Haryana poised for key role in $5-trillion economy: Governor

Chandigarh, February 20

Highlighting the Haryana government’s motto of maximum governance with minimum government, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatraya said several intiatives, including auto appeal system, DBT facility and e-kharid etc, had curbed malpractices and ensured quality services in the state.

Per capita GST collection highest in country

Haryana, with only about 2% share of the country’s total population, contributed approximately 6% to the total GST collections of the country and its per capita GST collection was the highest among the top-collecting states. Bandaru Dattatraya, Haryana Governor

Tributes paid to Nehra, Ved pal

Chandigarh: On the first day of the Budget session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, obituary resolutions were passed to pay tributes to former ministers and MLAs who passed away recently. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar paid tributes and read out the obituary resolutions for former minister Jagdish Nehra, former Deputy Speaker Ved Pal, former minister Dharambir Gaba and former MLAs — Bhagwan Sahai Rawat and Balbir Singh Grewal. Speaker Gian Chand Gupta and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda also paid tributes to the departed souls.

Delivering his address on the opening day of the Budget session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, the Governor said the state was poised to play a key role in the national endeavour to make India a $5-trillion economy.

Stating that the state had revamped and simplified the process of making ration cards, the Governor said the government had recently announced reservation in the promotion of employees belonging to Scheduled Castes in a fixed and time-bound manner.

He said Haryana, with only about 2 per cent share of the country’s total population, contributed approximately 6 per cent to the total GST collections of the country and its per capita GST collection was the highest among the top-collecting states of the country.

Adding that the session assumed greater significance since it was in the 75th year of Independence and was the first session to be held in “Amrit Kaal”, the Governor highlighted the achievements of the state in various sectors.

The Industrial and Commercial Township, over an area of nearly 3,300 acres near Kharkhoda (Sonepat), and Industrial Model Township (IMT) at Sohna over an area of nearly 1,400 acres found mention in the address. “Maruti Suzuki India Ltd is establishing a project with an investment of Rs 18,000 crore and Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd is establishing a project with an investment of Rs 1,466 crore at the IMT Kharkhoda,” said Dattatraya.

He said the combined budget of agriculture and horticulture had grown more than four times from 2014 to 2022 and that with only 1.54 per cent area of India, the state was the second largest contributor of foodgrains to the Central pool.

The Governor said a honey quality laboratory at the Integrated Beekeeping Development Centre (IBDC), Kurukshetra, to facilitate the testing and export of honey, a new Centre of Excellence (CoE) on post-harvest management in Panchkula, two more CoEs — one for onion at Pinangwan, Nuh and another for flowers at Munimpur, Jhajjar — a nutricereal reasearch centre at Bhiwani were being set up.

The Governor said the government had increased the State Advised Price (SAP) of sugarcane by Rs 10 per quintal for the current crushing season 2022-23 over the last year. He said the government had effectively dealt with Lumpy Skin Disease and no new case had come after November 2022.

Out of the 495 MoUs signed during the tenure of the present government under the Enterprise Promotion Policy, 188 had been implemented or were under implementation with an investment valuation of Rs 26,002 crore.

He mentioned the distribution of tablets, establishment of labs to enhance critical thinking and 21st century skills, provision of career counselling, provision of free transportation and sanitary napkins for girl students.

Dattatraya said to enhance the employability of students of technical education, the government had established Centres of Excellence (CoE) at four government polytechnics.

During the tenure of the present government, the Sports University of Haryana had been established at Rai, Sonepat. Besides, Motilal Nehru School of Sports, Rai, Sonepat had been brought under the administration of the university, said the Governor while terming Haryana as a sports powerhouse.

During the Agniveer recruitment rallies at Hisar, Ambala, Charkhi Dadri and Rohtak, 1,821 Agniveers were recruited from Haryana, he said.

With a view to contributing more officers and men to the armed forces, the government would set up two armed forces preparatory institutes at a cost of Rs 20 crore each, said the Governor.

Mentioning the President’s colours for the Haryana Police, he said a commissionerate in Sonepat had been notified and 21 cyber police stations had been established.