Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda knows how to keep his legislators happy. Ever since he took over the reins of the state, he has gone out of his way to assure favours and facilities for his colleagues. No wonder that his “kind and favourable” attitude has kept his party MLAs calm and cool, and him smiling.

The suave ‘bhai sahib’ of Haryana politics,

Hooda may not have increased strength of his

Cabinet colleagues despite tremendous pressure, but has ensured that his ministers have a lavish lifestyle. The latest from his basket has been one luxury car each for the families of his ministers in Chandigarh. After sanctioning Hyundai’s Camry for his ministers, the Chief Minister has now ordered Maruti Suzuki SX4 Sedans exclusively for the use of their families.

Hooda, who in the past has provided many such benefits to his council of ministers and legislators, has come under sharp attack from his opponents. They are highly critical of the Chief Minister, especially in the wake of severe power crisis in the state.

“This is nothing but wastage of money at a time when villages are not getting power for hours together. Instead, the Government should have taken care to improve the deteriorating power situation in the state,” said Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Sampat Singh.

The state Government, prior to providing comfort on wheels to the ministers and their families, had given his MLAs flats in the millennium city of Gurgaon and Panchkula. The Chief Minister justified the decision, saying that the facility was needed as the state MPs and MLAs had been finding problems staying in Delhi and Chandigarh. However, in order to prevent possible profit-making because of this decision, the Government put a rider that no transfer of ownership on these plots/ flats would be allowed for 10 years. Also, those who already had their flats in Gurgaon were not eligible for allotment.

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