Chandigarh, October 24 – The sacred land of Haryana witnessed a historic and spiritual moment today as the “Charan Suhave Guru Charan Yatra”, carrying the Holy Joda Sahib of Sarbansdani Dasam Patshah Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj and Mata Sahib Kaur Ji, was accorded a grand welcome in Faridabad. This unique confluence of faith, devotion, and unity was visible in every corner of the city.

Haryana Chief Minister Sh Nayab Singh Saini attended the welcome ceremony. The Chief Minister received the “Charan Suhave Guru Charan Yatra” at Sri Guru Darbar Sahib Gurudwara in NIT-5, Faridabad. Sh Nayab Singh Saini also welcomed Union Minister Sardar Hardeep Singh Puri, who was accompanying the Yatra, on his arrival in Haryana. He honoured the Sant Sangat and the Panj Pyaras (the five beloved ones) who greeted the Yatra by presenting them with turbans at Sri Guru Darbar Sahib Gurudwara. Before the Yatra’s departure, the Chief Minister bowed his head at the Gurudwara and listened to the ardaas. He then had darshan of the holy Joda Sahib. Earlier, Sardar Ravinder Singh Rana, member of the Haryana Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Sardar Inder Jeet Singh, head of Sri Guru Darbar Sahib Gurudwara, and representatives of the Sikh community welcomed and honoured the Chief Minister.

On this occasion, the Chief Minister said that Faridabad was the first stop of this great pilgrimage, which began in Delhi and would conclude at Takht Sri Harmandir Ji Patna Sahib in Bihar. This city, known as the gateway to Delhi, has now been sanctified by the dust of the Guru’s feet. Any place touched by the Guru’s holy feet becomes a pilgrimage site, and today, Faridabad has become a sacred destination for lakhs of devotees. He expressed his gratitude to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the organizers of this pilgrimage for their efforts in organizing this spiritual journey.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji: A Symbol of Sacrifice, Valor, and Justice

Sh Nayab Singh Saini said that today, with the arrival of this sacred Joda Sahib, the divine brilliance, sacrifice, and devotion of Dasmesh Pita, Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, have come alive among us. He sacrificed everything for the protection of faith, the nation, and humanity. Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji gave his life in the struggle against Mughal oppression. To fight injustice, he transformed ordinary individual into the Khalsa — a force dedicated to upholding righteousness and protecting the weak. This holy Joda Sahib reminds us of his great pledge, “Sawa lakh se ek ladaun, tabe Gobind Singh naam kahaun.” This vow was not merely about battle, but about self-respect, courage, and justice — values that remain the guiding principles of life for every Indian even today. He added that Guru Gobind Singh Ji made the supreme sacrifice of his four sons so that the sons and daughters of this nation could live in safety and dignity.

Mata Sahib Kaur Ji: An Embodiment of Compassion and Strength

The Chief Minister said that this Yatra also carries the sacred Joda Sahib of Mata Sahib Kaur Ji. Mata Sahib Kaur Ji holds the revered title of the Mother of the Khalsa Panth. When Guru Ji established the Khalsa Panth, he asked Mata Sahib Kaur Ji to add sugar crystals (patashas) to the Amrit (nectar) to ensure that the followers of the Khalsa would possess both bravery and sweetness and compassion.

“Charan Suhave” Yatra, a spiritual bridge from Delhi to Patna Sahib

Nayab Singh Saini said that this ‘Charan Suhave’ Yatra is creating a cultural and spiritual bridge between Delhi, the capital of India, and Patna Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

The Chief Minister said that the Haryana Government is fully committed to following the path shown by the Gurus and preserving their legacy of sacrifice. The Government has celebrated the 400th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, the 550th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, and the 350th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji in a grand and dignified manner. In addition, the Government has donated the land where Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji meditated for 40 days to Gurudwara Shri Chilla Sahib in Sirsa.

The Chief Minister said that the State Government will commemorate the 350th shahidi diwas of Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji with reverence and devotion across Haryana. From November 1 to November 24, four yatras will be organized throughout the state, culminating on November 25 at the sacred city of Kurukshetra — a site sanctified by the presence of the Gurus over time. The Government has prepared a comprehensive action plan for this purpose.

