The Haryana Government has started many welfare schemes to improve the living standards of Haryana's society and social Welfare of the masses of the State. It has also taken adequate case of weak and backward sections of Haryana's populace by definin and implementing schemes for them. The Government has started several other schemes to eliminate evils from the society. Some of the various welfare schemes being run by the State are follows :

Social Welfare Schemes :

• Haryana the first State of the country in which, old persons, widow, orphans and disabled people are given pension (on a regular basis) on the seventh day of every month. More than 14.80 lakh (till Dec. 2017) old citizens are being given pension in the State.

Widow Pension Scheme :

• It is also being implemented to provide security and financial assistance to widows and destitute women. Under this scheme, widows and destitute women aged 18 years and above, who have no other financial support and her own income from all sources is below Rs. 2 lakh per annum are provided pension @ 1800 per month. A total of 6,52,626 such, women had been benefitted upto December, 2017. In addition, the State is running 3 women homes at Karnal, Rohtak and Faridabad for young widows and destitute women and their dependent children to rehabilitate and provide them the facilities of boarding, lodging, education and vocational training in various trades.

Rajiv Gandhi Parivar Bima Yojana :

• In the area of social security, a scheme known as Rajiv Gandhi Parivar Bima Yojana launched from 1st April, 2006 is providing social security to the citizens of the State. Under this scheme, all the persons of Haryana in the age group of 18 to 80 years will be provided compensation of Rs. 1 lakh in case of unnatural death or permanent total disability due to accidents like rail or road or air accidents, tractor or farming equipment, riot, earthquake, strike, terrorist activity, storm, cyclone, snake bite, drowning, poisoning, electrocution, falling from height, collapse of house or building, fire, explosion, implosion, murder, attack of animals, stampede and suffocation, lightening, frost bite, sun burn (loo), burn injuries, death or permanent total disability due to any other unnatural event, within 72 hours of the submission of claim form.

Mukhyamantri Vivah Shagun Yojana :

• Under "Mukhyamantri Vivah Shagun Yojana" an amount of 41,000 is given to the persons belonging to Scheduled Castes/ Denotified Tribes/Tapriwas Jatis living below poverty line on the occassion of their daughters marriage and Rs. 11,000 is given to all the Sections of Society, who have land holding of less than 2.5 acre or income less than Rs. 1 lakh per annum. The State Govt. had increased the amount from Rs. 41,000 to Rs. 51,000 for the widows of all sections of the society for the marriage of their daughter whose income is less than Rs. 1 lakh per annum.

Economic Upliftment for Scheduled Caste Communities :

• The Haryana Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation provides loan/benefit to only those identified Scheduled Castes families whose annual family income does not exceed Rs. 49,000 in rural areas and Rs. 60,000 in urban areas for various bank assisted income generating schemes such as Dairy Farming, Sheep Rearing, Piggery, Kiryana Shop, Animal Driven Carts, Leather and Leather Goods Making, Tea Shop, Bangles Shop, etc.

Economic Upliftment for Backward/Economically Weaker Section :

• Haryana Backward Classes and Economically Weaker Sections Kalyan Nigam is working for the economic upliftment of Backward Classes, Minority Communities and Handicapped persons. Against a target of Rs. 25 crores for providing financial assistance to 5,000 persons of Backward Classes during 2017-18, loan of Rs. 812.03 lakhs to 977 persons of Backward Classes had been given upto 31st December, 2017. A Target of Rs. 15 crore was fixed for providing financial assistance to 3,000 persons of minority communities during the year 2017-18.

Hostel and Employment Facilities for SCs/OBCs/Physically handicapped Students :

• Hostels have been started in Karnal, Ambala, Faridabad, Rohtak and Rewari for such children as belong to Scheduled Castes but are engaged in clean occupations. Hostels have been opened at Jind for the children of nomad tribes. The reservation policy (in Government Services) has been implemented in the right manner (in the context of reservation for SCs, OBCs, ex-servicemen and physically disabled persons). It has been ensured that only those candidates are appointed on reserved posts, which have been reserved for their respective categories.
• In the State, such students of SCs, who get first class in post-matriculation and post-graduate courses (including medical, engineering, agriculture and dairying), get Rs. 1000-2000 as prize money for encouraging them. This is a new scheme of the State Government. The Harijan Welfare Corporation has executed several schemes to arrange opportunities for becoming self-employed to the people of Scheduled Castes.

