Haryana govt renames HUDA, says it creates confusion with Hooda

Continuing with its name changing spree, the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government has renamed the Haryana Urban Development Authority as Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran, saying its acronym HUDA sounded similar to the last name of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) will now be known as Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), cabinet minister Anil Vij told PTI here today.

"The name HUDA caused confusion as its acronym sounded too similar to Hooda's name" he said, adding if the CBI raids Hooda, it used to give an impression as if HUDA has been prosecuted by the investigating agency.

He said that the decision to change the name of HUDA was taken in yesterday's cabinet meeting which was chaired by Khattar, who is also the chairman of the state's urban development authority.

Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran is the Hindi translation of Haryana Urban Development Authority, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Krishan Kumar Bedi said.

"People say Hooda will be jailed. However, only those who were aware about the case (alleged irregularities in land deals) can understand what does it mean (Hooda or HUDA)," Vij said.

HUDA, a statutory body of the government, was established in 1977 under the Haryana Urban Development Authority Act, 1977.

Hooda is facing a CBI probe in re-allotment of 3,360 square metre institutional plot to Associate Journal Limited (National Herald) in Panchkula, alleged irregularities in allocation of industrial plots at Panchkula and alleged scandal in land acquisition in Gurgaon.

The former chief minister, however, described the cases of alleged irregularities as "vendetta" by the BJP government.

On the Haryana government decision to change names of the cities and now of HUDA, Hooda said, "The BJP government will keep changing names of villages, cities and now authorities, by this, one can think about its intentions."

"I have said earlier that this government's only work is badala (vendetta), badli (transferring officials) and namkaran (changing names)," he said.

Last month, the state government had decided to rename various sports stadia across Haryana named after Congress leader and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

In April last year, the government has renamed Gurgaon as Gurugram and Mewat as Nuh.

A month prior to this, Mustafabad tehsil in Yamunanagar was renamed as Saraswati Nagar.

In April this year, the government renamed Ballabhgarh as Balramgarh.

A month before, the Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board, headed by Khattar, was renamed as Indus Valley civilisation.