Chandigarh, August 14:

Punjab’s crop diversification efforts have received a significant boost, with the area under Kharif maize crop witnessing a 16.27% increase this season. The area under Kharif maize rose to one lakh hectares, up from 86,000 hectares in 2024, informed S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Punjab.

While chairing a high-level meeting here at his office on Thursday, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian reviewed the status of the kharif maize crop and issued directions to ensure smooth procurement of maize crop.

The Agriculture Minister said that the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government launched an ambitious pilot project to promote agricultural diversification and groundwater conservation by shifting 12,000 hectares area from paddy to kharif maize cultivation in six districts— Bathinda, Sangrur, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Gurdaspur and Pathankot. To encourage farmers, the state government had also announced an incentive of Rs.17,500 per hectare under the pilot project. Additionally, 185 Kisan Mitras have been appointed to guide and support farmers in this transition.

Meanwhile, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian has directed the formation of district-level committees comprising officials from Agriculture, Punjab Mandi Board and Markfed to ensure smooth procurement of Kharif maize. He also urged the maize cultivators to bring a dry crop to Mandis so that they won’t have to face any hassle to sell their crop. 

The Administrative Secretary Agriculture, Dr. Basant Garg, emphasised the importance of maintaining optimal moisture levels in maize crops, specifying that the moisture content should not exceed 14 percent. To facilitate smooth sales, he directed Chief Agriculture Officers and field staff to sensitise farmers on bringing dry maize crops to Mandis, thereby ensuring hassle-free procurement and supporting farmers in getting better prices for their produce.

Secretary Punjab Mandi Board Mr. Ramvir, MD Markfed Mr. Kumar Amit, Director Agriculture Mr. Jaswant Singh and other senior officials of the respective departments were also present in the meeting.

CHANDIGARH, August 14:

          On the recommendations of the Punjab Government, the Governor of Punjab announced the names of the Punjab Police officers/officials, to be awarded the Chief Minister’s Rakshak Padak award and Chief Minister’s Medal for Outstanding Devotion to Duty on the occasion of Independence Day-2025.

          Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Rajinder Singh, ASI Narinder Singh, Senior Constable Jaswant Singh and Senior Constable Harpal Kaur have been nominated for Chief Minister’s Rakshak Padak award.

          Similarly, 15 officials, who have been selected for the Chief Minister’s Medal for Outstanding Devotion to Duty, include SHO Police Station Kiratpur Sahib Insp Jatin Kapoor, Incharge CIA Amritsar City Insp Amolakdeep Singh Kahlon, Incharge Yuva Saanjh Program Punjab Insp Navneet Kaur, Insp Prabhjit Kumar from Intelligence Wing, SI Lovedeep Singh, SI Gurmail Singh, SI Dimple Kumar, SI Sukhchain Singh, SI Satwinder Singh, ASI Harjinder Singh, ASI Sandeep Singh, HC Sandeep Singh, HC Akbal Singh, HC Karambir Singh and HC Jagjeet Singh.

          Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav congratulated the awardees and thanked the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Punjab Bhagwant Singh Mann for recognizing the services of the Punjab Police officers/officials. He said that such recognitions play a significant role in encouraging the Police force to work with more dedication and devotion.

CHANDIGARH, August 14:

          Amidst the enhanced security to ensure peaceful celebrations of Independence Day as mandated by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Senior rank police officers including Special DGsP, ADGsP and IGsP have been deputed in each Police district to personally supervise all the police and security arrangements in the districts allocated to them.

          As per the directions from Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav, these officers will brief officers/force during full dress rehearsal, check the anti-terrorist operations carried out by the districts, ensure all other functions in the district are secured and other preventive measures required to ensure foolproof security arrangements.

          Special DGP Arpit Shukla, who will be in Patiala to oversee the security arrangements, said that Punjab Police is all geared to ensure smooth and peaceful celebrations of the Independence Day. Security has been beefed up across the state and all the field units have been directed to remain on high alert, he said.

