KHATTAR GOVT ANNOUNCES 7TH PAY PANEL BENEFITS FOR PENSIONERS
HIKE All pensioners and family pensioners will get the benefits with effect from January 1, 2016, says chief minister
CHANDIGARH: Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday announced to give the benefits of the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) to all pensioners and family pensioners in the state with effect from January 1, 2016.
The state government had earlier announced the pay panel benefits for the government employees from the same date.
Replying to the discussion on the governor’s address in the ongoing budget session of the state assembly, he said the arrears would be released within three months of the notification.
Stating that the revised pension or family pension would be determined by multiplying the existing basic pension or family pension by 2.57, he said there would be an increase of 32% in the existing basic pension or family pension as on January 1, 2016 and 14.22% in the existing pension or family pension, including dearness allowance (DA).
He said the minimum revision in pensions would be from Rs 3,500 per month to Rs 9,000 per month. The ceiling of gratuity had also been enhanced from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh. Besides, the ceiling of gratuity would be increased by 25%, whenever dearness allowance rises by 50%.
FREE PILGRIMAGE FOR SENIOR CITIZENS
Khattar said the state government has prepared a ‘Tirtha Darshan’ (pilgrimage) scheme under which senior citizens (those above 60 years) belonging to below poverty line (BPL) families would be able to go on pilgrimage within the country at the expense of the government. For senior citizens of non-BPL families, the government would bear 70% of the cost for such pilgrimages.
DIN OVER GOOD GOVERNANCE ASSOCIATES
The House briefly saw a din over the issue of chief minister’s good governance associates (CMGGAs) with the Opposition asking him if they were part of a government programme or an interference in the government functioning.
Khattar denied it and said that they had nothing to do with government and their job was to assist him in ensuring good governance. They had been appointed for a year and thereafter, the decision would be reviewed, he said.
Stating that the government had formulated a scheme to check the menace of stray animals, he said Fatehabad had become the first district to be declared as free from stray animals.
While continuing his reply, which was repeatedly interrupted by opposition MLAs who alleged that all the 22 CMGGAs were associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), he said there were many people who rendered selfless service to the society.
The chief minister said he too had rendered selfless service, without any monetary gain for 34 years.
LAW AND ORDER
Khattar rebuffed charges levelled by the Opposition that crime was on rise in the state and said there had been considerable decline in criminal cases as compared to previous years.
Efforts were being made to further reduce the crime rate, he added.
The CM said police assistance centres were being set up at every 20 km on all national highways passing through the state and to increase the security of Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) expressway, police posts would be set up at every 10 km.