The one-day Assembly session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, where Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda proved his majority on Wednesday, witnessed heated exchanges between the ruling Congress and opposition Indian National Lok Dal over various issues, including the Sutlej-Yamuna link canal.

INLD supremo and former CM Om Prakash Chautala launched a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing it of delaying the construction of the canal, not taking any step to end power shortage and failing to respond to the worsening law and order situation.

Replying to the Governor’s Address in the Vidhan Sabha, Hooda said the government planned to waive off cooperative loans up to Rs 10,000 taken by non-agriculturists — small shopkeepers and artisans. He announced that the grant being given to below poverty line families and people belonging to scheduled castes under the Indira Gandhi Vivah Shagun Yojana would be increased from Rs 15,000 to Rs 31,000.

Hooda said the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre had waived farmers’ loans amounting to Rs 71,000 crore, which had benefited 7.15 lakh farmers in Haryana to the tune of Rs 2,131 crore. Talking about the welfare measures undertaken by the Haryana government, he said it had so far given 2,32,799 residential plots measuring 100 square yards to BPL families in various districts.

Referring to the termination of inter-state water accord by the former chief minister of Punjab, Hooda said a reference in this regard had been made by the President to the Supreme Court.

Earlier, Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia said the state government would soon launch a State Cooperative Bank’s Loan and Interest Waiver Scheme for the landless labourers, rural artisans and small shopkeepers. It will also set up a farmers’ commission to examine problems and grievances of farmers and suggest remedial measures. He said the government would set up a Science Education Mission and an independent university of veterinary and animal sciences at Hisar.

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