Opposition Creating Needless Controversy Over a Non-Issue; If Electoral Rolls Are Wrong, Leaders Who Won Elections on Their Basis Should Resign: Anil Vij

Chandigarh, October 5: Haryana Energy, Transport and Labour Minister Sh. Anil Vij met Defence Minister Sh. Rajnath Singh and discussed the issue of acquiring adjoining military land for the expansion of the Ambala Cantonment Civil Hospital. According to Vij, the Defence Minister gave a positive assurance regarding the matter.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Minister Anil Vij said that during his meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, he highlighted the need for additional land adjoining the Civil Hospital to facilitate its expansion.

Vij said that when Ambala Cantonment was established, its population was approximately 30,000 to 40,000, and the hospital premises were planned accordingly. However, the population has now increased to around three to four lakh, resulting in a shortage of space at the existing hospital.

He said the government now intends to expand the Civil Hospital and that several other projects have also been sanctioned for Ambala Cantonment. Former Chief Minister Manohar Lal had sanctioned ₹10 crore for the construction of a dharamshala for attendants of cancer patients. A Spine Injury Centre, which Vij said would be the first of its kind in Haryana, has also been sanctioned for Ambala Cantonment. However, suitable land is currently not available for these projects.

Vij explained that Ambala Sadar was carved out of the Cantonment Board area and constituted separately on February 5, 1977. The remaining surrounding land is under the jurisdiction of the Cantonment Board and the Army.

He said that military land is therefore the only suitable option available for the proposed expansion of the Civil Hospital. However, the process of acquiring military land is lengthy and involves several formalities, making it neither an easy nor an immediate process.

Vij said he met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in this regard on Saturday and received a positive assurance. He added that the matter had also been taken up earlier.

According to Vij, the Defence Minister assured him that officials would be directed to process the correspondence along with all required documents and in accordance with the prescribed conditions for acquisition of military land.

Vij expressed confidence that the expansion of the Ambala Cantonment Civil Hospital is essential and said efforts would continue to facilitate the project.

Opposition Creating Needless Controversy Over a Non-Issue: Vij

Reacting to the Opposition’s demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Energy Minister Anil Vij accused the Opposition of unnecessarily turning what he described as a non-issue into a controversy.

Vij said the Opposition had suffered political setbacks and was now raising questions over electoral rolls.

He said that, in his view, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s politics of development and performance had overtaken what he described as the Opposition’s politics based on slogans, promises and announcements.

Vij said the Opposition was now creating a controversy over electoral rolls.

“If the same electoral rolls were used for our victories, they say the rolls are wrong; but when Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi won elections on the basis of the same electoral rolls, they were considered correct,” Vij said.

Vij further said that if the Opposition believes the electoral rolls are incorrect, then leaders who won elections on the basis of those same rolls should resign.

He said that leaders questioning the electoral rolls prepared under the Election Commission should set an example by relinquishing the positions they won on the basis of those rolls.

Taking a dig at the Opposition, Vij said its leaders had won elections using the same electoral rolls and were now questioning their validity.