Chandigarh, August 7

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has said that the Haryana government should stop playing the game of meetings, and file contempt proceedings against the Punjab government in the SYL case as the Supreme Court has already decided in favour of Haryana. He said it is now the responsibility of the Union government to get Haryana its due share of water.
Reacting to the meeting of Punjab-Haryana government on SYL, he said instead of playing the game of meetings, the BJP government should file a contempt case against the Punjab government in the court as the Supreme Court’s decision has come in favour of Haryana a long time ago.
“The court had handed over the responsibility of getting Haryana’s share of water to the central government. There is a BJP government both in Haryana and at the Centre. In such a situation, Haryana should have got its share of water by now, but this could not happen due to the anti-Haryana attitude of the BJP, “ he stated.
“Congress repeatedly said that the Punjab government is disobeying the decision of the Supreme Court, but the Haryana government kept wasting time by holding fruitless meetings. It is the BJP government, during whose tenure the already built SYL canal in Punjab was filled up. This government had also filled up the Dadupur-Nalvi canal built during the Congress government to recharge the groundwater level,” he added.
Addressing a press conference at his residence, Hooda said the farmers of Haryana are continuously getting buried under debt. “Today, every farmer in the state has a debt of Rs 1,82,922. Whereas the average debt of a farmer in the whole country is Rs 74000. Haryana is at number four in the country in terms of debt-ridden farmers, because the rates of fuel, fertilizers, seeds, medicines have increased wildly during the BJP government, but the rate of farmers’ crops has not increased. As soon as it came to power, the BJP refused to implement the Swaminathan report, going back on its election promise,” he noted.
He also exposed the truth of PM Crop Insurance Scheme with figures. He said this scheme has made the farmers poor, and the insurance companies rich. This disclosure was made in the answer to a question asked by MP Deepender Hooda in Parliament.
Deepender Hooda had asked the government in Parliament why there was a massive 90% drop in compensation payments under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in Haryana and what is the reason for this huge drop despite the continuous damage to crops?
On this, Minister of State for Agriculture Ram Nath Thakur, on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said in 2022-23, ₹ 2,518.66 crore was paid under crop insurance in Haryana, which has come down to ₹ 265.23 crore in 2023-24. 4. Whereas, in the year 2023-24, if Rs 154.9 crore was paid from farmers, Rs 246.6 crore from the central government and the same amount is considered as the state’s share, then this amount of Rs 648.1 crore went into the treasury of the insurance company. The insurance company made a net profit of Rs 382.9 crore,” the former Haryana Chief Minister pointed out.
Similarly, in 2024-25, this amount further reduced to ₹ 262.6 crores. Whereas, in the year 2024-25, if the premium is considered to be Rs 280.3 crore from farmers, Rs 388.2 crore from the central government and Rs 388.2 crore as the state’s share on the basis of 50%, then Rs 1056.7 crore reached the treasury of the insurance company, but only Rs 262.6 crore was paid to the farmers. Insurance company made a net profit of Rs 794.1 crore,” he said.
In the press conference, Hooda also raised the issue of increase in collector rate. He said that by increasing the collector rate, the BJP government has once again taken a decision to push dreams of building a house, out of the reach of an average middle-class family. The government has directly increased the collectorate from 10 to 145 percent, which istwo and a half times.
“Last year in December 2024 itself, the government had increased this rate drastically. Even then, the government had increased the collector rate by up to 250% in many places. This has made it clear that the BJP is a completely anti-poor and anti-middle class party,” he stated.
He said a sample of this was also seen when the BJP had decided to allot HUDA plots on the basis of auction. Due to this, the rates of sector plots also increased overnight and became out of the reach of the poor and middle class.
Responding to the questions, the former Chief Minister said during this government, only scams are happening in the name of recruitments. “Even if any recruitment is being completed, then people from other states are given appointment in it. Till date, this government has not presented the investigation report in the case of lakhs being seized in the HPSC office. Nor has any action been taken in any scam including paper leak, liquor, paddy, cooperative, Amrit Yojana,” he noted.
Hooda said this government is now treating universities in a step-motherly manner, after government schools. Courses are also being closed after a huge fee hike in every university,

