Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
1000 Har-Hith stores to open this financial year, announces CM Khattar
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, February 23, 2024- Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal while presenting the 5th budget of the state government stated that the state government has taken various measures to enhance the social security net.
Gareeb and Antyodyay
The Chief Minister said that the ‘Old Age Samman Allowance’ and related pensions are now Rs. 3000 per month increasing from Rs.1000 in December 2014.
The provision for social security pensions has increased from Rs.1753 crore in 2013-14 constituting 3.2 percent of the total budget expenditure and is projected to be Rs. 10,971 crore in FY 2024-25, constituting 5.78 percent of the total budget expenditure. The total number of beneficiaries is now over 31.51 lakh increasing from 22.64 lakh in December 2014.
He said that they have taken Government to the doorstep of the beneficiary with the implementation of the ‘Old Age Samman Allowance’, ‘Divyang Pension’, and Widower Pension for those above the age of 40 years and have been widowed and Unmarried Pension for those above the age of 45 years and remain unmarried through the ‘Parivar Pehchan Patra’ in a pro-active mode.
Over 2.14 lakh ‘Old Age Samman’ beneficiaries have been identified through the pro-active mode in the last 18 months and over 5940 Divyang Pension beneficiaries identified proactively in the last one year.
The Chief Minister said that the State Government to extend the pro-active pension provision to other schemes such as Widow and Destitute Women Pension, Widower Pension for men above the age of 40 years, Unmarried Pension for persons above the age of 45 years, Financial Assistance to Destitute Children (FADC) and Financial Assistance to Non-School Going Disabled Children (FANSG) in the next 3 months, said the Chief Minister.
He said that in the past, Senior citizens who were in receipt of Employee Provident Fund benefits were excluded from receiving the benefit of ‘Old Age Samman Allowance’. There have been instances where the EPF pension is less than Rs. 3000 per month.
The Chief Minister said that the state government to amend the ‘Old Age Samman Allowance Scheme’ to provide benefits to such pensioners so that the sum total of the allowance by the Government and the EPF pension is equal to the Old Age Samman Allowance of Rs. 3000 per month or as amended from time to time.
The Chief Minister said that in his budget speech last year, he had announced that schools for children with disabilities shall henceforth be run directly by the Government to ensure proper education and care for such children.
He said that the process for take-over of 7 schools has commenced. Apart from this, a life-long care home for intellectually Divyang persons is under construction in Ambala.
He said that the DAYALU Scheme was introduced last year to provide financial support to a poor family on the death of a family member in the age group of 6 years to 60 years.
The Scheme is being implemented based on data in ‘Parivar Pehchan Patra’. After the launch of the scheme, till date, 8087 beneficiary families have been provided financial support of Rs. 310 crore in FY 2023-24.
The Chief Minister said that a scheme was introduced wherein all poorest of the poor families whose verified income in Parivar Pehchan Patra was up to Rs.1 lakh per annum and who are or were domestic consumers of DISCOMs, with average monthly consumption of electricity of the last 12 months up to 150 units per month and who have defaulted for two or more billing cycles would be eligible for waiver of default under the Scheme. Till January 2024, 15,476 consumers received benefits under the Scheme with a total sum of Rs.74 crore waived off.
He said that the Government had launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Antyodya Parivar Utthan Yojana’ to raise the family income of the poorest families to at least Rs. 1,80,000 per annum. Five rounds of Melas have been organised and a total of 89,387 applications have been approved in principle out of which 50,036 loan applications have been sanctioned and 38,568 loans have been disbursed.
1000 Har-Hith stores to open in 2024-25, Chief Minister
He said that a unique initiative to promote employment has been implemented in the form of retail outlets named Har-Hith through the Haryana Agro Industries Corporation.
At present, 1,050 retail outlets have been opened, of which 686 stores are being operated with MUDRA loans facilitated by the Government, of which 396 stores are being operated by youth from below-poverty-line families.
The total revenue through the Har-Hith stores is approximately Rs.435 crore across Haryana and provides a steady source of income to the youth operating these stores. The Chief Minister said that the state government to open an additional 1000 Har-Hith stores in 2024-25.
He said that the ‘Haryana Antyodya Parivar Parivahan Yojana’ (HAPPY) to benefit poor families to avail free travel, up to 1000 kilometres every year in Haryana Roadways Buses.
Under this Yojana, the benefit of free travel will be available to 22.89 lakh families with around 84 lakh persons having annual income upto Rs. 1 lakh. The beneficiaries would be issued a smart card linked to the e-ticketing system to enable free travel in the Haryana Roadways Buses.
A sum of around Rs.600 crore is likely to be expended on the implementation of this scheme.
He said that the benefits of ‘CHIRAYU-Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana’ (PM-JAY) was provided to all below-poverty-line families whose annual income is up to Rs.1.80 lakh in Parivar Pehchan Patra in November 2022.
At present, over 45 lakh families are beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat, and 1.11 crore Ayushman Bharat cards have been provided. Financial support of Rs.765 crore has been provided to over 5.21 lakh persons who required healthcare support in 2023-24 till date, as against financial support of Rs.385 crore to 2.67 lakh beneficiaries in 2022-23, said the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister said that the step taken by the Government reiterates its commitment to stand by all poor families and will meet their healthcare expenditure in times of need.
Additional Financial assistance up to Rs.50,000 for one lakh poor households whose average monthly electricity consumption is up to 200 units, CM
He said that the Prime Minister after the consecration of the holy temple in Ayodhya launched the Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana on 22nd January 2024 itself, under which rooftop solar panels are proposed for installation on the roofs of the houses of the middle class and poor people.
This will enable them to be both producers and users of electricity to yield enough electricity and reduce electricity bills.
A subsidy of Rs.60,000 will be provided for a 2 kW panel by the Central Government. The Chief Minister said that a scheme of additional financial assistance of up to Rs.50,000 for one lakh poor households whose average monthly electricity consumption is up to 200 units and whose annual income in Parivar Pehchan Patra is up to Rs.1.80 lakhs.
This will enable poor families to avail the benefits of the PM-Suryodaya Scheme, utilize the electricity for their household needs, and also become producers of electricity supplying electricity to the Electricity Distribution Companies. The details of the scheme will be notified later.
Rs.11939.86 crore to the SEWA sector for FY 2024-25, Chief Minister
The Chief Minister said that the state government to allocate Rs.11939.86 crore to the SEWA sector for FY 2024-25 which is an increase of 13.5 percent over the budget estimates of Rs.10521.85 crore of the current year.