Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal today announced the initiation of the process to withdraw FIRs registered against individuals who violated the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) issued by the Central and State Government during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 8,275 FIRs were registered for non-compliance with the norms, leading to the arrest of 14,127 individuals. While addressing the press conference here on Thursday, the Chief Minister said that maximum 1030 FIRs were registered in Gurugram district followed by 814 FIRs in Jhajjar, 765 in Faridabad, 545 in Karnal and 646 in Rohtak. The withdrawal of these FIRs will bring significant relief to the affected individuals, he added.
The Chief Minister said that in alignment with the vision of transforming India from a developing country to a developed nation by the year 2047 within the next 25 years, Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi has initiated the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, commencing from tribal areas. The primary objective is to engage with the general public, disseminate information about the accomplishments of both the Central and State Governments, and ensure immediate benefits reach those who, for various reasons, have been unable to access the advantages of such government schemes. He outlined a comprehensive 50-day program planned for Haryana, with the yatra scheduled to run until January 26. This extensive journey will cover 6,222 gram panchayats and 88 municipal bodies through 60-70 LED vehicles. About 5,000 to 7,000 programs will be organized during the yatra, with dedicated help desks at each event site facilitating the on-the-spot provision of scheme benefits to eligible individuals, he added.
In response to a query regarding inappropriate behavior with a schoolgirl in the Jind district, the Chief Minister said that the government would not tolerate such incidents, and whoever the accused may be, they would not be spared. Following the reporting of the case, the police took immediate action, resulting in the arrest of the accused.
The Chief Minister further informed that apart from transferring a woman principal to the concerned school, 16 other staff members have also been transferred. To address the issue comprehensively, Renu Bhatia, the Chairperson of the Haryana State Women Commission, has been asked to organize seminars in collaboration with the police to prevent such heinous acts from occurring. He emphasized that Haryana has already enacted legislation to curb such incidents, including a provision for capital punishment.
In response to another question about less paddy procurement, the Chief Minister said that water conservation stands as a top priority for the government. In line with this objective, the Mera Pani Meri Virasat Yojana has been introduced to incentivize farmers to cultivate alternative crops instead of paddy. The farmers have shown cooperation by cultivating different crops in an area covering 1.75 lakh acres. As part of this initiative, an incentive amount of Rs 7,000 per acre has been disbursed to eligibles.
