The budget session of Haryana Assembly will commence on February 20,  School Education Minister Kanwar Pal, who also holds the portfolio of Parliamentary Affairs Minister said, during a press conference shortly after the meeting of State Cabinet.

He informed that at the start of the cabinet meeting, a two-minute silence was observed in honour of the martyrs of India's freedom struggle.

The Minister said that as per the state government's decision, the Cabinet initiated by honoring the martyrs and sanctioned employment for 18 of their dependents who, due to various reasons, missed the application deadline for jobs. He also informed that farmers will no longer be required to pay a royalty of Rs 200 for soil extracted from their farms for personal use. Instead, they can conveniently submit the necessary information on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal, eliminating the need to visit government offices.

He said that State Cabinet also gave approval of Rs 1,500 crore loan to Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation. The corporation's outstanding loan, previously around Rs 14,000 crores, has been substantially reduced to Rs 4,000 crores and is expected to be completely cleared in the near future, he added.

 

Hry Cabinet raises old age pension to Rs 3000 per month from Jan 1

Haryana Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday approved a monthly enhancement of Rs 250 for 14 pension schemes being implemented by the Social Justice, Empowerment, Welfare of SCs & BCs, and Antyodaya (SEWA) Department, Haryana, effective from January 1, 2024 to be paid from February 2024. This decision will benefit approximately 31.40 lakh beneficiaries under various social security schemes.

Gujjar further said that the cabinet has also approved an increase in the rates of nine social security pension schemes operated under the SEWA Department from Rs 2,750 to Rs 3,000 per month, effective January 1, 2024. These schemes include the Old Age Samman Allowance Scheme, Haryana Pension to Widows and Destitute Women Scheme, Haryana Disabled Persons Pension Scheme, Ladli Social Allowance Scheme, Haryana Allowance to Dwarf Scheme Pension, Haryana Allowance to Eunuchs Scheme, Financial Assistance to Widowers and Unmarried Persons, Financial Assistance for Stage 3 and Stage 4 Cancer Patients, and Financial Assistance to Persons Suffering from Rare Diseases.

In addition, financial assistance under the Non-School Going Disabled Children Scheme has been increased from Rs. 2,150 to Rs. 2,400, Financial Assistance to Destitute Children Scheme from Rs. 1,850 to Rs. 2,100, Financial assistance under Kashmiri Migrants scheme has been increased to Rs.1250 to Rs. 1500. Apart from this, financial aid for acid attack victims (Women & Girls) has been revised.

He further said that patients in Haryana suffering from Thalassemia and Haemophilia, with a family income of up to Rs 3 lakh per annum, will now be entitled to a monthly disability pension of Rs 3000. This decision, expected to benefit approximately 2083 patients, will result in an annual disbursement of Rs 7.49 crore at the present rate of Rs. 3000 per month.

Sanctions Haryana Registration and Regulation of Travel Agents Bill, 2024 to Curb Illegal Immigration

The Cabinet has also approved "The Haryana Registration and Regulation of Travel Agents Bill, 2024 in the interests of innocent and unemployed youths from falling prey to illegal immigration rackets. In view of the disturbing trend of individuals, particularly from the States of Punjab and Haryana, being deceived by corrupt travel agents engaged in fraudulent activities related to immigration, this bold initiative has been taken. Key highlights of this bill includes that no person can undertake the profession of a travel agent without obtaining a registration certificate under the Act, an application must be submitted to the competent authority with the required documents, fees, and within the specified time, the competent authority may issue a registration certificate after verifying the application details.

Approves ‘The Haryana Honourable Disposal of Dead Body Bill, 2024’

In a significant move to uphold the right and dignity of the dead body, the Cabinet has also granted approval to "The Haryana Honourable Disposal of Dead Body Bill, 2024." This landmark legislation aims to ensure the decent and timely last rites of a dead body. In consideration of the respect and dignity owed to a dead person, nobody should be allowed to raise any demand or bait for pursuing any demands by way of any protest or agitation by not performing the timely last rites of a dead body. It is essential to prevent any individual from using a deceased body as a means of protest or demonstration in any form.

Sanctions Rs 1500 Crore for Infrastructure Development 

The Cabinet has also approved Sanction/Enhancement of Working Limits of Rs.1500 crore of Haryana State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (HSIIDC) for Infrastructure Development mainly at Global City at Gurugram and IMT, Sohna besides land development at other locations of Industrial Estates of HSIIDC in the State of Haryana. The cabinet has also approved the draft of the Hisar Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) Bill 2024. The State Government has decided to establish the Hisar Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), Hisar to ensure sustained and balanced growth of the Hisar Metropolitan area.

