IEP Chandigarh, November 23

Gone are the days when the deserving youth of Haryana and others used to wait for months and years to get employment opportunities through unfair means as the Manohar Lal-led government is ensuring employment opportunities in government departments, boards and corporations in a robust and transparent manner.

Earlier, the government brought transparency in the recruitment being done through the Haryana Staff Selection Commission and the Haryana Public Service Commission and gave jobs on the basis of merit ending the infamous Parchi Kharchi system.

Meanwhile, strictly adhering to the directions given by the Chief Minister the State Government is doing merit-based recruitments through Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam Limited (HKRNL).

The latest example of this was seen when the Chief Minister today gave digital offer appointments to 2075 PGT and TGT teachers within just 17 days of the registration of the said job role.

Notably, the last date for registration for the posts of teachers was November 6, 2022 and today in just 17 days the Chief Minister has issued the said letters to these teachers.

These appointments have been made in those schools where the shortage of teachers was found after rationalization. Taking quick cognizance of this, the state government has immediately appointed these teachers so that the students can get quality education.

However, Haryana Public Service Commission has also advertised the regular recruitment of teachers. The Commission has invited applications for 3863 posts of PGT. The recruitment process done by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission and the Haryana Public Service Commission takes time, but now recruitment is being done through the HKRNL for the departments where employees are needed.

The Chief Minister while giving a permanent solution to the exploitation complaints raised by the employees engaged under the Outsourcing Policy-1 by their service providers, decided to set up HKRNL. After this revolutionary decision, now all the contractual employees engaged under Outsourcing Policy-1 are being deployed through Nigam only.

The data of more than 90,000 employees engaged under Outsourcing Policy-I who have been already working in various Departments, Boards and Corporations have been ported into the HKRNL.

Deputy Principal Secretary to Chief Minister and Chief Executive Officer, HKRNL, Sh. K. Makarand Pandurang and other officers also remained present on this occasion.

IEP Chandigarh, November 19 

Haryana Government has notified the scheme Haryana Good Governance Award Scheme, 2022 (Haryana Sushasan Puraskaar Yojana, 2022) to honour excellent officials and officers of the state government. The notification of the scheme has been issued. Giving information in this regard, Chief Secretary, Sh. Sanjeev Kaushal said that the objective of this scheme is to promote good governance and to reward those employees who are contributing through their individual innovations and extraordinary efforts in the government schemes.

The first winner at the state level will get a cash prize of Rs. 51,000

Sh. Kaushal informed that the Good Governance Awards will be given at two levels i.e at state and district level. In the state level award, the winning team of individual employees or employees will be given first prize of Rs. 51,000 in cash, second prize of Rs. 31,000 and third prize of Rs. 21,000. Similarly, in the district level award, the first prize will be given a cash reward of Rs. 31,000, the second prize Rs. 21,000 and the third prize Rs. 11,000. In these awards, along with cash prize, trophy, appreciation certificate signed by the Chief Minister (whose copy will be kept in the service book of the employee) will also be given.

Maximum 10 awards at the state level, 3 awards each will be given at the district level for all the three positions

The Chief Secretary informed that according to the plan, a maximum of 10 awards will be given at the state level. There will be 2 prizes for first place, 3 prizes for second place and 5 prizes for third position. Similarly, for all the three ranks at the district level, 3 awards will be given in each district.

Employees doing remarkable work in economic, infrastructure and social sector or state flagship programmes can apply

Sh. Sanjeev Kaushal informed that on the occasion of Good Governance Day, on December 25, 2022, employees can apply for the Good Governance Award to be given to excellent officers and employees.

He informed that interested officers, employees or team of employees, who have done remarkable and innovative work in economic, infrastructure and social sector or State Flagship Programs may send their applications to their Head of Department/ Organization. The application will be scrutinized by the Head of the Department and thereafter forwarded to the concerned Administrative Secretaries with his recommendations. Administrative Secretaries will submit/upload the applications on “HaryanaGoodGovernanceAwards.haryana.gov.in” portal by November 30, 2022.

He informed that username and password will be sent to each administrative secretary by e-mail. Nominations received by the due date will be selected, screened and evaluated by external expert institutions. The final decision will be taken by the Empowered Committee with the approval of the Chief Minister.

