New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
today said he would meet his Haryana counterpart in Chandigarh
on Wednesday to discuss rising air pollution levels in the
national capital as the latter was too "busy" to meet him in
Delhi.
Kejriwal said Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar
had called him and told him that the latter was in Delhi till
tomorrow, but cannot meet him in Delhi, citing "he (Khattar)
was very busy".
The Haryana CM has asked me to see him in Chandigarh on
Wednesday, the AAP supremo said.
The Delhi chief minister has been seeking a meeting with
his counterparts from Haryana and Punjab over the last few
days to find a solution to stubble burning in the neighbouring
states, a major source to high pollution levels in Delhi.
"Khattar ji called. He is in Del till tomo. Says he is v
busy n can't meet me in Del. He has asked me to come to
Chandigarh on Wed. I look forward to meeting him in Chandigarh
on Wed (sic)," Kejriwal tweeted.
Earlier in the day, he said his office was constantly
trying to fix a meeting with the Haryana chief minister.
The development comes after Khattar wrote back to
Kejriwal and said he was "likely" to be in Delhi on
November 13 and 14.
"You may feel free to call me to fine tune a mutually
convenient date, time and venue for the meeting," Khattar had
said in the letter.
Last week, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said the
situation warranted Centre's intervention as it has
inter-state implications. Kejriwal has also tweeted Capt. Amarinder Singh by saying,".@capt_amarinder Sir, I am coming to Chandigarh on Wed to meet Haryana CM. Would be grateful if u cud spare sometime to meet me. It is in collective interest
The practice of burning of crop residue by farmers of the
two states of Punjab and Haryana has been blamed for the toxic
smog enveloping the region every winter.
Kejriwal had recently said that keeping political
differences aside, the Centre, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi
governments should come together to find a permanent solution
to stubble burning which leads to high pollution every year.
