A day after his 64th birth anniversary, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal on Sunday embarked on a two-nation foreign tour aimed at exploring more areas of cooperation with Israel, encouraged by a continuing ten-year partnership in the field of horticulture, and attracting investment and expertise from the United Kingdom for various ongoing and new industrial and logistical projects in the state, including the economic corridor planned along the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) expressway and the Hisar International Aviation Hub.
Addressing a press conference just before embarking on his journey, the Chief Minister shared a few other new developments, one of them being writing a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh requesting him to expeditiously identify and plan a hydel project on the river Ravi in conjunction with other stakeholder states to harness the water which was flowing waste into Pakistan. He also announced a no enhancement policy for future buyers of residential plots in sectors to be floated by Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP).
Photos By : Life In Chandigarh
Describing his trip, at the head of a high level delegation, as being packed with official engagements, Manohar Lal said during his Israel visit from May 6 to 8 he will get an opportunity to participate in the world famous Agritech Israel-2018 (The theme for this year’s conference and exhibition is “Agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions”).
He informed that considering the success of the 10-year Indo-Israel action plan for mutual cooperation in various fields (started in 2008), it had been extended by three years till 2020. Under the plan, out of 20 Centres of Excellence established across the country, five were set up in Haryana. Among other areas of focus during the Israel visit will be technology for converting waste or brackish water into usable water for irrigation, internal security and aerospace, in which Israel has proven expertise, he added.
With a host of UK based multinational corporations already operating out of Haryana, the May 9 to 13 UK visit will focus on attracting further investment in major ongoing global city and new projects like economic corridor along the KMP Expressway nearing completion, Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) between Gurugram-Manesar-Bawal, logistic hub at Narnaul, Hisar International Aviation Hub and IMT Kharkhoda. Besides this, the CM’s delegation is also scheduled to study the driverless pod car facility at Heathrow Airport.
File Photo Of Driverless Pod Car At Heathrow
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had recently announced that the driverless pod car facility would be started from Dhaula Kuan in New Delhi to Rajiv Chowk in Gurugram to ease traffic congestion on the stretch.
Meetings have also been planned with leading UK industrialists to create an enabling environment for start-ups in Haryana so that more and more employment opportunities could be created for the youth from the state.
Letter To Punjab CM On Harnessing Of Ravi Water
In his letter to Capt. Amarinder Singh, the Haryana Chief Minister while pointing out that both states were facing a severely depleting water table, has said “time has come when we must join hands in checking the wasteful flow of Ravi waters to Pakistan.”
Quoting a viability report prepared by a Central Government appointed committee in this regard, which had in its 6th meeting in 2012 suggested follow up action by Punjab, Manohar Lal said it was unfortunate that no visible progress has been made in this direction so far, despite it having been declared a National Project by the Central Government.
Pointing out that the Central Government, based on the committee’s findings, had also asked all the partner states to build a consensus on engaging the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) to undertake feasibility studies and to construct the above project, the Haryana Chief Minister requested Capt. Amarinder Singh to direct his concerned officers to take up the proposal “in right earnest.”
On his part, Manohar Lal said, he had directed state Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary Irrigation and Water Resources to accord “top priority” to this. They would make themselves available to attend any meeting that the concerned Punjab officers consider necessary on the subject, he added.
Relief For Existing HSVP Plot Owners
The Chief Minister reiterated the state government’s decision that all existing plot owners in HSVP sectors, who were burdened with astronomical outstanding amounts as enhancement fee and interest on it, will be given 40 percent rebate on the entire outstanding amount if they apply under this scheme within two months (i.e. till midnight of July 4, 2017) and pay their remaining balance in full. He also announced a ‘no enhancement policy’ for plot buyers in all new sectors to be floated by HSVP, on the lines of the policy adopted by Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC).
He said, in future, all vacant plots in existing HSVP sectors will only be auctioned at the prevailing market rates.
