Khattar govt in Haryana raises social security pensions

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday announced a hike of Rs 250 to Rs 2,250 in all social security and old-age pensions with effect from this month, putting an additional burden of about Rs 70 crore per month on the state exchequer.

Presently, the social security pensions to 28 lakh beneficiaries cost Rs 514 crore per month to the state government.

Workers above the age of 60 years registered under the building and other construction workers welfare board will also get a raise from Rs 2,500 to Rs 2,750 in their monthly pensions, the chief minister said after a cabinet meeting here.

He said from the forthcoming session, the state reservation policy would be implemented in the post-graduate or MD courses in medical as well as dental colleges in the state.

At present, no such reservation policy is implemented in these institutions for PG courses, Khattar said.

Besides, he said, the candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes, Economically Weaker Section (EWS) would get the benefit of 10 per cent reservation as started by the central government for admission to PG course in the state-run medical and dental colleges and the number of seats would also be increased.

It gave approval for an amendment to the scheme under which acid attack victims are provided financial assistance.

The existing scheme provides financial aide only to those women who were attacked on or after May 2, 2011, and those who have been residing in Haryana for at least three years prior to the date of occurrence, according to a government statement.

After the amendment, every acid attack victim in the state will be eligible for the assistance.

The ex-gratia for the family of a deceased government employee has been enhanced from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh, which was not revised in the last 30 years.

The state cabinet approved the creation of the Citizen Resources Information department, aimed at providing an impetus to the exercise for preparing a common database of people to implement government schemes and delivery through digital medium.

The cabinet also approved the proposal to change the nomenclature of Haryana Film Cell to the Haryana Film Promotion Board.