Hisar
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday announced a slew of incentives for the people of the state, including the Ayushman Bharat-Haryana health protection scheme and 24-hour power supply to 507 more villages.

Delivering his Independence Day address here, Khattar said dependents of security personnel killed in the line of duty would be given government jobs in Group B category based on educational qualifications.

He said the Rohnat Freedom Trust would be set up to work towards uprooting malnutrition, diseases and unemployment from Rohnat village of Bhiwani district.

Speaking after unfurling the national flag, Khattar announced that government employees would no longer be required to take No Objection Certifications from their head of departments before applying for higher posts in other departments.

He said from October 2, every household in the state would have a gas cylinder, and from November 1, the social security pension, including old-age allowance, widow pension and pension to physically challenged persons, would be increased from Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,000 per month.

The chief minister said that on a pilot basis, the Ayushman Bharat-Haryana health protection scheme was being implemented in 25 government hospitals, including one main government hospital each in 22 districts, the ESI Hospital in Faridabad, the PGIMS in Rohtak and the Kalpana Chawla Medical College in Karnal.

Referring to the Mahra Gaon Jagmag Gaon scheme, he said that from today, 507 more villages in the state would get 24-hour electricity supply. These include villages of Hisar, Bhiwani, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Yamunanagar, Karnal, Rewari, Palwal and Mahendergarh disricts.

With this, the number of villages getting 24-hour power supply goes up to 2,887 from 2,380. Khattar said all villages of Panchkula, Ambala, Faridabad, Gurugram, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts were already getting 24-hour power supply.

The chief minister said the present BJP government in the state was committed to the welfare of freedom fighters and their dependents, and ex-servicemen and serving soldiers.

Government jobs had so far been provided to the 221 dependents of martyrs in various government departments, he added.

He said that till now, government jobs in Groups C and D were provided. However, now the dependents of martyrs would also be given Group B jobs on the basis of their educational qualification.

The chief minister said that during his visit to Rohnat village in Bhiwani district on March 23, he had discussed setting up of a Freedom Trust to rid people of various problems.

On the occasion of Independence Day, the Rohnat Freedom Trust had been constituted and it would start working soon, he added.