Sh. Sanjeev Kaushal informed that the State Government has started the Haryana Good Governance Award Scheme, 2022, the scheme is applicable to all the employees of Group A , B , C and D including contractual employees and persons working under outsourcing policy in any Department , Board , Corporation , Statutory Authority, Mission, Society , Institute, University, Public Sector Undertaking, etc. under the Haryana Government which is owned and controlled by Government of Haryana, who have done extraordinary and innovative work in the specified fields and excluding Administrative Secretaries, HOD’s and AIS Officers.

IEP Chandigarh, November 19 –

Haryana Chief Minister today participated in the function to mark the celebrations of the 528th Prakash Utsav of the great Saint Baba Sri Chand Ji Maharaj held at Mandi, at Pehowa in Kurukshetra district. 

At the function organised by Udasin Sri Brahma Akhara Sahib the Chief Minister announced the construction of a 20-bed hospital in Mandi Sahib after Baba Sri Chand Ji Maharaj. He said that Akhara Sahib will ensure the availability of land and the government will build a hospital and the responsibility of running this hospital will be handed over to Sri Brahma Akhara Sahib.  

The chief minister while assuring to fulfil the other demands placed by the Akhara also said that the feasibility check will be done  for laying a sewerage pipeline to improve the sewerage system in this area. He also announced the completion of interlocking work on both sides of the road to Gurdwara Sahib.

Addressing the devotees who came from across the state , the Chief Minister said that he was extremely fortunate to participate in the spiritual programme of Prakash Utsav of Baba Sri Chand Ji Maharaj. 

He said India is a land of Rishi-Munis, Sadhus-Saints, Mahatmas and Gurus.  All these great men delivered the message of truth, non-violence, love, unity, peace, harmony, kindness, compassion and charity to the entire human society.

He said that Baba Sri Chand Ji Maharaj, since his childhood, dedicated his entire life to serving society.

We will help in the welfare works being carried out by Udasin Shri Braham Akhara Sahib

The Chief Minister said that Udasin Shri Braham Akhara Sahib is doing a noble cause by organizing blood donation camps in schools, and hospitals, organising marriages of poor girls, sports competitions etc.  

“I wholeheartedly appreciate Akhara Sahib for making a significant contribution to the welfare of humanity”, said Sh. Manohar Lal. 

He said that whatever kind of cooperation is required from the state government in all these works, the government will provide the same. 

The Chief Minister said that on April 24, a state-level function was organized on the historic land of Panipat to mark the 400th Prakash Parav of ‘Hind Ki Chadar Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji’.  Earlier,  to mark the celebrations of the 550th Prakash Parv of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and 350th Prakash Parv of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, state-level programmes were also organized in the State,” shared the Chief Minister. 

Sh. Manohar Lal said that Baba Banda Singh Bahadur was a brave soldier and a great saint. The state government is making constant efforts to preserve the memories of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur alive.  

“To preserve the historical, religious and cultural heritage of his capital Lohgarh and to show it to the world, a Shaeedi Samarak and martial arts school is being built in Lohgarh in the name of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur.  Apart from this, an educational institute will also be opened here,” said the Chief Minister. 

Let us build a drug-free society

The Chief Minister urged the Udasin Shri Braham Akhara Sahib and the Sangat present there to work together in the direction of building a society which is free from social evil like drugs. 

“Today drug addiction is becoming a big problem and making the youth aware of this menace has become the need of the hour,” added Sh. Manohar Lal. 

         “The State Government always ensures stringent action against the drug peddlers by enacting strict laws, but the role of the society is equally important in bringing the youth on the right path. I urge you all to make the youth and their families aware of drug abuse.  A good society can only be built by working together”, said Sh. Manohar Lal.

Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs, S. Sandeep Singh, Baba Gurwinder Singh Maharaj, founder of Udasin Shri Braham Akhara Sahib, Political Advisor to Chief Minister, Sh. Bharat Bhushan Bharti and many saints and senior officers remained present on this occasion. 

IEP Chandigarh, November 19

 A seminar on ‘Cyber-Security, Drones and Haryana IT Scenario’ was organized by ‘Haryana IAS Officers’ Association’ here today. Speaking on the occasion, Haryana Chief Secretary, Sh. Sanjeev Kaushal said that the state government has made significant progress in the field of information technology, but the IAS officers need to upgrade their skills in this field from time to time. Appreciating the working style of the officers, he said that Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi himself has described the IAS officers of the country as hardworking and said that these people are strong pillars of unity and integrity of the nation.

