Haryana government today decided not to acquire land in 16 villages of Rewari district for setting up Manesar-Bawal Industrial area as the villagers had requested the state government for same, citing the fertile land of the region.
The decision of not to acquire 3,664 acres and four canals of land in these 16 villages was taken by the state Cabinet at its meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here today, an official spokesman said.
A committee comprising three ministers, Industries Minister Capt Abhimanyu, Public Works Department Minister Rao Narbir Singh, and Minister of State for Cooperation Bikram Singh Yadav had been constituted to discuss the issue with the farmers concerned.
After detailed discussions with the land owners and representatives of the people of the area, the committee recommended that other options, including acquisition of less fertile land at other places along the (Mumbai-Delhi) Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, be explored.
Earlier, the legislators of Ateli and Nangal Chaudhary have offered to make available more than 2,000 acres of land for the project as an alternative.
The Cabinet also decided to enhance the limits of the discretionary grants of the chief minister, speaker of Haryana Assembly, cabinet ministers and ministers of state.
The discretionary grant limit of the Chief Minister has been increased to Rs 40 crore per annum from Rs 26.5 crore per annum.
Similarly, the discretionary grant limit of the speaker has been increased to Rs 5 crore per annum from Rs 3.25 crore.
For Cabinet ministers, it has been increased to Rs 5 crore per annum from Rs 3.25 crore, and that of ministers of state to Rs 4 crore per annum from Rs 2.5 crore.
