On 1st day, CM Saini fulfils 1st promise: Free dialysis to chronic kidney patients | India News
CHANDIGARH: Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday announced all government hospitals in Haryana will offer free dialysis 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 his government will also implement the Supreme Court‘s decision empowering states to make sub-classifications within the Scheduled Castes for granting reservation “today itself”.
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 BJP back to power for a third time.
By giving a big mandate to 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 to chronic kidney patients.
“The first file that I signed (after assuming charge) was regarding the decision on 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 said.
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.
Asked about an agriculture department notification stating that FIRs would be lodged against farmers found burning crop residue and that they would be restricted to selling their crops in mandis through the e-kharid portal for the next two seasons, Saini said, “There is no such thing.”
“Even today I have said that if our farmers burn stubble, they should be made to understand (its impact on the environment). If any equipment or instrument is needed, we are giving subsidy on these,” he said.
Farmers are being made aware of the harmful effects of stubble burning, he said.
Stubble burning in Haryana and neighbouring Punjab contributes to air pollution in Delhi, especially during the post-harvest season in October and November.
During the cabinet meeting, Saini said, the ongoing paddy procurement in the state was also reviewed.
“There was a detailed discussion on procurement. The BJP government is committed to procuring every single grain of our farmers at MSP,” he said.
No value cut will be imposed for up to 17%moisture content in paddy, he said.
In the current season, more than 27.4 lakh metric tonnes of paddy arrived in mandis and more than 23 LMT had been procured at the MSP till Thursday, the chief minister said.
For the paddy procured, Rs 3,056 crore has been credited into farmers’ accounts, he said.
Saini warned 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, otherwise we will mend them,” he said.
