Friday, June 19, 2020

Chandigarh June 19: Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal has commissioned the Haryana Governance Reforms Authority (HGRA) to prepare a short term and medium-term prospective plan to refocus the role of government in the post Corona times to correct the disruptions in production and supply chains in order to prioritise policies to meet the essential needs of the people. It also aims to redefine the role of the State in relation to market in education, health, food security, public health and housing sectors.

While stating this here today, an official spokesman said that Chairperson, HGRA Prof. Pramod Kumar will coordinate the work of the task groups constituted for this purpose.

He said that a number of Task Forces have been constituted to prepare a short and medium-term prospective plan. Mr T.C Gupta, I.A.S would represent the State Government and he would be assisted by a team of senior civil servants attached to the each task group as a member-secretary. He said that while the Task Group on Food, Agriculture and Allied Services would be chaired by Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member NITI Aayog, Government of India, the Task Group on Industries and Commerce would be chaired by Mr R.C Bhargava, Chairperson Maruti Suzuki.

The spokesman said that the Health, Public Health and Municipal Service task group would be chaired by Dr K.S Reddy, Chairperson, Public Health Foundation alongwith Dr. V.M. Katoch, former D.G., Indian Council of Medical Research as Co-chairperson. He said that the Task Group on Housing for All to be chaired by Mr Ashok Jain, Principal Consultant, NITI Aayog, Government of India, on Skilling and Education to be chaired by Prof. Yogesh Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Delhi Technologies University, New Delhi; on Revenue Generation, Tourism, Hospitality, Excise and GST by Prof. Mukul Asher of National University of Singapore.

He said that the task group on Governance Policy for Essentials (including I.T. application) would he headed by Prof. Pramod Kumar, Director, Institute for Development and Communication (IDC), and Chairperson, Haryana Governance Reforms Authority (HGRA), Chandigarh.

He said that the terms of reference for the prospective plan shall include; to capture the challenges and identify opportunities for industry, trade, services, agriculture etc., and thereby suggest institutional reforms to meet existential requirements including creation of opportunities for youth and to provide shelter, hygiene, health care, education of children and food security for all particularly poor.

He said that the prospective plan would cover the basic needs of the people like food, health, education, public health, transport, shelter and well being of its citizens and suggest a short and medium term plan. The prospective plan may suggest strategies for re-adaptation of the policies, programs, schemes, initiated by the state government to meet the challenge of the pandemic Covid-19. This will include re-examination of the disruptions occurred in production and supply chains and suggest amendments. It has been mandated that the short-term prospective plan to be submitted within three months and the medium term plan within 6 months of the constitution of the task group.