Haryana top brass begin ‘Chintan Shivir’

Chandigarh, Dec 15 (IANS) Led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the Haryana government on Friday began its three-day 'Chintan Shivir' (brainstorming summit) at a resort in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh even as the opposition termed the move a gimmick.

The meeting is being attended by the Chief Minister, ministers and senior functionaries in the government and select senior officers.

Khattar took a bus along with cabinet colleagues and senior officers to the Timber Trail resort, about five km from Haryana's border town of Kalka.

"Apart from reviewing three-year tenure of the present state (BJP) government, targets to be achieved during the next two years would also finalised after consultation with the ministers and the officers during the Chintan Shivir," Khattar told the media before leaving for the meeting.

"The Vision 2030 prepared by the state government would also be discussed."

Chiding the Congress and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), who have criticised the holding of the meeting, Khattar said: "The opposition has nothing to review as no progress was made during their tenure.

"They were just concerned for their own development and of their families.

"It was decided to organise the Chintan Shivir at an isolated and peaceful place so that the issues of public interest could be discussed without any disturbance. Instead of going separately, we decided to go to Parwanoo by bus as this would also help in instilling a sense of team," Khattar said.

Referring to exit polls which predicted a clean sweep for the BJP in both the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, he said: "People of the country have full faith in welfare policies of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and as a result of this, BJP has formed government in maximum states in the country."

He said even before the polls it was visible that people are fed up with the ideology of the Congress and have made up their minds in favour of the BJP.