Ridding Haryana of corruption is my 'junoon': CM Manohar Lal Khattar on Day 3 of Budget session

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday tore into the opposition, asking it to focus on constructive criticism rather than catching the eyes of the media.

Khattar was replying to the governor’s address during the ongoing budget session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha.

Clarifying the government's step to start e-tendering for the Panchayat works, e-tendering was a part of the government’s zero-tolerance policy against corruption, he said every panchayat would upload the list of development works on the portal at the beginning of the year.

"The government has allocated ₹1,100 crore to panchayats in the last quarter of this financial year. Panchayats can spend this amount as per the needs of the development works," Khattar said.

Transparency in tendering

The CM informed the House the portal was created to ensure transparency in tendering. So far, 2,890 works costing below ₹2 lakh have started in panchayats across the state.

Repeatedly stating that eradicating corruption was no less than a ‘junoon’ (passion) for him and that it was following this passion only that his government had taken several such radical IT reforms.

‘e-Fasal Kshatipoorti portal’

On the ‘e-Fasal Kshatipoorti portal’ (compensation for crop damage) launched by the state government to ensure farmers got timely compensation for their loss due to damaged crops, he held that the time limit for the farmers to register their crop damage on the portal was increased from 72 hours to 7 days.

On Tuesday, the House witnessed a high voltage drama between deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, his uncle and his bete noire, Indian National Lok Dal leader Abhay Chautala, after the latter cast aspersions on the chair on the alleged flourishing land mafia in Hisar airport areas. Abhay was named (meaning barred from attending House) by the Speaker for two days and this case has been referred to the privileges committee of the House.

Earlier on Monday, day 1 of the budget session, Congress, the principle opposition party, raised an uproar demanding resignation of state minister Sandeep Singh over an ongoing sexual harassment case.

However, when Chief Minister, the leader of the House, Manohar Lal Khattar pointedly held that the minister would not be asked to resign since an inquiry in the matter was on, an agitated Congress staged a walkout.