Haryana Cabinet met under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister, Manohar Lal, here on Tuesday has given nod to several proposals and schemes. The cabinet has approved the transfer of Government land measuring 1094 square yards situated at NIT Faridabad to Sain Samaj Kalyan Sabha, Faridabad. The decision comes in response to the society’s request for the allocation of 915 square meters of land for religious and community purposes such as Dharmshala and Temple, under the Policy for Allotment of Government Land for Social/ Religious/ Charitable/ Community Purposes.
The proposed transfer involves the Government land of the Revenue Department, and the decision is in alignment with para 8 of the policy dated 12-02-2019. The land, acquired under the erstwhile Land Acquisition Act 1894 by the Union Government for the rehabilitation of displaced persons from West Punjab in 1947, will now serve the purpose of establishing a place of worship and community facilities for Sain Samaj Kalyan Sabha, Faridabad.
The collector rates of the land in question are Rs. 17,000/- per square yard, and it has been decided that the transfer will be made to Sain Samaj Kalyan Sabha at a concessional rate of 50% of the collector rates, amounting to a total cost of Rs. 93,01,890/-. The Finance Department has already provided its concurrence, subject to the approval of the competent authority.
Sain Samaj Kalyan Sabha, Faridabad, a registered Society under the Haryana Registration & Regulation of Societies Act, 2012, had sought the transfer in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the Policy for Allotment of Government Land, as notified by the Revenue & Disaster Management Department. Likewise, The Cabinet has accorded approval to amend the policy for setting up integrated/multi-model logistics parks, integrated inland container depots, logistics parks, warehouses-cum-retail, truckers parks, cash and carry, warehouse, cold chain facilities and gas godowns. Under the amended policy, a minimum area of 20 acres will be necessary for the establishment of Integrated Inland Container Depots/Custom Bounded Areas replacing the existing requirement of 50 acres. For agro warehouses with retail facilities, a minimum area of 2 acres will be mandated, while non-agro warehouses with retail facilities will require 5 acres. In addition, developers must ensure a minimum approach of 33 feet for agro warehouses and 60 feet for non-agro warehouses.
Apart from aforesaid, patients in Haryana suffering from Thalassemia and Haemophilia, with a family income of up to Rs 3 lakh per annum, will now be entitled to a monthly disability pension of Rs 3000. This decision, expected to benefit approximately 2083 patients, will result in an annual disbursement of Rs 7.49 crore at the present rate of Rs. 3000 per month. The Haryana Cabinet approved the inclusion of Thalassemia and Haemophilia diseases in the existing notification under “The Haryana Divyang Pension Rules, 2016”. This decision aims to extend disability pension benefits to such patients and will alleviate the significant financial burden faced by these patients.
Last year, Chief Minister Manohar Lal had announced to include the Thalassemia and Haemophilia patients for grant of disability pension for the families having earning up to Rs 3 lakh annually. According to the Health Department’s report (2002), there are approximately 1300 cases of Thalassemia and about 783 cases of Haemophilia in the State of Haryana.The verification of Thalassemia and Haemophilia certificates will be conducted annually by the respective Civil Surgeon to ascertain the patient’s current status and whether they have been cured or not.
Besides, the cabinet has approved a monthly enhancement of Rs 250 for 14 pension schemes being implemented by the Social Justice, Empowerment, Welfare of SCs & BCs, and Antyodaya (SEWA) Department, Haryana, effective from January 1, 2024 to be paid from February 2024. This decision will benefit approximately 31.40 lakh beneficiaries under various social security schemes.The cabinet has also approved an increase in the rates of nine social security pension schemes operated under the SEWA Department from Rs. 2,750/- to Rs. 3,000 per month, effective January 1, 2024. These schemes include the Old Age Samman Allowance Scheme, Haryana Pension to Widows and Destitute Women Scheme, Haryana Disabled Persons Pension Scheme, Ladli Social Allowance Scheme, Haryana Allowance to Dwarf Scheme Pension, Haryana Allowance to Eunuchs Scheme, Financial Assistance to Widowers and Unmarried Persons, Financial Assistance for Stage 3 and Stage 4 Cancer Patients, and Financial Assistance to Persons Suffering from Rare Diseases.
