BJP-JJP govt pushed Haryana into debt trap: Bhupinder Singh Hooda

Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday accused the BJP-JJP government of pushing Haryana into a debt trap with its "wrong economic policies".

He alleged that during the eight-year rule of the BJP-JJP combine no medical college, national or international level institute, new railway or metro line, and big industry or project came up in Haryana.

"It is beyond comprehension why despite this, the government took loans of lakhs of crores. The government should tell the people where all this money was spent," Hooda demanded.

"The government's wrong economic policies have pushed the total debt on the state to Rs 3,11,779 crore," the Leader of the Opposition in the Haryana assembly said in a statement here.

Five power plants were established in Haryana during the Congress rule but during the present government none has been set up, the Congress leader said.

Supporting the demands of farmers, Hooda said the government should withdraw all cases filed during the agitation against the now-repealed Central farm laws. "By not doing so, the government is going back on its promise and forcing the farmers to take to streets repeatedly."

"Wheat worth crores of rupees has rotten in godowns but the government did not take action against the officials responsible for it," he alleged.

The former chief minister said that despite the start of the sugarcane season, the government has not yet announced the new price for sugarcane. He said the Congress demands the rate be fixed to at least Rs 400 per quintal against the current price of Rs 362, keeping in mind the rising input cost.

Every section of the society is bearing the brunt of the government's wrong policies, he claimed.

"Data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) show that Haryana continues to be on the top in unemployment. The unemployment rate in the state is 31.8 per cent, the highest in the country," Hooda said.

Hooda claimed that 1,82,000 posts are lying vacant in government departments but there is no attempt to fill these posts.

"Medical students are continuously protesting the government's bond policy and fee hike. But the government remains blinded by its arrogance," he alleged adding the Congress will raise the students' demand in the upcoming coming Assembly session.