Haryana Congress plans stir against Chautala Govt.

By Rajesh Ahuja

CHANDIGARH, APRIL 8. The Haryana unit of the Congress has decided to go on the offensive against the two-month-old Om Prakash Chautala Government by not only highlighting its acts of omission and commission but also launching agitations wherever necessary.

Though the State unit of the party is plagued by factionalism, there appears to be concurrence among the two main groups on this score as was evident by the recent statements of the Haryana unit president, Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Bhajan Lal.

Political observers feel that the `conscious' policy adopted by the Congress to allow time to the new INLD Government to prove its mettle before criticising it or criticising it just for criticism's sake seems to have been shelved because of the recent decisions by the State Government which may have far-reaching repercussions on the public.

Mr. Hooda told this correspondent over telephone that the Congress would not remain a silent spectator but launch an agitation if the Government did not withdraw the `unpopulistic' measures announced by it to generate additional revenue for the loss-making municipal bodies.

The Congress leaders have flayed the steep hike in electricity charges, registration fee of vehicles, fee for driving licences, house tax, fire tax and commercial tax. They have condemned the Chautala regime for hoodwinking the people by introducing a tax- free Budget in the State Assembly but thereafter not only levying additional burden on the people but also proposing to introduce local area development tax.

And the sudden volte-face by Mr. Chautala over the World Bank sponsored power sector reforms has also given ground to the Congress with which to berate the INLD supremo. Only till recently, Mr. Chautala had been making public assertions that he was not only opposed to privatisation of the power sector but also the reforms were being reviewed as was evident from the fact that he was not signing the agreement with the World Bank which had reportedly suspended payment. But a few days later, the Chief Minister not only approached Canadian industrialists to help in reforming the power sector but clearly indicated that the World Bank reforms were on in the State and the process of privatisation would continue. Senior Congress leaders say that Mr. Chautala is not only singing a different tune now about providing free water and power to the farmers but has also issued strict instructions to the electricity officials to disconnect the power supply of those against whom arrears are pending.

It is being said in Congress circles that the Chautala regime was acting on the dictates of the World Bank and it would effect another major hike in power tariffs. The party would like to recover its lost base in the State by focussing sharply on these issues, Mr. Hooda said.

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