Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini announces Rs 2,400 crore for development works

Panchkula, July 12

The state government today announced an expenditure of Rs 2,400 crore, including Rs 900 crore each for urban and rural areas, for various development works in the state.

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini made the announcement during a ‘Panchayat Sammelan’, which was attended by panches and sarpanches from across the state. The government has also increased the monthly honorarium of sarpanches to Rs 5,000.

Saini said the state had increased the annual budget of panchayats from Rs 600 crore in 2014 to Rs 7,276 crore this fiscal. He said the state had increased the expenditure limit of sarpanches and would provide as much funds for development works as needed. He said the state would spend Rs 2,400 crore on development works in the state. “This includes Rs 900 crore each for works in rural and urban areas. We have provided Rs 118 crore for development and modernisation of SC, BC chaupals.”

He announced another Rs 492 crore from the state finance commission for development works, which would be spent through sarpanches. Saini also announced to increase the honorariums of sarpanches and panches.

The state has increased the pension of a zila parishad president from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 and that of vice-president from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500. It will provide presidents of panchayat samitis a pension of Rs 2,200, and Rs 1,125 to vice-presidents of panchayat samitis. The pension of sarpanches has been increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500. It has increased the honorarium of sarpanches from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 and that of panches from Rs 600 to Rs 1600.

The CM’s announcement of honorarium for sarpanches led to uproar wherein the gathering demanded that it be increased to Rs 11,000. The CM then asked the sarpanches to send a five-member delegation to discuss the matter at his office.