He further stated that the Government passed a resolution during the monsoon session of the Haryana Legislative Assembly to provide government employment to one member of each of the 121 families who lost a relative in the 1984 riots. This decision, also approved by the Cabinet, stands as a testament to the State’s respect and compassion for the Sikh community. He added that this Yatra, while reminding us of the great

tradition, also reinforces India’s timeless values of unity, courage, and compassion.

Present on the occasion were former Minister and MLA Mool Chand Sharma, Seema Trikha, Bawal MLA Dr. Krishan Kumar, Media Advisor to Chief Minister Rajiv Jaitley, Faridabad Mayor Praveen Batra Joshi and other dignitaries.

Chandigarh, October 24 – In a major relief to sugarcane growers, the Haryana Government has enhanced the State Advised Price (SAP) of sugarcane by Rs. 15 per quintal, reaffirming its commitment to farmers’ welfare. With this revision announced by Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, Haryana has now become the state offering the highest sugarcane price in the country. The SAP for the early maturing variety has been raised from Rs. 400 to Rs. 415 per quintal, while that for the late maturing variety has increased from Rs. 393 to Rs. 408 per quintal.

Several representatives of farmers’ organizations from various parts of the state met Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Sh. Shyam Singh Rana today to express their gratitude for this historic decision.

Welcoming the decision, the farmers said that the increased SAP would help balance their rising input costs and provide economic relief.  This has proved to be a Diwali gift for us. The government has shown that it stands firmly with the farmers, said the farmers.

Sh. Shyam Singh Rana said that the increase in sugarcane prices reflects the government’s strong commitment to ensuring that farmers receive the best value for their hard work. Under the leadership of the Chief Minister,  Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, Haryana continues to be a leading state in safeguarding farmers’ interests and promoting their development.

Chandigarh, October 24

Haryana Industries & Commerce Department and SIDBI Venture Capital Ltd. (SVCL), a wholly owned subsidiary of SIDBI, today signed a Contribution Agreement (CA) for capital commitment of Rs. 100 crores to Atmanirbhar Startup Venture Fund, a SEBI-registered Category-I Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) – Venture Capital Fund (VCF) managed by SVCL, having a target corpus of  Rs. 250 Crores.

During the recent interaction with the Startups and prominent industrialists in September 2025, Chief Minister,  Sh. Nayab Singh Saini reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to providing comprehensive support and a robust platform for startups, with a vision of positioning Haryana a global hub for innovation and scripting a new chapter of prosperity through entrepreneurship.

In line with this vision, the Contribution Agreement was signed by Dr. Amit Kumar Agrawal, Commissioner & Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department, on behalf of the Government of Haryana, and Sh. Arup Kumar, Managing Director and CEO, on behalf of SIDBI Venture Capital Ltd. (SVCL).

This initiative is in line with the Budget Announcement of the Government of Haryana for the creation of a dedicated Venture Capital Fund to promote entrepreneurship and support youth in establishing start-ups in terms of financial assistance as well as developing market linkages. The Fund targets scalable, sustainable start-ups across diverse sectors, including AI, health-tech, agri-tech, clean energy, and more. It supports market access, business growth, and tech adoption, while encouraging private sector participation and institutional investment for start-ups in Haryana.

This partnership marks a significant milestone in Haryana’s journey to becoming a leading hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, and reflects the Government’s commitment to building a vibrant start-up ecosystem in the state.

During the signing, Sh. Yash Garg, Director General Haryana Industries & Commerce Department along with officials from SIDBI Venture Capital Ltd. (SVCL) – Sh. Kiran Poojary, Asst. Vice President and CS and Ms. Pradnya S., Senior Investment Associate, were also present.

Chandigarh, October 24 – Haryana Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi today reviewed the arrangements for the two-month-long nationwide campaign – ‘Sardar@150 Unity March’ being organized to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

The review meeting was held in accordance with the communication received from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, and the office of the Union Minister of Labour and Employment and Youth Affairs. The Chief Secretary directed officials to ensure active participation of all universities, colleges, technical institutes, and schools across the state in this landmark national programme.

