2008 belongs to all-round growth and social welfare in Haryana

by Haryananewswire
CHANDIGARH, Dec 30
2008 has bequeathed a rich legacy to the people of Haryana. And the bequest, thanks to the futuristic and people-oriented policies pursued by the Bhupinder Singh Hooda Government, devolves on all segments of the society and brings to bear on the year the mark of all-round development, peace and social welfare. It will be only apt, not an exaggeration, to describe 2008 as a watershed year of unprecedented all-inclusive growth bringing about qualitative improvement in the life of the man in the street.
The year that is drawing to a close, saw the small state of Haryana cross new milestones of progress, enter the high-growth orbit (the state's economy grew by nine per cent against the projection of 7.9 per cent in Tenth Plan), and become the cynosure of all investing eyes, both domestic and foreign. In these days of recession-hit companies packing their bags, the state continues to attract investment and even foreign companies. What's more, the Hooda Government reached out to all sections of the society, including employees, with sops and measures aimed at their welfare and wellbeing.
And the overwhelming victory of the Congress candidates in the Assembly by-elections in Gohana and Indri, and, an improved performance in Adampur, held on May 22, 2008, only underscored people's faith in the policies and programmes pursued by the Congress Government.
In our polity, when any government nears half its tenure, the opposition begins to hog the headlines, highlighting the failures and frailities of the incumbent government. But the Hooda Government, close to completing four years of its tenure, has bucked the trend. Not to speak of raising any issue and railing at the government, the opposition seems to be acknowledging and backing its countless number of welfare measures, lending it the aura of a government with a humane face.
The year we are leaving behind brought bonanza to the 3.5 lakh-odd Haryana Government employees and thousands of pensioners with the State Government deciding to implement with effect from January 1, 2006, the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission with some improvements. The pay employees draw for the month of January, 2009 will be on revised pay-scales. Haryana has become the first State in the country to decide to pay arrears of the revised pay-scales to its employees in cash.
Both farmers and industrial workers too got a bonanza of sorts. The historic loan waiver scheme of the UPA Government benefited about 7.12 lakh farmers of Haryana to the tune of Rs 2,189 crore. Then, the Hooda Government announced the highest MSP for sugarcane in the country and persuaded the Central Government to lift the ban on the export of PUSA 1121 variety after declaring it Basmati. The industrial workers got a hike in the minimum wages and those engaged in the construction sector an insurance cover without having to pay for it.
The year saw the state take a big leap forward on the education front. Besides opening five new colleges, the State got sanction for an IIM, a Defence University, a Business School, a Central University and a Sainik School and launched a plethora of scholarship schemes for Scheduled Caste, Backward and poor students belonging to families living Below the Poverty Line.
With welfare of the poor topping the agenda of the Hooda Government, 2008 witnessed the roll-out of a number of schemes. These include the Rs 2,300-crore "Mahatma Gandhi Grameen Basti Yojna" bringing the poor families, living below the poverty line, free residential plots of 100 square yards each; the Mukhya Mantri Anusuchit Jati Gaon Uthan Aur Malin Basti Vikas Yojna under which villages having 50 per cent SC population are provided with all basic amenities and a sum of Rs. 50 lakh is spent on providing such facilities in each village; and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme ensuring that each rural family gets employment for at least 100 days in a year.
The year brought glory to Haryana and the country in the field of sports and big cash awards to the winners of medals at the Beijing Olympics with the Hooda Government deciding to give Rs. 2 crore to the winner of gold medal, Rs. 1 crore to the winner of silver medal and Rs. 50 lakh to bronze medal winner.
What's more, 2008 saw the government making serious and earnest efforts to generate more power to meet the increasing demand, strengthen infrastructure by laying new roads, re-carpeting the old ones and building flyovers and overbridges, to speed up traffic and movement of goods. A slew of social welfare measures taken during the year include pension for handicapped children and hike in the pension of freedom fighters.
One needs no soothsayer to predict that given the intent and track record of the Hooda Government and the n number of social and developmental schemes nearing completion, 2009 will be more rewardingly absorbing for the people of Haryana in ways more than one.
BETTERING THE LOT OF FARMERS: Farmers' cause continues to be the cause of the Hooda Government. The Central Government, on the request of the Chief Minister, lifted the ban on the export of PUSA-1121 variety by giving it the status of Basmati. This has greatly benefited the farmers. Moreover, the Central Government has also given a bonus of Rs 50 per quintal on the purchase of paddy.
