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. 

Chandigarh, October 18 – Union Minister for Power, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Sh. Manohar Lal said that a series of programmes will be organized across the country for two months to strengthen national unity in celebration of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary. Rashtriya Ekta Diwas will be observed on October 31, followed by various events related to national integration continuing until December 31. Sh. Manohar Lal shared this information during a press conference held at the Karnal on Saturday.

Union Minister Manohar Lal stated that Padayatras will be organized in villages and cities on October 25, 26, and 27. These Padayatra, spanning 8 to 10 kilometers, will see participation from a large number of people and youth, spreading the message of national unity. On October 31, to mark Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, a Run for Unity event will be held. Thereafter, for the next two months, until December 31, various programmes such as seminars, exhibitions, and literature distribution will take place to spread the spirit of national unity among the youth. He further said  that youth registrations for these events are being conducted through the My Bharat Portal.

Sh. Manohar Lal shared that Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi has successfully launched many impactful national campaigns such as Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao and the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Now, this new campaign aims to further strengthen national unity across the country.

The Union Minister extended his heartfelt greetings to the people of the country and the state on the occasions of Dhanteras, Diwali, Govardhan Puja, Bhai Dooj, and other festivals.

Sh. Manohar Lal also congratulated Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, Ministers, and the people of Haryana on the successful completion of one year of the government’s third term. He expressed gratitude to the people of Haryana for forming a government with a clear majority. He said that the Haryana Government has announced a Rs. 200 increase in the old-age pension.

Sh. Manohar Lal highlighted that all benefits under government schemes are being provided through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), and the state continues to progress steadily on the path of development.