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) :

• It was launched in the district of Mahendergarh and Sirsa by Govt. of India during February, 2006 and was extended to districts of Ambala and Mewat during 2007-08. All the remaining districts have also been covered under the programme w.e.f. 1st April, 2008. The basic objective of the scheme is to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employ in a financial year to every .household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. 1/3rd of the jobs are reserved for Women. Minimum wages applicable in the State are being paid to the persons being engaged under the scheme.

Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarozagar Yojana :

• It is an important programme among the Poverty Abolition Programmes. Accoding to this programme, it is expected to raise the living standard of those people who are living below poverty line within 3 years. The objective of the scheme is to bring every assisted family above the poverty line.

Mission Mode Project :

• Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India has chosen Haryana as one of the five selected States of the country to initiate Mission Mode Project on Employment Exchanges under National e-Governance Plan undertaken by them.

Prohibition :

• Mr. Bansilal, the former Chief Minister of Haryana, had declared complete prohibition in the State w.e.f. July 1, 1996. According to the law passed by the State Government in this context, there was a ban on manufacturing, selling, keeping, consuming and transporting liquor of any type in the State. This law was passed according to the spirit of directive principles of State policy. Article 47 of the Indian Constitution clearly mentions that the State shall try to ban the use of deleterious intoxicating liquids/drinks and medicines for better health of people.
• The Punjab Aabkari Act (1914) was amended to make the law of prohibition much more strict. The prohibition law did bring cheers in the lives of housewives, especially those belonging to rural areas of the State. But smuggling of liquor from Delhi, UP, and Rajasthan forced the Government to think about its decision. Further, the Government also started losing Rs. 600 crore per annum due to the lack of sales of liquor. Hence, Mr. Bansilal, the then CM of Haryana, decided to lift the prohibition order on April 1, 1998.

Child Welfare Schemes :

• Under the scheme of welfare of destitute children in need of care and protection, the department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Haryana is providing grant-in-aid to the voluntary organizations for the maintenance of orphan/destitute children. This scheme of Govt. of India has been taken over by the State Govt. w.e.f 1.4.1992. Before that the Central Govt./State Govt. was running it on 50:50 sharing basis.
• Recurring expenditure @ Rs.600/- per month per child is provided for maintenance of inmates as grant in aid. The department provides 90% grant in aid on 10% sharing basis. The following categories of destitute/orphan children are admitted in the Children Home who fulfill prescribed conditions mentioned in the scheme :

a).Children who do not have either parents or near relation.
b).Children who were found without any home or settled place of above or any other ostensible means of subsistence.
c).Children of single parent families deprived of adequate family care due to death, desertion, prolonged, illness, imprisonment of one of the parent and where the income of the family is less than Rs. 10,000/- per annum.
d).As a result of enforcing these conditions, no child who has already been admitted in the homes, should be sent out. The voluntary organizations, are,however, required to review the case of all children from time to time to ascertain their continued eligibility for the benefits of the scheme taking into account the frequency of absence from homes to got the relatives places etc. As such absence are indications of the persons who Can take care of the children. Also any new facts that had come to light should also be taken into accounts, of the time of such reviews.

• Further the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 has been passed and implemented w.e.f. April 1, 2001. It was Previously known as Juvenile Justice Act (1986). Under this Act, care, protection and rehabilitation service are given to neglected and delinquent children. Homes have been created for such children. In these homes, free boarding, lodging, clothing, education and training are provided to these children.