Raising the issue of Kaushal Rojgar Nigam employees, he said BJP has also cheated the Kaushal workers as BJP spread a lie that their government has made all the 1.25 lakh employees under Kaushal Nigam permanent during the assembly elections. “BJP claimed that no one will be able to remove Kaushal Nigam employees from the job till retirement. After the elections, they are now being continuously removed from the job,” he stated.
“Not only this, now it is even being said that people employed under Kaushal Rojgar Nigam can be transferred anywhere in the country. This is injustice to the worker who is doing a job of only 15-20,000 Rupees,” he added.
Hooda further said that there has been a scam of crores of Rupees in Haryana regarding making BPL cards as the BJP first implemented the family identity card and cancelled the BPL cards of lakhs of people. “Then, as the elections came near, lakhs of BPL cards were made in a hurry. Cards were made even for those people who were ineligible for it,” he said.
“By doing this, BJP took votes of lakhs of people in the elections and now after forming the government for the third time, it has started showing its true colours. Now BPL cards of thousands of families are being cancelled every day. Cards of those people are also being cancelled who are below the poverty line. The government itself has admitted that there has been a big scam in the name of making BPL cards. In such a situation, the question arises that who carried out this scam? At whose behest crores of Rupees were looted and public opinion was rigged? What action was taken against those people,” he questioned.
Expressing concern over law and order, Hooda reiterated that every resident of the state is living under the shadow of fear. Public murders have become so common. Crimes against every section including women and Dalits are increasing.
He said the BJP government is also destroying its own Ayushman Yojana, and the government owes Rs 650 crore to private hospitals. “The government has cleared its dues for a long time. Due to this, the Indian Medical Association has refused to treat Ayushman card holders from today. In such a situation, the lives of poor people getting treatment in hospitals or reaching for treatment are in danger,” he added.
Hooda welcomed the disclosure of fraud in the voter list by Rahul Gandhi. He said that many such complaints have come to light in Haryana and Maharashtra. “After voting in Haryana, the Election Commission repeatedly changed the voter turnout figures. Congress has also demanded that elections should be held on ballot paper.
“The figures of the last 5 elections show that the government in Haryana has always been formed by the party that won in the postal ballot, but this time the exact opposite has happened,” he pointed out.

Ladwa : In a strong push toward building a self-reliant and skilled rural Haryana, M3M Foundation, under the leadership of Dr. Payal Kanodia, launched four new Skill Development Centres focused on empowering local women and youth through industry-relevant vocational training. The inauguration ceremony took place at the community center in Ward No. 1, Ladwa, where Ms. Suman Saini, Vice Chairperson of the Haryana State Council for Child Welfare, formally inaugurated the initiative. Dr. Payal Kanodia, Chairperson and Trustee of M3M Foundation, joined her at the event. Of the four centres inaugurated, one was launched on-ground in Ladwa, while the remaining three—in Khaira, Biholi, and Babain—were inaugurated virtually. Through digital connectivity, Ms. Suman Saini and Dr. Payal Kanodia interacted with beneficiaries across these locations, reinforcing the use of technology to bridge distances and drive inclusive development.

These centres, which include training in beauty therapy, computer operations, office assistance, and solar PV system repair, are part of M3M Foundation’s larger Skill Development Initiative aligned with Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Nayab Singh Saini’s vision of creating employment-oriented opportunities in rural regions. Speaking at the ceremony, Ms. Suman Saini commended। “M3MFoundation’s efforts like these programmes not only generate livelihoods but also restore dignity and social standing, especially for rural women. I also acknowledge the government’s proactive role in driving awareness through gram panchayats, self-help groups, and colleges”.

Dr. Payal Kanodia shared that, “M3M Foundation is offering three-month vocational training programmes designed to enable youth aged 18–35, particularly school dropouts and the unemployed, to build employable skills. These training courses are intended to promote both employment and self-employment, ultimately contributing to the vision of a Viksit Haryana and Viksit Bharat”.

The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including Dr. Aishwarya Mahajan, President of M3M Foundation; Shri Kailash Saini, In-charge of the Chief Minister’s Office; Shri Tushar Saini, Media Coordinator to the CM; SDM Pankaj Setia; Municipal Chairperson Sakshi Khurana; Mandal Presidents Shiv Gupta and Amarendra Singh; and Smt. Poonam Saini, among others.