          He said that as part of the ongoing fortnight long special operations, Police teams in all the districts continued the search operations at all the crowded places consecutively for the second day on Thursday. He said that police teams have carried out thorough checking of Hotels/Sarai, Railway Stations, Bus Stands, Markets, Shopping Malls, Public Parks, etc across the state.

          Apart from this, Police teams have continued its cordon and search operation (CASO) against drugs on Day 166, and conducted raids at 399 locations on Thursday leading to the arrest of 84 drug smugglers after registration of 52 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 25,806 within 166 days.

          The Special DGP said that the raids have resulted in recovery of 4.8 kg heroin, 40 kg poppy husk and Rs 4.90 lakh drug money from the possession of arrested drug smugglers.

          He informed that over 120 Police teams, comprising over 1100 police personnel, under the supervision of 76 gazetted officers have conducted raids across the state and checked as many as 434 suspicious persons during the day long operation.

          The Special DGP said that with 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 40 persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment today.

Chandigarh/SAS Nagar, August 14:

Ending the fifteen years’ long wait of the land owners/reallottees whose land was acquired for the Aerocity project, Greater Mohali Area Development Authority today conducted the numbering draw of SCOs and bay shops allotted earlier to them. The draw was held in the Community Centre of Purab Premium Apartments, Sector 88, SAS Nagar.

Divulging details, Housing & Urban Development Minister, S. Hardeep Singh Mundian said that the numbering draw was conducted for 166 SCOs of 100 sq. yds., 159 SCOs of 121 sq.yds. and 167 bay shops of 60 sq. yds. Today’s draw would be of great relief to the land owners as they were waiting for the allotment of numbers to these SCOs and bay shops since long, said the Minister.

Extending wishes to the allottees, he said that the draw has paved the way for them to start commercial activities on these properties after completing the construction of the same.

Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government is working for the welfare of every community and Housing & Urban Development Department would take more citizen related welfare measures in time to come, said the Cabinet Minister.   

Feeling jubilant over the allotment of SCOs and bay shops, Sharanpreet Singh, Devansh Trehan and Vivek Bansal stated that they were completely satisfied with the outcome of the draw and said that they would now be able to start their business ventures soon.

Mr. Vishesh Sarangal, IAS, Chief Administrator, GMADA, Mr. Amarinder Singh Malhi, PCS, Additional Chief Administrator, GMADA, Mr. Ravinder Singh, PCS, Estate Officer (Plots) remained present at the venue to supervise the proceedings of the draw.

Chandigarh, August 14

Punjab Government has selected 26 different personalities to award them with Punjab Government Praman Patra, 2025 for rendering outstanding services in their respective fields on the occasion of Independence Day.

These Praman Patra will be awarded to Dr. Anupama Gupta from Amritsar, Master Tegbir Singh from Roopnagar,  Sh. Saroopinder Singh from Patiala, Sh. Ratan Lal Soni from Hoshiarpur, Dr Hitender Suri from Fatehgarh Sahib, Sh. Gulshan Bhatia from Amritsar, Smt. Rifat Wahab from Malerkotla, Smt. Rama Munjal from Ludhiana, Sh. Baldev Kumar from Hoshiarpur, Miss Apeksha from Bathinda, Sh. Gulzar Singh Patialvi from Patiala, Dr. Baldev Singh from Patiala, Sh. Balraj Singh Chouhan from Hoshiarpur, Dr. Paramjit Singh from Jalandhar, Master Yuvraj Singh Chauhan from Ludhiana, Sh. Krishan Kumar Paswan from Bathinda, Sh. Rajiv Madaan from Amritsar, Sh. Jaskaran Singh from  Bathinda, Dr. Pawan Kumar from Hoshiarpur, Dr. Harbans Kaur from Hoshiarpur, Dr. Raj Kumar from Hoshiarpur, Dr. Mahima Minhaas from Hoshiarpur, Miss. Nisha Rani from Hoshiarpur, Dr. P.S.Brar from kotkpura,  Dr. Ravi Bansal from Kotkpura and Dr. Abinav Shur from Jalandhar.

