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Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, continued his tour of rural areas on the second day of his visit to Karnal.
Visiting nearly half a dozen villages within the Nilokheri constituency, he engaged in direct dialogue with the villagers, listened to their grievances, and reviewed ongoing development works. Upon the Minister's arrival in the villages, the residents openly articulated their needs and expectations before him. Speaking to the media, Union Minister stated that distancing oneself from the public after winning an election should not be the working style of public representatives. He noted that the most common complaint among the people is that leaders become invisible in the villages once the elections are over; consequently, he decided to personally visit every village to meet with the residents. "Staying amidst the people is the duty of a public representative," he said. He further informed that instructions have also been issued to all his MLAs to regularly visit rural areas and maintain direct communication with the public. The Union Minister mentioned that his Lok Sabha constituency comprises approximately 575 Panchayats. While it is not feasible to visit every village simultaneously, continuous tours are being conducted in a systematic and planned manner. He explained that special emphasis is being placed on improving basic amenities in the villages--such as playgrounds, ponds, village perimeter roads (phirnis), streetlights, Gram Sachivalayas (Village Secretariats), and cremation grounds. Some of these tasks are executed at the Panchayat level, while larger development projects are undertaken through the government machinery. He affirmed that his objective is to reach every single village within his Lok Sabha constituency over the next five years to gain a firsthand understanding of the actual status of development and the specific issues facing the communities. Responding to a question regarding the purification of the voter list, Khattar took a dig at the Opposition, stating that the very issues they have been persistently raising are the same issues on which they are repeatedly receiving their answer--directly from the people themselves. He stated that in many places, the number of registered voters appears high, yet the actual voter turnout remains low because a significant number of people are residing abroad or in other cities. The Minister explicitly stated that, for the sake of strengthening democracy, it is imperative that an individual's name appears in the voter list at only one location, and that duplicate entries are completely eliminated. He noted that while this issue is not particularly severe in Haryana, the situation has been different in certain other states. Citing states such as West Bengal and Assam as examples, he pointed out that such discrepancies have indeed come to light in those regions. He also remarked that this initiative is not merely a procedural exercise regarding voter lists, but rather a campaign aimed at making democracy more transparent and robust--an effort that will eventually be implemented across the entire country. He gave an assurance that genuine voters would not face any inconvenience whatsoever as a result of this measure. "This is not merely a process, but a campaign to strengthen democracy," he said. Welcoming the Haryana government's decision to provide a free bus service for two days in connection with the NEET examination, the Union Minister hailed it as a commendable step taken in the best interest of the students. He noted that since the examination had previously been cancelled and is now being rescheduled, it is the government's responsibility to ensure that examinees do not face any form of inconvenience. Providing students with timely and safe transportation facilities is of paramount importance. Appealing to the villagers, the Union Minister urged that issues at the Panchayat level be presented to Panchayat representatives; matters pertaining to the State Government be raised with the respective Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs); and issues concerning the Central Government be brought directly to his attention. He emphasised that a problem can be resolved swiftly and effectively only when it reaches the appropriate administrative level. "Solutions emerge only when problems reach the right forum," he said. (ANI)
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