Haryana to set up IMT at Yamunanagar

Yamunanagar, Oct 4 (UNI) Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today announced setting up of an Industrial Model Town (IMT) here.

An equal thrust is being laid on the promotion of industries as well as agriculture in the state, Mr Hooda said after inaugurating a hospital at Yamunanagar at a press conference later.

Both agriculture and industrial sectors had been provided adequate power even as the government had to purchase it at a high rate of Rs 8 per unit, he said.

Efforts were being made to generate 5,000 MW of additional power in the state during the next three years, he added.

To a question on VAT, Mr Hooda said the government had reduced the rate of VAT on wood from 12 per cent to 4 per cent with a view to providing relief to the traders.

He said market fees had not been imposed on eucalyptus and poplar, which were agricultural products, in order to benefit the farmers and traders.

Regarding the health sector in Haryana, he said the state government had made an increase of 78 per cent in its plan allocation for health sector in last one-and-a-half years.

He said the plan allocation for health sector was increased by 66 per cent for the year 2005-06 after Congress assumed office and it was further hiked by 12 per cent during the current fiscal.

The Centre, he said, has sanctioned Rs 749 crore under National Rural Health Mission for implementation of reproductive and child health programme up to the year 2010 in the state.

As many as 309 delivery huts had so far been set up to provide safe delivery services to women in rural areas of the state, he said.

Also, a Janani Suvidha Yojana had been implemented for pregnant women residing in urban slums and another such scheme known as Janani Suraksha Yojana has been introduced for poor pregnant women living in rural areas.

He said an 'Arogya Kosh' has been set up to provide financial assistance to the economically poor sections of the society so as to enable them avail the services of specialists.

Another scheme known as 'Ladli' has been introduced to check the declining sex ratio. Under this scheme, 10424 beneficiaries had so far been benefited and a target had been fixed to benefit 85,000 beneficiaries during the next five years.

UNI MA PV BD1916