gfj;k.kk fo/kku lHkk dh dk;Zokgh 6 Qjojh] 2009 [k.M& 1] vad&1 vf/k—r fooj.k fo"k; lwph 'kqØokj] 6 Qjojh] 2009 i`"B la[;k jkT;iky dk vfHkHkk"k.k ¼lnu dh est ij j[kh xbZ ¼1½ 1 çfr½ 'kksd çLrko ¼1½ 1 'kksd çLrkoksa ij fyf[kr J}ktfy;ka ¼1½ 58 cSBd dk LFkxu ¼1½ 73 gfj;k.kk fo/kku lHkk 'kqØokj] 6 Qjojh] 2009 fo/kku lHkk dh cSBd] gfj;k.kk fo/kku lHkk gkyA fo/kku Hkou] lSDVj&1] p.Mhx< es e/;kgu i'pkr~ 2-55 cts gqbZA v/;{k ¼M‚å j?kqohj flag dkfn;ku½ us v/;{krk dhA jkT;ikydk vfHkHkk"k.k ¼lnu dh est ij j[kh xbZ çfr½ Mr. Speaker : Hon'ble Members, I welcome you a 11 in the House. In pursuance of Rule 18 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Haryana Legislative Assembly, I have to report that the Governor was pleased to address the Haryana Legislative Assembly at 2.00 P.M. today, the 6th February, 2009 under Article 176(1) of the Constitution. A copy of the Address is laid on the Table of the House. Mr. Speaker and Hon'ble Members, At the outset, I would like to pay my homage to Chaudhary Ranbir Singh who left for his heavenly abode on 1st February, 2009. His passing away is a great loss to the nation. Chaudhary Ranbir Singh was a true nationalist. He was the last surviving member of the Constituent Assembly. He made a valuable contribution to our freedom struggle. In the post Independence India, he distinguished himself as a Parliamentarian as well as an administrator. He championed the cause of the farmers and the downtrodden. lie was a visionary statesman. The Bhakra project which is the lifeline of both Punjab and Haryana was constructed and dedicated to the nation during his tenure as Minister of Irrigation & Power in joint Punjab. A rare example of courage and conviction for social reforms, and an embodiment of honesty and humility, Chaudhary Ranbir Singh's life will continue to inspire the future generations. 2. Hon'ble Members, I welcome you to this year's first Session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha. I extend to you my best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year. 3. In the past year, our nation has scaled new heights in several areas. We joined the prestigious nuclear club of the world and successfully undertook a lunar mission. I congratulate our visionary leaders especially the Prime Minister for these significant achievements. My compliments are also due to our scientists who have made us proud. 4. The world has been impacted by an unprecedented economic meltdown. All sectors of the economy have been affected. India has not remained insulated from the developments in the rest of the world. Growth momentum of the last few years has slowed down in almost all spheres. The Government of India has announced several monetary and fiscal measures to provide a stimulus to the economy. The impact of the economic slow down is also being felt at the State level. But my Government is determined to meet this new challenge. with greater vigour and renewed optimism. We have to ensure that none of our programmes suffers a set back and at the same time achieve a healthy rate of growth. The State Government is trying to speed up public spending to give a boost to the economy. Steps have been taken to accelerate the work of major infrastructure projects and expedite the implementation of major developmental schemes like Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP), Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) etc. It is in this context that the size of the Annual Plan for 2009-I 0 is being increased by 50.37 % from Rs. 6,650 crore to Rs. 10,000 crore. Most of the increase is due to higher allocation for infrastructure comprising power, roads, buildings and water supply & sanitation. 5. I am happy to note that the Government, in the past one year, has further consolidated its developmental efforts on all fronts. The comprehensive development of infrastructure both physical as well as social continues to receive the top priority of my Government. The Government seeks not only to accelerate the pace of development but also retain the focus on inclusive growth. It is a matter of great satisfaction that due to the overall economic buoyancy, the State has been steadily increasing the size of the annual plans during the past four years. When the present Government assumed office the size of the Plan i.e. 2004-05 was Rs. 2236 crore. As against this, the Plan size proposed for the year 2009-10 is Rs. 10,000 crore which is almost five times higher than the Plan for 2004-05. It is also heartening to note that the Government has not