Budget session: Governor highlights schemes, says 'Viksit Haryana' on track

Patting the Nayab Singh Saini government for working at three times the pace to fulfil its commitments in the third term of governance, Governor Bandaru Dattatreya said the government was taking decisive steps for the welfare of backward and deprived communities, in line with the "antyodaya" philosophy of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.

Appreciating the government for "timely decisions" and formulating policies to address the evolving needs of the state, Dattatreya, speaking on the first day of the first budget session of the Saini government in the Vidhan Sabha here today, credited the government with "transparency and merit-based recruitment”. He said the government had a proactive approach to social security pensions and these had been directly credited to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

The Governor said Haryana was the only state to offer MSP on 24 crops and had directly benefited 12 lakh farmers by transferring payments at MSP to bank accounts through the e-Kharid portal.

Reiterating the government's commitment to completing the SYL canal and securing a legitimate share of waters from the Ravi and Beas rivers, the Governor, in his 30-minute address, said the government was working on the construction of the Renuka, Kishau and Lakhwar Vyasi dams on the upper reaches of the Yamuna to ensure consistent water supply to the state from the river and its tributaries, Giri and Tons.

He said an MoU had been signed with the Himachal Pradesh Government for the construction of the Adi Badri Dam in 2022, likely to be completed by 2027.

Terming the Mahakumbh as a symbol of “great cultural unity”, he said elderly individuals from low-income group families visited Ayodhya and bathed in the "sangam" under the Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana.

Highlighting various schemes and underlining the resolution of Viksit Haryana-Viksit Bharat, 15,256 families had been allotted 30 sq yard plots in 14 cities under the Mukhyamantri Shahri Awas Yojana.

Speaking on women empowerment, the Governor said the government wanted to enable 5 lakh women to become 'Lakhpati Didi' while 2 lakh women had already achieved this status. Haryana, he said, had become the first state to implement a comprehensive crèche policy.

Under the National Education Policy, emphasis was being placed on quality, employment-driven and research-based education in the state. He also said 15 medical colleges were operational in the state, and work to establish government medical colleges in 11 districts was under progress.

On the new criminal laws, he said the government was determined to achieve the goal of making Haryana the first state to fully implement them by March 31. He also spoke of the laurels the sportspersons from Haryana brought to the nation and the state.

To accelerate industrial development, the government has created an ecosystem for ease of doing business, where investors could access more than 150 services online and approvals were ensured within 15 to 30 days. “Traders play a crucial role in the development of the state. We are committed to protecting their interests,” he said, highlighting that Haryana had recorded a 28% increase in GST collection — the highest among large states. He added that to facilitate traders and taxpayers, a Kar Bhawan had been constructed in Rewari for Rs 29 crore.

He also mentioned that the government was celebrating 'Our Constitution-Our Pride' campaign with year-round awareness programmes, and Haryana's Republic Day tableau shone for the fourth consecutive year.