Saini fulfills 1st poll promise

 

 

HIEF Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday announced all Government hospitals in Haryana will offer free dialysis to chronic kidney patients, fulfilling the ruling BJP’s first poll promise. Addressing a press conference after presiding over the first meeting of his Cabinet, the Chief Minister said his Government will also implement the Supreme Court’s decision empowering States to make sub-classifications within the Scheduled Castes for granting reservation “today itself”. Saini, who was sworn-in as Chief Minister for a second time on Thursday, said the people of Haryana defeated the Congress’ narrative of lies and efforts to provoke farmers and the poor by bringing the BJP back to power for a third time.

 

By giving a big mandate to the BJP, people put their stamp of approval on the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said. The Chief Minister said all Government hospitals in the State will start offering free dialysis to chronic kidney patients. “The first file that I signed (after assuming charge) was regarding the decision on kidney patients. We had also made this promise in the elections. The cost of dialysis is nearly Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 per month. Now, the Haryana Government will bear the expenses,” he said. Saini said his Cabinet has decided to implement the decision of the Supreme Court which held that States are constitutionally empowered to make sub-classifications within the Scheduled Castes for granting reservation. “In the first meeting, our cabinet has decided to implement the decision from today itself,” he said. On August 1, the top court had held that states are constitutionally empowered to make sub-classifications within the Scheduled Castes, which form a socially heterogeneous class, for granting reservation for the upliftment of castes that are socially and educationally more backward. Asked about an Agriculture Department notification stating that FIRs would be lodged against farmers found burning crop residue and that they would be restricted to selling their crops in mandis through the e-kharid portal for the next two seasons, Saini said, “There is no such thing.”

 

“Even today I have said that if our farmers burn stubble, they should be made to understand (its impact on the environment). If any equipment or instrument is needed, we are giving subsidy on these,” he said. Farmers are being made aware of the harmful effects of stubble burning, he added. Stubble burning in Haryana and neighbouring Punjab contributes to air pollution in Delhi, especially during the post-harvest season in October and November. Paddy farmers set crop residue ablaze to clear their fields to sow wheat, a Rabi crop, as the window between harvesting and sowing is very short. During the Cabinet meeting, Saini said, the ongoing paddy procurement in the state was also reviewed. “There was a detailed discussion on procurement. The BJP Government is committed to procuring every single grain of our farmers at MSP,” he said. No value cut will be imposed for up to 17 per cent moisture content in paddy, he said. In the current season, more than 27.45 lakh metric tonnes of paddy arrived in mandis and more than 23 LMT had been procured at the minimum support price (MSP) till Thursday, the chief minister said. For the paddy procured, Rs 3,056 crore has been credited into farmers’ accounts, he said. More than 3.44 LMT of bajra arrived in mandis so far this season.

 

Of this, over 2.70 LMT has been procured and Rs 331 crore has been credited into farmers’ accounts, he added. Saini warned criminals in the State to mend their ways. “I warn those involved in criminal activities that they should either leave the state or mend their ways, otherwise we will mend them,” he said. On the BJP returning to power in Haryana for a third time, Saini said the people of the state defeated the Congress’ narrative of lies in the elections and gave a big mandate to the BJP. “I express my deep gratitude to the people of Haryana that they put their stamp of approval on the policies of the prime minister,” he said. During the elections, the Congress tried to build a narrative that the BJP government did not do anything and was on its way out. The opposition party also tried to provoke farmers and other sections, including the youth, Saini said. The people of Haryana have replied to the Congress, he said. Haryana will play a big role in realising the aim of a ‘Viksit Bharat’, the chief minister said. “Our Government is committed to empowering the poor, youths, farmers and women,” he said. After the Cabinet meeting, Saini accompanied his Ministers to their newly allotted rooms in the Haryana Civil Secretariat here as they assumed charge. He offered sweets to the ministers and congratulated them.