IEP Chandigarh, July 19

Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Manohar Lal today announced to contribute  an amount of Rs. 5 crores to  Himachal CM relief fund as flood relief. He said that the state government is providing all possible help, both financially and medically for those who have been adversely affected due to heavy rainfall in the past.

        While addressing a press conference held here today, Sh. Manohar Lal said, “Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall received in most of the parts of Haryana as well as in the neighbouring States for three consecutive days i.e from July 8 to 10 that has triggered flood-like situation in the State, throwing normal life out of gear and causing unfortunate loss of lives, animals and extensive damage to properties and infrastructure.

Sharing the rainfall statistics, the Chief Minister said that from July 8 to 12, the state received 110 mm of rainfall, which is 387 percent of the normal of 28.4 mm. The normal rainfall in Yamunanagar was 32.8 mm, 32.9 mm in Kurukshetra, 53 mm in Panchkula and 58.5 mm in Ambala, while this time these four districts received 842, 814, 699 and 514 percent of normal rainfall respectively.

        “As a result, almost all rivers in Haryana namely Yamuna, Markanda, Tangari, Ghaggar, and Saraswati. Besides this, all drains have remained in full spate. There were breaches and overflows at many places leading to flooding of fields, roads and habitations causing loss of lives and damage to properties that necessitated immediate rescue and still ongoing relief and recovery efforts,” said  Sh. Manohar Lal. 

The Chief Minister further shared that 12 districts were declared flood-affected. Sharing the data regarding the same, he said that 1353 villages and 4 MC areas in 12 districts namely Ambala, Fatehabad, Faridabad, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Karnal, Panchkula, Panipat, Palwal, Sonipat, Sirsa and Yamunanagar have been declared as flood affected in the State.

While refuting the allegations levied by the Opposition alleging that the flood situation in the state has caused due to increasing mining in the rivers, the Chief Minister said that such statements are illogical to make as flood and mining have no connection.

        He said that legal mining in riverbeds as per the mining plan can rather have the potential of increasing the water intake capacity of rivers and rather help in preventing floods in low-lying areas, as excess built-up of silt is removed in the mining process.

        Sh. Manohar Lal also suggested that excess slit should be removed by way of mining and otherwise from canals as well so that their water capacity in canal beds can also increase.

        He said that during the Flood Control Board meeting held in January, an amount of Rs. 930 crore has been already approved for tackling flood relief works.

The Chief Minister informed that the proposal to construct a dam 500 metres behind the Hathnikund Barrage is being taken up with the Himachal government.   He said that due to floods caused by excessive rains, there has been a loss of approximately Rs 500 crore as per the initial estimate in the state. Out of which about Rs 281 crore has been received from the Central Government as disaster relief amount. Apart from this, an additional amount will be demanded from the Central Government for flood relief.

The Chief Minister said that around 6629 persons have been evacuated. 41 relief camps have been organised. Around 1774 persons are currently housed in these camps. Food and other civil supplies arrangements have been made for the public residing in marooned areas. Army, Airforce, NDRF and SDRF, Civil Society organisations, and NGOs have assisted tirelessly, the district administrations in search, rescue and relief operations.

IEP Chandigarh, July 19

Haryana School Education Minister, Sh. Kanwar Pal while directing the officers said that all the officers should ensure to inspect the schools once a week. He added that where there are deficiencies in government schools, they should be rectified immediately.        The School Education Minister was addressing the meeting with DEOs, DEEOs, BEOs of all the districts through video conferencing today.        Sh. Kanwar Pal directed the DEO, DEEO, BEO that if any teacher is found not present in the school, then that teacher should be marked absent. If any teacher is found absent during checking/inspection, disciplinary action should be taken against that teacher. A list of 10 officers has been issued in each district to inspect schools.        Sh. Kanwar Pal said that the teachers should talk to the parents of the children over the phone, having low attendance or facing any issues in studies. He added that this exercise will help the parents to stay updated regarding their child’s performance.        Directing the officers, the School Education Minister said that the children should be given assignments on tablets. Along with this, teachers should also make 100 percent use of tablets.Sh. Kanwar Pal said that in the districts of the state where the schools are doing very well, the principals of other schools should go and visit such schools. He added that success stories of the school and students should be shared on social media so that good practices of one school can be adopted by other schools as well. Director of Secondary Education Department, Sh. Anshaj Singh, Director, Elementary Education, Haryana, Sh.  Ashok Kumar Garg and other officers of the department were also present in the meeting.  

