BJP MLA opens front against state govt, questions its key decisions
CHANDIGARH: In an embarrassment to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Haryana, its own MLA from Gurugram Umesh Aggarwal has opened a front against the Manohar Lal Khattar government in the state, alleging irregularities in important decisions.
Aggarwal has attacked the state government thrice in the past two weeks, raising questions about decisions relating to tendering process for purchase of meters by power utilities, ownership of 464 acres of prime land in Gwal Pahari and change in route of a metro rail line in Gurgaon. He has hit out at the officials for allegedly bypassing procedures or taking decisions to cause gain to favourites or those associated with some powerful people in the state government.
Aggarwal’s first public attack on his party’s government was in connection with purchase of electricity meters by a state-owned distribution company. He followed it by raising questions about the then Gurgaon deputy commissioner’s decision on Gwal Pahari land and change in the route of metro rail.
The first-time MLA has been slamming the state bureaucrats for these decisions, but has not directly hit out at Khattar by saying that they may have “kept the CM in the dark”. However, his outbursts have not only been embarrassing for the government and the party, but an impression has also gained ground that the MLA is aiming at the chief minister.
While Khattar is the power minister, the Gurgaon deputy commissioner’s order on the disputed land also came after a senior bureaucrat had asked him to adjudicate the matter in six weeks. The latest allegation relating to change in the route of metro rail line and the transit-oriented development (TOD) policy was also levelled by the MLA after Khattar had denied any modification in the metro route plan.
Asked to comment on the impression, Aggarwal said he has informed the CM about the irregularities. “The CM is probably not aware of these things. It is for him to decide what action he wants to take in these matters,” he told HT.
The MLA’s repeated attacks, which are likely to provide ammunition to the Opposition to tear into the government, have unnerved the aides and loyalists of the chief minister. While one of them dismissed the allegations as “rants of a legislator seeking importance”, the state government is still to officially react to or deny the allegations.
A senior discom official had, however, dismissed the charge that the annual turnover eligibility condition was raised from ₹100 crore to ₹400 crore to favour select firms in meter purchase. “The increase in turnover will make only one firm ineligible which does not has a glowing track record. The decision to change the turnover condition has been taken in view of the importance of meter in power distribution business. The idea is to have better quality meters,” he said.