Chandigarh: To accelerate the expansion of Har-Hith Stores in villages, the Haryana Council of Ministers, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini here today, approved an amendment to the Haryana Village Common Lands (Regulation) Rules, 1964, delegating powers to the Deputy Commissioners concerned to accord approval to Gram Panchayats for leasing out land in shamilatdeh measuring up to twenty square yards, by way of allotment, to Haryana Agro Industries Corporation Limited (HAICL) for setting up Har-Hith Stores.
HAICL, a State Government undertaking, operates the Har-Hith retail chain through franchisees. About 1,400 stores are currently operational against a target of 5,000. Village sites required for the remaining stores need no more than 20 square yards each.
At present, every such lease requires prior approval of the State Government. With approval powers delegated to the Deputy Commissioner concerned, proposals for these small sites can be processed at the district level, facilitating expansion of the retail network.
