Days after Haryana’s Power Minister Ranjit Chautala stoked controversy by saying that children of those who did not pay electricity bills would not be allowed to appear for government competitive exams, the minister claimed that his comment was projected in a “wrong manner.”
“My comment was projected in a wrong manner. All I said was there might be the possibility that children of power defaulters may not be allowed to give competitive exams. I said that in order to encourage the people to pay their electricity bills on time,” he told ANI.
He added that there had been no debate on implementing the move at the Cabinet or state level.
Chautala had on 4 January, purportedly said, “Government will bring a condition that only those children will sit for competitive exams who have no dues certificate for paying electricity bill. This will motivate farmers to observe the habit of paying electricity bill.”
Earlier, Chautala had said that, “government can give electricity on a no loss-no profit”, but urged people to “at least pay some bill.”
Haryana’s Education Minister Kanwar Pal had reportedly come out in support of Chautala saying “there is no harm in such a policy”.
(With inputs from The Times of India & Hindustan Times)
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