By YS.Rana: 
Chandigarh, May 12,220: Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal said that the migrant workers have contributed significantly in the progress of the State and thus it is our moral responsibility to understand their suffering. The work of sending the migrant labourers stranded in Haryana due to the COVID-19 back to their home states and bringing back the people of Haryana stranded in other states is going on smoothly. In this series, today over 11000 migrant labourers were sent to their home states via five trains and buses.
Today Special Shramik train, carrying 1628 passengers including 188 children, departed from Narnaul railway station for Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh. Similarly, about 1450 labourers were sent from Rohtak to Katihar in Bihar, 1417 migrant labourers from Faridabad to Damoh in Madhya Pradesh, and1440 migrant labourers each were sent from Rewari to Sagar in Madhya Pradesh and Dadri and Bhiwani to Kishanganj in Bihar. So far, about 75,000 migrant workers from Haryana have been sent to other states through more than 1200 buses and 16 trains. Similarly, about 9700 people from other states have come to Haryana.
A Special Shramik Train, carrying 1459 passengers including 1428 labourers and 31 children stranded in Rohtak and other districts, departed from Rohtak railway station to Katihar in Bihar today evening. Earlier as well, two Special Shramik Trains carried migrant labourers from Rohtak railway station to Bihar. Migrant labourers and children were brought to the railway station in buses from various districts of the State. 201 workers from district Jind, 42 from Rohtak, 63 from Gurugram, 49 from Sonipat, 235 from Hansi, 108 from Hisar, 179 from Fatehabad, 59 from Yamunanagar, 180 from Kurukshetra and 345 from Panipat were brought to the railway station from where they left for their destination by special train.
The labourers and their families who left from Dadri to Bihar today include 393 residents of Araria, 86 of Katihar, 7 of Kishanganj, 195 of Madhepura, 384 of Purnia, 335 of Saharsa and 144 of Supaul district of Bihar. Apart from this, 30 workers left by Haryana Roadways bus to Jammu from Dadri SCR School at night.
While boarding the special train from Rohtak the migrant labourers expressed their gratitude and happiness to the State Government for arranging special trains and said that they are returning to their homes after a long time for which they were eagerly waiting since the lockdown was implemented. As soon as the train left the railway station, the labourers raised slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Jai Haryana’.
Food packets and water bottles were provided to all labourers. In addition, sanitizers and three-layer masks were also made available to them. Thermal scanning and medical check-ups were also conducted before bringing them to the railway station. The labourers said that with the efforts of the state government, they will soon be able to reach their respective villages and meet their family members.
At 5 am the migrant labourers and their families belonging to different districts Bihar left for Bhiwani railway station from Dadri SACR School in 40 buses. The Transport Department got these buses sanitized before sending to the school premises. The labourers were sent for their onward journey after providing them breakfast.
Sunil, a migrant labourer, who was leaving from Charkhi Dadri, said that Dadri administration took care of him like a guest. He said that there was so much love here that he will return as soon as the pandemic ends. Rajendra Kumar, resident of District Purnia in Bihar said that he was given nutritious food in Dadri and after that is being sent to his home state free of cost. He said that he will never forget the generosity of the officers of the Dadri Administration. Munna Sharma and Sanjoni Kumari, residents of Katihar district said that the administration was very good with them. They and their children have been provided with tea, milk, biscuits etc. Rajrishi Dev, a resident of Araria district, says that he will remember this journey for a lifetime.
Similarly, the migrant labourers in Narnaul praised the food and shelter arrangements made by the District Administration and local residents. This moment will be very memorable for Maya of Bikora village in Chhatarpur district who was carrying her two-day-old son Vishwajeet in her lap. Maya gave birth to a child 2 days back in a shelter home built at RPS School in Mahendragarh. She said that the Health Department provided all kinds of medicines and food for her child. Maya’s husband Bardani said that the government had made arrangements to send the train tickets free of cost due to which they are very happy. Dhan Singh of Hardra Hathi Ghat in Madhya Pradesh, Brijendra of Para village and Chhotu of Gwalior said that in this special train, the state government has made arrangements for free tickets and water and food etc. for them for which they are very grateful.
