CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister Devi Lal today returned cheques for Rs 3 lakh to the Prime Minister, saying that it had hurt the sentiments of the people of the State.
Mr. Rajiv Gandhi had sanctioned Rs 63 lakh from the Prime Ministers Relief Fund to four flood hit States. Of this, Rs 3 lakh was sanctioned to Haryana, Rs 20 lakh each to Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and Rs 10 lakh each to Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir.
Mr. Devi Lal in a letter sent ‘with the cheques said that Haryana had suffered huge losses in the recent floods.
The sum of Rs 3 lakh was therefore “paltry.”
The Chief Minister said the Centre’s action was “politically motivated.”
Mr. Devi Lal had sanctioned Rs 27 lakh to various states hit by natural calamities recently. Of this, Rs 12 lakh was for the quake hit in Bihar.
Leaders of various parties have also criticized the Prime Minister for sanctioning Rs 3 lakh to Haryana.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 14, 1988