Chandigarh, August 13 – On the occasion of Independence Day on August 15, Haryana Governor Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh will hoist the National Flag in Ambala city, while Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini will hoist it in Rohtak.

Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi has issued the revised programme for Independence Day. Across the state, the flag hoisting will be held at 9:00 AM.

Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Sh. Harvinder Kalyan will hoist the National Flag in Panipat, while Deputy Speaker Dr. Krishan Kumar Middha will hoist it in Karnal.

Energy Minister Sh. Anil Vij will hoist the National Flag in Yamunanagar/Jagadhri, Development & Panchayats Minister Sh. Krishan Lal Panwar in Thanesar/Kurukshetra, Industries & Commerce Minister Rao Narbir Singh in Rewari, School Education Minister Sh. Mahipal Dhanda in Kaithal, and Revenue & Disaster Management Minister Sh. Vipul Goel in Narnaul.

Similarly, Cooperation Minister Sh. Arvind Kumar Sharma will be the chief guest in Sonipat, Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Minister Sh. Shyam Singh Rana in Gurugram, and Public Health Engineering Minister Sh. Ranbir Gangwa in Fatehabad.

Social Justice & Empowerment, Scheduled Castes & Backward Classes Welfare, and Antyodaya Minister Sh. Krishan Kumar will hoist the flag in Hisar; Women & Child Development Minister Smt. Shruti Choudhry in Panchkula; and Health Minister Arti Singh Rao in Nuh.

Minister of State for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Sh. Rajesh Nagar will hoist the flag in Sirsa, and Minister of State for Youth Empowerment & Entrepreneurship Sh. Gaurav Gautam will do so in Faridabad.

In Ambala district, the Divisional Commissioner will hoist the flag in Naraiangarh, and MLA Nikhil Madan will do so in Barara. In Bhiwani district, MLA Ghanshyam Sarraf will hosit the flag in Loharu, MP Kiran Choudhry (Rajya Sabha) in Bhiwani, the Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil) in Tosham, and MLA Kapoor Singh in Siwani. MLA Umed Singh will hoist the flag in Badhra, and MP Dharambir Singh in Charkhi Dadri.

In Faridabad district, Badhkal MLA Dhanesh Adlakha and Ballabgarh MLA Mool Chand Sharma will participate in programmes. In Fatehabad district, Zila Parishad Chairperson Suman Khichad will hoist the flag in Tohana, and MP Subhash Barala (Rajya Sabha) in Ratia. In Gurugram district, MLA Bimla Chaudhary will hoist the flag in Pataudi, MLA Laxman Singh Yadav in Badshahpur, MLA Mukesh Sharma in Manesar, and MLA Tejpal Tanwar in Sohna. In Hisar district, MLA Randhir Panihar will hoist the flag in Narnaund, MLA Vinod Bhayana in Hansi, and MLA Savitri Jindal in Barwala.

In Jhajjar district, MLA Rajesh Joon will hoist the flag in Bahadurgarh, MP Kartikeya Sharma (Rajya Sabha) in Badli, MP Ram Chander Jangra (Rajya Sabha) in Jhajjar and MLA Sunil Satpal Sangwan in Beri. Divisional Commissioner of Hisar will hoist the flag in Julana of Jind district, MLA Ram Kumar Gautam in Safidon, MP Rekha Sharma (Rajya Sabha) in Jind, MLA Devender Chatar Bhuj Atri in Uchana and Zila Parishad President Manisha Rani in Narwana. In Kaithal, MP Naveen Jindal (Lok Sabha) will hoist the flag in Guhla while MLA Satpal Jamba will do so in Kalayat.

