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Rise above petty social disputes: Kidwai

Special Correspondent

Freedom fighters to get DA on Central Govt. pattern: Hooda

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Governor A. R. Kidwai on Tuesday exhorted the people in general and youth in particular to take advantage of abundant opportunities now available in India and strive hard to put the nation on the path to peace, progress and prosperity.

Delivering the Independence Day address at Jhajjar, Dr. Kidwai said India was going through a period of robust economic growth as the growth rate had touched eight per cent. "If we maintain this pace of development, then the problem of unemployment would be completely eliminated in the next five years,'' he asserted.

He said that due to the unprecedented progress made by Haryana it ranked as one of the top States of the country. Its per capita income was the highest in the country. The State Government had implemented innovative policies to give impetus to industry and education. About 80 per cent of the rice exported from the country was from Haryana, he added.

Paying tributes to the freedom fighters and martyrs who sacrificed their lives and faced many ordeals during the freedom struggle, he said that Mahatma Gandhi had followed the unique path of non- violence and truth to attain freedom. The need of the hour was to rise above petty social disputes and work together unitedly.

He took the salute from the contingents of Haryana Police, Home Guards, NCC and Girls' Guides. School children also presented PT shows and colourful cultural programmes. He distributed tricycles to 65 physically challenged people and announced an award of Rs 1.1 lakh for the children who participated in the Independence Day Celebrations.

He also honoured Amarjit, a student of Class X, and Babita, a student of Class XI, for saving the lives of their schoolmates who fell into a canal in Sonepat district on August 11. They were awarded Rs. 31,000 each and a citation. Narinder of village Atalaya and Narinder of village Ahulana were also awarded Rs. 21,000 each for saving the lives of school children.

He also honoured several other persons who had brought laurels to the country in the field of sports.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda announced at the Independence Day function at Gurgaon that all the freedom fighters of the State would also be given dearness allowance on the pattern of the Central Government in accordance with the existing price index.

Mr. Hooda unfurled the National Flag and inspected a guard of honour on the occasion of the 60th Independence Day. He also announced that the financial assistance for the marriage of the orphan daughters of martyr soldiers, disabled and ex-Servicemen had also been increased from Rs. 6,000 to Rs.11,000 and similarly the scholarship for the children of the ex-Servicemen had also been doubled.

While paying rich tributes to the known and unknown martyrs and the freedom fighters, he asserted that India had made phenomenal progress in every field of human development due to timely guidance and hard work of national leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and others.

He claimed that during the past-one-and- half years Haryana had achieved many landmarks in the field of development. His Government had launched new schemes for uplifting the social, economic and educational status of the people belonging to every section of society.

Mr. Hooda said the global city of Gurgaon had become a show window not only for the country but also for the world. It had become the first choice of multi-national companies for investment in various industrial ventures.

The State Government had already spent Rs. 300 crores on the development of this mega city and Rs. 776 crores would be spent for providing improved infrastructure during the next three years.

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