18 dependents of martyrs of Haryana to get jobs

The Cabinet also accorded approval to provide jobs to 18 dependents of martyrs while giving relaxation in the policy for appointment to the dependents of martyrs on compassionate grounds. Out of 18 cases, 8 cases were related to paramilitary forces, and 10 cases were related to armed forces.

Chandigarh University founder nominated by Prez to Rajya Sabha

PNS/Chandigarh

President Droupadi Murmu has chosen Satnam Singh Sandhu — as the latest addition to the illustrious corridors of the Rajya Sabha, after his extraordinary journey from the farm fields to the upper echelons of India's education system.

 Born into a farmer’s family, Sandhu navigated the challenges of rural life, where access to education was often a distant dream. Raised in Rasulpur village of Ferozepur, he reportedly attended dilapidated government schools where classes were often held under trees. Despite the odds, Sandhu's thirst for knowledge was unquenchable, nurtured by his farmer father and grandfather who instilled in him a love for reading newspapers from end to end.

Undeterred by adversity, he embarked on a mission to transform the educational landscape. His journey into the realm of education commenced in 2001 when he, along with his friend and co-founder Rashpal Singh Dhaliwal, established the Chandigarh Group of Colleges (CGC) at Landran in Mohali. 

Fast forward to 2012, and Sandhu’s brainchild, Chandigarh University (CU), emerged on the scene, marking a meteoric rise in the education sector. Despite initial challenges and a loan of Rs 95 lakh, Sandhu’s vision began to materialize, with CU breaking into the prestigious QS World University Rankings in 2023.

Sandhu's vision extended beyond the confines of traditional academia. Through his two NGOs — the Indian Minorities Foundation and the New India Development Foundation, he spearheaded initiatives aimed at promoting health, communal harmony, and societal welfare. His holistic approach to education and community development has earned him accolades and admiration far beyond Punjab's borders.

Among those congratulated Sandhu on his new beginning are the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who lauded his commitment to education and social work. Sandhu, in turn, thanked the PM for the opportunity, emphasizing that his humble origins were now a testament to the new India being built under Modi's leadership.

Vice-President and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar also welcomed Sandhu to the Upper House, recognizing his rich contributions to community service and education. Sandhu, in response, expressed humility and pledged to be a voice for the people, echoing his dedication to building a ‘Viksit Bharat’ – a developed India.

Over 25 lakh property cards distributed in 6250 villages of State, says Chief Secretary

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal on Tuesday directed all Deputy Commissioners in the state to establish weekly targets for completing drone mapping, ownership card uploading, and distribution in their respective districts. They are also instructed to monitor progress regularly to ensure completion by April 30. The Chief Secretary was presiding over the review meeting of the Large-Scale Mapping Project and its implementation here in Chandigarh. The Chief Secretary said that the mapping work has been completed in most of the districts. In the remaining districts, the required work should be completed by the stipulated date. He interacted directly with all the District Deputy Commissioners, took information about the problems being faced in this work and gave necessary guidelines to complete them.

CTU to ply a bus service to Ayodhya

Chandigarh: UT Chandigarh administration has decided to ply a bus service to Ayodhya. It will take 19 hours to reach Ayodhya from Chandigarh. Presently, CTU has been providing its bus services for various destinations in the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand,a statement said. The bus services have been plying to various religious destinations like Salasar, Khatu Shyam, Vrindavan, Haridwar, Katra, Jwala Ji & Chamunda Devi etc. Now, after the inauguration of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, a bus service is being started considering the religious sentiments of devotees of Lord Rama. The bus service from ISBT-17, Chandigarh to Ayodhya will start before Basant Panchmi.

Purohit pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary

Chandigarh: Punjab Governor and Administrator, UT, Chandigarh Banwari Lal Purohit on Tuesday paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of his death anniversary, observed as Martyrs’ Day across the Nation. The Governor along with his Additional Chief Secretary K Siva Prasad and other officers and staff members of Punjab Raj Bhavan observed two-minute silence as a mark of respect to Gandhi ji and in the memory of all those who fought for the country’s freedom and sacrificed their lives. The Administrator said that Mahatma Gandhi was the epitome of truth and non-violence; he led several landmark movements during the freedom struggle, to free the nation from the British yoke.