Chandigarh: Former Haryana minister Gopal Goyal Kanda on Sunday announced sops for various sections of the society if his party, the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) came to power after the October Assembly polls.
Addressing a rally at Jind today, Kanda, the president of HLP, told the gathering about his rise from rags to riches and said he would use all his experience to work for the benefit of the masses and create employment avenues for the youth.
Kanda, Independent MLA from Sirsa City, had floated his party in May after withdrawing support to the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government, and plans to contest the polls on its own.
Wooing the people, Kanda mooted a new concept of "Mineral Mapping", saying if voted to power, his party will get this mapping done to find out places where precious metals may be hidden and then would use them to make the state prosperous.
Among other things, he promised Rs 5,000 as old age pension, Rs 1.51 lakh as "Shagun" for daughters of the poor for marriage, and maximum wage for labourers in the state.
Free water and power to religious shrines, round-the-clock free power to farmers to run their tubewells, two Cargo Airports for export of fresh vegetables to Gulf countries, a Cow Commission to protect bovines, a body for the welfare of mediapersons were other promises he made.
For girls and women, Kanda promised Rs 5,100 on the birth of a daughter, free laptops for girl students, women colleges in every district, and additional one month salary for women employees.
He also said that 50,000 police personnel will be recruited and they will be given pay scales on the pattern of Punjab.
The HLP leader also promised to make the state toll-free
if his party came to power, a tax-free zone for companies with subsidised water and power on the condition that they employ 80 per cent of youths from Haryana in their units.
At the rally, Kanda alleged that previous governments of the state had ignored development and failed to eradicate corruption and unemployment from Haryana, saying these had increased under Congress rule.
Hitting out at opposition INLD, he said the party had deviated from the path shown by late Devi Lal, and its present leaders wanted to fool the people to gain power.
On BJP, he said it was surviving on "borrowed candidates" and claimed it did not have even five suitable candidates who could win the elections.
Kanda is currently out on bail in connection with the suicide case of air-hostess Geetika Sharma.
