Tuesday, January 2, 2018
- Chandigarh January 2: Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal today directed to implement the integrated solar based micro irrigation scheme in all districts of the State and constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of Chairman, Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (HAREDA) to chalk out a strategy in this regard.
- At present, such scheme is being implemented on pilot basis in commands of 14 different canal outlets spread over 13 districts of the State at a cost of Rs 24.65 crore.
- Mr Manohar Lal was presiding over a meeting regarding solar based micro-irrigation system here today. Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Mr Om Parkash Dhankar was also present in the meeting. He also issued directions for the implementation of integrated scheme for providing water through solar pump sets in two blocks namely Salahwas, district Jhajjar and Indri, district Karnal.
- While Chief Engineer, Command Area Development Authority (CADA) would be Member Secretary of the Committee, Director General, Horticulture, Superintending Engineering (Commercial), Power Department, Superintending Engineering, HAREDA and representative from Agriculture Department would be the other members of the Committee. The Committee would work out a comprehensive strategy for the implementation of solar based micro irrigation system in all districts of the State and submit a report in this regard.
- The Chief Minister said that solar based micro irrigation system would not only save electricity and water considerably but also prove to be economical for the farmers. Farmers’ association of the respective areas should be encouraged for community irrigation, he said adding that the State Government would made available infrastructure in those areas which would switch over the micro irrigation and solar water pumps. The farmers would not be required to install tubewells at their own level instead they just have to pay a nominal amount for water according the crops. He directed that the ponds lying unused in the villages should be utilized for the setting up of solar panels for the micro irrigation systems.
- He directed the Irrigation Department to initiate a solar based project for utilizing the surplus water from overflowing ponds in the villages. He said that to begin with, 50 overflowing ponds in various districts of the State could be taken up. He was informed that HAREDA has prepared a scheme for providing 2300 solar water pumps in the State and these would be provided to only the farmers who would adopt micro irrigation.
- Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Mr Om Parkash Dhankar suggested that apart from the rural ponds, the natural ponds in the agriculture fields should also be utilized under the solar based micro irrigation scheme.
- Among those present in the meeting included Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Mr Rajesh Khullar, Additional Principal Secretary, Dr Rakesh Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, Power Mr P.K Das, Principal Secretary, Irrigation Mr Anurag Rastogi, Principal Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department Mr Abhilaksh Likhi, Chairman and Managing Director, Power Utilities Mr Shatrujit Kapoor, Principal Secretary New and Renewable Energy Department Mr Ankur Gupta and other senior officers of the State Government.
- Chandigarh, Jan 2 – Heading towards the integration of fire services, the Haryana Government has taken yet another step forward to resolve late payment issues in fire stations by delegating the powers of Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) to Fire Officers at district level. This will put an end to the problem of employees in newly established Fire Service Directorate.
- While stating this here today, Urban Local Bodies-cum-Fire Service Department Minister, Mrs Kavita Jain said that Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal has accorded approval to a proposal concerning giving DDO powers to Fire Station Officer (non-gazetted) at district level. She said that since the formation of the Directorate of Fire Brigade in the state, the government is constantly working to bring fire services under a roof. There are 89 fire officers and employees working in 19 fire stations in municipalities and 555 in 59 fire stations in market committees in the state. So far, the maintenance of fire brigade and vehicles was done by the municipalities and the market committees. Due to the integration of services, the government has to bear the expenses pertaining to employees' salaries, firearms vehicles and maintenance of fuel.
- In order to strengthen the Directorate, she said that 2779 posts have been created for fire-fighting training centers and various 69 fire stations. After adjusting the fire officers and employees working in the municipalities and market committees, the requisition has been sent to the Haryana Staff Selection Commission and the Haryana Public Service Commission to fill the remaining vacancies through direct recruitment. She said that in order to empower fire services, Rs. 16.87 crore and Rs 65.95 crore have been demanded in the financial year 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively. This will improve resources by bringing fire services under a roof, so that they can be better utilized in case of an accident or a disaster.
- Chandigarh, Jan 2–Cobblers in Haryana can now look forward to getting bank loans of up to Rs 15,000 for setting up kiosks in the state under the Differential Rate of Interest (DRI) Scheme.
- Rising to the call made by the Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal, in this regard, bankers came forward to liberally extend loans to the cobblers at a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, here today.
- Under the DRI Scheme, financial assistance at concessional rate of four per cent interest is provided by public and private sector banks to selected low-income groups for boosting their productive endeavours.
- Mr Manohar Lal urged the bankers to lend maximum support to the cobblers under the DRI scheme to bring them into the mainstream. The government will also ensure back-up arrangement for repayment of bank loan through the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund in case of any eventuality. He also urged the bankers to contribute their profits to social works as a part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) scheme.
- It may be recalled that recently while coming back to Chandigarh, the Chief Minister had suddenly noticed a cobbler working in Shahabad town while sitting on the floor on a cold wintry day. He had announced financial assistance of Rs 50,000 from his discretionary quota and directed the district authorities to set up a kiosk for him and ensure educational facilities for both his grandchildren.
- The Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Mr Rajesh Khullar, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance, Mr P. Raghvendra Rao, Secretary Finance-cum-Advisor Finance Department, Mr Sunil Saran, representatives of Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, ICICI and other banks were also present at the meeting.