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Indian National Lok Dal president Om Prakash Chautala today found himself the focus of attack from ruling Congress benches in Haryana Assembly after he raised the SEZ and SYL canal issue. Chautala, who is Leader of the Opposition, was repeatedly targeted by the treasury benches when he said that the SEZ projects in the state had failed to take off even as land had been acquired from farmers 6-7 years ago.

When he raised the SYL issue by saying that the matter was not under court's consideration and that Haryana should press the Centre to get its rightful share of water, parliamentary affairs minister Randeep Singh Surjewala countered him by saying that "constitutional reference" on Punjab's Termination of Water Agreements Act, 2004, was pending before the Supreme Court.

Participating in the discussion on the Governor's address, Chautala said that chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had earlier said that the SEZs once established would lead to rapid industrialisation, revenue generation, accelerated growth and creation of thousands of jobs.

Chautala said that on this pretext, chunks of land of farmers were acquired but the projects, including that of Reliance, had failed to fructify.
Surjewala, however, clarified that the state government had not acquired land for Reliance in Gurgaon-Jhajjar area or for anyone else.

"We were opposing even then now and in future too we will oppose," Chautala said while expressing apprehension about the SEZs.

But Surjewala targeted him by saying that the stand of the former chief minister "fluctuates" on the issue and he should first decide which side of the fence he was on the SEZ issue.

Surjewala said that rapid industrialisation was taking place in the Jhajjar belt as also in other industrial hubs like Gurgaon.

The minister said that Model Economic Township (MET) at Jhajjar was being promoted by the Reliance Industries, IL&FS and the HSIIDC.