Chandigarh:

Haresh Sippy, Chairman and Managing Director of TEMA India, has long been known for building critical infrastructure for India’s nuclear energy sector. But today, he’s capturing attention in an entirely different arena: cinema.
After playing a key role in launching India’s first private facility for Depleted Heavy Water Upgradation—developed in partnership with NPCIL and BARC under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative—Sippy has turned to a new kind of construction: building stories from raw human emotion.
Under the creative identity of Tapan Ghosh, Sippy leads Sippy Productions, a film outfit focused on emotionally honest, vertically shot, mobile-first cinema. His unique style—known as Scriptless Cinema—involves no structured dialogues or traditional screenplays. Instead, actors are encouraged to improvise, bringing real-life experiences and vulnerability into each performance.
“What I build for the nation with steel, I now build for the soul with cinema,” he says.
With over 25 experimental films completed—many featuring first-time actors—Sippy’s work has quietly built an online following. His film Anban Soulmates Mein recently crossed 7 million views on YouTube, while others like SoBo Ki Nakchadi have sparked conversations around identity, healing, and social connection.
What sets Sippy apart is the way he blends engineering precision with creative chaos. In both his factory floor and his film sets, structure and experimentation go hand in hand. “Whether it’s vacuum distillation columns or emotional expression—if it doesn’t flow naturally, it doesn’t work,” he says.
As his cinematic journey gathers momentum, Haresh Sippy is proving that innovation isn’t limited to one industry. Whether he’s designing complex nuclear systems or redefining indie storytelling, the goal remains the same: creating impact that lasts.

A massive blast rocked an oxygen cylinder plant in Punjab’s Mohali district on Wednesday, leaving two workers dead and four injured, officials said.

The incident took place at Hi-Tech Gases, an oxygen cylinder unit located in the industrial area in phase-9 in Mohali.

Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police Harmandeep Singh Hans said the blast took place in one of the cylinders when they were being loaded in a truck at around 9 am.

Chandigarh, August 6 – Haryana is set to host the prestigious 18th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference-cum-Exhibition, scheduled to be held from November 7 to 9, 2025, in Gurugram. The preparations for this international event were reviewed at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi here today.

The UMI Conference is a flagship annual event organized under the aegis of the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India, and serves as a globally recognized platform for stakeholders to deliberate on emerging issues, trends, innovations and challenges in the field of urban transport and mobility.

Chief Secretary Rastogi emphasized that hosting this prestigious event is a matter of pride for Haryana and presents a significant opportunity to showcase the state’s progress in sustainable urban development, smart transportation solutions, and infrastructure innovation.

The theme for this year’s conference is “Urban Development and Mobility Nexus,” focusing on the critical interlink ages between planned urban growth and efficient transport systems. The conference will feature plenary sessions, technical sessions, panel discussions, and interactive exhibitions, with participation from policymakers, industry experts, researchers and delegates from across India and various countries.

Since its inception in 2008, the UMI Conference has evolved into a comprehensive knowledge-sharing platform that promotes best practices, encourages cross-learning between cities, and helps shape future policies for improved urban mobility across India.

In addition to the main sessions, the event will include technical tours and heritage site, offering delegates a glimpse of the region’s rich culture and urban transport initiatives.

Additional Chief Secretary, Town and Country Planning, Sh. AK Singh, Director General, Information, Public Relations, Languages and Culture, Sh. K. Makarand Pandurang, Additional Director (Admn.) Sh. Yogesh Mehta, and senior officers of various departments attended the meeting.

Chandigarh, August 6- Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Fisheries Minister Sh Shyam Singh Rana has directed officials to foster mutual coordination among departments to eliminate salinity from the state’s affected areas. He directed to initiate a special pilot project in the Charkhi Dadri district, emphasizing the need to work diligently towards achieving this goal at the earliest.

  Sh  Shyam Singh Rana was presiding over a meeting of officers of the department here today.

Principal Secretary of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department Sh Pankaj Agarwal, Director Sh Rajnarayan Kaushik and other senior officers were also present in the meeting.

 The Minister said that the state government has set a target of reviving about one lakh acres of saline land for the year 2025-26 in the budget. The Agriculture Department and Fisheries Department should work together to achieve this target. He said that a lot of land in the state is Sem affected and saline in which crops are not grown.