In the seminar, Sh. S.S. Sharma, Director of Operations, Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), discussed in detail the importance of cyber-security in the present times. He said that some anti-social elements are doing cyber-attacks on the service and security of our country, about which everyone needs to be aware and cautious. He stated that today most of the cyber-attacks are happening on our defence data which is considered very important and sensitive for the security of the country, hackers are stealing our invaluable information and tampering with it. He also said that cyber-criminals have an eye on the health data of our country.

While discussing the topics of cyber-attacks on personal data and prevention from national and international level, Sh. Sharma said that cyber-security has become a challenge in every department of the country today. He said that 80 percent of the hackers are from the interior of the country only, who hack the data. He has suggested that at least 2-3 skilled employees should be recruited in each department for ensuring cyber-security. Citing various examples of cyber-attacks, he cautioned the officers to be vigilant about the security of the data.

While presenting the presentation on ‘IT Scenario in Haryana’, Haryana’s Additional Chief Secretary, Information Technology, Electronics and Communication Department, Sh. Anand Mohan Sharan said that the state government is implementing government services and schemes with the spirit of Antyodaya through the help of information technology. He said that efforts are being made to reach the last person standing in the queue. He discussed the vision of the Haryana government, the need for digital governance along with the IT initiatives taken to implement the schemes with the central government at the earliest, the flagship initiatives of the government, the efforts being made for good governance, the role of the IT department, the importance of the ICT structure. Apart from strengthening, detailed information was given about future plans.

Sh. TL Satyaprakash, CEO of ‘Drone Imaging and Information System of Haryana Limited’ discussed in detail about the works of survey, girdawari and images taken by the Haryana government through drone technology. He informed that through DRIISHYA (Drone Imaging Information Services of Haryana) the state government is using drones to take images of various areas. He informed that now the work is being done with speed and precision on various projects of the state by taking images through drones. He explained in detail about mapping of Khanak-mines, town and country planning, Faridabad, high power tension line of Daulatabad, Karnal during floods and the use of images taken related to heritage site Rakhigarhi and Saraswati River.

At the beginning of the seminar, Secretary of ‘Haryana IAS Officers Association’ and Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister of Haryana and Director General of Information, Public Relations and Languages Department, Dr. Amit Agrawal welcomed the guests and said that this is the third session of the association after Covid-19. He said that through such events where the IAS officers get to meet each other and also exchange thoughts on various important topics.

On this occasion, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Sh. V. Umashankar, besides various IAS officers of Haryana Cadre were present.

IEP Chandigarh, November 18

Haryana Deputy Chief Minister, Sh. Dushyant Chautala said that wherever the crops were affected due to water-logging, those farmers will be paid Rs. 15,000 per acre as per the policy of the Haryana Government.He said this while addressing a meeting in Jhajjar today.The Deputy Chief Minister said that the Government has ensured fifty percent women representatives in the recently concluded panchayat elections. Due to the policies of the government, a large number of educated representatives have been elected, which will give a new impetus to rural development.Along with him, Minister of State for Labour and Employment (Independent Charge), Sh. Anoop Dhanak was also present.Referring to the Haryana Government’s Gram Darshan portal, the Deputy Chief Minister said that demand related to the development of the village can be sent on this portal, further action will be taken automatically. Similarly, all the panchayats should send their demands regarding opening of the digital library in the villages. With the opening of a digital library in the village, a positive environment will be created towards education and youth will be helped in competitive examinations. Meanwhile, the newly elected Panch-Sarpanchs from several villages of the district met the Deputy Chief Minister.In response to a question asked by media persons, Deputy Chief Minister, Sh. Dushyant Chautala, said a report has been sought regarding purchase of paddy from DCs in all the districts. Reports of 9 districts have come and the numbers received from the transport provider agencies through Vahan portal are being scrutinised. Similarly, farmers will be paid as per the Land Acquisition Act for the land acquired for the Orbit Rail Corridor. On the question of development of roads in the area, the Deputy Chief Minister said that Rs. 25 crore has been sanctioned for each assembly constituency. After this, the Deputy Chief Minister also heard the grievances of the people and gave directions to the officers to resolve them.

