File Photo: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today attacked the erstwhile Congress regime for "not considering" the requirement of area while opening new schools and colleges and said now mapping was being done to establish new colleges as per the need of the region.
"Eleven new colleges were opened in a single assembly constituency while there are many other constituencies where not even a single college was opened in last 15 years," Mr Khattar said citing an example.
The chief minister announced that a new National Cadet Corps (NCC) academy will be set up in Karnal district of the state.
He also said that efforts would be made to upgrade a Sainik School of the state to Sainik College so as to provide the youth with maximum opportunities to get into defence services.
Speaking on the occasion of 55th Foundation Day celebrations of Sainik School, Kunjpura in Karnal, the chief minister while lauding the contribution of youth in the Armed Forces, said that though Haryana constitutes only two per cent population of the country, but 10 per cent soldiers in the defence forces are from the State.
Lashing out at the previous Congress government in the state, Mr Khattar said the present BJP government has taken the task "to change the decayed system which our government inherited from the previous government".
"Now work will not be done to grab votes... If the government has to prioritise the works, preference will be given to the backward, the poor and the downtrodden," he said.
Further taking a dig at the previous regime, Mr Khattar alleged that they provided large number of government jobs "through back door entry".
"Now the jobs would be given purely on the basis of merit and only to the eligible candidates," the chief minister said, adding that concrete efforts were being made to improve the quality of education to make the youth employable.
Mr Khattar lamented that the previous government did not take into consideration the requirement of area, while opening new schools and colleges.
He said that now mapping was being done in the state after which new colleges would be opened as per the need of the area.
The chief minister said that a Sainik School would be set up at Matanhail in district Jhajjar. Two sainik schools were already running at Rewari and Kunjpura, he added.
Mr Khattar laid the foundation stone of a New Courtyard Hostel Block of the school and inaugurated the building of hostel built at a cost of Rs 5 crore.
The chief minister said that he was elated after laying foundation stone of hostel and taking guard of honour from NCC cadets as it was his childhood dream to study in a Sainik School.
He said that the state government would provide every possible support to Sainik School.
"Over 700 students have passed out of this school. They have got into National Defense Academy and are also rendering their services in other areas too which is a matter of great pride," he said.
Earlier, the chief minister paid floral tributes to the martyrs who had laid down their lives for the freedom of the country.
Addressing a 'Vikas Rally' at Taraori in Nilokheri assembly constituency, Khattar announced that a monument of King Prithviraj Chauhan would be built at Taraori.
He also announced that a Research Centre would also be set up at Taraori to conduct research on Chauhan, and its land would be provided by the local residents.
Khattar also said that the government is soon going to bring a new scheme to provide employment to the youth in the state.
He said that two lakh houses would be constructed in the state under the scheme 'Housing for All' of the Central government.
Meanwhile, the chief minister said that Kalpana Chawla Medical University would be set up in Kutail village of Karnal.
Similarly, a cancer institute would also be set up in Jhajjar district at a cost of Rs 5,500 crore.
Reiterating his commitment to ensure women empowerment in the state, he said that women police stations would be operational in all the districts of Haryana from August 29 and complaints in these police stations would be registered by women police officers.
He said with a view to keep all the police stations across the state in order, he had directed the Director General of Police YP Singhal to make proper lighting arrangement at the stations during night so that they are easily visible.