Hyderabad: First, there was the Gujarat model and then came the Uttar Pradesh model, with policy initiatives and their implementation constituting the crux of the BJP talking points in poll campaigns in other states. Now, it could well be time to add one more model, that of Haryana.
“All this talk about models began with media talking about the states. The important point is the takeaways from BJP-administered states, of new policies, and plans that are making a difference in governance and delivery of services to the people,” said Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
People can call these good governance initiatives by any label they choose, he said.
“What the Prime Minister and the party say are that effective and good ideas implemented in some states should be studied by the others, and then adopted or adapted to their needs,” Khattar told media personnel from different states on a recent visit to Haryana.
Haryana has launched several initiatives, including some that have started paying handsome dividends, Khattar explained.
Of particular pride is the Parivar Pehchan Patra (family identity card), which provides an identification number for a family, just as the Aadhaar card does for an individual. After verifying the data, what Haryana has is ‘golden data’, Khattar said.
An individual or the family needs to provide their number to avail a slew of services. Eligibility verification has become simpler and, since records get updated, the latest family data the government has is typically just around a month old.
“We needed a mechanism to take care of a family as a unit, and thus PPP was born,” Khattar said.
The Haryana model, though Khattar refused to call it that, has other elements — the Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojana, which provides cash incentive of the price difference between MSP for various crops and the market price, allowing farmers to sell their crops to any buyer, instead of waiting for government procurement.
Similarly, with Haryana being a water-stressed state, the government’s Mera Pani Meri Virasat is finding increasing acceptance. The groundwater table has been going down, and the state does not have too many surface water resources. The scheme pays farmers ₹7,000 per acre for growing low water-demand crops or rainfed crops in water-stressed areas. This amount is also paid if a farmer chooses to leave the land fallow during a crop season. Together, these two schemes complement each other.
“More than one lakh acres have been diverted from paddy and other water-demanding grain crops to other crops through this scheme,” Khattar said.