MLA Bhagwana Dass will hoist the flag in Nilokheri of Karnal district, MLA Ram Kumar Kashyap in Indri, MLA Jagmohan Anand in Gharaunda and MLA Yoginder Singh Rana in Assandh. Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil) will hoist the flag in Ladwa of Kurukshetra district, Zila Parishad President Kanwaljeet Kaur in Shahabad and MLA Parmod Kumar Vij in Pehowa.

MLA Om Prakash Yadav will be the chief guest at Mahendragarh, MLA Kanwar Singh at Kanina and Divisional Commissioner of Gurugram at Nangal Chaudhary. Divisional Commissioner of Faridabad will hoist the flag at Ferozepur Jhirka in Nuh district, Zila Parishad President Jan Mohammad at Tauru and Sub Divisional Officer (Civil) at Punhana. Zila Parishad President Rekha will be the chief guest at Hathin, MLA Harinder Singh at Hodal and MLA Satish Kumar Phagna at Palwal.

MLA Shakti Rani Sharma will hoist the flag at Kalka in Panchkula district. Sub Divisional Officer (Civil) will do so at Israna in Panipat district while MLA Manmohan Bhadana will hoist the flag at Samalkha. MLA Dr. Krishan Kumar will be the chief guest at Bawal, MLA Anil Yadav at Kosli, Divisional Commissioner of Rohtak at Meham and Zila Parishad President Manju Hooda at Sampla.

Sub-divisional officers (civil) will hoist the flag in Kalanwali, Dabwali and Ellenabad of Sirsa district, MLA Devender Kadyan in Ganaur, MLA Pawan Kharkhauda in Kharkhauda and MLA Krishna Gehlawat in Gohana.

Zila Parishad Chairman Ramesh Chand will hoist the national flag in Bilaspur of Yamunanagar district, MLA Ghanshyam Dass Arora in Chhachharauli, and Sub-divisional Officer (civil) in Radaur. 

Chandigarh, August 13- Haryana Chief Minister Sh Nayab Singh Saini hoisted the tricolor at Sant Kabir Kutir today as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan. On this occasion, he said that the national flag is a symbol of our pride and glory, reminding us of the nation’s integrity, sacrifices, and glorious history.

The Chief Minister added that the Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan, initiated by Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi, is a unique effort to awaken a sense of pride and responsibility towards the nation in the hearts of every citizen.

          He said that the Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan not only awakens feelings of patriotism but also strengthens national unity and brotherhood. It is the duty of every Indian to respect the tricolor, which symbolizes the sacrifices of our freedom fighters as well as the progress, culture, and pride of our nation.

The Chief Minister appealed to the public to actively participate in this campaign during the Independence Day fortnight by hoisting the tricolor at their homes, workplaces, and offices, making this festival of national unity a grand success.

Chandigarh, August 13 – Haryana Chief Minister, Sh Nayab Singh Saini called upon the people belonging to Prajapati community to strengthen their traditional art by integrating it with modern technology. He urged them to move forward by adopting new techniques, making use of government schemes and enhancing the quality and appeal of their products in line with market demand.

The Chief Minister was addressing a State-level function organized in Kurukshetra today for the distribution of entitlement certificates to families belonging to the Prajapati community. On this occasion, he personally handed over certificates to beneficiaries. The programme was held simultaneously in all 22 districts of the state, benefiting around 1,00,000 families with land entitlement certificates. Under the scheme, entitlement certificates have been issued in about 1,700 villages, granting the Prajapati community collective rights for soil excavation.

These certificates, issued under the Gram Shamlat Bhumi Niyamwali, 1964, not only grant the right to use the land but also provide legal authority to carry out their work without hindrance. This initiative will enable the Prajapati community to give a new direction to their art, help realise their dreams and allow them to manufacture products without having to travel far.

It is noteworthy that during the Daksh Prajapati Jayanti celebrations held in Bhiwani on July 13, Chief Minister Sh Nayab Singh Saini had pledged to provide land entitlement certificates to the Prajapati community. This commitment has been fulfilled within just one month which clearly reflects the functioning of the present state government, where words are matched by actions.

