Power Grid allocates ₹50 cr for renovation of cremation grounds, burial sites in Haryana
Gurugram: The Power Grid Corporation, one of the country’s Navratna companies, has allocated ₹50 crore under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) scheme to renovate cremation grounds and burial sites across 658 villages in Haryana. The initiative, undertaken under the Shiv Dham Project, will cover the districts of Karnal, Panipat, Rewari and Kurukshetra, benefitting a population of nearly 40 lakh in the state.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the project was signed between Power Grid and the Department of Development and Panchayats in the presence of Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini in Gurugram. The CM praised the role of corporate companies in rural development through CSR initiatives, calling it a commendable step towards social empowerment.
The MOU was signed by Dr J K Abhir, Director General of the Development and Panchayat Department and Sanjay Kumar Verma, General Manager of Power Grid. Under the project, cremation grounds and burial sites will be equipped with boundary walls, paved pathways, sheds, and drinking water facilities.
As part of the project, ₹10.98 crore will be spent on 198 villages in Karnal, ₹18.46 crore on 237 villages in Kurukshetra, ₹5.15 crore on 106 villages in Panipat, and ₹15.35 crore on 117 villages in Rewari.
Power Grid Chairman and Managing Director R K Tyagi said that the project would cost ₹49.94 crore. The initiative is aimed at improving infrastructure and accessibility in rural areas.
“Since the formation of the Haryana CSR Board in November 2018, which was upgraded to the Haryana State CSR Trust in March 2021, ₹750 crore worth of development projects have been executed under social participation programs. For the current financial year, ₹350 crore has been allocated for similar initiatives,” he said.
The Shiv Dham Project is part of Haryana’s broader social development initiatives.
In a separate development, the number of MBBS seats in medical colleges increased to 2,185 earlier is expected to go up to 3,485 over the next few years. The CM said that the number of MBBS seats in medical colleges has been increased from 700 to 2,185, while the number of PG seats has risen from 289 to 861. Additionally, there are now 155 seats for PG diploma courses. Over the next 3-4 years, the number of MBBS seats is expected to increase to 3,485. It has also been decided that nursing, physiotherapy and paramedical departments will also be established in every medical college of the state, he added.
AIIMS in Rewari district
The chief minister said that the goal of the government is ‘Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah, Sarve Santu Niramayah’ (May all be happy and may all be free from illness). “To achieve this goal, we are consistently taking effective steps to provide high-quality healthcare services to every citizen of the state. We are continuously strengthening all aspects of our health infrastructure,” he said.
He said that the government has taken over the closed Gold Field Medical College in Chhayansa, district Faridabad, and re-started it in the name of former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The National Cancer Institute has already been opened in Badhsa in Jhajjar, while AIIMS is being established in Majra, of Rewari district.
635 ambulances available 24X7
The chief minister also highlighted the state’s commitment to emergency healthcare services, with 635 ambulances available round-the-clock for timely medical treatment. These include 161 advanced life support ambulances and 170 basic life support ambulances. Additionally, 26 additional advanced life support ambulances and 16 newborn care ambulances are being procured. Further, 59 medical mobile units are deployed across the state to ensure prompt healthcare delivery.
