Jobs, farm distress key issues in CM Khattar, Hooda’s native villages

ROHTAK : In the native villages of Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his predecessor Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Rohtak district, unemployment, farm distress and shortage of irrigation water are the main issues dominating the ‘nukkad’ (corner) meetings ahead of the October 21 assembly elections.

Khattar was born at Nidana village in the Meham assembly constituency in Rohtak but later his family shifted to Banyani village in Kalanaur segment of the district. Hooda, who headed the Congress government in the state from 2005 to 2014, was born at Sanghi village in the Garhi- Sampla Kiloi constituency from where he is locked in a fight with BJP’s Satish Nandal. Khattar is seeking reelection from the Karnal seat.

When HT visited Sanghi, a group of senior citizens playing cards at a community centre flagged some of the key issues dominating the campaign this time. “During Hooda’s tenure, the prices of crops were the highest but now we are getting less. The BJP government has betrayed us by not implementing the Swaminathan Commission report. After Hooda went out of power, most of the time our canals remains parched”, said Ram Karan of Sanghi village.

Sachin Kumar, 22, a student of MSC final year, said they are hoping that if reins of the state again come in the hands of Hooda, they could get government jobs.

“During Hooda’s tenure as CM, nearly 500 people from our village got government jobs but in the last five years 12 to 15 youths managed to get the same. We want ‘Chaudhar’ (power) should come back to our village. Hooda family’s less interaction in the village is a concern among the villagers,” he added.

The works done by Hooda at his village included setting up of a polytechnic college, model krishi school, model senior secondary school (English medium), 25 community centres for all castes and eight new roads that connect Sanghi with other villages.

People of Nidana village in Meham, where Khattar was born, say they want more development works. “New streets, two welcome boards and a community centre were built in the last five years. The CM inaugurated a public health centre in our village and later it was shifted to Lakhan Majra village. Despite the CM having adopted the village, he turned up here only thrice,” Vajir Singh, a vlocal, said.

Om Prakash Kalra of Banyani village said development works done by Khattar include construction of village secretariat, streets and an under-construction government school building.

“Twelve youths from the village got government jobs in the BJP’s rule. All these youths are from poor families,” he added.

Most of the roofs at Banyani village were dotted with saffron flags –symbolising their support to the BJP. “In the previous governments, the kin of CMs indulged in corruption and hooliganism but Khattar’s family still lives a normal life and they are hardly arrogant. We want to see him as CM again,” said Narendra Singh, another villager.