Inderjit Singh hails Supreme Court order pulling up Haryana on PLPA amendment

CHANDIGARH: Union minister of state and BJP MP from Gurugram Rao Inderjit Singh has welcomed the Supreme Court directions over the contentious amendments in the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) made by the party’s government in Haryana. The apex court had pulled up Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government for trying to counter its directions protecting the Aravalis with the amendment Bill. A significant part of Aravalis falls in Inderjit’s constituency.

Interacting with mediapersons during his tour of Gurugram villages on Sunday, Inderjit said that the SC directions will help in protecting the Aravalis. He added that had the apex court not intervened, the hilly range would have turned into concrete jungle, as had happened in the outskirts of New Delhi. He, however, did not comment on the circumstances that led to Khattar government to pass the Bill.

This is not for the first time that Inderjit has put his party’s government in the state in an awkward situation. He has attacked the Khattar administration repeatedly on the issues like Jat and Dera violence. Recently in December, Gurugram mayor and couple of local MLAs from the district had attacked Khattar, and Inderjit had also reminded the CM that there was no space today of “monarchy politics”.


On Sunday, he also attacked the Congress for doing politics on Aravalis. “Those who are accusing the (state) government themselves were party to destroying the Aravalis. They have no right to say anything as they too are responsible for damaging this hilly suburb as they facilitating those who damaged the area,” said the Union minister of state for planning.

Reacting on the issue, a Congress leader and aid of former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda said: “We shall not only demand the dismissal of the state government but the Congress will also highlight glaring scams involving the ministers and senior officials.”

Last Wednesday, amid protests by opposition members, the Haryana assembly had passed the PLPA amendment bill. The changes were supposed to come into effect since 1966, when Haryana came into the being. This would have not only regularized all the illegal constructions that are facing action from the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal, but would have allowed more construction in the fragile Aravalis ecosystem.

However, on Friday, the apex court stayed further action by Haryana government on implementation of amended Bill.