Traffic advisory issued ahead of Hooda's rally

With the Congress pulling out all stops to ensure a huge turnout for a rally in Haryana's Gohana town Nov 10 to mark four years of its government in the state, the police Friday issued a traffic advisory for commuters.

The advisory is intended to facilitate people travelling on highways leading to Gohana town as thousands of vehicles will be ferrying people to the rally venue.

The Haryana police are expecting that 20,000 buses and nearly 40,000 other vehicles will reach Gohana, 40 km from Panipat on the Panipat-Rohtak road (210 kms from Chandigarh).

"In view of the rally, Haryana police have issued guidelines on regulation of traffic so that the people are not put to any hardship. There will be a massive flow of vehicles and people to the site of rally as 20,000 buses, 40,000 other vehicles and a large number of people are expected to reach the venue," a police spokesman said here.

National Highway No. 1 (NH-1), linking Delhi with Amritsar, crosses Panipat and scores of vehicles carrying supporters for the rally are expected to take the highway to reach Panipat before turning towards Gohana.

Chief Minister Hooda has already said that the rally would be the biggest in the political history of the state.

Opposition leaders are criticising the Hooda government for misusing official machinery to mobilise people and resources for the show of strength.

"The Hooda government is blatantly forcing people, panchayats, officials and staff, school principals and teachers, businessmen, traders and others to ensure that a large number of people attend the rally. There is blatant misuse of government machinery," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Abhimanyu said.

The Haryana police have put out a chart of the main roads leading to the rally venue from all 21 districts of the state. Alternate routes for rally vehicles have also been notified.

Thousands of police personnel, drawn from several districts, will be stationed in Gohana town till the rally is over.

The rally venue is spread over an area of 500 acres.

Hooda completed four years in office in his second term as chief minister Oct 25. He became chief minister for the first time in March 2005 but called early elections.

He is expected to announce several sops in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections and the Haryana assembly elections which are likely to be held October 2014.