Haryana calls for changes in crop insurance scheme

Chandigarh, June 30 (UNI) The Haryana government today urged the Planning Commission to amend the crop insurance scheme so that assessment of crops, destroyed due to natural calamities, be made at the village level rather than the block level.

The state government also called for covering vegetables and mushrooms under the National Horticulture Mission. Presently, only fruits are covered under this scheme.

These suggestions came in a meeting, which was held by chief secretary Prem Prashant and senior officers of the state with a team of the Planning Commission lead by Ms Sayeeda Hameed, member of the Commission here today.

The meeting was called to review the state's annual plan 2005-06.

While welcoming Dr Hameed and her colleagues, the chief secretary said that despite the huge outlay of Rs 3059.40 crore for annual plan 2005-06, the state has made remarkable achievements, especially in infrastructure development. Under social sector, the utilisation of funds was also good but a lot more needed to be done, he said.

Mr Prashant emphasised the enhanced role of public-private partnership and NGOs in the delivery of public services. He said that public-private partnership concept was being adopted in health services in a big way.

Dr Hameed appreciated the state's achievements during annual plan 2005-06. However, she was of the view that more stress should be on the quality of outcome rather than the quantity.

She also appreciated the policies of the state government for bringing human indicators at par with the economic indicators. She said that more care should be given to minorities in the 11th plan period.

Haryana officals also favoured that the maintenance grant provided by the Union government for national highways should be increased, as the state government has been getting only 25 per cent of the cess collected by the Centre.

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