Union Minister for Power, Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said that any resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan would be possible only after Pakistan takes credible action against terrorism.
He was responding to a question on a letter reportedly written by at least 117 prominent citizens from India and Pakistan, urging PM Narendra Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to revive bilateral dialogue and take steps towards lasting peace in the region. Referring to the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack, he said Pakistan must dismantle terrorist camps operating from its territory, take action against terror groups and ensure that terrorism no longer has any role in Jammu and Kashmir before further discussions can take place.
On being asked about PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Haryana, he said the PM will visit the state on July 17 to launch the hydrogen-powered train and inaugurate several other development projects. He was interacting with mediapersons during his visit to Karnal city. Khattar first chaired a District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting at the Mini Secretariat, where nearly 80 government schemes under 14 agenda items were reviewed.
He instructed officials to ensure 100 per cent registration of farmers on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora (MFMB) portal by July 31 and called for wider coverage under the Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana. He also emphasised the need to promote natural farming, strengthen school management committees, verify BPL beneficiaries through surveys, expedite the distribution of pending Ayushman cards, identify more street vendors under the PM SVANidhi scheme and ensure proper utilisation of self-help group (SHG) loans.
Later, he visited Noor Mahal Chowk, which will be renamed after Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee and install his statue. “A final decision to rename this chowk after Dr Mookerjee will be taken after discussions with local authorities,” said Khattar.
Responding to remarks made by Congress MP Kumari Selja against the BJP government during her recent visit to Chanot village, Khattar said those who had led “inefficient governments” in the past were judging the present government by their own standards. “BJP government has delivered transparent and well-planned governance over the past decade,” he said.
Later, Khattar inaugurated the newly constructed Swami Dayanand Saraswati Chowk near the Sector 12-13 traffic light in the city. When asked about the absence of Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh and three BJP MLAs from a recent programme attended by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Khattar said he was aware of the matter but maintained that any action, if required, would be taken by the Haryana BJP unit.
