'We are targeting Rs 2 lakh cr investment in five years'

CHANDIGARH: Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda certainly knows how to crack a joke or two at the press. He did not mind all the media spotlight on Mukesh Ambani, but when a fusillade of queries were directed at the RIL chairman, he suddenly said, “Enough questions for Mr Ambani, now talk to me.”

Maruti, Samsung, Sabeer Bhatia and now Reliance, you seem to have emerged as a darling of international investors.

I am a very candid man and I don’t have any vested interests. Wherever I go, I try to drive home the point that development of Haryana is my motto. I think, investors have liked our commitment.

This Reliance SEZ has already been subjected to much criticism. Most of the criticism has come from parties like the BJP and the INLD, which are dictated by petty motives. As far as the INLD is concerned, let me tell you that the compensation paid by them to farmers was Rs three lakh per acre, whereas we are paying Rs 21 lakh per acre.

Well, the BJP government in Rajasthan is itself setting up an SEZ in Jaipur, where the Jaipur Development Authority is giving land to the private developer without any sweet
equity in return.

But then, there has been criticism from your own party members too. Everyone has the right to individual opinion. I respect that, but then the entire cabinet has approved this Reliance project. There are concerns that adequate compensation has not been paid.

We have a uniform policy which specifies the rates for acquiring land. The compensation being paid to the farmer
is several times higher than what was given by the previous government.

What are the future investment targets?

Right from day one, I have been saying that my aim is to make Haryana numero uno state in the country. We recognise the importance of bringing investment and job creation. We are targeting an investment of Rs 2 lakh crore in the five-year tenure of this government. This would create over 10 lakh jobs.