Shafi Shiddique
Gurugram/ Alive News: Haryana state’s year-long celebrations were kick started by the PM at Tau Devi Lal Stadium. Besides the housing scheme, he launched the ‘Automation of Fair Price Shops’ scheme, which will benefit 29.30 lakh poor families, and the scheme to make Haryana kerosene-free.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today praised Haryana for its endeavour to be the first to become kerosene-free by March 2017. Expressing satisfaction over the measures to bridge gender inequality, he said he had deliberately picked Haryana for his “beti padao, beti bachao” scheme and was satisfied with the outcome.
He was speaking at Haryana’s golden jubilee celebrations. Hailing Haryana’s daughters for making the country proud, he said female foeticide could not be allowed to exist in such a distinguished state. “Let every citizen of Haryana pledge to protect the girl child,” he said. He honoured Rio Paralympics silver medalist Deepa Malik on the occasion.
Modi praised the state for making several districts open defecation-free. “I hope the entire state becomes open defecation-free during the golden jubilee year, a feat other states would follow.”
Paying tributes to Haryanavis, he said: “Haryana is a relatively small state but has contributed in many areas. It is believed that Haryana has only farmers. But businessmen from the state too have had extraordinary success. The patriotic people of Haryana have given their lives for the nation by serving in the armed forces.”
The PM felicitated the district authorities of Panchkula, Sirsa, Faridabad, Fatehabad, Gurugram, Yamunanagar and Panipat districts, declaring them open defecation-free. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki showered praise on the Haryanavis for their role in protecting the country’s borders.
