Modern Haryana Trip
¤ Haryana Government
Haryana was formed in 1966, being the 17th Indian state
with 5 seats in the Rajya Sabha and 10 in the Lok Sabha in New Delhi.
In 1996 the ruling Congress party went down in both National and State
elections and the Haryana Vikas Party (with Bansi Lal heading it)
garnered 33 seats. The HVP formed the government in alliance with the
Bhartiya Janata Party (11 seats). In 1998 retained its position with
Om Prakash Chautala as the Chief Minister.
¤ Economy
Agriculture Haryana is also known as `the tractor state of India’,
a term which is self explanatory.
Farming is the prime occupation with Sawani and Sadhi being the two
main harvests (widely known as Rabi and Kharif).
Wheat is the most important crop, and jowar (a food crop as well as
fodder) is grown everywhere except in the dry areas of Bhiwani,
Kurukshetra, Ambala, Sirsa and Hisar. Rice fields can be seen in
northeastern and central parts of Haryana where about 30 percent of
the land is dedicated to rice.
Bajra is the second most important crop and is grown in less humid
areas like Gurgaon and surroundings. Maize, gram, barley, sugarcane
and jowar form the farmers means of making a living, and cotton is
pretty popular as another cash crop. Pulses like black gram (urad),
brown gram (moth), lintel (masur) are also grown. Mustard, rapeseed,
linseed, sesamum and ground nut production is fairly common.
Also, special mention must be made of the tremendous irrigation
infrastructure the government has built in Haryana. Numerous canals
have been dug and pumps put up to make sure that the farmer doesn’t
pack up and leave in times of drought. Irrigation in Haryana has hit
the jackpot over the past decade.
¤ Minerals & Ores
This is one area in which Haryana takes a beating. Mines are few, and
concentrated in and around Gurgaon, Mahendragrah and Ambala districts.
Iron ore is found once in while near Narnaul, but its really not much.
Copper shines through in Mahendragarh and southern Narnual and
limestone formations are in Ambala, Mahendragrah, Rohtak and Hisar.
Black and white marble of a very high quality is found in Narnaul,
Mandi and Danta. Quartz, foundry sands and salt petre end off the list
of mineral list for Haryana.
¤ Electricity
Electricty has always been a major problem in India, and Haryana is
no better off, although it is the first state to have given all its
villages electricity. Power still plays truant in urban areas, but
that’s not a new experience in India.
¤ Manufacturing industry
Being a modern state, industries form a very important part of
Haryana. The Maruti-Suzuki automobile factory is located in Gurgaon
and churns out cars which have a stranglehold on the Indian auto
market. About 25% of India’s overall sanitary production is here.
Bicycles, textile, auto parts, ceramic tiles, pharmaceuticals, air
conditioners – name it and Haryana has a plant set up somewhere
or the other. Atlas, the largest bicycle maker is in Gurgaon. Forget
about factories; even offices are being relocated to Gurgaon from
Delhi.
¤ Communications
Roads connect places. They do that in Haryana too, and do it well.
Transport facilities are pretty good and you can get a private taxi
for practically anywhere in and around Haryana, and the Haryana
Roadways Corporation ensures that a bus will take you wherever you
want to go.
Railways links the state to the country, which isn’t surprising
for that is what they’re meant to do. There aren’t many
local trains, but getting into or away from a town is easy once you’ve
identified where the railway station is.
Post offices are everywhere, but you have to look for the smaller
ones because they can be found in the silliest of places (like
functioning from a grocery shop). You can make a ’phone call
anywhere in the world from a booth, and if you’re lucky you’ll
even find a fax machine which works.
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