only achieved the plan targets but also surpassed them. 6. Hon'ble Members, I am happy to inform you that the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) during 2007-08 was estimated at Rs.1,53,087 crore as against Rs.1,30,033 crore in 2006-07, registering a growth rate of 17.7% at current prices. The per capita income at current prices is estimated at Rs.58,531 in 2007-08 as against Rs.50,488 in 2006-07. Haryana has the highest per capita income, only next to Goa, amongst States. AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS' CONCERNS 7. My Government attaches highest priority to agriculture and allied sectors. It proposes to spend an amount of Rs. 412.49 crore on these sectors in the plan schemes in the current year which is about Rs.178 crore more than the previous year, an increase of about 75 percent. The State Government has decided to celebrate the year 2009 as 'Kisan- Mazdoor Varsh'. The main focus will be to maximize agricultural production by way of improving yields of various crops, improving fertility, restoring soil health, optimizing utilization of water resources, timely supply of agricultural inputs and credit, ensuring remunerative prices to farmers and better marketing facilities. The preliminary survey shows that this year, there has been a substantial increase in the area under wheat (18,000 hect.), oil seeds (1.26 lakh hect.) and gram (23,000 hect.) as compared to the previous year. The productivity of wheat has also gone up substantially since the year 2005-06. 8. With a view to improving the utilization of water for irrigation, subsidy is being provided on underground pipeline system and sprinklers. To promote use of certified seeds on a larger scale, the subsidy on wheat seed has been increased from Rs. 200 to Rs. 500 per qtl. In order to further improve the availability of certified seeds, a project of Rs. II crore has been approved by Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) for Ch. Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) to enhance its capacity for production of foundation seed. My Government has launched a campaign to do away with the menace of paddy-wheat stubble husk burning as it destroys the organic matter in the soil besides polluting the environment. In order to promote mechanization, subsidy is being provided on Zero Tillage-cum-Seed Drill, Rotavator and Paddy Transplanter under various schemes. 9. Hon'ble Members, due to the efforts of the State Government, the Central Government has lifted the ban on export of Pusa-1121 variety of paddy, which is a big relief to the paddy growers of the State. The State Government has further increased the price of early, mid and late varieties of sugarcane at Rs.170, Rs.165 and Rs. I 60 per quintal respectively for the year 2008-09. These prices are the highest in the country. 10. The Government has sought to give a renewed impetus to the development of horticulture in the State. In the year 2007-08, an amount of Rs. 107 crore was approved under the National Horticulture Mission (NHM). This year an allocation of Rs. 211 crore has been approved which is 97.19 % higher than the previous year's allocation. Haryana is a pioneer State in the development of an innovative integrated model of community tanks, fruit plantation, drip irrigation and vermi-compost units by providing 50-100% subsidy to the farmers. A sorting, grading, cold chain plant with modern technology has started functioning at Abub Sahar in Sirsa. 11. The Haryana State Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation (HAFEED) has set up a sugar mill at Assandh at a cost of Rs. 80 crore, with a crushing capacity of 2,500 tonnes per day. Three Cooperative Sugar Mills of the State received prizes at the National level for their outstanding performance. Shahabad Sugar mill stood first in the country in the overall best category and the Sonepat Sugar mill received second prize for its technical efficiency. Karnal Sugar Mill also secured the second prize under cane development category. 12. Under the Agriculture Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme-2008, about 7.15 lakh persons have been benefited to the extent of over Rs. 2,136 crore in Haryana. Hon'ble Members, as you are aware the State Government has already provided debt relief through a special package known as the Recovery Linked Incentive Scheme-One Time Settlement (OTS). Under this, the entire interest amount of the loanee farmers as on 30.6.2006 was to be waived provided they paid the due principal amount up to 30.6.2007.