 He directed the officials to explore the potential of shrimp farming by creating ponds on the waterlogged and saline land. He said that draining the saline water through tube wells would lower the groundwater level, thereby making the area saline-free. Additionally, shrimp farming would provide farmers with a good source of income. Considering the rainy season, he also instructed coordination with the Disaster Management and Irrigation Departments to ensure proper drainage of water through the drainage systems.

The Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister also directed efforts to encourage farmers to adopt natural farming. Instructing officials to prioritize the implementation of budget announcements, he assured that there would be no shortage of funds for development projects.

Chandigarh, August 6 – The Haryana Government has directed all departments to strictly comply with the orders issued on July 21, 2023, which mandate 10+2 as the minimum educational qualification for Group-C posts.

A letter in this regard has been issued by Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi to all administrative secretaries, heads of departments, chief administrators and managing directors of boards and corporations, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, sub-divisional officers (civil), and registrars of universities.

The letter clearly states that as per the instructions issued on April 21, 2023, and July 21, 2023, the minimum qualification for Group-C posts was revised from Matriculation to 10+2. Departments were required to amend their service rules accordingly with the approval of the concerned administrative secretary and LR, followed by issuing a Gazette notification. It was also clarified that no further approval from the Human Resources Department, Finance Department, or the Chief Minister’s Office is needed for this process.

After reviewing the matter, the government found that several departments are yet to comply with these instructions and have not amended their service rules. Therefore, all departments have been instructed once again to make the necessary amendments at the earliest and ensure implementation of the July 21, 2023, directions to avoid any future delays or confusion.

Chandigarh, August 6 – The Haryana Government has notified the Haryana Contractual Employees (Security of Service) Rules, 2025. These rules have been notified under sub-section (1) of Section 10 of the Haryana Contractual Employees (Security of Service) Act, 2024 (17 of 2024). With this notification, the services of thousands of contractual employees working in various departments, boards, corporations, and authorities across the state have been secured.

According to the notification issued by Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi, to be granted the status of a “secured employee”, a contractual worker must have completed at least five years of service by August 15, 2024, and must have received wages for a minimum of 240 working days in each of those years. Even if an employee worked in both higher and lower posts within the same year, the service will be counted, provided wages were received for 240 days.

Notably, employees who were earlier appointed to regular posts but lost their positions due to the cancellation or revision of merit lists by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission will have their prior regular service also counted toward the five-year eligibility, excluding any break period between regular and contractual service. Service rendered in different departments or government-controlled bodies will also be considered collectively.

However, any person who has married someone while their spouse is still alive or has remarried during the lifetime of their spouse will not be eligible for service protection under this Act. The government may grant exemption in such cases only if it is satisfied that the marriage is permissible under applicable personal law and other valid grounds exist.

Wherever a corresponding post is easily identifiable, the government organization will create a “supernumerary post” (extra post) effective from August 16, 2024, for the protected employee. If a matching post is not available or the designation is different, then the concerned organization will propose the creation of such a post, including designation, pay scale, required qualifications, and job description. The government will approve this proposal within 90 days in consultation with the Finance Department, after which the protection order will be issued.

If the number of protected employees in a department is high, the list will be sent to the government for adjustment in other departments as needed. The appointing authority will have the power to transfer secured employees anywhere within or outside Haryana in public interest.

For determining remuneration, the minimum of the functional pay level approved at the time of sanctioning the supernumerary post will be increased by 5%, 10%, or 15%, as applicable. The final amount will be rounded off to the nearest hundred, ignoring fractions below 50 and rounding up if the fraction is 50 or above.

Secured employees will be eligible for annual increments once a year in their functional pay level. The increment date will be either January 1 or July 1, provided the employee has completed at least six months of qualifying service before that date. The first increment will be due on July 1, 2025 upon fulfilling eligibility. These employees will also be entitled to Dearness Allowance (DA) at par with regular employees from January 1, 2025.

They will continue to receive casual leave and medical leave as before. Women protected employees will now be eligible for two casual leaves per month, up to 22 days in a year as compared to the previous 10 days.

Additionally, a service book will be prepared for each protected employee by the concerned department. Until separate rules are framed, protected employees will be governed by the Haryana Civil Services (Government Employees’ Conduct) Rules, 2016 and the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment & Appeal) Rules, 2016. However, the government will have the power to relax any rule for a specific category or class of employees, citing valid reasons.

