Hooda's feat: 35 foundation stones to beat poll panel deadline

He was not out to write his name in the Guinness World Records -- but Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda certainly pulled off a record of sorts by laying foundation stones of nearly 35 projects Wednesday barely minutes before the Election Commission announced the nine-phase general elections thereby bringing into force the model code of conduct.

The foundation stones of 23 projects were laid at a single place in Mewat district in south Haryana and 12 foundation stones were laid at another site in Palwal district, 50 km from Delhi.

The foundation stones at both venues were put up in a single queue and Hooda quickly did the formality to pull the curtain to mark their laying. The chief minister could be seen doing the exercise in a hurry.

Hooda started his day early and used a government helicopter to commute between both districts to save time. The functions in both districts were completed within one hour.

Hooda finished his foundation stone laying spree just 15 minutes before the poll panel's press conference in New Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan where the dates of the election schedule were announced. General elections in the country will be held April 7 to May 12 and the counting May 16.

Elections to Haryana's 10 Lok Sabha seats will be held April 10.

Hooda's foundation stone feat Wednesday bettered his own earlier record of unveiling 27 foundation and inauguration stones at a single venue in one go.

This was done in Bawani Khera village of Bhiwani district July 13 last year. A total of 23 foundation and four inauguration stones, which were put up in a single line, were unveiled by Hooda on that occasion.

Just hours before the scheduled announcement of poll dates, the Hooda government also transferred nearly 35 police officers and 16 Haryana Civil Services (HCS) officers.

It also announced Assured Career Progression (ACP) scheme for government employees in the state government on the eve of the poll announcement.

In another pre-poll sop, it was also announced that the strike period of various agitations by government staff, on different days from 2001 till 2014, would be treated as leave due.