Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday said that the government's vision is to empower the poor and ensure that they benefit from government schemes through online services right from their homes. In this regard, the Haryana Antyodaya Parivar Parivahan Yojana (HAPPY) was launched today from 35 locations across the state. Under this scheme, families with an annual income of less than Rs. 1 lakh will be provided with 1,000 kms of free travel annually on Haryana Transport buses.

The Chief Minister was speaking as the chief guest at the state-level event held at Dr Mangal Sen Auditorium in Karnal.

Saini mentioned that many online schemes of the Haryana government have been studied and implemented in other states. He also pointed out that before 2014, poor families had to struggle to get gas cylinders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged self-sufficient individuals to give up their LPG subsidies, leading to millions voluntarily surrendering their subsidies. Consequently, the Ujjwala Yojana was implemented, providing 9.50 crore free LPG gas cylinders nationwide, including 12 lakh in Haryana. The Prime Minister has established a system where the poor benefit first from every scheme, such as the Ayushman Card scheme, which offers treatment worth up to Rs. 5 lakh. Haryana expanded this scheme with the Ayushman Bharat Chirayu Haryana Yojana, benefiting over 1.25 crore individuals.

He also highlighted that under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, 4 crore houses have been built for the poor in the last 10 years, setting an example of empowering the poor since independence. The Prime Minister has pledged to build 3 crore more houses by 2029. Under the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Awas Navinikarn Yojna, Haryana provides Rs. 80,000 for house repairs. During COVID, interest-free loans of Rs. 10,000 each were given to street vendors. Under the Mukhyamantri Vivah Shagun Yojana, Rs. 71,000 are provided for the marriage of a poor person's daughter. Haryana is the first state in the country to provide Rs. 3,000 monthly under the Old Age Samman Allowance. Beneficiaries no longer have to visit offices; their names are automatically included in the online list as soon as they turn 60.

The Prime Minister has accelerated the country's development over the past decade and aims to further enhance it in the next five years. The NDA alliance has once again chosen Sh. Narendra Modi as their leader, and he is set to take the oath as Prime Minister for the third time soon.

It is noteworthy that during the Antyodaya Conference in Karnal on November 2, 2023, the then Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced the HAPPY scheme, and it was implemented during the budget session of the assembly on February 23, 2024. On March 7, 2024, the state government began providing HAPPY cards to families with an annual income of 1 lakh or less. The scheme will benefit approximately 85 lakh beneficiaries in the state, and so far, 59,708 people have received the cards before the Model Code of Conduct. These individuals have travelled 37.88 lakh Kms.

Today, districts like Kaithal, Hisar, Jind, Fatehabad, Sirsa, Bhiwani, Karnal, and Kurukshetra were connected via video conferencing. The Chief Minister directly interacted with beneficiaries from several districts and handed over HAPPY cards to 20 beneficiaries in Karnal, congratulating them. Around 22.89 lakh families, totaling approximately 84 lakh people with an annual income of less than Rs. 1 lakh, will benefit from this scheme. All beneficiaries will receive smart cards linked to the e-ticketing system, allowing them to travel for free. The state government will allocate a budget of approximately Rs. 600 crores for this scheme.

Transport Minister Aseem Goel, addressing the event, praised the HAPPY scheme as unique in the country and lauded the transport department officers for their implementation efforts. He mentioned that the scheme's launch right after the Model Code of Conduct ended reflects the government's commitment to the upliftment of the last person in the queue. A special plan for cleanliness at all bus stands in the state is also being prepared, aiming to make travel on Haryana transport buses feel like a happy experience. Over the past 10 years, the cleanliness standards at railway stations have been significantly improved, and similar efforts will be made at all bus stands in Haryana.

Navdeep Virk, Principal Secretary of the Transport Department, provided detailed information about the scheme. He stated that currently, there are over 4,200 buses in the transport fleet, which will be increased to 5,300 in the next two years. This will include the addition of 1,800 BS-6 buses and the procurement of 150 AC buses, with 500 more to be added. Another 500 to 1,000 buses will be included under the kilometer scheme. He also highlighted that 36 citizen services provided by the transport department, with 29 already made online. He added that now, after purchasing a new vehicle, there is no need to visit the SDM office for the RC; it will be provided at the agency itself.

A short film on the Haryana HAPPY scheme was also shown to the audience at the event. The Chief Minister interacted with beneficiaries from various districts, including Ranbir from Kaithal, Mukesh and Karambir from Fatehabad, Surender from Jind, Kaushalya from Sirsa, Rajesh from Bhiwani, and Kamlesh Arora from Kurukshetra.