On R-Day, Khattar announces monthly electricity bills at 4 Haryana cities, scheme to provide plots to homeless, poor

In four cities across Haryana, electricity bills will now be issued on a monthly basis instead of the current system of clubbing bills of two months. The new system, announced by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday, will begin from February 1 on a pilot basis.

The four cities where monthly electricity bills will be issued are — Panchkula, Karnal, Hisar and Mahendragarh.

Addressing the Republic Day function in Karnal, Khattar said it was a long-pending demand of the people to issue monthly electricity bills.

“Under the new system, meter readers will visit homes every alternate month to note the readings while the consumers will have to upload the readings on an app themselves for the rest of the months,” Khattar said.

Small land parcels for poor, homeless

The Chief Minister also said his government is all set to launch a scheme to provide small land parcels to the homeless and the poor from February 1 this year. Initially, the scheme will be launched in 11 cities of Haryana and a portal will be opened for the same. Every person who applies for the scheme will be given a 30 square yard plot at “an inconsiderable” rate, Khattar said.

He added that the places have been identified for allotting the plots. “Loans will be arranged from the banks for the applicants to build houses on these plots. The Centre and the Haryana government will contribute together for the scheme,” the CM added.

Under the Mukhyamantri Shehri Awas Yojana, Khattar said, the government had issued an advertisement to know the requirement for such plots and flats. “We received applications from nearly one lakh people for small size plots and a similar number of applications for small flats,” Khattar said.

Atal Kisan Majdoor Canteens to remain open throughout the year

The CM also said that the Atal Kisan Majdoor Canteens will be opened in 15 more grain markets of the state. Currently, these are functional in 25 mandis and remain functional for only five months but the CM announced that these would be made functional throughout the year.

Women security and fake news

Khattar further said, “Our first priority is to ensure women’s security. The Opposition will try to defame (the government) by scripting false stories. Their only aim is to defame the government.”

Citing an example, the CM said recently a story was cooked up that there have been instances of atrocities on women in Sirsa. “We verified it and found out that it was the mischief of a teacher who circulated a news about this. The police had to invest many days to probe the case and the statements of hundreds of girls were recorded. Finally, nothing came out. Earlier too, they (Opposition) supported a disgusting act. An incident of Panchkula was raised but no substance was found in that too.”

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