Chandigarh- Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that new employment opportunities would be created for Antyodaya families in the state having an annual income of up to Rs 1.80 lakh. These families would be provided loans at concessional interest rates for animal husbandry, along with an incentive of Rs 10 per litre of milk, which would be utilised towards repayment of their loans.
The Chief Minister gave these directions to officers for the effective implementation of schemes being run for Antyodaya families, as well as for introducing new schemes while chairing a review meeting of the Mukhyamantri Antyodaya Parivar Utthan Yojana at the Haryana Civil Secretariat on Friday.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister reviewed the progress of various schemes being implemented by different departments to strengthen the economic condition of Antyodaya families and provide them with employment and self-employment opportunities. He also directed bank officers to ensure timely and hassle-free availability of loans to eligible Antyodaya families to enable them to undertake income-generating activities and become economically self-reliant.
The Chief Minister said that effective coordination between the schemes of various departments and the loan facilities offered by banks was essential for creating employment opportunities for Antyodaya families. He said that engaging these families in milk production could prove highly beneficial in meeting the growing demand for milk. He said that while the Animal Husbandry Department was providing a subsidy of up to Rs 80,000 for the purchase of buffaloes by such families, additional financial assistance of Rs 50,000 would be provided through Vita.
Vita would procure milk from these buffaloes, while the government would provide an additional incentive of Rs 10 per litre. Interest-free loans would be provided to women's Self-Help Groups and Scheduled Caste families, with the interest being borne by the government.
The Chief Minister directed the Animal Husbandry Department to achieve the target of providing loans for the purchase of at least 15,000 buffaloes during the current year.
The Chief Minister further directed officers to formulate new schemes to enhance the income of Antyodaya families. He also instructed them to open as many Har Hith Stores, Vita booths and milk bars as possible across all districts. He said that 1,450 Har Hith Stores were currently operational in the state. He directed officers to open 200 new Har Hith Stores and 300 new Vita booths, milk bars and Sanjha Bazaars by November 1.
The Chief Minister also issued necessary directions to officers of the Development and Panchayats Department to take steps for opening Har Hith Stores and Vita booths on Panchayat land in villages, and to officers of the Urban Local Bodies Department for similar initiatives in urban areas. He said that Har Hith Stores and Vita milk booths should be opened in every village, colony, sector and housing society.
Additional Chief Secretary, SEWA Department, Dr. G. Anupama informed that Antyodaya Melas had been initiated in Haryana to enhance the sources of income of Antyodaya families and had yielded encouraging results. Antyodaya families are invited to participate in these melas through various means and are assisted in obtaining bank loans to start self-employment ventures according to their interests.
Under this initiative, assistance is provided to Antyodaya families for starting self-employment ventures through 47 schemes of 19 departments. In the first phase, launched in 2021, loans were sanctioned for 1.35 lakh families.
She informed that the second phase of the scheme was launched by Chief Minister Shri Nayab Singh Saini on December 11, 2025. Under this phase, one district-level Antyodaya Mela has so far been organised in each district. A total of 67,096 families were invited to these melas, of whom 20,103 families were provided counselling, while 15,159 loan applications were received. Of these, 11,687 applications have been accorded in-principle approval.
She further informed that Antyodaya Melas would be organised in all Assembly constituencies in the next phase.
The Chief Minister said that Antyodaya Melas should be integrated with departmental schemes so that employment opportunities could be provided to the maximum number of needy families. He said that banks should not hesitate to extend loans to poor people. If required, the government would bear the interest cost payable to banks.
He directed that a calendar be prepared for the Antyodaya Melas to be organised across the state over the next one year so that the maximum number of people could be invited to participate. He also directed all departments to prepare lists of new self-employment activities in accordance with changing needs so that Antyodaya families could be connected with new livelihood opportunities.
Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department, Sh. Sudhir Rajpal, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, Sh. Vijayendra Kumar, Principal Secretary, Labour Department, Sh. Rajeev Ranjan, Principal Secretary, School Education Department, Sh. Vijay Singh Dahiya, Commissioner and Secretary, Urban Local Bodies Department, Sh. Ashok Kumar Meena, Deputy Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Dr. Yashpal Singh and officers of various departments were present at the meeting.