Introspect if have you gone off track: Khattar to IAS, IPS officers

CHINTAN SHIVIR CONCLUDES The CM tells them to remember their resolve to change the system

CHANDIGARH: Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday asked IAS and IPS officers to introspect. Speaking on the concluding day of the three-day Chintan Shivir at Timber Trail in Himachal’s Parwanoo, Khattar said IAS and IPS officials need to remember that they resolved to change the system.

“If the officers have forgotten the resolution, they have clearly gone off track during their service period. I urge them to introspect if they have gone off the track. And if they have, then see how far they have deviated. I have full faith that the officials can rekindle the emotion of change,” he said.

Khattar said the Shivir produced encouraging results and infused new energy in the participants for building a “new Haryana”. “Good team spirit has been generated at the Shivir and everyone has agreed that there is

a need for greater involvement among government servants,” he said, adding, “All senior officers will work as a team to ensure that the benefits of development reach the last person in the queue,’’ he said.

Haryana governor Kaptan

Singh Solanki asked the public representatives and bureaucrats to serve the society with utmost sensitivity, cooperation and dedication. Speaking on the occasion, the governor expressed happiness that members of the cabinet, including the chief minister, and senior bureaucrats have taken collective decisions for the development of state in group-wise meetings in this Shivir.

Meanwhile, the first session of the last day of the Shivir saw the unveiling of working drafts for new action plans of various departments, including the plan to double the income of farmers, enhance efficiency of utilisation of water, make more youth skilled and rejuvenate urban life.

GOVT TO ENCOURAGE CROP DIVERSIFICATION: DHANKAR

Agriculture minister OP Dhankar, who chaired Group-i on the topic of ‘Agriculture reforms for doubling farmers’ income’, gave a presentation on how to achieve the desired goal and Prime Minister’s vision to double the income of farmers by 2022.

Dhankar said the government had fixed a target to ensure farmers’ income between ₹60,000 and ₹1 lakh per acre. “To achieve this target, we will encourage diversification of crops, increase productivity, cattle-rearing, direct marketing of produce, agri service, value additional packaging, branding and integrated farming,” he said.

“We have made our farmers completely risk-free as all the crop either covered under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana or by the compensation policy of the state government,” said Dhankar.

Principal secretary (irrigation and water resources) Anurag Rastogi highlighted the challenges discussed in the group on optimum utilisation of every drop of water. He said that a state water policy on utilisation of surface and groundwater should be formed.

Other recommendations of the group include enactment of state groundwater and management regulation act, state water regulatory authority, enforcement of existing bye-laws on rainwater harvesting.