How Chautala played his cards wrong

Chautala’s chagrin is not entirely inexplicable, since the state government had invested two years and considerable money in the project even before it got off the ground.

It all began during a chief ministerial visit to Johannesburg’s Suncity, a giant amusement park associated with resort holidays and beauty pageants, two years ago. An entranced Chautala convinced the Suncity promoters that the park could be replicated in the north Indian state; subsequently, in early 2003, a Suncity team led by MD Peter Bacon did the rounds of Gurgaon, Faridabad and Panchkula over a week to decide on the location.

However, the Parmanand apathy has clearly dampened the enthusiasm for the project. Recently, the Suncity team sought some details on building bye-laws, but the response was less than prompt. ‘‘Will the Bill in Delhi for presidential reference, the pressure is missing. Still, we sent them whatever details they asked for,’’ says Harbaksh Singh, MD, Haryana Industrial Development Corporation and the man directly involved in the casino project.

Certain political observers attribute the spanner the Governor threw into the works to his strained relationship with Chautala — the two fell out when Chautala abolished the post of pro-vice-chancellors in universities after Parmanand appointed a PVC without consulting the government — but others hold his austere Arya Samaji mindset responsible for the decision.

With neither party willing to comment on the issue, opposition parties are having a field day pulling down the casino plans. ‘‘Yeh (Chautala) yahan jua ka adda kholna chahte hain. It probably won’t materialise during his tenure, if it happens, then we’ll see what to do — after all, we might even take over the state after the next assembly polls,’’ says state Congress president and former chief minister Bhajan Lal.

If Chautala’s bete noire and lone Republican Party of India legislator Karan Singh Dalal wants the CM to give books, not cards, to the youth of the state, the BJP is openly averse to the introduction of casinos in the state. ‘‘Unfortunately, the chief minister refuses to learn from the past. This is the land where the Mahabharata happened after a gambling tiff between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. This is no time for juabaazi,’’ says Krishan Pal Gujjar, leader of the BJP Legislative Party.

WHAT IF…

Parmanand had okayed the casino Bill…

Haryana would have been the second state after Goa to legalise gambling and casinos by amending the Public Gambling Act 1967-A Central statute. Though the IPC prescribes imprisonment and fines for gambling, the amendment would have allowed the state to circumvent the clause as law and order is a state subject.

The President gives his nod to the Bill…

It would become a law at once. However, if he withholds his assent, the Bill would not become law. The President may also return it to the state legislature for reconsideration. If the Assembly passes it again, the Governor would have no option but to sign the Bill.

Suncity loses interest…

There are other investors waiting in the wings. South African of Indian origin Vivan Reddy is in Haryana at present with President Thabo Mbeki. Reddy, who has gambling interests in Johannesburg, is keen to set up a casino/entertainment centre on the lines of Suncity in collaboration with Kapil Dev in Haryana. His plans involve an investment of 1.8 billion rands. Reddy is expected to make a presentation to the government during his visit.