IEP Chandigarh, November 18

Haryana State Election Commissioner, Sh. Dhanpat Singh said that the commission has received few complaints regarding forged/fake educational certificates of newly elected Panchs and Sarpanchs. This is in regards to the panchs and sarpanchs elected during the General Elections 2022 of Panchayati Raj Institutions conducted by the State Election Commission in 18 districts.The State Election Commission has directed all the District Deputy Commissioners and District Election Officers (Panchayat) to take necessary action in this regard.Sh. Dhanpat Singh said that the information about the complaints received by the Commission has been sent to the concerned Deputy Commissioners of all 18 districts except Faridabad, Fatehabad, Hisar and Palwal where elections are yet to be held and they have been directed to investigate them in the district.He further said that the investigation will be carried out by any working IAS / HCS officer. If any panch or sarpanch is found ineligible after investigation, then action should be taken against him under sub-section (3) of section 51 of the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994. According to this provision Sarpanch or Panch can be suspended or removed. Before taking this action, the Deputy Commissioner will have to give an opportunity of hearing to such Panchs/Sarpanchs.In the letter issued by the Commission, Sh. Dhanpat Singh has directed the Deputy Commissioners to inform the State Election Commission about the action taken on such matters.Any person who has any complaint in this regard should directly send it to the Deputy Commissioner of his concerned district.

IEP Chandigarh, November 18

Determined about rooting out drugs in the state and personally taking command of it, Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal presided over the third meeting of the State Level Committee of Narco Coordination Center (NCORD) today and directed the officials that not only the police but all the concerned departments would have to work together to eradicate the menace of drugs. Home and Health Minister Sh. Anil Vij was also present in the meeting.

Sh. Manohar Lal said that the drugs have not only become an interstate menace but also an international problem. “Many types of financial transactions are linked to drug cases. Beside strict police action on drug smugglers by putting them behind the bars, their properties will also have to be seized. In Haryana, the properties of smugglers have been demolished at many places recently,” he added.

Haryana government taking stern steps for de-addiction

The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Sh. Amit Shah is working vigorously to make India drug free and the Haryana government is also taking stern steps in this regard. He said that drug smuggling also poses a threat to national security and for this all the departments will have to coordinate and run awareness campaigns as well as strict action have to be taken against the culprits.

Mapping of de-addiction centers should be done in the state

While giving directions, the Chief Minister said that from time to time, the government receives information about intoxicants made available at the de-addiction centers and thus to keep a close vigil on this; all the drug de-addiction centers in the state, whether government or those being run through non-governmental organizations, should be mapped and the data of the patients who came here for treatment should be analysed by conducting a survey by December 31.

Appeal to citizens – ‘Apprehend drug addicts, Get rid of drugs’

Sh. Manohar Lal said that the slogan of the Haryana government is “Tu Nischay toh kar, Nasha Pakadwao, Nasha Chhutwao” (Make up your mind, apprehend the drug addicts, get rid of the drugs) and for this, anti-drug helpline number – 9050891508 has also been issued. The Chief Minister directed that this number should be publicised at public places as well as on the Haryana Transport buses; so that the common people can be made aware and every citizen can join the campaign of the state government. He also appealed to the citizens to immediately share any information received about drug smuggling or use of drugs to the police; as it is very important to break the chain of demand and supply for the eradication of drugs.

The Chief Minister directed the officials to make the society especially the youth aware by running a special awareness campaign on the drugs menace and diseases caused by it and its adverse effects in the society. Not only this, the students in schools, colleges and universities should be administered an e-pledge against the drugs.

Along with police, health department will also have to be stern: Sh. Anil Vij

Home and Health Minister, Sh. Anil Vij said that along with the police, the health department will also have to be strict and at the time of post-mortem, if the cause of death is found to be drug overdose; it will have to be confirmed and for this, the opinion of a medico-legal consultant should also be taken.

He said that the problems being faced at the de-addiction, rehabilitation and counselling centers being run on the basis of pilot project in Sonipat; should be resolved and ensure that such problems do not arise in the six centers being set up at the divisional level. Also, suggestions should be taken from the representatives of the Medical Association.

