Declaring zero tolerance for any laxity or lethargy in the implementation of Central and State Government schemes at the grassroots level, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday directed the district administration officers to assume direct responsibility for vigilantly overseeing schemes within their purview, emphasizing the paramount importance of efficient public service delivery.
Chairing the State Level Disha Committee meeting with Administrative Secretaries and Deputy Commissioners who participated via video conferencing, Khattar said that the quarterly meeting of the Disha Committee must be called at the district level. If for some reason the local MP is unable to give time for the meeting, then in that case the Deputy Commissioner has the right to call the meeting. Therefore, all meetings should be held within the stipulated period, he added.
In a reevaluation of decisions made during the previous meeting, Khattar expressed dissatisfaction with the Public Health Engineering Department's handling of road repairs following pipeline work. Consequently, EIC Ashim Khanna and EC Rajeev Batish were asked to leave the Disha Committee meeting and asked to take a five-day compulsory leave. The Chief Minister emphasized the crucial need for contractors to strictly adhere to road construction standards outlined in the tender documents.
State Development and Panchayats Minister Devender Singh Babli, Lok Sabha MP Dharmbir Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Krishna Lal Panwar, Karthikeya Sharma, MLAs Harvindra Kalyan, Nayanpal Rawat, Naina Chautala and Seema Trikha, Dr Arvind Sharma were present. During the meeting, various schemes of the Central and State Governments were reviewed in detail.
Highlighting the government's commitment to housing, Khattar announced the formulation of a dedicated Rural Housing Scheme, modeled after the successful Mukhya Mantri Shehri Awas Yojana. Aiming to provide housing solutions to economically disadvantaged families, the urban scheme plans to distribute one lakh houses or plots. He directed officials to draft a blueprint for the Mukhyamantri Gramin Awas Yojana, extending similar benefits to rural inhabitants.
In districts with mining areas, the Chief Minister directed Deputy Commissioners to utilize the PMKKKY Fund to ensure the execution of Shivdham Scheme works in villages within a 20-kilometer radius of the mining area. Charkhi Dadri, Bhiwani, Yamunanagar, and Mahendragarh districts each have over Rs 17 crore as mining funds.
Khattar instructed the Bhiwani Deputy Commissioner that, as a result of mining, Khanak village faces serious pollution problems, causing health issues for villagers. Therefore, along with sprinkling water in the mining area, a plan should also be made to install special water-sprinkling plants around the crusher zone.
During the meeting, public representatives discussed the problems faced by children traveling long distances to attend school under the Buniyaad program. In response to this, the Chief Minister, while instructing the officials concerned, emphasized that children should not face any difficulties. He stated, "It is our responsibility to ensure their well-being. Therefore, bus passes should be issued for Buniyaad program children who travel long distances to school. The transport department should also issue instructions to field officers, ensuring proper arrangements for smooth implementation."
The Chief Minister further declared that children should not face any difficulty in reaching school. He reassured everyone, saying, "The government has made a plan for this. We are providing transportation facilities to children attending schools located over 1 kilometer from their villages. For this purpose, a teacher in each school has been designated as the School Transport Officer, whose responsibility is to coordinate with children who need such facilities."