Similarly at the Rewari Junction for the sixth consecutive day today, at 7:30 in the evening, the Shramik Special Train left for Sagar with the agricultural migrant labourers of Madhya Pradesh. Expressing happiness over the arrangement of free travel by the state government, the workers said that they would come again at the time of cutting of bajra and cotton. Agricultural migrant labourers living in Rewari were brought from the shelter home to the railway station via roadways buses. Railway platforms, trains and the hands of each migrant worker were sanitized and food and drinking water were also arranged for them.
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Haryana Health Minister, Mr. Anil Vij, while congratulating the nursing community on the occasion of International Nurses Day said that the nursing profession is a matchless example of service to humanity.
In a message issued here today on the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, Anil Vij commemorated Florence Nightingale for her contribution to the field of nursing.He said that during the war Florence Nightingale used to visit the wounded soldiers at night with a lamp to take care of them.
He further said that her ideals and principles will always be a source of inspiration for nurses and others related to health services.
The Health Minister said that in order to further improve nursing services in the State; it has been decided to run nursing colleges in an orderly manner so as to provide world-class affordable and high level medical services to the poorest sections of the society, the health system is being rejuvenated in a phased manner with public-private partnerships.
Anil Vij said that the nursing community renders its services with complete devotion and commitment. Doctors and other health staff are playing an active role in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic and their passion towards their profession is highly commendable.
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CM’s reaction on Prime Minister’s announcement of financial package
Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal has expressed gratitude to Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi for announcing a big financial package of Rs 20 lakh crore for giving a major relief to Industrial sector, particularly MSMEs which will lead to making India a fully self reliant country. Terming this package as the world’s most holistic COVID 19 relief package, he said that it will increase efficiency of all sectors.
Manohar Lal said that the package which is almost ten per cent of the GDP of India will benefit farmers, labourers and Industrial sector focussing especially on small and cottage industries. He said that in this hour of crisis, the need was to give a boost to the development of the country thereby making the nation self reliant, strong and confident.
The Chief Minister said that despite the fact that Corona pandemic has shaken up even strong economies worldwide but India which is being proactive under the strong leadership of Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi is going ahead with reforms for a resilient future.
The motto of Prime Minister that self reliant India is the way ahead will be followed by Haryana in letter and spirit, the Chief Minister added.
Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal was presented with a cheque of Rs 17,55,200 for ‘Haryana Corona Relief Fund’ by Education Minister Mr. Kanwar Pal in Chandigarh today.
Earlier, the Education Minister has handed over several cheques worth Rs. 87,73,903 for ‘Haryana Corona Relief Fund’. So far the the Education Minister has handed over several cheques worth Rs. 1,05,29,103 to the Chief Minister for the said relief fund
Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal was presented with a cheque of Rs 21 Crore for ‘Haryana Corona Relief Fund’ by Sarpanch, Mrs. Munesh Devi, Gram Panchayat Palra, Gurugram, collected from the people of the village to fight against COVID-19 here today.
Speaking on this occasion, the Chief Minister praised the people of Gram Panchayat for their contribution towards the Haryana Corona Relief Fund. He said that besides the social organizations, the gram panchayats are also contributing significantly in containing COVID-19 and for further improving the system.
The Chief Minister said that the State Government is taking effective steps to combat COVID-19 pandemic. He assured the people that the State Government would soon overcome this problem.
Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat Palra, district Gurugram, Mrs. Munesh Devi said that the people of the village have always been at the forefront in contributing during the hour of crisis.
Haryana Deputy Chief Minister, Dushyant Chautala, has congratulated nurses of the State today on the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, who gave the profession of nursing the status of a mission for the service to humanity with a spirit of sacrifice.
In a message issued here today on the occasion of ‘International Nurses Day’, Mr. Dushyant Chautala said that nursing is not just a means of earning a livelihood but actually a noble cause for serving humanity. He said that today the nursing community is commemorating the spirit of dedication, commitment and compassion of Florence Nightingale, In this hour of crisis, nurses are selflessly serving in COVID-19 hospitals and isolation wards day and night without worrying about themselves or their families. Their spirit of service to humanity is also encouraging us all to fight this disease.
