CM Saini fulfils poll promise of free dialysis for chronic kidney patients

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday announced all government hospitals in Haryana will offer free dialysis services to chronic kidney patients, fulfilling the ruling BJP's first poll promise.

Addressing a press conference after presiding over the first meeting of his cabinet, the chief minister said the state will also implement the Supreme Court's decision empowering states to make sub-classifications within the Scheduled Castes for granting reservation "today itself".  Saini said his cabinet has decided to implement the decision of the Supreme Court which held that states are constitutionally empowered to make sub-classifications within the Scheduled Castes for granting reservation.  "In the first meeting, our cabinet has decided to implement the decision from today itself," he said.

The decision will ensure a fair distribution of benefits within the existing reservation system, it said. Currently, there is a 15 per cent reservation for SC and a 7.5 per cent reservation for Scheduled Tribe communities. With this decision, Haryana will be able to allocate specific quotas within this 22.5 per cent reservation to those sub-groups within SCs and STs that have lesser representation in employment and education.

The Supreme Court on August 1 ruled that a sub-classification would be permissible within reserved category groups for providing benefits of affirmative action.

Saini, who was sworn in as chief minister for a second time on Thursday, said the people of Haryana defeated the Congress' narrative of lies and efforts to provoke farmers and the poor by bringing the BJP back to power for a third time. By giving a big mandate to the BJP, people put their stamp of approval on the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.

The chief minister said all government hospitals in the state will start offering free dialysis services to chronic kidney patients, he said. "The first file that I signed (after assuming charge) was regarding the decision pertaining to kidney patients. We had also made this promise in the elections. The cost of dialysis is nearly Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 per month. Now, the Haryana government will bear the expenses," he added.

The chief minister also asked criminals in the state to mend their ways. "I warn those involved in criminal activities that they should either leave the state or mend their ways," he said.

On government job recruitments, Saini slammed the previous Congress government, accusing it of treating job distribution as a business. Regarding the Assembly session, he said the Cabinet discussed the matter, and a date would be finalised, post-festive season, within one to two days. Saini reassured the farmers that every grain of their crop would be purchased at the minimum support price (MSP). He further said that the results of the recruitment examination for 24,000 government jobs in the state were declared.  


Committed to procure every single grain produced by farmers

Saini said that the state government is committed to procure every single grain produced by farmers. The Chief Minister said that so far, 30 lakh MT of paddy has arrived in the Mandis, of which 25,55,319 MT have been purchased at the Minimum Support Price (MSP). Furthermore, payments amounting to Rs. 3,056 crores have already been directly credited to the farmers' accounts for the purchase of paddy. Additionally, 13,90,199 MT of paddy have been lifted from the mandis, Saini added.

The Chief Minister said that during the current Kharif season, 3.47 lakh  MT of Bajra has arrived in the mandis, of which 3.05 LMT have already been purchased. Furthermore, 1,14,358 MT have been lifted from the mandis. He also informed that Rs. 331 crores have been directly credited to farmers' accounts for the purchase of Bajra.

Responding to a question regarding incidents of stubble burning, the Chief Minister said that there has been a reduction in stubble burning incidents in Haryana. The Supreme Court has also praised the state's farmers on this issue. He said that the State government has been continuously raising awareness among farmers to prevent stubble burning and is providing various subsidized equipment for stubble management to fully control these incidents.