Replacing rickshaws with e-rickshaws on the anvil in Haryana: Khattar

Karnal: Haryana government is mulling replacing pedal rickshaws with e-rickshaws in the state, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said, as he called for putting an end to the "inhuman" practice of "pulling the weight of other".

"Everybody should work hard to earn their livelihood, but pulling the weight of other is like exploitation," he said.

Khattar said that he was pained to see the difference between two people, as one was sitting on the rickshaw and the other was pulling his weight.

The chief minister said here that surveys would be conducted to ascertain the number of pedal rickshaws in Haryana so that they could be replaced with e-rickshaws.

He was speaking after handing over keys of 50 e-rickshaws to as many pedal rickshaw pullers in Karnal, the Assembly constituency he represents.

Khattar said initially the scheme has been implemented in Karnal and after its success it would be replicated in other cities of the state.

He said that at present 50 beneficiaries have been distributed e-rickshaws under the 'District Innovation Fund' at a cost of Rs 54 lakh. Later on, more such beneficiaries would be covered under this scheme, he added.

Each beneficiary would have to pay only 10 ten per cent of the total amount, he said.

The chief minister also directed to reserve some e-rickshaws exclusively for women, so that they could travel in them without any inconvenience.

"Rickshaw pullers, who are aged and used to take them on rent, have been selected under this scheme," he said.

Accompanied by Chief Parliamentary Secretary Bakshish Singh Virk, the chief minister also drove an e-rickshaw.

Stressing on the need to stop the "inhuman" practice of pulling pedal rickshaws, Khattar said that everybody should work hard to earn their livelihood, but pulling the weight of other is like exploitation.

He said that to curb this practice and to bring rickshaw pullers into the mainstream of the society, this scheme has been started.

Sharing his experience, 61-year-old Khattar said that during his eight years of stay in Delhi, he used to watch pedal rickshaws between Chandni Chowk to Red Fort.

The chief minister said he was pained to see the difference between two people, as one was sitting on the rickshaw and the other was pulling his weight.

Thanking the chief minister, Karnal Deputy Commissioner J Ganeshan said the initiative of e-rickshaw is a step towards making Karnal a 'Smart City'.

Meanwhile, Khattar inaugurated the new building of

Alternative Dispute Redressal (ADR) Centre at Karnal today.

Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court and Executive Chairman of Haryana State Legal Services Authority (HSLSA), Justice Satish Kumar Mittal, Judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court and Administrative Judge of Karnal Sessions Division, Justice Rajesh Bindal and District and Sessions Judge, Lalit Batra were also present on this occasion.

Constructed at a cost of Rs 1.47 crore, the two storied building would have the facility of two halls, staff room, separate hall for Lok Adalat, mediation room and library.

Later, while interacting with reporters, the chief minister said that with the inauguration of the building, the number of ADR Centres in the state has reached fifteen.

He said that the Centre would further strengthen the judicial system as it would provide easy, economical and prompt justice to the people.

When asked to comment on the BJP government in Haryana completing its one year in office on October 26, Khattar said that during the period,"the state government has implemented a number of decisions to bring about a positive change in the system" and "people are quite satisfied with the functioning of the government."

Khattar also said that various measures were being taken

by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission to increase production and sale of Khadi products and for promoting the 'Make in India' campaign so as to increase the income of spinners and weavers.

Khattar was speaking after inaugurating the new Khadi Gram Udhyog Bhawan of Gayatri Khadi and Gram Udhyog Samiti at Karnal today.

On the occasion, he took a round of the Bhawan and also tried his hands on spinning wheel.

At present, 97 branches of the Khadi Commission are functional in Haryana through which production of Khadi is worth Rs 100 crore and sale of about Rs 125 crore is made, he said.

This work is providing employment opportunities to about 34,000 spinners and weavers and other craftsmen. There are 194 Khadi sale stores in the state.

To ensure the purity and certification of Khadi, Khadi mark has been made mandatory for all Khadi Institutions.

A plan has been prepared for the revival of those institutions which has been closed down due to any reason, he said.