Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has appealed to government doctors to call off their strike and return to their workplaces immediately to ensure that the public does not face any inconvenience. The Chief Minister made this request while addressing a press conference after releasing compensation to farmers in Chandigarh today.
He informed that doctors had raised four major demands, out of which three have already been accepted by the state government. The Chief Minister stated that the demand for creation of a specialised cadre for doctors has been fulfilled, with the Finance Department issuing a notification on 16 August 2024. Similarly, the demand to provide travel allowance for duties performed outside the hospital premises has also been accepted, with a notification issued on 25 October 2024.
Saini further said that the government has put a hold on the demand related to the discontinuation of direct recruitment of Senior Medical Officers (SMOs). He clarified that the state is currently studying the systems followed by other states, and until the report is submitted, direct recruitment of SMOs in Haryana will remain suspended. However, their fourth demand regarding changes in the ACP structure has not been approved at this stage.
Appealing to doctors, the Chief Minister urged them to keep away from any form of politics and return to serving the public. He highlighted that government hospitals have witnessed significant improvements in recent years, and the trust of people in public health services has increased. He also complimented the doctors for contributing to this positive change.
Responding to a question about reduced crop loss figures after verification on the e-Compensation portal, Saini clarified that several districts witnessed continuous rainfall and waterlogging at the time the portal was opened. As water receded over time, actual damage turned out to be lower in many cases. Meanwhile, some farmers had initially reported damage on the portal based on early fears.
Regarding the suspension of patwaris over irregularities in e-Compensation entries, the Chief Minister said that providing relief to farmers affected by natural disasters is the government’s responsibility, and this work is being carried out sincerely. He added that certain irregularities by patwaris have come to light, which reflects the style of functioning during the previous Congress regime. He asserted that such practices will not be tolerated now.
In response to another query, the Chief Minister stated that timely cleaning of drains helped prevent large-scale crop damage during heavy rains.
Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Dr. Sumita Mishra, Principal Secretary to CM Arun Kumar Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary (Town & Country Planning) A.K. Singh, Special Secretary (Revenue & Disaster Management) Prabhjot Singh, Deputy Principal Secretary to CM Yashpal, DG Information, Public Relations, Languages & Culture Parth Gupta, Additional Director (Administration) Varsha Khangwal, Media Secretary to CM Praveen Atreya, Director Agriculture Raj Narayan Kaushik, and several other senior officials were present on the occasion.