As many as 7.12 lakh farmers of Haryana have been benefited to the tune of Rs 2,189 crore under the historic loan waiver scheme of the UPA Government. The State Government has also raised the sugarcane price to Rs 170 per quintal, Rs 165 per quintal and Rs 160 per quintal for different varieties of sugarcane. These rates of sugarcane are the highest in the country and are a gift to more than three lakh sugarcane farmers of the State.
QUICK STEPS TO AUGMENT POWER SUPPLY: The State Government has made all-out efforts to redress the power problem in the State, which it inherited from previous governments. The State Government is poised to achieving the target of generating additional 5000 MW of electricity. Presently, the State has generating capacity of 4680MW from all resources which includes generating capacity of 2187MW of its own resources.
The construction of the Yamunanagar Thermal Plant has got been completed by the State Government and its both units of 300MW each have started generating electricity during the year and 50 per cent construction work of 1200MW Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Plant at Khedar has been completed. The lifting ceremony of boiler drum for its first units have already been performed and its first unit of 600MW will start generating electricity by December, 2009 and its second unit of the same capacity will start generation by March, 2010.
1500MW Indira Gandhi Super Thermal Power Plant at Jharli in Jhajjar district will also start generating electricity in the year 2010. Besides, agreements to purchase 3044 MW of electricity for 25 years have also been reached.
LAYING ROADS AND BUILDING BRIDGES TO PROGRESS: Works on projects worth more than Rs 2000 crore, are underway under the Rajiv Gandhi Bridges and Roads Infrastructure Development Programme. The target has been set to complete construction of projects worth Rs 3,000 crore by March, 2009, instead of March, 2010. Construction work on 11 railway overbridges is in on progress. Elevated highway at Panipat, constructed at a cost of Rs 340 crore, was dedicated to the people by the Union Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister, Mr. T.R. Baalu, last July. He also dedicated to the nation the Rs 300-crore Ambala-Zirakpur National Highway four-laning project.
HIGHER PENSION FOR FREEDOM FIGHTERS: Committed to the welfare of freedom fighters, serving personnel and ex-servicemen, the state government has raised the Samman Pension of freedom fighters and their widows from Rs. 5125 to Rs. 5500 per month with effect from December 3, 2008. It may be recalled that Mr. Hooda had, immediately after assuming the office of Chief Minister, announced to enhance the Samman Pension of freedom fighters from Rs.1400 to Rs.3500 per. It was further raised to Rs.5125 per month.
Besides, financial assistance at the rate of Rs.1,500 per month is being given to the World War-II Veterans and widows of ex-servicemen of World War-II Veterans who are not in receipt of any kind of pension from central/State Government. Assistance at the rate of Rs.600 per month is also being given to the ex-servicemen above 60 years of age and their widows who are not in the receipt of any kind of pension from Central/State Government.
Similarly, financial assistance at the rate of Rs.1000 per month is being given to 75 Paraplegic, Tetraplegic and Hemiaplegic ex-servicemen and financial assistance at the rate of Rs.1000 per month is being given to 15 blind ex-servicemen and 242 disabled ex-servicemen who are not in the receipt of any kind of pension from Central/State Government. Financial assistance at the rate of Rs.600 per month is also being given to 129 orphan children of ex-servicemen.
PREMIUM ON CLEANLINESS IN VILLAGES: The President, Mrs Pratibha Patil, awarded 'Nirmal Gram Puraskar-2008' to as many as 3,195 panchayats of the States of Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand, which have done commendable work in ensuring cleanliness in their villages. In Haryana, the function was held at Hisar on October 17, 2008.
As many as 798 panchayats were selected this year for this award against only 60 last year. The number of panchayats of Haryana exceeded the panchayats of all other states, which marks the beginning of a cleanliness revolution in Haryana. It depicts that cleanliness transformation has begun in Haryana.
The UPA Government at the Centre has pledged to achieve the target of total sanitation in rural India by 2012. However, Haryana is all set to achieve this target by 2010. A project of Rs 175 crore has been launched in the State for achieving total sanitation in the villages. Toilets have not only been constructed in all village schools but also in the houses of about 4.5 lakh families living below the poverty line and in maximum number of anganwaris of the state. As many as 11,000 Safai Karamcharis are being engaged by the panchayats for ensuring cleanliness in villages. Each Safai Karamcharis gets Rs. 3,525 per month.
"Sanitation Promotion Scheme" has also been launched by the State Government. Under the scheme, panchayats getting first position at the block and district level, will be given a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh each, respectively, whereas panchayats getting first, second and third positions at the state level, will be given a cash prize of Rs 20 lakh, Rs 15 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, respectively.