The following homes (for these children) are being run by the government :

• State After Care Home, Sonepat
• Observation Home, Sonepat
• Special Home, Sonepat

The following homes are run by NGOs (District Council for child Welfare) :

• Juvenile Home, Rewari
• Observation Home, Rewari
• Observation Home, Chhachhrauli (Yamuna Nagar)

Women’s Welfare :

• At Rohtak, Karnal and Faridabad, Home-cum-Training centres for widows and destitute women and their dependent children have been opened. There is one such centre at each one of the aforementioned cities. Further, there is State After Care Home (for girls) at Karnal. Finally, a Protective Home has been built at Faridabad.

Welfare of the Handicapped :

The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act (1995) has been implemented in the State with full force. The following steps have been taken to ensure welfare of the handicapped persons living in Haryana :

• A Training Centre for Adult Blind has been opened at Sonepat.
• Scholarships are being given to physically handicapped students.
• Unemployment allowance is given to educated physically handicapped.
• Prosthetic aids and equipment are provided to handicapped persons of the State.
• Blind persons are being given employment.
• Drug de-addiction and counselling centres have been set throughout the State.
• The Government has instituted awards in the field of welfare of the handicapped. These awards are given to those persons who achieve outstanding landmarks in this field.
• The scheme, Assistance to Disabled and Infirm Persons (ADIPs) is in Vogue.

Welfare of Senior Citizens :

• The Home for the Aged and Infirm Persons is being run at Rewari. There are many other Old Age Homes and Day Care Centres in Haryana. These take care of the old citizens who want to avail their services. New Old Age Homes are being constructed. Old ones are being repaired and/or maintained by the State Government.

Pension Schemes for Senior Citizens :

• Such schemes have been started for old persons who cannot sustain themselves (with their own resources) and fulfil some eligibility criteria to avoid these schemes. The person, who seeks pension under the scheme, should : (a) have Haryana as his/her domicile; and (b) be more than 60 years of age. Under this scheme, old persons in the age of 60 years or more, whose husband/wife' s annual income from all sources is below Rs. 2 lakh is given benefit @ 1,800 per month per beneficiary to eligible senior citizens. 14,80,115 eligible senior citizens covered under this scheme upto December, 2017. Out of which numbers of female beneficiaries are 7,06,966. Under this scheme rate of allowance is increased from 1,600 to 1,800 per month w.e.f. 1st November, 2017 (payable in December, 2017).

Pension Scheme for Women :

• Further, there is also a pension scheme for widows and destitute Women. Its objective is to give social security to those widows and destitute Women (or married ladies) who do not get financial support from their husbands and their income (from all the resources) is less than Rs. 2 lakh per annum. In order to avail this scheme, a woman should be : (a) of the age of 18 years or above : and (b) should have Haryana as her domicile.
• Every beneficiary is given 1,800 on a monthly basis. A total of 6,52,626 such women had been benefited upto December, 2017. New pensions are being sanctioned every month and disbursed by the seventh day of every month, Just like Old Age Pension. The amount of pension has been enhanced to Rs. 1,800 per month w.e.f. 1st Nevember, 2017.

Pension for Physically Handicapped Persons :

• The State has also taken a number of steps for rehabilitation of Blind, Deaf, Differently Abled Persons and Mentally Retarted persons. Under this scheme, in the age of 18 years and above differently abled persons, residing in the State, who have no other financial support and her own monthly income from all sources is below the minimum wages of unskilled labour as notified by Labour Department, are being provided pension at the rate of Rs. 1,800 per month per beneficiary.
• 1,48,484 differently abled persons covered under this scheme upto December, 2017. Under this scheme, rate of allowance is increased from Rs.1,600 to Rs. 1,800 per month w.e.f 1st November, 2017 (payable in December, 2017). Scholarships ranging between 400 to 1,000 per month were given to differently abled students.
• Un-employment allowance to the educated differently abled persons (70 per cent) are being given between Rs.500 to Rs. 1,000 per month and in the case of persons having 100 per cent disability, the rates of un-employment allowance is 1,000 per month to Matric/Middle Pass Diploma Holder, Rs. 1,500 per month to Graduate/Matric Pass Diploma Holder and Rs. 2,000 per month to Post Graduate/Graduate Pass Diploma Holder.