As part of the celebrations, district-level padyatras will be organized across Haryana on October 31, 2025, coinciding with Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, followed by a 10-day national padyatra — ‘Sardar@150 Unity March’ — from November 26 to December 6, 2025.

The initiative, led by MY Bharat under the Ministry of Youth Affairs, aims to promote national unity, patriotism, and civic responsibility among India’s youth. It also seeks to inspire them to embrace the ideals of ‘Ek Bharat, Atmanirbhar Bharat’, echoing Sardar Patel’s vision of a strong and united India.

The Chief Secretary emphasized that District Core Committees (DCCs) should be established in all districts to plan and coordinate padyatras efficiently. Under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner, the committee shall consist of Retired IAS officers, District Youth Officers, Programme Officers, NSS, MY Bharat representatives, and public representatives such as MPs or MLAs and line Departments.

At the Directorate level, Sh. Raj Kumar, Additional Director, has been designated as the State Nodal Officer for coordination, while at the district level, principals of government ITIs will serve as District Nodal Officers to oversee the smooth execution of activities and ensure wide youth participation from Youth Empowerment & Entrepreneurship Dept, Haryana.

The campaign will be initiated by the District Youth Officer (DYO), MY Bharat at all districts and all the departments will coordinate with him/her. The DYO, MY Bharat will be the member secretary and will oversee the entire arrangements of the Padyatra. 

The ‘Sardar@150 Unity March’ is part of the broader Viksit Bharat Padyatra initiative, inspired by Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Jan Bhagidari’ (people’s participation) in ‘Rashtranirman’ (nation-building).

The campaign underscores the pivotal role of the Amrit Peedhi—the youth of the Amrit Kaal—in carrying forward Sardar Patel’s legacy of unity, integrity, and strength. The Chief Secretary urged all departments and institutions to extend full cooperation to make this national celebration a grand success.

Chandigarh, October 24 – Preparations for the Shri Kapal Mochan – Shri Adi Badri Mela 2025 in Yamunanagar district of Haryana are in full swing. Administrative and departmental teams are working round the clock to ensure that the lakhs of pilgrims visiting the holy site face no inconvenience. The entire fairground is being illuminated with LED lights, and special emphasis is being laid on security and cleanliness.

Sharing information in this regard an official spokesperson said that all preparations for the Mela are in their final stage. Cleanliness work has been completed for the convenience of pilgrims, and regular sprinkling of water will be done on roads to prevent dust. To facilitate smooth movement, e-rickshaw services will operate from VyasPur to the Mela venue. Besides this, the Transport Department is arranging extra buses to ensure easy access for pilgrims arriving from various parts of the state.

The spokesperson further said that the Electricity Department has installed new poles and transformers in the Mela area. Permanent LED lighting has been arranged around the three sacred ponds, Kapal Mochan, Rin Mochan, and Surajkund, ensuring adequate lighting throughout the day and night. The lighting arrangements will not be limited to the Mela period but will continue to attract visitors throughout the year. In addition to the deployment of police personnel, over 100 CCTV cameras and a drone surveillance system will be used to keep a close watch over the entire Mela area, the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson said that for pilgrims’ convenience, the Mela will also have permanent and temporary toilets, drinking water facilities, medical camps, adequate availability of food, proper barricading, road repair, and well-coordinated police arrangements, all of which are being completed on schedule.

Chandigarh, October 24:

For the bye-election of 21-Tarn Taran seat of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, five candidates have withdrawn their nomination papers.

A spokesperson of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, informed that today, the last day for withdrawal of nominations, five candidates named Harpal Singh, Nirmal Kaur, Gurmeet Kaur, Sarika Jorha, and Harpreet Singh have withdrawn their nomination papers.

The spokesperson further said that after the scrutiny of nomination papers, a total of 20 nominations were found valid. Now, after the withdrawal of five nominations, the total number of candidates left in the fray is 15, which are

Sukhwinder Kaur (Shiromani Akali Dal), Harjit Singh Sandhu (Bharatiya Janata Party), Harmeet Singh Sandhu (Aam Aadmi Party), Karanbir Singh (Indian National Congress), Sham Lal Gandhi (Sacho Sach Party), Naib Singh (Nationalist Justice Party), Arun Kumar Khurmi Rajpoot (Independent), Harpal Singh Bhangu (Independent), Harbrinder Kaur Usman (Independent), Advocate Komalpreet Singh (Independent), Jaswant Singh Sohal (Independent), Neetu Shutteran Wala (Independent), Mandeep Singh (Independent), Mandeep Singh Khalsa (Independent), and Vijay Kumar (Independent).

