8 toll plazas closed, 210 colonies regularised: Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar
Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar said the public would save ₹22.48 crore annually after the closure, adding that the plazas included seven operated by the Haryana public works department
Haryana chief minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday announced the closure of eight toll plazas located in the state saying that the decision will bring monetary relief to the public.
The CM in a press briefing on Thursday said the public would save ₹22.48 crore annually after the closure, adding that the plazas included seven operated by the Haryana public works department.
The plazas include Teokad toll plaza on Pehowa-Patiala Punjab border on State Highway-19 in Kurukshetra; three toll plazas on Saundh, Charoda and Pathredi road on Hodal Nuh-Patoda Pataudi road; Rai-Nahra-Barota and Bamnoli toll plazas on Bahadurgarh road; Sunhera toll plazas up to Punhana-Jurhera Rajasthan border and Bandhwadi; and Pakhal, Nurera toll plazas on Faridabad and Ballabgarh Sohna road. Besides, the Alipur Tigra and Biwan toll plazas on Ferozepur Jhirka Biwan road will also cease operations.
Khattar also announced regularisation of 210 unauthorised colonies and set a deadline of January 31, 2024, to complete the notification of all 2,274 unauthorised colonies in the state. He said basic amenities such as roads, sewerage, water supply and streetlights will be provided to the residents, adding that 1,883 colonies have already been regularised.
The state government has also identified 15,000 widower and unmarried persons who will be provided social security pensions from December, 2023. Social security pensions will also be extended to persons with disabilities
“A widower who has attained the age of 40 and has a verified annual income of up to ₹3 lakh will be eligible for the benefit. An unmarried person, male as well as female, who has attained the age of 45 and belongs to a family whose verified annual family income is up to ₹1.8 lakh will be eligible,” the CM said.
Khattar digitally disbursed a compensation amount of about ₹97.93 crore to 34,511 farmers who suffered losses due to heavy rainfall and floods that wreaked havoc in July. He said the compensation encompasses an area of 49,197 acres, which had been re-sown, with a rate of ₹7,000 per acre.
The compensation does not include the one for cotton crop damage as the survey is still underway.
An amount of about ₹6.7 crore was also approved for losses in commercial properties in urban areas and will be disbursed soon.
Khattar said Haryana will have its state anthem and a proposal in this regard will be presented in the winter assembly session, adding that the government had shortlisted three compositions that will be tabled in the House. The one with the highest votes will be declared the state anthem for a year.