He said that the importance of the role of nurses in the treatment of patients cannot be denied and in view of this, nurses working in COVID-19 hospitals and isolation wards have also been given the benefit of life insurance on the lines of that being given to the doctors.
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Haryana, Chief Minister Manohar Lal has congratulated nurses, who are selflessly serving humanity, on the International Nurses Day.
In a message issued today, Manohar Lal said that Florence Nightingale’s birthday is on May 12 which is celebrated as ‘International Nurses Day’ all over the world. He said that the profession of nursing is associated with service of humanity.
The Chief Minister said that Florence Nightingale had served the injured soldiers of the enemy country during the Crimean War in 1854 and is an inspiration to the entire world. Today, the whole world is facing the corona pandemic. He said that the role of doctors and nurses is equally important in the treatment of patients. In this hour of crisis, the nursing sisters and other para-medical staff have essayed the role of Corona warriors and we are proud of their services, he added.
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In a statement issued here, Sanjeev Kaushal, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Cooperation Department stated that 1.79 Lakh Metric Tonnes of Wheat was procured from 23,381 farmers in the Procurement Centres of Haryana. With this the progressive total of 64.25 Lakh Metric Tonnes of Wheat has been procured from 4,13,336 farmers in the State in the last 20 days.
He added that today 27,800.51 Metric Tonnes of Mustard was procured from 10,314 farmers in the 163 Procurement Centres of the State and progressive total of 5.97 Lakh Metric Tonnes of mustard has been procured from 2,20,858 farmers.
He also added that till now 2,910.74 metric Tonnes of Gram has been procured from 1,478 farmers of the state.
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In view of the spread of Covid 19, the government has decided to extend the exemption of employees from marking their attendance through Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance system (AEBAS) till further orders.
According to a government spokesperson, all employees will continue to mark their attendance in physical attendance registers, as was the practice prior to launch of AEBAS.
Through Chief Secretaries’ office, all the Heads of Departments, Divisional Commissioners, Managing Directors/ Chief Administrators of Boards, Deputy Commissioners/Sub Divisional Officers of the state government offices have been given appropriate instructions.
It is important to mention that all employees were exempted from marking their attendance by the state government on March 8, 2020, through AEBAS on account of Covid-19.
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Haryana Agriculture Minister, Jai Parkash Dalal while thanking farmers of the state said that despite facing many problems in this hour of COVID-19, the brave farmers of Haryana have played a pivotal role in ensuring that there are adequate food grain stocks for both the Nation and the State. The entire Nation is grateful to the farmers. He said that the present State Government is farmer-friendly and has always implemented several welfare schemes in their interest.
Advising Congress leaders to desist from political mongering in this hour of COVID-19 crisis, the Minister, while addressing a press conference here today, said that rather than making misleading statements, all must unite to face this pandemic. However, it seems that Congress leaders’ sole purpose is to criticize the State Government’s welfare policies.
Coming down heavily on Congress leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala and Kumari Selja for their recent media statements questioning the State Government’s exclusive ‘Mera Pani Meri Virasat’ scheme aimed to conserve water, Mr. J.P Dalal said that such statements made by these Congress leaders have clearly exposed their political immaturity and dubious motives.
Taking a jibe at both Congress leaders for indulging in ‘doublespeak’, the Agriculture Minister said that such statements clearly indicated the fact that Congress leaders were unhappy with the commendable work done by the present State Government in the public interest. He said that Congress which today is pretending to be farmers’ well-wisher had not implemented any such scheme during their tenure.
