Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Tuesday said the state government has selected insurance companies under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to compensate farmers for crop losses due to natural calamities in the state. He added that a decision was taken in the meeting of the High-Powered Purchase Committee (HPPC).

Saini said that the insurance companies have been selected for the period from Kharif 2024 to Rabi 2025-26. An amount of Rs 1100 crore will be paid as a premium for this period. Farmers will have to pay merely a premium of 1 to 1.5 percent. The central and state governments will cover the remaining premium.

Besides this, in the HPPC, Departmental High-Powered Purchase Committee (DHPPC), and High-Powered Works Purchase Committee (HPWPC) approval was also given to the contracts and various item purchases worth over Rs 1970 crore in total. Negotiations with various bidders led to savings of over Rs 132 crore.

Cabinet Ministers Kanwar Pal Gujjar, Mool Chand Sharma, Ranjit Singh Chautala, JP Dalal, and Minister of State Aseem Goel were also present in the meeting.

Approval for Purchase of 650 Buses, Costing over Rs 290 Crore

The Government official spokesperson said that in the meeting, approval was also given to the proposal to purchase 150 AC buses and 500 non-AC buses for the Haryana Roadways fleet, at an estimated cost of over Rs 290 crore. Additionally,  approval was given for the purchase of multilayer covers and other items to protect food grains from rain and for storage by procurement agencies such as the Food Supply Department, HAFED, Haryana State Warehousing Corporation (HSWC), at an estimated cost of around Rs 15 crore.

The agenda of the police department's purchase of 2000 women's body protectors and special equipment for RFSL Bhondsi, Sunaria, and Madhuban, at an estimated cost of around Rs 14 crore was also approved.

The spokesperson further said that in the meeting, approval was also given for the construction of RCC box-type master stormwater drains in new sectors of Gurugram's sectors 68-75 at an estimated cost of Rs 55 crore and the construction of RCC box-type master stormwater drains and pumping stations in sectors 112-115, at an estimated cost of Rs 30 crore.

Additionally, the projects namely,  construction of a sub-division complex in Sohna, Gurugram district, at an estimated cost of Rs 17 crore, and the construction of SDO Civil Complex in Badhkal, Faridabad, at an estimated cost of Rs 16 crore, were approved.