Project for Children (0-6 years) :

• The Integrated Child Development Project has been implemented in Haryana. Its major objectives are - physical, mental and social development of children, increasing the dexterity of mothers in the field of infant rearing, reduction in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and improvement of the levels of health and nutrition of mothers.
• In order to attain these objectives, in all the aanganwadis of Haryana, nutritive food is arranged for children of age group 6 months to 6 years, pregnant women, lactating women and those women who are rearing their children. Further, immunisation services are provided free of cost to pregnant women and children in the age group of 0-6 years. Mothers are educated on matters related to health and cleanliness. Finally, little children are also given informal education.
• In order to successfully execute the Integrated Child Development Project, the following provisions have been made :
  (A).A Programme Officer has been appointed at the district headquarters.
  (B).At each block level, a Child Development Project Officer has been appointed.
  (C).An Aanganwadi Supervisor has been appointed for each circle; he has to supervise the activities of 20 aanganwadis of 5-6 villages under his control.
  (D).At the village level, one aanganwadi worker and one assistance have been provided for every 1000 families.
• For the development of the children and women of the State, the Government of Haryana has implemented many welfare schemes, such as Devi Roopak Yojana, Kanyadaan Yojana, Balika Samriddhi Yojana, Kishori Shakti Yojana and Mahila Mandal Yojana etc.

Apni Beti Apna Dhan :

• Further, village panchayats and villages also play useful roles in implementing this welfare scheme. The Government is also implementing a unique scheme in the State. It is called Apni Beti Apna Dhan. Under this scheme, if a girl wants to get the money withdrawn (which was allocated to her by the Government) 22 years after her birth, the State Government would give her Rs. 35,000. Many poor girls have received the benefit of this scheme.

Welfare Schemes for Freedom Fighters :

The State Samman Pension of Freedom Fighters/their Widows belongs to Haryana State have been increased from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 25,000 per month (including fixed medical allowance at the rate of Rs. 750 per month) with effect from 1.4.2014. In addition to Samman Pension some other schemes/facilities are also extended to the Freedom Fighters/ Widows and their dependents which are as under:

• The State Samman Pension after death of Freedom Fighters and their spouse is to be transferred further to their unmarried unemployed daughters and disabled unmarried unemployed sons with 75% disability w.e.f. 12.6.2009.
• Financial assistance for meeting the funeral expenses on the death of Freedom Fighters of the State has been enhanced from Rs.1500 to Rs. 5000 w.e.f 13.7.2009.
• Financial assistance to the Haryana State Freedom Fighters/INA personnel and their widows for the marriage of their daughters, grand daughters and dependent sisters is given at the rate of Rs. 51000 in each case w.e.f. 20.8.2009.

Welfare Schemes for Defence Personnel :

• The State Government is committed for the welfare of Defence Personnel, ex-Defence Personnel and their families. In recognition to the services and supreme sacrifices made by the brave soldiers in safeguarding the Country, the Government has substantially enhanced the amount of Cash Awards and the Annuity being paid to Gallantry Award Winners (War Time), Rs. 2 crore for the awardees of Paramvir Chakra, Rs. 1 crore for Mahavir Chakra, Rs. 50 lakh for Vir Chakra, Rs. 21 lakh for Sena Medal (Gallantry) award winner and Rs. 10 lakh for Mention-in-Despatches (Gallantry), and for Peace Time Gallantry Award Winners Rs 1 crore for Ashok Chakra, Rs. 51.00 lakh for Kirti Chakra and Rs. 31.00 lakh for Shaurya Chakra and 10 lakh to Sena Medal (Gallantry).
• Disabled Ex-Servicemen have been given the facility to travel free in the Haryana Roadways buses. Also Defence Colonies are being developed at various places in Haryana. The Govt. has given the financial assistance at the rate of Rs. 10,000 per month to World War-II Veterans and their Widows. The Govt. of Haryana has also granted financial assistance of Rs. 3400 per month to the ESM of the age of 60 years and above and their Widows. The State of Haryana has also granted the financial assistance at the rate of Rs. 3400 per month to all war Widows of defence forces personnel's in addition to their to family pension already granted by the Govt. of India.