Chandigarh, Aug 5 (IANS): The Haryana Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday, has decided to procure all crops from the farmers at minimum support price (MSP).

Accordingly, 10 crops -- ragi, soybean, kalatil (nigerseed), safflower, barley, maize, jowar, jute, khopra and moong (summer) -- will be procured at MSP now, an official statement said.

The government will bear all the expenses for procuring these crops at MSP.

On Sunday, the Chief Minister made an announcement in this regard at a public meeting in Kurukshetra district.

The objective of increasing the scope of MSP for these crops is to stabilise market prices, ensure constant income for farmers, and promote the cultivation of diverse crops, said the statement.

The Cabinet also approved the revision of pension and family pension (pre-2016 and post-2016) of retired judicial officers of the government as per the second National Judicial Pay Commission.

Further, dearness relief will be admissible on the additional quantum of pension and family pension as per the existing orders. The maximum limit of death-cum-retirement gratuity will be Rs 20 lakh, and the ceiling on gratuity will increase by 25 per cent whenever the dearness allowance rises by 50 per cent of the basic pay.

The Cabinet also approved the draft of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management) Amendment Ordinance, 2024, to amend the Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management) Act, 2014.

As per the proposed draft ordinance, the Chairman of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission will be a judge of the high court, if so appointed, and if a judge of the high court is not appointed, the district judge, if so appointed, and if the district judge is also not appointed, one of the three selected members of the commission will be the Chairman in the order of their seniority, either in service or at the Bar, and the term of the Chairman or the member will be five years from the date he assumes charge.

Presently, the Chairman is appointed with the qualification that at the time of his retirement or resignation, he is a district judge not having less than 10 years standing as such on his superannuation.

The Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission is a quasi-judicial authority, whose decisions are final. The disputes relating to gurdwara property, its funds, and any other disputes between the gurdwara committee, executive board, or any other institution are to be adjudicated upon by the Commission.

Therefore, it has been deemed appropriate that a judge of the high court will also be considered for appointment as a member and chairman of the Commission.