Empowering the Poor is a Priority for the Haryana Govt - CM
Punjab Newslilne, Chandigarh, June 7 –
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh, stated that the government's vision is to empower the poor and ensure that they benefit from government schemes through online services right from their homes. In this regard, the Haryana Antyodaya Parivar Parivahan Yojana (HAPPY) was launched today from 35 locations across the state. Under this scheme, families with an annual income of less than Rs. 1 lakh will be provided with 1,000 kms of free travel annually on Haryana Transport buses. The Chief Minister was speaking as the chief guest at the state-level event held at Dr. Mangal Sen Auditorium in Karnal today.
He mentioned that many online schemes of the Haryana government have been studied and implemented in other states. He also pointed out that before 2014, poor families had to struggle to get gas cylinders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged self-sufficient individuals to give up their LPG subsidies, leading to millions voluntarily surrendering their subsidies. Consequently, the Ujjwala Yojana was implemented, providing 9.50 crore free LPG gas cylinders nationwide, including 12 lakh in Haryana. The Prime Minister has established a system where the poor benefit first from every scheme, such as the Ayushman Card scheme, which offers treatment worth up to Rs. 5 lakh. Haryana expanded this scheme with the Ayushman Bharat Chirayu Haryana Yojana, benefiting over 1.25 crore individuals.
He also highlighted that under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, 4 crore houses have been built for the poor in the last 10 years, setting an example of empowering the poor since independence. The Prime Minister has pledged to build 3 crore more houses by 2029. Under the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Awas Navinikarn Yojna, Haryana provides Rs. 80,000 for house repairs. During COVID, interest-free loans of Rs. 10,000 each were given to street vendors. Under the Mukhyamantri Vivah Shagun Yojana, Rs. 71,000 are provided for the marriage of a poor person's daughter. Haryana is the first state in the country to provide Rs. 3,000 monthly under the Old Age Samman Allowance. Beneficiaries no longer have to visit offices; their names are automatically included in the online list as soon as they turn 60.
The Prime Minister has accelerated the country's development over the past decade and aims to further enhance it in the next five years. The NDA alliance has once again chosen Sh. Narendra Modi as their leader, and he is set to take the oath as Prime Minister for the third time soon.
It is noteworthy that during the Antyodaya Conference in Karnal on November 2, 2023, the then CM Manohar Lal announced the HAPPY scheme, and it was implemented during the budget session of the assembly on February 23, 2024. On March 7, 2024, the state government began providing HAPPY cards to families with an annual income of 1 lakh or less. The scheme will benefit approximately 85 lakh beneficiaries in the state, and so far, 59,708 people have received the cards before the Model Code of Conduct. These individuals have travelled 37.88 lakh Kms.
Today, districts like Kaithal, Hisar, Jind, Fatehabad, Sirsa, Bhiwani, Karnal, and Kurukshetra were connected via video conferencing. The Chief Minister directly interacted with beneficiaries from several districts and handed over HAPPY cards to 20 beneficiaries in Karnal, congratulating them.