Chief Secretary. Sh. Sanjeev Kaushal informed the Chief Minister that instructions have been issued to inspect de-addiction centers and duties have been imposed on all the sub-divisional officers (civil) to inspect de-addiction centers in their respective districts. They have also been directed to take stock of the facilities being provided along with its functioning and submit the action taken report to the headquarters.

Haryana ensured better implementation of schemes at grassroots level

During the meeting, Sh. Gyaneshwar Singh, Deputy Director General, NCB, Delhi appreciated the efforts being made by Haryana for drug prevention. He said that Haryana has ensured better implementation of schemes at the grassroots level by including most of the parameters in its action plan. He also recommended the Home Department to submit an action plan soon to enhance the forensic capacity of the state.

Mission teams being prepared from village-ward to state level, 45,000 citizens also part of the teams

Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau, Sh. Shrikant Jadhav informed that according to the state action plan, mission teams are being prepared from village-ward to the state level for drug prevention. The main objective of these teams is to trace drug addicts, enter their data in the mobile application, counselling such people and making various efforts for their rehabilitation and spreading awareness.

He informed that out of 7,590 village teams, 2,584 teams have been formed so far. Similarly, 635 teams have been formed at ward level, 190 teams at primary health centers and 44 teams at subdivision level. Apart from this, a separate team will be formed in each district for instructions and monitoring. A total of 10 people have been added to each team. Out of about 95,000 people, 45,000 are common citizens.

He further said that last year 84 deaths were registered due to overdose of drugs, out of which most of the deaths were of youth in the age group of 18 to 35 years. He informed that the ‘Sathi’ mobile app will be launched soon by the bureau.

Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Sh. D.S. Dhesi, Additional Chief Secretary of Home Department, Sh. TVSN Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary of Finance Department, Sh. Anurag Rastogi, Director General of Police, Sh. P.K Aggarwal, Director General Prisons, Sh. Mohammad Akil, ADGP CID Sh. Alok Mittal, Director of Social Justice and Empowerment Department, Sh. R.S Dhillon and officials of other concerned departments were present.

IEP Chandigarh, November 18

Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal released the fifth collection of poems ‘Lamho Ki Shabnam’ composed by Dr. Sumita Misra, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, here today. The Chief Minister said that it is also an art to highlight the thoughts and feelings through the book; which has been done to reach the people through poems.

He said that Dr. Mishra has the best art of writing, who has written this collection by taking out time despite being in a high position. “It shows her rare talent and it also proves that she is rich in qualities. Even before this, four collections of her poems have come, two each in English and Hindi,” said the Chief Minister. He wished Dr. Sumita Mishra to continue to bring such collections of poems in future as well and keep sharing her experiences through her writing.

Sh. Manohar Lal further said that an attempt has been made to show the positive aspects of sensitivity in the collection of poems ‘Lamho Ki Shabnam’. “It seems from the collection of the poems that a glimpse of aggression towards women would be revealed in it, but this collection of poems characterizes the same definition as cold, beautiful, transparent and relaxing as Shabnam is,” he said, adding that this collection is not written from the mind but from the heart; which also reflects poignant relationships. The realization of history among the artists makes their writing strong and brilliant.

On this occasion, the Chief Minister also cited some poetic verses from the book. Poet and Additional Chief Secretary, Dr. Sumita Misra said that there are 75 poems in this poetry collection which is dedicated to ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, which she has written while on tours. She also thanked the Chief Minister for releasing the book.

On the occasion, Director, Hindi Sahitya Academy, Dr. Chander Trikha, Director of Chandigarh Sahitya Academy, Sh. Madhav Kaushik, Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Sh. D.S Dhesi, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Dr. Amit Agrawal and other officials were also present.

IEP Chandigarh, November 18

Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal attended the 83rd meeting of the Forum of Regulators, organised by the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission as chief guest here today. Addressing the chairpersons and members of the Electricity Regulatory Commissions from other states, the Chief Minister said that in the last 8 years, Haryana has done remarkable work in the power sector, which has paved the way for Haryana to become one of the leading states in the country in terms of providing electricity.

