Title - Cong, INLD in tussle over credit for Sirsa-Fatehabad railway link

Sirsa:
Union Railway Minister Pawan Bansal’s announcement of linking Hisar with Sirsa through Agroha and Fatehabad has initiated a tug-of-war between the Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal. While Congress workers, loyal to Sirsa MP Ashok Tanwar, have been holding felicitation functions to honour Tanwar for bringing about development, the INLD downplayed it by saying that the Congress MP had no role to play in the minister’s announcement. Recently, the local Congress leaders organised functions to felicitate the AICC secretary and Sirsa MP Ashok Tanwar at Sirsa and Fatehabad.“Sirsa parliamentary constituency has received several new projects in the recent railway budget, the biggest being the Sirsa-Hisar-Agroha- Fatehabad rail link. A Kaushal Vikas Kendra for Sirsa as announced in the budget will provide youngsters an opportunity to develop their skills,” Tanwar said in an interaction with mediapersons at Sirsa.He claimed that he had raised demands of people vigorously with the Union Minister, which led to the announcements.Tanwar’s supporters received him at the Delhi bridge on the outskirts of Sirsa and took him around the town in an open jeep. Sirsa District Congress president Malkiat Singh Khosa, Sirsa Urban president Bhupesh Mehta, Dr Virender Siwach and several others accompanied Ashok Tanwar.In Fatehabad, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Prahlad Singh Gillankhera led the leaders’ felicitation. In a public meeting held at Fatehabad, the speakers said owing to Tanwar’s efforts, a long standing demand of the residents was fulfilled. Meanwhile, the Indian National Lok Dal alleged that the people of Sirsa had got announcements during the past nine years and not a single announcement had been translated into reality.“Tanwar is misleading people by claiming that he has brought Hisar-Agroha-Fatehabad-Sirsa rail link. The rail link was approved by former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav,” said Padam Jain, district president of the INLD. Jain alleged that despite Yadav’s announcement several years ago, Ashok Tanwar had not been able to get the project started.