Separate tender to be floated if ongoing project requires expansion: Haryana CM

Chandigarh, Mar 5 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday said the necessary expansion of ongoing projects in Haryana will be executed through separate tenders.

The move is aimed at effectively addressing issues related to cost enhancement and budget escalation.

Saini said that at present, it is often observed that once a project is underway, its scope is expanded midway.

Repeated expansions during implementation create several complications, leading to an increase in project costs and enhancement-related challenges, he said.

To address these issues, the government has decided that if a project has already been tendered and any additional work or expansion is required later, it will be carried out through a fresh and separate tender process.

He added that necessary directions have already been issued to officers concerned of all departments in this regard.

The Chief Minister was responding to a query during the Question Hour of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha on Thursday during the ongoing budget session.

Meanwhile, responding to another question raised in the Assembly, Minister of State for Sports, Gaurav Gautam said that a proposal to strengthen and develop the basic infrastructure at the Haryana Sports University located in the Rai Assembly constituency of Sonipat district is under consideration.

He said that the state government has approved an amount of Rs 491.20 crore for the development of infrastructure at the university. Out of this, Rs 371.20 crore will be spent on the construction of buildings, while Rs 120 crore has been earmarked for the development of sports infrastructure, he said.

In response to another question in the Assembly, Public Works (Buildings and Roads) Minister, Ranbir Gangwa said that the state government is continuously accelerating road development and repair works to strengthen connectivity across Haryana.

He said that the construction of better and wider roads will not only make traffic movement smoother but will also boost regional development and economic activities.

Meanwhile, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Krishan Kumar Bedi said in the House that Property ID has been made mandatory from July 2024 in urban areas to ensure proper verification and authentication of the residential address of applicant families.

Bedi said that in the case of a tenant or a person who does not own any property, the relevant option may be selected in Parivar Pehchan Patra (family id). The Property ID of the premises in which the citizen is residing may be entered to ensure proper verification, he said.

Minister Krishan Lal Panwar, in response to another question in the Assembly, said that the state government is continuously working for the cleaning, repair and rejuvenation of traditional village ponds across the state.

Through conservation and beautification of these traditional water bodies, the government is promoting water conservation while ensuring environmental balance and water availability in rural areas, he said.

Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana informed the Assembly that the state government has implemented a scheme to provide an incentive of Rs 4,000 per acre to farmers adopting the Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) method for paddy cultivation during Kharif 2024.

Rana said that under the scheme, 27,378 farmers in the state have been found eligible for benefits, covering a total area of 1,56,891 acres.

Out of these, 18,007 farmers cultivating 1,09,245 acres have already been paid an incentive amount of Rs. 40.36 crore at the rate of Rs 4,000 per acre, he said.

Urban Local Bodies Minister Vipul Goel said that the state government is continuously taking steps to accelerate urban development and promote planned residential growth across the state.

Goel, while responding to a question raised in the House, informed that between 2016 and 2026, the Department of Town and Country Planning, Haryana, issued 760 licences under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Yojana covering a total area of 7,618.9 acres.

Goel further said that between 2014 and 2026, the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) has developed 56 new sectors across the state, covering a total area of 5,529.20 acres.

He said that the government is committed to ensuring that the benefits of residential development schemes reach every section of society in the state. PTI SUN MR