 He said that polling will be held on November 11 from 7 AM to 6 PM, and the results will be announced on November 14, 2025, after the counting of votes.

CHANDIGARH, October 24:

          Continuing the war against drugs “Yudh Nashian Virudh” waged by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to eradicate drug menace from state consecutively for the 237th day, Punjab Police conducted raids at 298 locations on Friday leading to the arrest of 94 drug smugglers after registration of 73 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 33,950 in 237 days.

          The raids have resulted in recovery of 197 grams heroin, 40 kg poppy husk, 1029 intoxicant tablets/capsules and Rs 12,800 drug money from the possession of arrested drug smugglers.

          Notably, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann has asked the Commissioners of Police, Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendent of Police to make Punjab drug free state. The Punjab government has also constituted a 5-member Cabinet Sub Committee led by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema to monitor the war against drugs.

          Over 120 Police teams, comprising over 1000 police personnel, under the supervision of 62 gazetted officers have conducted 298 raids across the state. Police teams have also checked as many as 340 suspicious persons during the day-long operation.

          The state government has enforced a three-pronged strategy— Enforcement, Deaddiction and Prevention (EDP)— to eradicate drugs from the state, the Punjab Police as part of ‘De-addiction’ has convinced 44 persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment today.

Chandigarh, October 22:

After the scrutiny of nomination papers for the 21-Tarn Taran Assembly Constituency bye-election, a total of six candidates’ nominations have been rejected, as per a spokesperson of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab.

The spokesperson informed that during the scrutiny conducted on Wednesday, nomination papers of four covering candidates and two independent candidates were found invalid in accordance with the Election Commission’s rules and guidelines. The rejected candidates include Leena Sandhu, covering candidate of the Indian National Congress; Kanchanpreet Kaur, covering candidate of the Shiromani Akali Dal; Sucha Singh, covering candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party; and Rajesh Walia, covering candidate of the Aam Aadmi Party. In addition, nomination papers of two independent candidates, Lakha Singh and Sanjeev Singh, were also rejected as they did not meet the prescribed requirements of the Election Commission.

The spokesperson further stated that October 24 is the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers, after which the final list of contesting candidates for the Tarn Taran Assembly bye-election will be published.

Chandigarh, October 18– Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Sh. Shyam Singh Rana, said that there is need to focus more on increasing sugarcane production and to create awareness among farmers about using new technologies for sugarcane sowing. He also directed that cooperative sugar mills should be equipped with modern machinery to enhance recovery and reduce losses.

Sh. Shyam Singh Rana  gave these directions  while chairing the Sugarcane Control Board meeting held on Saturday.  Co-operation Minister, Dr. Arvind Sharma, also joined the meeting through video conferencing.

The Minister said  that the sugarcane seed varieties released by the Central Variety Release Committee for the north-western region will also be recognized by the state government. Therefore, there will be no need to seek separate approval from HAU for these varieties. He added that farmers should be informed about the new sugarcane seed varieties so that productivity can increase and farmers can earn higher profits. This, in turn, will lead to higher sugarcane and sugar production compared to the existing varieties.

The Minister further informed that during the 2024–25 crushing season, various cooperative sugar mills in the state had purchased sugarcane worth Rs. 1,278.50 crore for crushing, and the full payment has been made to the farmers. In addition, the

Naraingarh Sugar Mill in the private sector still has pending dues from the previous crushing season, which will be cleared by December 2025.

Sh. Shyam Singh Rana further said that sugarcane farmers should be encouraged to adopt modern machinery for sowing and harvesting to reduce their expenses and increase profits.

Principal Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, Sh. Pankaj Agarwal, Director, Agriculture, Sh. Rajnarayan Kaushik,  Managing Director, Haryana Cooperative Federation of Sugar Mills Ltd,  Sh. Shakti Singh and other senior officers of the department also attended the meeting.