Meanwhile, divulging more details about ‘Mera Pani Meri Virasat’ Scheme, the Agriculture Minister said that the government has introduced a new crop diversification scheme ‘Mera Pani Meri Virasat’ to cultivate maize, cotton, millet, and pulses in place of paddy on an area measuring one lakh hectares. Under this scheme, farmers sowing alternative crops other than paddy during this season will get an incentive of Rs 7,000 per acre. He informed that eight paddy-rich blocks including Ratia, Siwan, Guhla, Pipli, Shahabad, Babain, Ismailabad and Sirsa, where the depth of groundwater level exceeds 40 meters, would be included in this scheme. Last year, the total paddy area of these 8 blocks was 2,06,000 hectares, however, this time 50 percent of the area i.e. 1,03,000 hectares will be replaced with alternative crops, he added. He further informed that high productivity maize hybrid seed companies will be empanelled by the department and farmers would be able to buy seeds from them. He said that only those companies whose production capacity of seeds would be more than 25 quintals per acre would be empanelled. For this, companies will set up demonstration farms in every block.
Farmers other than the targeted 8 blocks would also be eligible for availing benefits under this Crop Diversification scheme if they replace their paddy area by alternate crops. Such farmers have to apply and submit details of revenue record pertaining to paddy cultivation with the condition that no new area has come under paddy cultivation, the Minister shared.
The Agriculture Minister informed that about 10,000 hectares out of targeted 1 lakh hectare land has been reserved for cultivation of horticultural crops. To promote horticulture, subsidy would be given on the seeds for horticultural plants.
He informed that even during the COVID-19 Pandemic, by increasing the number of mandis the procurement process was conducted hassle-free so as to insure that farmers do not have to travel long distances to bring their produce to the Mandis during the Rabi season 2020. As many as 1831 procurement centers have been established for Wheat and 162 for Mustard. So far, 604.77 lakh quintal of Wheat and 54.20 lakh quintal of Mustard have been procured in the Mandis. This purchase has been made in a very short span of time. The procurement of Wheat has taken place in only 20 days, whereas the opposition made tall claims that the State Government would not be able to buy Wheat even in three months, the Minister asserted.
He said that during the year 2018-19, the total food grain production in the state was 181.44 lakh metric tonne, whereas in the year 2013-14 during the regime of the previous government this figure was only 153.54 lakh metric tonne.
While comparing present State Government’s work done in the interest of farmers as against that done by the previous government, the Agriculture Minister said that to meet the risk of farmers in Kharif crop, in 2016 the State Government had launched Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in Haryana, covering millet, paddy, cotton, maize, wheat, gram, wheat, mustard and sunflower crops. Till now 50.37 lakh farmers have been registered under the scheme and Rs, 825.69 crore has been taken as premium from 12.09 lakh farmers, while an amount of Rs. 2546.96 crore has been paid as insurance money, he informed. Even at that time this scheme had been strongly opposed by the Congress, the Agriculture Minister said.
He said that during the tenure of the previous government the insurance benefits were provided under the following schemes i.e National Agricultural Crop Insurance Scheme, Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme and Revised National Agricultural Crop Insurance Scheme, which were limited to a few blocks/ districts. During the Congress tenure (2005-06 to 2013-14) only 12.53 lakh farmers were registered and only 4.20 lakh farmers were given the benefit of this scheme with an amount of Rs.164.30 crore only.
He said that for disaster management during (2014-15 to 2019-20), an amount of Rs. 2764.93 crore was disbursed by the Haryana government as compensation amount to the farmers, whereas during previous Government’s tenure (2005-06 to 2013-14) only Rs. 827.01 crore was disbursed as compensation amount.
The Agriculture Minister further informed that to strengthen the farmers financially in the year 2019, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Yojana was started, under which every year an amount of Rs.6000 is being deposited online in the accounts of the farmers. Under this scheme, Rs. 1362.36 crore has been deposited in the accounts of about 16.53 lakh farmers, whereas during tenure of Congress no such scheme was implemented in the interest of farmers.
He informed that under various schemes, power subsidy of Rs. 6856.02 crore was released to the farmers in the year 2019-20, while in previous government’s tenure it was Rs 4853.40 crore during the year 2013-14.
The Minister shared that with a view to promote Micro Irrigation, 85 percent subsidy has been given by the present State Government. So far 1.08 lakh hectare area has been covered under Micro Irrigation upto 2019-20 as against 66,808 hectare before 2014-15.
During the media interaction, Agriculture Minister also gave detailed information about other schemes being run by the present government such as horticulture, purchasing of crops, improving groundwater etc.