Haryana Announces More Leaves and Interest-free Loans for Women Government Employees

In a significant boost for women's welfare, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announced several new benefits for women government employees during a state-level Mahila Samman Samaroh organized on International Women's Day in Panchkula on Saturday. 

The Chief Minister declared that regular women government employees would now receive 25 annual leaves, an increase from the previous 20 days. Additionally, women employees working under the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN) will now be entitled to 22 annual leave days, up from the earlier 10 days, with an additional leave granted every month. 

"These increased leave benefits will help women balance their professional and personal responsibilities more effectively," said CM Saini during his address at the ceremony. 

The government also announced financial incentives to promote women's entrepreneurship. Women will now be provided interest-free loans of up to Rs 1 lakh for establishing dairy units. Under the Mahila Kirshi Virdhi Yojana, the government has committed to offering interest-free loans to women from farming families for various agricultural enterprises including livestock rearing, beekeeping, and poultry farming. 

During the event, the Chief Minister virtually inaugurated 44 anganwadi centers across Haryana and laid the foundation stone for Bal Bhavan at Charkhi Dadri. He also launched three key digital initiatives: the Domestic Violence Complaint Registration and Monitoring portal, a portal for the Aapki Beti-Hamari Beti scheme, and the Supplementary Nutrition Programme Demand and Supply portal. 

CM Saini highlighted the state's progress in improving the gender ratio, noting that it had risen from 871 in 2014 to 916 currently, following the launch of the Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Panipat. 

"Haryana was once seen as a state where daughters were being killed. Today, we are making significant strides in changing this perception and reality," the Chief Minister remarked. The event also saw the honoring of State Drug Controller Manmohan Taneja for his campaign against the illegal sale of Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) kits in the state. 

Districts that had made notable efforts to improve gender ratios were also recognized. Karnal and Yamunanagar districts jointly received the first prize with cash rewards of Rs 2.50 lakh each, presented to their respective Deputy Commissioners. Mahendergarh secured the second place with a cash reward of Rs 3 lakh, while Bhiwani came in third with a Rs 2 lakh reward.