-cost the trees that wither, as per the agreement.
Meanwhile, two Bills the Haryana Appropriation Bill, 2017 and the Haryana Law Officers (Engagement) Amendment Bill, 2017 were passed by the House.
The bills were presented by Haryana minister Captain Abhimanyu in the House.