Chandigarh, August 6 – Haryana Chief Electoral Officer, Sh. A. Sreenivas said that the Election Commission of India has published the draft electoral roll for Bihar on August 1, 2025, with the aim of ensuring accuracy in the voter list.

Sh. A. Sreenivas said that the Commission has appealed to all political parties, organisations, and citizens to carefully review the draft voter list. If any errors or discrepancies are found, then they should submit their claims and objections within the stipulated time limit, so that correction can be made in time.

He further stated that, so far, no claims or objections have been submitted by any political party regarding the draft list. However, 2,864 claims and objections have been received so far directly from the electors. In addition, a total of 14,914 applications have been received from new voters of 18 years of age or above.

As per rules, the Claims and Objections are to be disposed of by the concerned Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) after the expiry of 7 days.

He further said that as per SIR orders, no name can be deleted from the draft list published on August,1 2025 without passing a speaking order by the ERO/AERO after conducting an enquiry and after giving a fair and reasonable opportunity.

The Chief Electoral Officer has appealed to all political parties, citizens, and organisations to actively take part in this process and help in creating a voter list that is accurate, transparent, and inclusive.

Chandigarh, August 6 – Additional Chief Secretary (Health), Sh. Sudhir Rajpal, held a detailed meeting today with representatives of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Haryana, to address their concerns regarding delayed payments under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. He assured them that the state government is actively releasing payments to empanelled hospitals and remains fully committed to resolving all outstanding issues.

During the meeting, Sh. Rajpal gave a patient hearing to the delegation and acknowledged the challenges faced by the medical fraternity. He reiterated the government’s commitment to clearing all pending dues under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana at the earliest.

Appealing to the IMA representatives, the Additional Chief Secretary urged them to reconsider their decision to go on strike, emphasizing that such action could disrupt essential healthcare services, particularly for economically weaker sections of society. “We understand your concerns, and we are working to address them. However, a strike would adversely affect thousands of poor patients who depend on the scheme for timely and affordable treatment,” he said.

Payments being released by government: Former IMA Haryana President

Dr. D.S. Jaspal, former National Vice-President of the IMA Headquarters and former President of the IMA Haryana State Chapter, said he was not at all in support of the call for a strike. He said, “The government has already initiated the release of pending payments and has assured us that all our concerns will be addressed in a time-bound manner. Under these circumstances, there is no justification for a strike. Any such move would only harm the interests of poor patients who are in urgent need of medical care.” Dr. Jaspal also appealed to his colleagues in the medical fraternity to support the government’s ongoing efforts and to continue delivering uninterrupted healthcare services.

’Resorting to a strike no solution’

Dr. Anil Malik, Member of the IMA Headquarters Standing Committee for AGC 2025–2026, emphasized that grievances should be raised through appropriate platforms and resolved through constructive dialogue. He stated that resorting to a strike would not offer any solution and would only disrupt patient care.

Budget received from State Government

Notably, the budget has already been received from the State Government on 4th August 2025, and accordingly, payment to empanelled hospitals has been initiated on a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) basis. This development reflects the State Government’s commitment to ensuring timely disbursement of funds and uninterrupted delivery of healthcare services under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

The State Health Agency (SHA), Haryana has already processed and paid claims submitted by empanelled hospitals up to the first week of May 2025. A total of Rs. 2,900 crore has been disbursed to hospitals since the inception of the scheme. During the financial year 2025-26, up to 16th July 2025, an amount of Rs. 240.63 crore has been received from the State and Central Governments and fully utilized for settlement of eligible claims.

Claims submitted by empanelled hospitals are processed by a team of 50 doctors through the NHA’s online platform. The portal ensures a transparent and impartial claim allocation process by randomly assigning cases to processors. All deductions are made strictly as per NHA guidelines and only when adequate clinical justification or documentation is lacking. Before any rejection or deduction, hospitals are given an opportunity to upload the required supporting documents such as vital charts, clinical images, OT notes, and test reports. If a hospital disagrees with a deduction, it may file an appeal through the portal. These appeals are reviewed by a designated Medical Audit Committee.

The SHA has also taken cognizance of the grievances raised by hospitals regarding payment delays, claim rejections, and non-processing of claims. To date, over 400 grievances from empaneled hospitals have been formally registered and resolved through the CGRMS 2.0 portal.