He said that with the objective of providing 24-hour electricity to the villages, the state government initiated ‘Mhara Gaon-Jagmag Gaon Yojana’ from Kurukshetra in 2016, adding that today, 5,680 villages in the state; about 80 percent villages are getting 24-hour power supply.

Free electricity is no electricity

Talking about the concept of free electricity, as some states have done, the Chief Minister said that Haryana has rejected this concept as ‘free electricity is no electricity’. “This neither benefits the consumers nor the government. The people of Haryana have also understood this and are fully supporting the government,” he added. Sh. Manohar Lal said that the state government has taken stringent steps to check non-payment of electricity bills. He said that the government started an initiative and appealed to the citizens across the state to pay the bills, which garnered public cooperation and today Haryana is setting up new dimensions in the power sector.

The Chief Minister said that in order to strengthen the power sector, the state government provided relief to the consumers by waiving off the overcharge. “Not only this, defaulted consumers were given an option to pay the principal amount of their electricity bills in installments and the interest and surcharge of crores of rupees was also waived off. On the strength of these initiatives taken by the state government, Haryana has become one of the leading states in the Energy Efficiency Rank, in the last two years,” he asserted.

No hike in power tariffs in last 8 years 

Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal said that the state government has not increased the electricity rates in the last 8 years, and has instead  brought relief to the people by reducing the power tariffs. He said that the Fuel Surcharge Adjustment (FSA) was 37 paise, which was abolished. “Not only this, the electricity rate was Rs 4.50 per unit up to 150 units, which was reduced and the rate was fixed at Rs 2.50 per unit up to 200 units and Rs 2 per unit for monthly electricity consumption up to 50 units,” he added.

Sh. Manohar Lal further said that the state government was thinking   that more concessions can be given to the people who consume up to 50 units of electricity; so that the poor families can get relief. For this, the government will discuss the proposal with the Electricity Regulatory Commission, he said.

By reducing line loss, saved power corporations from losses

The Chief Minister said that the line loss in the state was 29 percent in 2014, which has come down to 14 percent today. With this, about Rs 6,000 crore have been saved and due to the efforts of the government and power corporations, today all the four power corporations of Haryana are in a position of dividend, he said, adding that the government has laid emphasis on curbing electricity theft, reducing line loss and strengthening the metering system.

Work done on infrastructural development

Sh. Manohar Lal said that work has also been done on infrastructural development to ensure uninterrupted power supply. “To strengthen the broadcasting network, 57 new sub-stations have been established at a cost of Rs. 3,679 crore and the capacity of 522 sub-stations has also been increased, from October 2014 till now,” he asserted. He said that 50,000 new transformers were also installed in the state with addition of transmission lines of 1,895 km. Not only this, 2,539 dangerous lines passing over houses, colonies, ponds and schools have been removed to avoid any untoward incident.

Target to provide 1 lakh solar connections

Sh. Manohar Lal said that almost free electricity is being given in the agriculture sector in Punjab and Haryana; but the Haryana government has also emphasised on promoting the use of solar energy. “Under this, 30,000 solar connections have been given and the work of giving 50,000 more solar connections is underway. A target has been set to provide a total of 1 lakh solar connections,” he added. The Chief Minister further said that the use of solar energy has resulted in the fact that earlier a total of Rs 7,200 crore was given as subsidy on electricity, whereas today Rs 5,500 crore is given as subsidy. Apart from this, to promote the use of solar energy in government buildings, the Rooftop Solar Policy has been implemented.

Work also done in direction of water conservation

Understanding the need of the future, the Chief Minister said that the state government has also laid emphasis on water conservation. “To ensure that the future generation does not face water crisis, the government has made ‘Mera Pani-Meri Virasat scheme, so that along with land, water can also be inherited to the future generation. Under this, the farmers are being given an incentive of Rs 7,000 per acre for growing alternative crops instead of paddy. As a result, alternative crops have been cultivated in place of paddy in about 1 lakh acres of land in the state,” he asserted.

Sh. Manohar Lal said that in this regulatory forum, chairpersons and members of the Electricity Regulatory Commission of all the states will discuss several topics including better delivery of facilities to the common man. This will ensure more efficiency in the power sector by sharing best practices being adopted by different states with other states.

On the occasion, Chairman of Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission Sh. R.K. Pachnanda, chairpersons and members of Electricity Regulatory Commissions from other states were present.