CHANDIGARH: It is raining sops in Haryana with the state Assembly elections approaching and the BJP targeting 75 of the total 90 seats, a feat accomplished just once by the Janata Party in 1977.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar believes BJP’s Mission 75 is possible and he has opened the state treasuries to ensure it will be.
In a political blitzkrieg, the Khattar government has announced a bonanza, including social security cover for economically weaker sections (EWS) families, filling around 20,000 vacant posts in various departments, waive interest on outstanding property tax amounts, besides revised HRA for state employees among many such.
On Saturday, Haryana launched the Mukhya Mantri Parivar Samridhi Yojana (MMPSY) under which EWS with annual income up to Rs 1.8 lakh and owning 5 acres will get Rs 6,000 annually.
Last June, Khattar announced that 20,000 vacant posts including 5000 in police would be filled even as 7th Central pay scale HRA was awarded to 3.5 lakh state employees and implemented on August 1 at a cost of Rs 1900 crore.
Last Friday Haryana announced waiver of interest on outstanding amounts of property tax due up to March 31, 2019 and deferred date for depositing property tax to December with 10% rebate.
To relieve owners of small plots, standardised layout plans have been made to be served free of cost.
To add, thousands of contractual municipal staff and firemen have been absorbed even as prize money for sportspersons have been heavily increased while electricity duty has been waived from generating sets till March 31, 2020.