CHANDIGARH: The INLD staged two walkouts in Chandigarh during the reply to the debate on Governor's Address by Manohar Lal Khattar even as the CM favoured an all-party meeting on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue, asking the Opposition not to politicise it. Khattar said, “The Opposition should refrain from using the SYL issue as a ladder to climb to power as the public is well aware of its political gimmicks. For the Opposition, the SYL only means 'Satta Yun Hi Lunga'.”
He reiterated the resolve of the state government to get every single drop of its share in the river waters through the SYL, and offered to convene and all-party meeting to draw a line of action on this issue. Leader of Opposition Abhay Chautala had a day before Khattar's speech, threatened to launch a “Jail Bharo Andolan” on May 1, if the government failed to start the canal's construction.
Khattar, meanwhile, said the three-and-a-half-year-old BJP government had ensured equitable development, brought transparency in recruitment and curbed corruption. “A strong message has gone out that now jobs are given only on merit. This government represents 25 million people of Haryana. We believe in 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'.” The CM said that his government had ensured equitable development. “Earlier, there was a perception that more development works remained concentrated in regions from where Chief Ministers came,” Khattar said. He claimed that 3,200 of the 4,500 CM's announcements had either been completed or was nearing completion.
