India News | Haryana Took 'decisive Steps' to Help Farmers: Governor

Chandigarh, Mar 5 (PTI) Amid the continuing protest over the new agri-marketing laws, Haryana Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya on Friday said the state government has taken several "decisive steps" towards doubling farmers' income.

In his address at the beginning of the Budget session in the assembly, Arya said the Haryana government has "vigorously pursued" in the Supreme Court the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal issue, over which the state is locked in a dispute with neighbouring Punjab.

He praised the state government for its "apt handling" of the coronavirus pandemic. The customary Governor's address reflects the policies of the state government.

Unlike the Congress government in Punjab which supports the farmers' protest over the three new laws, the BJP-led M L Khattar government has backed the central legislation.

Listing the steps taken to increase farmers' income, Arya said Haryana procured nine crops from its own budget under the minimum support price (MSP) over the past year and also topped up the subsidy under the mission for integrated development of horticulture.

Haryana offers the highest price in the country of Rs 350 per quintal to its sugarcane farmers, he said.

The state launched a diversification scheme to encourage paddy farmers to cultivate alternative crops like maize, cotton, bajra, pulses, vegetables and fruit during Kharif 2020, the Governor said.

"The government has also taken bold and effective steps to streamline procurement of foodgrain on an IT-enabled platform, resulting in a better interface with farmers and other stakeholders," he said.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the government procured 74 lakh metric tonnes of wheat and 7.49 lakh tonnes of mustard for Rabi 2020-21.

During Kharif 2020-21, the government bought 56 lakh tonnes of paddy. Also, 7.76 lakh tonnes of bajra, maize, gram, sunflower and groundnut were added to the state's procurement basket, he said. .

The Governor read out only a small part of his 50-page address, telling the House to consider the rest read. Arya said the state vigorously pursued the matter in the Supreme Court, adding that it gave a verdict in favour of Haryana, “revalidating” the claim for its construction.

He said the state government "strongly registered" its demand for the canal's early construction with the Centre at a tripartite meeting which included the chief ministers of Haryana and Punjab.

Punjab has been opposing the construction of the canal for river water sharing between the two states.

Noting that COVID vaccination programme has begun, Arya said government hoped that the pandemic will become a memory from the past.

He said the state government distributed essential commodities free of cost under the public distribution system from April to June 2020 during the pandemic. “During COVID-19, my government has provided financial assistance amounting to Rs 730 crore to more than 17 lakh families at the rate of Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 per family,” he said.

The government took several initiatives to revive the economy. The state witnessed robust growth in the second and the third quarter of 2020-21, he said.

The Governor said the new Haryana Enterprises and Employment Policy seeks to position Haryana as a favoured investment destination. Its objective is to attract Rs 1 lakh crore investment and generate 5 lakh jobs in the state, he said.

He mentioned the recently notified Haryana law to provide 75 per cent reservation in private sector jobs that offer up to Rs 50,000 a month and said the government is committed to providing employment opportunities to the local youth.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)