Hooda pardons attacker, says Panipat`s development Haryana govt`s priority

Zee Media Bureau Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had to face an embarrassing moment when a youth slapped him during a Congress road show on Sunday. According to a video clipping, the youth tried to step on an SUV on which Hooda was standing and slapped the chief minister. The identity of the youth was not immediately know, however the Haryana Police present at the site caught him and whisked away from the scene. An agitated Hooda could be seen giving instructions to the security personnel following the incident. Hooda was standing on the front seat of an open Gypsy SUV while going towards a rally venue in Panipat, 170 km from here. Hooda enjoys Z category security with scores of heavily armed security personnel around him all the time. Hooda, who was taken aback, pushed the youth, attired in blue jeans and a brown jacket, back. The Chief Minister was on his way to address a public meeting when the youth targeted him. The youth was being questioned by police, officials said. In August 2010, a youth, who claimed he was frustrated over the state government`s failure to give him a job, had hurled a shoe towards Hooda during a rally in Mahendergrarh. However, the footwear thrown by 21-year-old Shakti Singh fell nearly 70-ft short of the target. According to Hooda`s political advisor Prof Virender, the Chief Minister had pardoned the youth as he was suffering from depression. Following this untoward incident, while addressing the public at Panipat, Hooda said basic facilities would be provided in Haryana`s unauthorised colonies and the people would be charged less for the services. The Chief Minister dedicated 10 projects at the cost of Rs 240 crore to the people of Panipat, and said development of the historic city was among his government`s priorities. He inaugurated six projects -- a over-bridge in Sector 6-7, traffic park in sector 7, Huda`s office building in sector 18, Agro-Mall on Gohana Road, Service Building in Thermal Plant, and a poly clinic in Sector 25. He also laid the foundation stones of sewerage treatment plants in Sewah and Jattal, remodelling and lining of Panipat drain and a 200-bed block at general hospital. Hooda said on development of Panipat district, an amount of Rs 2,793 crore had been spent by his government, whereas his predecessors had spent only Rs 536 crore. Similarly, on the development of Panipat city Rs 848 crore have been spent against Rs 251 crore spent by the previous INLD government, Hooda said. With PTI inputs