Wheat procurement: Har CM directs ministers to visit grain

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has directed all his ministers to visit different grain markets in the state and review the arrangements made for wheat procurement.
"The Ministers will ensure that farmers do not face any inconvenience," state Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Krishan Kumar Bedi told reporters today after attending a meeting of the Council of Ministers here, which was presided over by the Chief Minister.
It was also decided that the next cabinet meeting would be held here on April 18, he said.
"Also, a special session of the Haryana Assembly would be convened for passage of Goods and Services Tax (GST), and date for this session will be announced later," Bedi said.

Replying to a question, the minister said it was decided in the meeting to constitute a sub-committee of the state cabinet under the chairmanship of the Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister, Om Prakash Dhankar, for conducting a survey of BPL families.
The sub-committee will also have the Social Justice and Empowerment Minister and Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Kamal Gupta, as its member.

Principal Secretary Social Justice and Empowerment Department Anil Kumar will be the Member Secretary of the sub-committee.
Replying to another question, Bedi said the Chief Minister has decided that persons, who were availing benefits under social security pension schemes in a wrongful manner, but had now crossed the age of 60 years would be given the benefit of pension.

"However, the amount of pension availed wrongfully would be recovered by deducting half of their monthly pension. Such persons would also be given the option of lump sum settlement," he said.
Meanwhile, the Haryana government has decided that the ministers in-charge would be competent to effect transfers in their respective departments till April 30 for all departments upto Class III and IV level, excluding teaching staff of the Education Department.
A circular to this effect has been issued by the office of Haryana Chief Secretary, the minister said.