Haryana approves 22 per cent State Plan component for SCs

Chandigarh, Mar 7 (UNI) The Haryana government today approved the highest ever State Plan Component of Rs 1433 crore for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes out of the total proposed State Plan Outlay of Rs 6650 crore for the year 2008-09.

Talking to reporters at the Haryana Vidhan Sabha Press Lobby today, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said this amount represented 21.55 per cent of the total outlay as against Scheduled Caste population of 19.35 per cent in the state.

Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan had been implemented in Haryana for economic development of Scheduled Castes, he added.

Elaborating the ''unprecedented progress'' made by the State during the last three years, the Chief Minister said equal development of the urban as well as rural areas in every part of the state had been made.

He said the Governor's address presented in the Vidhan Sabha today was an ample proof that the State had emerged a trendsetter in the field of development during the past three years.

It reflected the new vision of the development scenario of the State and elaborated on the promise made by the Government to make Haryana a number one of State in the country in every field of development.

Describing the loan waiving scheme of farmers amounting to Rs 60,000 crore, the Chief Minister termed this decision of the Central Government as ''historic'' which had spread a ray of hope and happiness towards empowering the farming community of this country.

The Chief Minister informed that this loan waiving scheme of the Central Budget would benefit about 10 to 11 lakh farmers of Haryana.

To a question regarding setting up of a separate High Court for Haryana, the Chief Minister said Haryana still demanded a separate High Court for the state but the decision on the matter would be taken by the Central Government.

On the selection of Congress nominations for the Rajya Sabha elections in Haryana, the Chief Minister said the last date for the nomination was March 15. ''We would give two names till that date as per the final decision of the Party High Command.'' MORE UNI MA RR AS2035