CHANDIGARH: The Haryana Government would give the status of second language to Punjabi and appoint “a Lokpal to curb corruption in high places, Chief Minister Bansi Lal said *last week, addressing a press conference after “the Cabinet expansion: Bansi Lal said the Lokpal would have the power to “go 1nko Complaints even against the ‘Chief Minister. The decision to make ‘Punjabi second language would be taken in the very first meeting of the {state Cabinet, he said.
Bansi Lal said the government would “enact a law to make payment of old “age pension mandatory by the seventh of every month and go into all “cases of firing on farmers during the previous Congress regime. He said he would continue as president of the HVP.
‘The Chief Minister said while the government would undo the wrong acuses of the previous regime, it would not be vindictive towards political opponents. Regarding cases of corruption in the previous Congress regime, he said Home Minister Mani Ram Godara would look into these, He also said that the government would take necessary action in all those cases where officers had been convicted by courts for misuse of power. “We will implement judicial decisions in letter and spirit Bansi Lal said that places of tourist interest and hotels would not be exempted from prohibition, to be introduced in Haryana from July 1. A decision regarding distilleries in the state would be taken alter examining legal aspects.
Asked how the revenue loss on account of prohibition would be made good, Bansi Lal said the government would plug leakages and tax evasion, and curb unproductive expenditure. By checking corruption, it would en: sure that the government money was properly utilized for public good.
Bansi Lal said the government would try to involve voluntary organizations to create public awareness about the evils of drinking, it would take steps to check smuggling and he had already requested the Delhi Chief Minister to shift liquor shops located close to the Haryana border.
He said the government would take all steps to ensure round-the-clock power supply because “neither agriculture, nor industry can develop with ‘out it.” Already, the Orissa Chief Minister had promised 200 MW power for Haryana and another 300 MW would become available in a few months.
Action would be initiated on pending schemes to eliminate the shortage ‘of water, These included a canal to bring the Ganga waters from Hardwar, A project to prevent the flow of river waters to Pakistan, desalting of canals, and taming of seasonal rivers.
The Chief Minister said the government would provide security and infrastructure facilities to NRIs in order to attract industrial investment. The agreement with Israel Company Eisenberg forfeiting up a power plant would be reviewed if it was against the state’s interests.
Bansi Lal said he believed in transparency and his government would have nothing to hide from the public. He said he was happy with the elections results, but there had been certain shortcomings, “We will do some. Introspection,” he said.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 22, 1996