In addition, financial assistance under the Non-School Going Disabled Children Scheme has been increased from Rs. 2,150 to Rs. 2,400, Financial Assistance to Destitute Children Scheme from Rs. 1,850 to Rs. 2,100, Financial assistance under Kashmiri Migrants scheme has been increased to Rs.1250 to Rs. 1500. Apart from this, financial aid for acid attack victims (Women & Girls) has been revised. This enhancement in pension rates is a testament to the Haryana Government’s unwavering commitment to the welfare of its residents. The increased financial support aims to improve the quality of life for beneficiaries across various segments of society, promoting inclusivity and social justice.
Likewise, the government has decided to transfer the Municipal Committee, Julana land measuring 510.04 square meters to Brahman Sabha at a concessional rate of 50 percent of collector rate for charitable purposes.The transfer of this land to Brahman Sabha at a concessional rate has been done as per the provisions of clause (d) of section 62A of the Haryana Municipal Act, 1973.
Besides, the cabinet has approved “The Haryana Registration and Regulation of Travel Agents Bill, 2024 in the interests of innocent and unemployed youths from falling prey to illegal immigration rackets. In view of the disturbing trend of individuals, particularly from the States of Punjab and Haryana, being deceived by corrupt travel agents engaged in fraudulent activities related to immigration, this boldu initiative has been taken.
Key highlights of this bill includes that no person can undertake the profession of a travel agent without obtaining a registration certificate under the Act, an application must be submitted to the competent authority with the required documents, fees, and within the specified time, the competent authority may issue a registration certificate after verifying the application details. As per the bill the certificate is not issued unless the particulars are verified by the police, the validity of a registration certificate is for three years, renewable as per prescribed procedures. Apart from this, opening a new office or branch requires obtaining a fresh registration certificate.
It clearly mentioned in the bill that the competent authority can cancel a registration certificate for various reasons such as insolvency, criminal activities, violation of terms, etc. Before cancellation, a show cause notice is issued, and the travel agent has an opportunity to explain. It is further mentioned that suspension may occur for a specified period pending cancellation consideration, A cancelled registration debars the travel agent from the profession for a prescribed period. Act also mentioned that the court, while addressing offenses under this Act, determines the potential confiscation of illegally acquired property and can order confiscation as deemed appropriate, Individuals involved in human smuggling or forging documents may face imprisonment up to ten years and a fine ranging from Rs 2-5 lakhs, Violating the provisions of this Act or using prohibited devices may result in imprisonment up to seven years and a fine of two to five lakh rupees. In a significant move to uphold the right and dignity of the dead body, the Haryana Cabinet has granted approval to “The Haryana Honourable Disposal of Dead Body Bill, 2024.” This landmark legislation aims to ensure the decent and timely last rites of a dead body. In consideration of the respect and dignity owed to a dead person, nobody should be allowed to raise any demand or bait for pursuing any demands by way of any protest or agitation by not performing the timely last rites of a dead body. It is essential to prevent any individual from using a deceased body as a means of protest or demonstration in any form.
Besides, the cabinet accorded approval for the amendment in the notification of appointment of members in Quality Assurance Authority. As per the amendment in clause 4 (III) of the said notification, now retired officers may also be considered for appointment as a member of Quality Assurance Authority. After the words “State Government from amongst” and before the words ‘Officer in the State’, the word ‘serving or retired’ shall be added. The government had constituted the quality assurance authority on April 5, 2023 for the purpose of quality assurance in the Engineering Works implemented by the state government and organisations owned and controlled by the State Government for the matter concerned therewith or incidental thereto.Presently, as per the notification, one member shall be appointed by the state government from amongst officers in the State Government or any organisation owned and controlled by the state government of the rank of Chief Engineer or above. However, now it has been decided that a retired officer may also be considered for appointment as a member of the quality assurance authority.
