Har govt will protect interests of state on SYL: Guv

Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki today said the government will keep pursuing the Sutlej-Yamuna-Link (SYL) canal issue and do its best to protect the interests of the people in the state.
"The government will earnestly keep pursuing the matter and shall do its best to protect the interests of the hard- working and law-abiding people of our state who have full faith in our Constitution and the judiciary," he said addressing members of the Legislative Assembly on the first day of the Budget Session here.
Concerted efforts have resulted in a favourable verdict (on the SYL issue) from the Supreme Court on Presidential Reference and this has paved the way to initiate the long pending construction of the remaining portion of the canal, Solanki said.

He said it was heartening that on November 28 last year an all-party delegation from Haryana submitted a memorandum to the President, seeking his intervention to ensure that state gets its rightful and legitimate share of surplus Ravi-Beas waters.
A major project, costing Rs 143 crore, is underway for rehabilitation of the Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Canal and its lift system. It is likely to be completed by the end of this fiscal, Solanki said, adding major reconstruction works costing around Rs 150 crore will done in the financial year.
The government has also planned rehabilitation of 125 channels and 400 water courses during 2017-18 and 2018-19 financial years under the State Plan and NABARD, he said.

A project for increasing the capacity of the carrier system costing about Rs 2,000 crore is being prepared to utilise surplus monsoon water from Yamuna river, which will make available 4,000-5,000 cusecs of additional water in the West Jamuna Canal and JLN systems, he said.

The Governor said under the Command Area Development Authority, a pilot project demonstrating sprinkler and drip irrigation in 13 districts have been started and would be completed by the end of December.
Farmers have enabled the state to make incredible contribution of 14 per cent to the Central Pool despite having only 1.4 per cent of the country's total area, he said.

It is laudable that during 2015-16, food grain production of 163.33 lakh MTs was achieved, Solanki said.
The government has launched Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana to mitigate losses in the farm sector and provide financial support to the farmers in the event of failure of notified crops in the Kharif and the Rabi season, he said.
The Governor said to prevent crop residue burning and for
its better management, the government has proposed an action plan of Rs 303.15 crore for getting straw management equipment, training and demonstrations during 2017-18.
Indian Oil Corporation is in the process of setting up an ethanol-based power plant in Panipat, he said.

Sugarfed is planning to expand the Panipat Sugar Mills along with co-generation and ethanol plant in Dahar village, installation of 60 kilolitres per day ethanol plant at Shahabad Sugar Mill, and expansion and modernisation of Karnal Sugar Mill, Solanki said.
Under its 'Horticulture Vision', the state aims to double the area under horticulture and triple production by 2030, he said, adding it has been planned to increase total cultivated area under from 7.5 per cent to 15 per cent.
The Governor said the total annual milk production for the year 2015-16 had reached 83.81 lakh tonnes, taking the per capita per day availability of milk to 835 grams, the second highest in the country.

Under the Risk Management and Livestock Insurance, launched during the year, large farm animals and small ruminants would be insured for a period of three years, he said.
Solanki said the state ranks second in the country in fish productivity per hectare and has been declared a 'Fish Disease Free State'.
There are about 16,000 hectares of water bodies under intensive fish farming and the state produces about 1.50 lakh metric tonnes of fish per annum, he said, adding the government plans to increase production from 7,200 to 8,200 kilograms per hectare.
Haryana Government is actively working to further empower the Panchayati Raj Institutions through capacity building and devolving functions and funds, he said, adding villages in 14 districts would be Open Defecation Free by end of this month.

The government is offering 34 e-Services to the citizens relating to various kinds of certificates, copies of land records, e-stamps and permissions, he said.
Solanki said the Haryana Government has aligned its vision Digital India Programme and all Gram Panchayats are being connected through optical fiber under Bharat Net.
Till date, the cable has been laid in 4,051 Gram Panchayats and Wi-Fi equipment has been installed at 119 Gram Panchayats/Schools, he said, adding there is a plan to establish Wi-Fi in 350 villages during 2017-18.
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Solanki reiterated the state government was committed to provide 24X7 electricity to all and improve power supply to rural areas.

The government has signed a MoU with the Ministry of Power for improving the functioning of Power DISCOMs as well as for turning them around within a period of three years, he said.
Plans are to promote power projects based on paddy straw. In the first phase, projects of about 50 MW capacity are proposed to be set up in six districts, Solanki said
Ex gratia for the next of kin of jawans killed on duty has been increased from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. A total number of 90 dependents of martyrs have been provided government jobs since October, 2014, the Governor said.

The government is actively involved with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council in framing the laws and currently, the process of migration of the existing dealers under VAT to GST is going on in the state, he said.
The government has constituted a Traders Welfare Board in order to address the problems and issues of traders and take redressal measures, besides working as a bridge between state government and traders, Solanki said.
He said a "Khel Mahakumbh" would be held in September-October which will be the biggest sports competition event ever held in the history of the state.
The Governor said proposals were under consideration to improve emergency facilities and speciality services and create Mental Health-care-cum-Drug De-addiction Centres in all district hospitals in a phased manner.

It has been decided to provide free of cost treatment for Hepatitis-C to all patients in the state, he said.
He said that in addition to three medical colleges in the state, the Government had set up the Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College at Karnal, which would become functional from the academic session 2017-18 with 100 MBBS seats.