The Haryana Government will host the Antyodaya Sammelan in Karnal on November 2 which will be attended by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah as the chief guest. Beneficiaries availing the benefits of schemes such as Ayushman Bharat and the Pension Scheme will participate in this event, Dr Amit Agrawal, Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and Director General of Information, Public Relations, Languages and Culture Department said on Monday.

He said that the State Government is committed to ensure that the most vulnerable segments of society are the first to benefit from various welfare schemes, thus securing a life of happiness and prosperity for every citizen, adding that that the state government's unwavering dedication to enhance the well-being of marginalized communities and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, thereby nurturing social and economic harmony. To empower the members of the Antyodaya family, the government is diligently working to enhance their skills, making them self-reliant. To achieve this objective, underprivileged families are being linked to various loan schemes, skill development initiatives, and employment opportunities provided by the private sector or various government departments.

Dr Agrawal said that in an effort to uplift impoverished families, the state government has launched the Mukhyamantri Antyodaya Parivar Utthan Yojana, aiming to raise the annual income of families earning Rs. 1 lakh to at least Rs. 1.80 lakh. To date, approximately 50,000 people across the state have benefited from the Antyodaya Melas conducted under this scheme. This initiative encompasses 56 programmes spanning 18 different departments, and it has been seamlessly integrated with the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam Limited. To ensure easy accessibility, information about all these departments and their respective schemes is available on the official portal at https://parivarutthan.haryana.gov.in, allowing individuals to access it conveniently at any time and from anywhere.

• The Ayushman-Chirayu scheme has been introduced to provide free medical facilities to families below the poverty line (BPL). Recently, the scheme's eligibility criteria were expanded to include families with annual incomes ranging from Rs.1.80 lakh to Rs. 3 lakh. Beneficiaries covered by this scheme are entitled to free medical treatment up to Rs. 5 lakh at government or empanelled private hospitals. To date, a total of 87 lakh Ayushman-Chirayu cards have been issued, with claims worth Rs. 1088 crore sanctioned for the treatment of 8.5 lakh patients in the state under this scheme.