SCHEMES FOR THE POOR GALORE: With the poor and the downtrodden close to the heart of the state government, it launched a number of schemes for their welfare. UPA Chairperson, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, launched the Rs 2,300-crore "Mahatma Gandhi Grameen Basti Yojna" at Panipat on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, to realize the dream of poor people having their own house. Under this scheme, each family belonging to SC and backward classes (A) and all families living below the poverty line, are being given free residential plots of 100 square yards each. This scheme would benefit about six lakh families and distribution of plots in 5,000 villages would be completed within two years. These bastis will be provided with all basic amenities.
"Mukhya Mantri Anusuchit Jati Gaon Uthan Aur Malin Basti Vikas Yojna" was also launched in the State. Under this scheme, villages having 50 per cent SC population will be provided with all basic amenities and a sum of Rs. 50 lakh will be spent on providing basic facilities in each village. The development works in all these villages would be completed by March, 2010.
The historic "National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme" was implemented in all districts of the State. Under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, it will be ensured that each rural family will get employment throughout the year in its own village and guarantee of minimum 100 days employment in a year.
Under the Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, the programme of building as many as 7,114 houses in three phases was launched from Panchkula for the poor people residing in slums. In the first phase, 2,072 houses would be constructed and each house will cost Rs. 2.6 lakh. HUDA will allot land free of cost for the purpose. These houses will be given to the weaker sections of the society at lower rates. In Faridabad also, a sum of Rs. 2697 crore has been sanctioned for various development works under the mission.
BIG LEAP ON EDUCATION FRONT: Observed as "Education Year", the State Government took a holistic approach to revolutionizing all types of education--school, college, university, medical, technical and ITI training---keeping an eye on the present and future needs. The aim was to ensure that no child of poor family remains deprived of education for want of money, the youth get quality education and the state has excellent educational infrastructure.
Unique schemes of giving scholarships to school and college students, belonging to Scheduled Castes, backward class (A) and families below the poverty line, were started in 2008. A sum of about Rs. 500 crore would be spent annually on providing these facilities, benefitting more than 13 lakh children.
With a view to making education simple and more interesting, special workbooks were got prepared this year from some well-known voluntary organizations and educationists and distributed among students of Class 1 to VIII. About 20 lakh children are availing themselves of this easy-to-learn facility.
Five new government colleges were set up this year. Government College in Chacharauli, Barwala and Panipat and Women's Government College in Rewari and Lakhanmajra have been opened. ITIs have been set up in Salahawas, Matanhail, Assaudha mor, Rajlugdi, Tosham, Berali Kalan and Malrawas. Polytechnics have been established at Morni and Bhiwani.
An IIM is being set up in Garnavadhi village of Rohtak District. This sixth IIM of the country will be set up over an area of 165 acres at a cost of Rs. 250 crore. Work on setting up of Business School and Knowledge Park on the Guru Jambheshwar University campus has been started. Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma PGIMS has been given the status of University of Health Sciences. A central university is proposed to be set up in the state with the assistance of Government of India. The State Government has suggested three sites for the purpose.
Besides, the Central Government has given its approval for setting up a Defence University in the State keeping in view the contribution made by Haryana to the Indian Army. The Defence Minister, Mr A. K. Antony, laid foundation stone of the second Sainik School of the state in Rewari District on August 29, 2008. It is just a coincidence that during the days of school education of the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the Sainik School at Kunjpura in Karnal district was set up. After Bihar and Karnataka, which have two schools each, Haryana has become the third state to have two Sainik schools. There are a total number of 23 Sainik schools in the country.
YEAR OF SPORTING GLORY, BONANZA FOR PLAYERS: The year brought glory to Haryana and the country in the field of sports. With a view to motivating the players to give spectacular performance in Beijing Olympics, held in August 2008, the State Government decided to give a cash prize of Rs. 2 crore to the winner of gold medal, Rs. 1 crore to the winner of silver medal and Rs. 50 lakh to bronze medal winner.
The Indian contingent that participated in Beijing Olympics, had nine players from Haryana. They made the country and the state proud by giving a good account of themselves in the Olympics. The Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, gave the cash prize of Rs 50 lakh to Vijendra Singh, the winner of bronze medal in boxing at Olympics at a function held at Bhiwani. Akhil Kumar and Jitender Singh of same district, who reached the quarter finals of boxing in Beijing Olympics, were also given cash prize of Rs 25 lakh each. Their coach, Mr Jagdish Singh, was also honoured and given Rs. 25 lakh. Yogeshwar Dutt of Sonipat, who reached the quarter final in wrestling, was also given Rs 25 lakh.
