Hooda criticizes Agniveer scheme, says Haryana youths not joining Army due to lack of security

KURUKSHTRA: Haryana leader of opposition and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda criticized the Agniveer recruitment scheme of Armed Forces and said that the Haryana youths are not joining forces due to lack of job security.

Hooda was addressing Congress Kartyakarta Sammelan (Congress Workers’ Rally) at new grain market in Kurukshetra on Sunday organized by former Thanesar MLA Subhash Arora, attended by Congress Rajya Sabha MP Deepinder Singh Hooda, HPCC chief Udai Bhai, Ladwa MLA Mewa Singh, Radaur MLA Bishan Lal Saini, Jhajjar MLA Geeta Bhukkal and other leaders.

A large gathering took place at the grain market and people stayed in the rally till last to listen to Hooda braving the cold weather conditions.

Hooda said that Haryana’s youth are being joked, as through a Nigam (Haryana Kaushal Rojgar Nigam), the government is offering them insecure jobs in foreign land and also taking commission. Hooda said, “Earlier about 5,500 youths were recruited in the Army every year. Through Agniveer only 900 youths are recruited, of which, only 200 would remain permanent after 4 years”. He added that the Haryana youths are not joining the forces due to lack of security which was provided by regular Army recruitment.

He said that the declining water table of Kurukshetra region is most concerning and they would complete the development of Dadupur-Nalvi Canal on forming the government.

Hooda said Kurukshetra grows paddy, potato, sunflower and sugarcane. “But in the last nine years, the farmers did not get MSP on sunflowers. Farmers threw potatoes at Re 1 per kilogram. They promised to double the income of farmers by 2022 but doubled the input cost by a great margin”, said Bhupinder Singh Hooda. He said similarly no plots were given to poor people while Congress had given 4 lakh plots of 100 yard each.

Hooda said that most concerning is that the water table of this area (Kurukshetra) which is very fertile is declining rapidly. “If this would be the case in some years the time will come that no grain will grow here as there would be no water. When tubewells would not work, how the farmers would grow crops. That is why we had come up with Dadupur-Nalvi Canal. But this government de-notified the project because when the farmers moved court for better compensation of their land, this government decided to scrap it to avoid the increased compensation. On forming the government will restart the Dadupur-Nalvi Canal”, said Hooda.

About sugarcane, Hooda promised that his government would give Rs 450 per quintal price to the farmers.

Hooda promised in the rally, “We will give Rs 6,000 per month old age pension and those deducted will be restarted, 300 units free electricity for poor families, 100 yard plots to poor the scheme which has been stopped by present government, a gas cylinder will be given not more than Rs 500, implement old pension scheme for the government employees and backward class income limit for creamy layer will be increased to Rs 10 lakh.”

Targeting the BJP-JJP government, Hooda said, “In 2014, Haryana was top in country in per capita income and investment, giving jobs, law and order, sports and players. Today, Haryana is top in unemployment, inflation, and in the top two three states is poor law and order. In sports, daughters of Haryana who were the pride of the country, are harassed today and our sports policy has also been done away with.”

He urged people to get rid of this government and sought support for the same.

HPCC chief Udai Bhai in his address urged the party workers to form booth level committees to prepare votes of the people. Deepender Hooda said that the people in Haryana will give befitting reply with power of vote to the injustice and ego of the present state government.

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