Haryana CM calls upon people to turn 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' vision into people's movement

Rohtak: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini urfurled the tricolour at a state-level Independence Day celebration in Rohtak on Friday and urged citizens to turn the vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' to a 'Jan Andolan' (people's movement).

Extending greetings on the occasion of 79th Independence Day, he noted that India has become the world's fourth-largest economy and under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership the country now must aspire to claim the top position.

This goal, he stressed, can be realised only by turning the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' vision into a nationwide movement.

He also urged people to adopt the spirit of 'Vocal for Local' and 'Local for Global', encouraging industrialists, investors, scientists, and technicians to harness their skills in the service of national self-reliance.

Paying tributes at the Shaheedi Smarak, Saini honoured the families of freedom fighters and lauded the soldiers guarding India's borders. He paid homage to to all those who laid down their lives for the country and also praised the role of Haryana's soldiers in various wars of India, including the 1962, 1965, 1971, and Kargil conflicts.

"We must stand by the families and dependents of those who laid down their lives for the motherland, he added.

Calling Independence Day a festival of the entire nation, Saini said the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign has once again painted the country in the colours of patriotism.

He informed that the present state government has increased the pension for freedom fighters and their widows to Rs 40,000 per month, enhanced ex-gratia for war martyrs' families to Rs 1 crore, and provided government jobs to 410 dependents.

Saini noted that three colonial-era criminal laws, designed to punish and control Indians, were repealed after 70 years and said outdated provisions have been removed, reflecting a modern legal framework.

He hailed the valour of Indian armed forces and the use of indigenous technological strength, through military operations like Sindoor and Mahadev.

The chief minister further said Haryana would play a key role in achieving the Prime Minister's vision of making India a developed nation by 2047, as the state remains a leading contributor in foodgrain, manufacturing every second car on the Indian roads and 52 percent of the country's tractors.

Highlighting his government's tenure, he said Haryana has freed citizens from "discriminatory" systems, rooted out corruption, and adopted a new e-governance model linking schemes to the 'Parivar Pehchan Patra'.

More than 100 government services have been digitised, ensuring transparency, he added.

Saini said that the government has given 30,000 youth jobs on merit only in this term, eliminating the age-old 'Parchi Kharchi' (favouritism, bribe) practice. A total of 1.80 lakh jobs have been provided in 10.5 years.

The common eligibility test (CET) has been conducted successfully, and legal safeguards have been introduced for Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam employees, including dearness allowance (DA), annual increments, and overseas job opportunities for 5,000 youth, he said.

He also said that law and order remains top priority with strict directions issued to the police department to act swiftly on complaints. "Emergency response time averages just over seven minutes. We will free Haryana from crime; no one breaking the law will be spared," he asserted.

On the agriculture front, Saini said all crops are now procured at minimum support price, with Rs. 1.48 lakh crore transferred directly to 12 lakh farmers.

Compensation worth Rs 15,465 crore has been paid for crop losses in 10.5 years, he said, adding that the British-era 'abiyaana' levy has been abolished, and the Agriculture Land Lease Act introduced to rebuild trust between landlords and tenant farmers.

Highlighting the measures taken for social justice and welfare, he said key initiatives include bifurcating scheduled castes (SC) reservation to benefit the most deprived, raising the other-backward classes (OBC) creamy layer income limit to Rs 8 lakh, granting OBC-B reservation in panchayats and urban local bodies.

He also outlined that the Prajapati community has been granted land in 1,700 villages, and a 'Vivah Shagun' of up to Rs 71,000 under the Mukhyamantri Vivah Shagun Yojana are also some of the initiatives taken for social welfare.

Additionally, he said that social security pensions have been raised to Rs 3,000 per month, with benefits extended to 10 new disability categories.

Saini said under the Ayushman Bharat “Chirayu scheme, free treatment has been provided to 22 lakh beneficiaries and free dialysis will now be available for kidney patients in all government hospitals and medical colleges.

Every district will have a medical college -- 15 are operational and nine are under construction, he informed.

The government is also building state-of-the-art sports infrastructure, in line with the Prime Minister's Fit India, “Hit India vision. Gyms are being set up in every village and so far, 250 indoor gyms have been opened in rural areas across 19 districts for Rs 50 crore, the chief minister informed.