Sangrur bypoll's result shows AAP's populist schemes have failed: Haryana CM Khattar

A day after ruling AAP in neighbouring Punjab lost the Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said the Arvind Kejriwal-led party's populist schemes have failed in that state.

In the Sangrur bypoll, AAP's Gurmail Singh lost to SAD (Amritsar) chief Simranjit Singh Mann.

The bypolls were necessitated after Bhagwant Mann had resigned from the seat earlier this year after he became an MLA and later on become Punjab's chief minister.

When asked to comment on the outcome of Sangrur bypolls, Khattar while interacting with reporters here on the sidelines of the state cabinet meeting here on Monday, said there was a change of guard in Punjab and a new party came to power there.

"That new party announced many freebies (before polls), which I don't consider good from the state or society's point of view in a long run," said Khattar. Moreover, he said Punjab's economy is not in a healthy shape that can sustain freebies. He said his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann could not save the Sangrur seat from where he was earlier a sitting MP.

 "This shows populist schemes of theirs have failed," said Khattar.

He said the prime minister had started the Stand Up India policy for availing loans but the AAP through its "sit down" freebies making people just sit and not to do anything.

On Congress and some parties opposing the Centre's military recruitment scheme Agnipath, he said the state government had already announced guaranteed jobs to the Agniveers.

The chief minister said considering that many Agniveers serving the country under the Agnipath scheme might return after four years, the state government has directed the departments concerned to prepare a plan for their employment.

He said the concerned department will come out with a policy in this regard at an appropriate time and if a need is felt later on legislative provisions will also be made.

Earlier, the cabinet, which met under Khattar's chairmanship, approved the policy for provisioning of essential services and civic amenities in infrastructure deficient areas outside municipal area in the state, and regularization of unauthorized colonies.

Approximately 2,000 unauthorized colonies will be benefited under the policy which will be applicable in the area falling outside municipal limits, an official statement said.

The Haryana Rural Development Authority will be the nodal agency for providing civic amenities in these colonies, it said.

 Subject to certain conditions, the colonies will be regularized and civic amenities will be provided after obtaining development charges at the rate of 5% for the built up area and at the rate of 10% for open areas.

To boost Panchkula's economic development, Haryana Cabinet approved the extension of revised rates of various fees and charges for grant of license and CLU permissions in Panchkula district to bring them at par with fees and charges in Mohali in Punjab till further orders.

The Chief Minister had earlier issued directions to the Departments concerned to expedite the projects relating to development of Panchkula.

Therefore, anticipating the accelerated development of Panchkula district after implementation of the proposals of development plan and to create enabling environment for new investment from the real estate sector, the Government had taken a decision on March 11, 2022 to revise the rates, the statement said.