Haryana cabinet decisions: Now, retired staff eligible for old-age pension

Presently, senior citizens receiving Employees Provident Fund benefits are excluded from the Old Age Samman allowance

Employees Provident Fund (EPF) pensioners who get less than ₹3,000 per month will now be eligible for old-age pension. The Haryana council of ministers on Thursday amended the Old Age Samman Allowance Scheme to extend its benefits to EPF pensioners. An official spokesperson said this would ensure that the combined total of the government allowance and the EPF pension equals the Old Age Samman Allowance of ₹3,000 per month or as amended from time to time.

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Presently, senior citizens receiving EPF benefits are excluded from the Old Age Samman allowance. However, there have been cases where the EPF pension amounts to less than ₹3,000 per month and the amendment to the Old Age Samman Allowance Scheme would ensure that retirees from any government or any local/statutory body or any organisation owned and controlled substantially by any government, who receive an annuity or pension less than the Old Age Samman Allowance, shall be entitled to the Old Age Samman Allowance, the spokesperson said.

Nod in appointments at medical colleges

In another decision, the cabinet approved the appointment of contractual faculty members in Government Medical, Dental, and Nursing Colleges Policy 2023 to enhance healthcare education and services. The policy aimed to expand healthcare education as the state is opening new medical colleges.

An official spokesperson said the policy addresses the shortage of qualified faculty members in healthcare institutions while ensuring compliance with staffing norms set by central regulatory authorities, such as the National Medical Commission (NMC), Dental Council of India (DCI) and Indian Nursing Council (INC). Additionally, the policy focuses on maintaining an appropriate student-to-teacher ratio to ensure quality education.

Offers job to martyrs’ sisters

The cabinet gave ex-post facto approval for providing government jobs to the sisters of martyr sepoy Satyawan and Captain Kapil Kundu by granting relaxation in conditions, these being exceptional cases, the spokesperson said.

Manju Rani, sister of sepoy Satyawan, has been provided government employment as a clerk in the elementary education department against a vacant post. Kajal Kundu, sister of Captain Kapil Kundu, has been given a job as an assistant employment officer (Group-B) in the employment department.

Sepoy Satyawan of the Indian Army who was from Chandeni village in Charkhi Dadri was killed in Operation Rakshak in Jammu and Kashmir on April 3, 2004. Captain Kapil Kundu of Ransika village in Patuadi, Gurugram, was killed in Operation Rakshak in Jammu and Kashmir on February 4, 2018. Both martyrs were unmarried and had no brothers.

Extends daily allowance for police

The cabinet approved the extension of the daily allowance for all police personnel, irrespective of their place of posting, up to 20 days a month.

An official spokesperson said all police personnel will now be entitled to a maximum of 20 daily allowances per month, aligning their benefits with those posted in police stations. This change ensures that all police personnel, irrespective of their duty location, can receive daily allowances for up to 20 days a month when they perform official journeys.

The cabinet approved an amendment in the Haryana Land Revenue Act, 1887 to ensure speedy disposal of partition cases. It will be called the Haryana Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

An official spokesperson said notwithstanding anything contained in Section 111 and within such period from the date of commencement of the amendment bill notified for revenue estate by the deputy commissioner, the revenue officer shall issue a suo motu notice to all co-sharers recorded in the revenue record or co-sharers in whose favour mutations have been sanctioned, to get the land in their joint ownership partitioned by mutual consent within six months from the date of issue of notice.

The cabinet approved the enhancement of the sale limit for non-judicial and court fee stamps by licensed stamp vendors from the existing ₹10,000 to ₹20,000 per case. An official spokesperson said the decision aimed to address the long-standing demands of the Stamp Vendors Association.

In another decision, the cabinet approved the borrowing of ₹200 crore by the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) to meet the day-to-day expenses towards the acquisition of land, infrastructure development, payment of enhanced compensation to land losers, and for paying high-cost debts.

The cabinet gave ex-post facto approval for drafting the standard operating procedure (SoP) for scrutiny and processing of applications received for grant of transferable development rights (TDR) certificate whereon the site is encumbered on account of land acquisition proceedings under the Land Acquisition Act. 1894.

An official spokesperson said the SoP aimed to facilitate aggregation of land for critical infrastructure projects through the completely voluntary option to be exercised by the landowner(s) enabling the state government to ensure the development of critical infrastructure projects effectively and efficiently and transparently, ultimately serving the larger public interest.

The cabinet also approved amendments in the policy for the Planned Development of Retirement Housing to allow flexibility in the planning and design of such retirement housing projects. The representatives of the Association of Senior Living India (ASLI) had suggested amendments, an official spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said to broaden the bracket of eligible residents, the age requirement has been changed from 60 plus to 55 plus. This would make the projects more inclusive.