Describing the Prajapati community as hardworking, honest and skilled, the Chief Minister said that the art of making earthen pots has been an integral part of our cultural heritage. However, over time, this skill has not received the respect and opportunities the community rightfully deserves, and the necessary resources to connect the new generation with this art were not provided in time.

Work places of Prajapati community were occupied during Congress rule – CM

He said that earlier, in every village, adequate land was available for the Prajapati community to source soil, but previous governments failed to address this need. During the Congress regime, even the workplaces of the Prajapati community were encroached upon. Not only that, those in power at the time conspired against the community and attempted to take away their livelihood. A superficial promise of allotting 100-square-yard plots in villages was made, but those plots were carved out from the very land where the Prajapati community earned their living. Such policies brought the employment of this community almost to a standstill.

He further said that in line with Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi’s mantra of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas”, the Haryana Government is consistently working to provide respect and growth opportunities to every community in the state. The Chief Minister added that the aim of the present government is not only to provide land to the Prajapati community, but also to create an ecosystem where their skills can flourish even further. As the scope of their work expands, employment opportunities will naturally increase, he added.

While highlighting various schemes being implemented by the State Government for the upliftment and welfare of backward classes, Sh Nayab Singh Saini said that a Mati Kala Board has been constituted in the state to promote artisans engaged in making clay utensils and artistic items, and incentives are being provided to them. He informed that the annual income limit of the creamy layer for backward classes has been raised from Rs 6 lakh to Rs8 lakh. In addition, 8 percent representation has been granted to Backward Class ‘A’ in Panchayati Raj Institutions. On this occasion, he also detailed several schemes being implemented for the welfare of backward classes in the fields of education, social welfare, scholarships, and other areas.

41 out of 217 Sankalps completed, 90 more to be achieved by year-end

The Chief Minister said that the present government has fulfilled 41 out of the 217 Sankalps made to the people of the state, and work is underway to complete 90 more by the end of this year. He informed that LPG cylinders are being provided to women in the state at a subsidized rate of just Rs500, benefiting nearly 18 lakh eligible families.

People urged to join ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ and Swachhata Abhiyan

The Chief Minister urged the gathering to actively participate in the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign by planting and nurturing a tree on every important occasion, thereby contributing to environmental conservation. He also appealed for active support in Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi’s Swachhata Abhiyan. Informing about the government’s housing initiatives, he said that under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, more than 1 lakh families in the state have already been provided houses, and the scheme will be implemented at an even faster pace in the days to come.

Art of Prajapati community to reach global markets; Sanjha Bazars to provide new platform

On this occasion, Development and Panchayats Minister, Sh Krishan Lal Panwar said that Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Sh Nayab Singh Saini have a farsighted vision to take the art of the Prajapati community beyond villages and showcase it in international markets. Continuous efforts are being made in this direction. He said that auspicious occasions traditionally begin with lamps made by the Prajapati community, reflecting the cultural and artistic significance of their craft. Sh Panwar further said that under the Chief Minister’s leadership, the state government is commemorating the birth anniversaries of saints and spiritual leaders at the government level. In addition, Sanjha Bazaars are being established for self-help groups to provide a permanent platform for their handmade products, ensuring better market access and easier sales.

CM’s Bhiwani announcement proves fruitful – Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister

During the programme, Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Sh Shyam Singh Rana said that the utensils made by the Prajapati community contain the Panchtatva, which are beneficial for health. He said that every household should keep cows, as this not only supports our health and livelihood but also helps preserve our cultural heritage. The state government, he informed, provides a subsidy of Rs 30,000 for the purchase of a Desi cow. He said that the bond with Gau Mata has existed since the time of our ancestors. He added that the announcement made by Chief Minister Sh Nayab Singh Saini in Bhiwani has now been fulfilled.

On this occasion, Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Dr Saket Kumar, Chairman Dharm Singh Mirzapur, BJP District President Tajender Singh Goldy, Jai Bhagwan Sharma and many dignitaries of Prajapati community were also present.