Abhinav Bindra of Punjab, who won the gold medal in shooting, Saina Nehwal of Hyderabad, who reached the quarter final in badminton, and Sushil Kumar of Delhi, who won bronze medal in wrestling, were also given a cash prize of Rs. 25 lakh each for their outstanding performance in Beijing Olympics. Haryana players who excel at international level are recruited to the posts of constable to DSP.
MINIMUM WAGES UP, INSURANCE COVER FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS: The Year-2008 was celebrated as "Industrial Safety Year". The State Government revised the minimum wages of unskilled workers in July, 2007 to Rs.3510 per month and Rs.135 per day. It has further been raised in 2008 to Rs.3664.54 per month and Rs.141.02 per day respectively. What's more, "Jan Shree Bima Yojana" was also introduced during the year for building and other constructions workers. The insurance cover comes to the workers at no cost.
The benefits available to the workers under the scheme include payment of sum assured of Rs.30,000 to the nominee in case of natural death of life assured, payment of sum assured of Rs.75,000 to the nominee in case of death by accident and payment of sum assured of Rs.75,000 in case of permanent total disability due to accident and in case of loss of two eyes or two limbs or one eye and one limb in an accident. Payment of sum assured of Rs.37,500 to the life assured in case of loss of one eye or one limb in an accident.
Besides, health insurance cover of Rs.30,000, reimbursement of expenses on indoor treatment in government hospitals for chronic diseases such as cancer, aids and heart diseases, etc. is given by the Building and Others Construction Workers Welfare Board.
TAKING CARE OF SENIOR CITIZENS: The Chief Minister launched a number of schemes for senior citizens from Panchkula on October 1, 2008 which is observed as 'Senior Citizen Day' all over the world. The foundation stone of a day care centre was laid at Panchkula. Such centres will also be set up at Rohtak, Bhiwani, Hisar, Jhajjar and Sonepat. These will have the facility of entertainment, health, exercise, yoga and library for elderly persons.
A decision has also been taken to set up senior citizen voluntary services organizations in each district to take the benefit of the experiences of senior citizens. The organization will be run under the Chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner. Each member of this organization will be known as 'Karmayogi'.
The best organization will be given State award every year on 'International Senior Citizen Day'. A State Award Scheme has also been implemented for senior citizens. Under the scheme, five awards of Rs 5 lakh each will be given to senior citizens every year on the International Senior Citizen Day. All senior citizens of 60 years of age and above, will be given identity cards.
EQUIPPING HOSPITALS WITH STAFF, EQUIPMENT: A year had the government adopt a continuous process of recruiting doctors to meet the shortage in government hospitals and health centres. A departmental committee has been constituted for the purpose. A scheme to give special incentives to the doctors serving in the rural and remote areas of the State, has also been implemented and steps have also been taken to minimize financial burden on the patients undergoing indoor treatment.
Besides, the schemes like 'Janani Suraksha Yojana', 'Janani Suvidha Yojana', pro-poor scheme namely 'Jachcha-Bachcha' has also been launched in the State this year. Half concession in bus fare has also been granted to women above 60 years travelling in Haryana Roadways buses.
WOOING TOURISTS: Kurukshetra is being developed as an International tourism spot. A copper icon of Rath made at a cost of Rs 2 crore was unveiled by UPA Chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi at Kurukshetra on July 28. The Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of a digital gallery to be built at a cost of Rs 5 crore at Shri Krishna Museum on November 23. The Panipat-Kurukshetra-Pinjore belt is being developed as an Integrated Tourist Circuit and the Central Government has agreed to give a sum of Rs 16.30 crore for the purpose.
ULTRA-MOD MEDIA CENTRE: A media centre, equipped with all modern facilities, was established at a cost of Rs 1 crore in the Haryana Civil Secretariat. A beautiful Press Room, the first of its kind in the public sector in the country, has also been constructed for media persons. All modern facilities of communication have been made available in this Press Room. The Chief Minister announced a lifetime achievement award for journalists while inaugurating the centre. A decision to give 13 state level awards and 147 district level awards to the journalists has already been taken to encourage journalists, both in print and electronic media.
PALWAL MADE 21st DISTRICT: The historic city of Palwal was declared the 21st district of the state on Independence Day.
Many national level functions were organized in Haryana during the year 2008, which include 11th E-Governance Conference and National Renewable Energy Day at Panchkula, 44th All India Oriental Congress at Kurukshetra and Presiding Officers' Conference at Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Chandigarh.
The Bhupinder Singh Hooda Government is committed to keeping up its efforts in the New Year to take the state forward on the road to progress, prosperity and well-being of the people.