Chandigarh, March 20
Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Bhupinder Singh Hooda has raised questions regarding the nationwide shortage of cooking gas. He questioned government’s claims that there is no shortage, and said if this is the case, then why are people queuing up at various locations.
Hooda has held the BJP government responsible for the shortage of cooking gas in Haryana—mirroring the situation across the rest of the country—citing the government’s failure to clarify the situation. “In several places, the supply of commercial cylinders has been completely halted, causing hotels, restaurants, dhabas, catering services, and other small and large businesses to come to a standstill or be severely impacted,” he said.
“Delays in cylinder booking and delivery are being reported in many areas. Consequently, black marketing has also begun. Under these circumstances, the government must present the true status of LPG availability to the public,” he added.
Interacting with journalists at his residence here, Hooda stated that the intermittent, unseasonal rains over the past two days have caused extensive damage to the wheat and mustard crops. Therefore, the government should immediately conduct a crop damage assessment (Girdawari) and provide compensation to the farmers.
Responding to a question regarding the Rajya Sabha elections, he stated that a minimum of 31 votes were required to win one seat, and the MLAs cast 32 votes in favor of the Congress party. However, the Returning Officer conspired with the BJP and cancelled four of our votes. In protest against this, the Congress has submitted a memorandum to the Governor and has also lodged a complaint with the Election Commission.
Furthermore, the party leadership has initiated the process of taking disciplinary action against the five Congress members who engaged in cross-voting.
