The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in National Capital Region (NCR) and Adjoining Areas has issued a directive emphasizing stricter measures to control paddy stubble burning during the 2024
Following the success of watershed development operation research project Sukhomajri in Haryana, large number of water harvesting dams were constructed in the Shivaliks region of north India. The reservoirs of a number of these earthen dams got silted due to fragile geological strata, inadequate vegetation cover in the catchment areas, continued biotic interference and lack of community participation in building social pressure against grazing and illicit felling.
The country may harvest over 76 million tonne of wheat this season, if the current weather conditions remain favourable for the next three weeks, a top official said. "If weather conditions remain favourable, wheat production may touch the record level,' Union agriculture secretary PK Mishra told reporters. India recorded the highest production of 76.37 million tonne of wheat in 1999-2000. Mishra, said the weather conditions till the third week of March is very crucial for wheat, which requires a mean temperature of 20 degree Celsius. Except in Haryana, the mean temperature in most of the wheat growing states such as Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan is normal for the crop, agriculture commissioner NB Sing said. The temperature at some places in Haryana had gone up to 29 degree Celsius for two days last week, which may impact the wheat crop, Singh added. Overall, the prospect of wheat output is very good, the agriculture secretary said. "We have been monitoring the temperature in the wheat growing areas. It is within the normal, prescribed for wheat crop, although the temperature has increased from what it was two weeks earlier.' "It will be not less than 3% when the final figures come,' Mishra said.
Cash-rich Haryana has earmarked Rs 2,800 crore for power subsidy to farm sector for the year 2008-09, surpassing even Andhra Pradesh, which has earmarked Rs 2,385 crore for free power supply to the farmers in its 2008-09 Budget presented this month. From Rs 400 crore six years back, it is a seven-fold leap for Haryana which is paying an average of Rs 40,000 per tubewell for the nearly 4.3 lakh tubewells in the state. Though Haryana, unlike neighbouring Punjab, does not dole out power free to the farm sector, but subsidises it at 25 paisa per unit. As a result, the farmer pays less than Rs 4,000 per tubewell to the power utilities and nearly 10 times the amount (Rs 40,000) is borne by the state Government. An estimated Rs 300 crore out of the Budget outlay of Rs 2,800 crore for power subsidy is due to the hike in the cost of generation and transmission of power, official sources in Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) said. "The estimate for power subsidy for 2008-09 is Rs 2,800 crore, against Rs 2,132 crore last year. Though we are able to afford it, subsidies cannot go on endlessly,' said Haryana Finance Minister Birender Singh. "We are mulling over ways to reduce power subsidy burden. At a recent Cabinet meeting, we discussed the proposal of providing power subsidy directly to farmers instead of the power utilities, on the lines of Union Finance Minister's view on providing direct fertiliser subsidy to farmers. It will also help us adjudge the magnitude of transmission and distribution losses which are passed on as power subsidy by the power utilities of the state,' he added. Interestingly, Haryana, unlike Punjab, which was recently directed by its state electricity regulatory commission to clear subsidy arrears of the last few years, is also very prompt in making payments for the power subsidy to the power utilities, which are made twice in a month and even weekly. However, even after footing a huge subsidy bill, the state has failed to ensure that there are no defaults in payments by farmers. The present Congress regime had announced Rs 1,600 crore waiver for arrears of rural domestic and agriculture categories of consumers in the year 2005. "The waiver scheme was an effort to support the farmers to join the mainstream. It was not a blanket waiver, but one aimed at encouraging farmers to pay their current bills for 20 months without fail after which their arrears will be waived off,' says Haryana power secretary Ashok Lavasa. About 60 per cent of defaulting farmers have joined the scheme, which till the last review meeting of the power department, has generated close to Rs 350 crore for the state. However, according to a World Bank report on Haryana power subsidy, they are proving counterproductive for the farm sector, which has to endure the frustration and economic costs of supply that is both unreliable (not available at predictable times) and of poor quality (with fluctuating voltage).
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda with Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia in New Delhi on Monday. Haryana's Annual Plan for 2008-09 was pegged at Rs.6,650 crore at a meeting here on Monday between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The Plan outlay includes a one-time additional Central assistance component of Rs.100 crore for the priority projects of the State. Commenting on Haryana's performance, Dr. Ahluwalia noted that the State had been recording an excellent growth rate with its overall performance much above expectations. During the Tenth Plan period it achieved a growth of 9 per cent against the target of 7.9 per cent. Accordingly, the Commission has fixed an ambitious target of 11 per cent growth during the Eleventh Plan. The State's per capita income, he said, was also much above the national average. While appreciating the efforts being made in improving the State's human development index, the Commission drew the Government's attention to the need to bridge the gaps. On fiscal performance, Dr. Ahluwalia commended the Hooda Government for reducing the fiscal deficit within the FRBM targets and transforming it in to a revenue-surplus State. Briefing the Commission on the State Government's development strategy, the Chief Minister pointed out that apart from additional resource mobilisation measures, efforts were on to further improve the social sector performance. A number of initiatives, he said, had been taken to benefit those who had not fully realised the fruits of development. He said a luxury tax was being levied on premium hotel and banquet halls and stamp duty rates for registration of sale of properties had been rationalised. To improve the quality of education, compulsory computer training is being introduced in secondary schools and
Chandigarh: The Lok Sabha polls are still a year away, but political parties are busy bolstering their pro-peasantry credentials
Even as the Union government is struggling to boost the country's agriculture extension system, pesticide and crop chemical manufacturers have joined hands with rural ngos to promote safe and judicious usage of pesticides among the farmers.
The Haryana government has decided to constitute a committee comprising transport, urban development departments and Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) under the chairmanship of Haryana Chief Secretary for the purpose of formulating a traffic management plan for Gurgaon and other towns of the state.
Reiterating his commitment for ensuring equal distribution of canal water, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday assured the people of Ahirwal that canal water of Rivers Ravi-Beas would flow through their fields thanks to the Hansi- Butana Link Canal before the next Parliamentary elections. Addressing a rally organised by Independent MLA Naresh Yadav at Ateli, Mr.Hooda said that the Ahirwal region had remained neglected during the last 40 years but his regime was fully aware of the problems being faced by the people and was taking remedial measures.
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Chandigarh, February 12 The Haryana Health Department has operationalised 5,086 village health sanitation committees (VHSC) to bridge the gap between demand and supply of quality and timely health care services and strengthen decentralised health planning. Haryana Commissioner and Secretary, Health, Navraj Sandhu said these committees have been operationalised by giving a grant of Rs 10,000 each. The bank account of each such committee is being operated jointly by the sarpanch and accredited social health activist (ASHA) or anganwari worker (AWW), she added.
