Chandigarh, March 31: Haryana Roadways will soon have 375 new electric buses in its fleet to provide affordable, safe, convenient and eco-friendly public transport services to the citizens. In this regard, the purchase of buses was approved in the meeting of High Powered Purchase Committee (HPPC) and Department High Powered Purchase Committee (DHPPC), chaired by Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal here today. Along with this, approval was accorded for the purchase of goods and items worth Rs 5,412 crore by various departments.

School Education Minister, Sh. Kanwar Pal, Transport Minister, Sh. Mool Chand Sharma, Energy Minister, Sh. Ranjit Singh and Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Sh. JP Dalal were also present in the meeting.

Addressing the mediapersons after the meeting, Sh. Manohar Lal said that a total of 28 agendas of Irrigation, Police, Transport, Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited, Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), Agriculture Department, Secondary Education, Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam, Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam, Public Health Engineering and Urban Local Bodies Department, were placed out of which 27 agendas were approved.

He informed that today, about Rs 85 crore has been saved by fixing the rates after negotiation with various companies.

The Chief Minister said that in the meeting, approval has also been given to purchase about 4.50 lakh street lights for the municipal bodies. Apart from this, approval was also given to purchase 21 high pressure jetting-cum suction hydraulically sewer cleaning machines for the safety of safai karamchiris and to ensure cleanliness. Also, approval was given to the proposal of the Public Health Engineering Department to buy ductile pipes worth about Rs 1,200 crore.

Sh. Manohar Lal said that the agenda for the use of torrefied bio-mass pellets in the thermal plant was also approved. “Apart from this, upgradation of 66 KV sub-station at Sadhaura, purchase of 15-seater 41 riot control vehicles and smart communication equipment for the police department has also been approved,” he added.

He said that in such type of meetings, negotiations are done with all the dealers in a transparent manner; to save public money. “The aim of the government is that every rupee of the public should be spent in a transparent manner only for their benefits,” he added.

Responding to a question, the Chief Minister said that the state government is standing shoulder to shoulder with the farmers. “If there is any kind of loss to the farmers, then the state government gives immediate compensation,” he said, adding that the state government was paying compensation at the rate of Rs 15,000 per acre.

Taking a dig, Sh. Manohar Lal said that during the 10-year tenure of the Congress, the farmers got compensation of about Rs. 1200 crore, while the present state government had given compensation of Rs 1,200 crore in the year 2015 itself. “Perceiving the crop loss this time also, it seems that the state government will have to pay more compensation; but we will not let the farmers suffer the loss,” he added.

The Chief Minister said that on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal, farmers register complete information about their land area and crop. “Now the government has also created the e-Fasal Kshatipurti portal, on which the farmers register their crop loss within 72 hours. The whole process is going on in a transparent manner and the compensation will be provided to all the farmers by the month of May,” he said.

Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Sh. TVSN Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance, Sh. Anurag Rastogi, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Sh. V. Umashankar, Chairman, Power Utilities, Sh. PK Das, Director General, Supplies and Disposals, Sh. Mohammed Shayin and administrarive secretaries of concerned departments were present during the meeting.