IEP Chandigarh, July 19

The Haryana government has declared flood for the first time in the history of the state. According to an official  released information on Wednesday evening, a total of 1,354 places have been flooded in 12 districts of the state. Deputy Chief Minister, Sh. Dushyant Chautala, who holds the portfolio of Revenue and Disaster Management Department, informed that flood control, relief and rescue, rehabilitation and damage compensation works are being carried out at war footing at all these places.        Deputy CM said that 12 districts of the state Ambala, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kaithal, Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat, Palwal and Faridabad have been flooded. A list of flood-affected areas has been issued in all these districts, according to which Ambala has been flooded at 315 places, Kurukshetra at 298 places and Yamuna Nagar at 221 places. Apart from these, floods have caused damage at 128 places in Kaithal district, 94 places in Fatehabad and 84 places in Panchkula. Furthermore, 66 places in Karnal district, 54 in Faridabad, 32 in Palwal, 25 in Sonipat, 23 in Sirsa and 14 in Panipat have been declared flood affected areas.        Sh. Chautala said that on the basis of information received at the district level, the state government, taking an important decision, has formally declared flood for the first time in the history of the state.He said that due to heavy rains from July 8 to 12 and excessive rain water from Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab, have caused extensive damage to government and private properties in the state. He said that the Public Works Department has started repairing the roads damaged by the flood as soon as possible and more than Rs. 230 crore will be spent on repairing the damaged roads at about 150 places.        Repair of roads, canals, drains and buildings of other departments damaged in floods will also be done on a war footing. Apart from these, compensation of Rs. 15,000 per acre for completely damaged crops will be sent to the farmers’ accounts soon. Along with this, the loss of livestock will also be compensated and those whose houses have been damaged due to floods will also be given proper compensation as per the rules.        The Deputy Chief Minister said that in the last week he personally visited the flood-affected rural and urban areas of Panchkula, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat, Palwal and Faridabad districts. He said that the life of the common people has been badly affected by the flood water and livelihood, transportation, food and potable drinking water problems have arisen for many people. The state government is making strenuous efforts to expedite the relief and rehabilitation work, he added.

IEP Chandigarh, July 12

Haryana Chief Minister, Sh Manohar Lal urged the Indian Oil Panipat Refinery and Petrochemical Complex to contribute in the relief and rescue operations in the districts which have suffered losses due to heavy rains in the State during the past few days. 239 villages have been affected due to rains and in these villages the Government is carrying out relief and rescue works at every level, he added.Sh Manohar Lal was speaking as the chief guest on the occasion of silver jubilee celebrations of Indian Oil Panipat Refinery and Petrochemical Complex, in Panipat today. The Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Sh Rameshwar Teli was also present on this occasion.Sh Manohar Lal said that with the setting up of Indian Oil Panipat Refinery and Petrochemical Complex in the year 1998, Haryana has got a new identity on the world map in the refinery industry. At the time of inception, it had a refining capacity of 6 million metric tonnes, which has now increased to 15 million metric tonnes. Indian Oil plans to increase the refinery capacity to 25 million tonnes in the coming years and on this, an amount of Rs 35 thousand crore would  be incurred. While assuring all support and cooperation of the State Government for this expansion, he said that talks have been held with the panchayats of three villages Pal Jatan, Khandwa and Aasan Kalan around the refinery and they offered to give about 350 acres of panchayat land to Indian Oil for this purpose.As part of Prime Minister, Sh Narendra Modi’s commitment to make India TB free by 2025, Panipat Refinery has taken an initiative to distribute Handheld X-ray machines in 22 districts of Haryana to make this campaign a success.  On this occasion, Chairman, IOCL, Shrikant Madhav Vaidya, symbolically presented a machine to Chief Minister, Sh Manohar Lal.While lauding the efforts of Panipat Refinery, Sh Manohar Lal said that the Refinery has been organizing health check-up camps for all sections of the society. Recently, CBNAAT machines have been provided to the Civil Hospitals of Samalkha and Panipat, which have immensely benefited the patients. Taking this initiative forward, today Indian Oil has made X-ray machines available in 22 districts of Haryana, which is commendable work. With this, detection of TB at the initial stage would become possible and the patients would get treatment at the earliest.          On this occasion, the Chief Minister inaugurated the “Indian Oil Refinery Vanasthali”. To make Panipat greener and cleaner, more than 40 thousand saplings would be planted on 12 acres of land by the Refinery at an estimated cost of Rs 441 lakh. Besides this, the Chief Minister also inaugurated the SIP-3 Karyaklap at Brahma Sarovar by Indian Oil under the Swachh Iconic Places initiative launched by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation at 100 heritage tourist places of spiritual and cultural importance across the country. Several works would be carried out by Indian Oil for the cleanliness and beautification of this religious place, which would benefit about one crore tourists visiting this holy pilgrimage every year.

IEP Chandigarh, July 12

Haryana Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Dushyant Chautala undertook a visit to the flood-affected villages in Ambala district to assess the inundated situation of the area and provide necessary assistance. He directed the officers to arrange essential supplies such as food items, drinking water, and solar lights for night lighting.The Deputy Chief Minister visited the villages in Ambala district that were affected by heavy rainfall. He saw the fields and crops submerged in water in Nadiavali village and its surroundings. Shri Dushyant Chautala took a tractor to the flood-affected areas to inspect the condition of the people and asses the damage caused by the flood. He interacted with the residents and asked them about the relief measures provided by the district administration.Mr. Dushyant Chautala held discussions with Ambala Deputy Commissioner, Dr. Shaleen, Superintendent of Police, Mr. Jashandeep Singh Randhawa, Army officers, and the NDRF team present at the site. During these conversations, he emphasized the importance of immediately evacuating affected individuals to safer locations, utilizing boats and helicopters in areas inaccessible by boats. Furthermore, he emphasized the urgent delivery of dry ration, food, drinking water, and medicines to those trapped in flood-affected areas. In addition, arrangements were to be made for solar lights to provide illumination during nighttime.Mr. Dushyant Chautala directed officers  to prioritize the safety and evacuate children and women from the affected areas. He stressed the need for round-the-clock monitoring of villages that remained submerged.

IEP Chandigarh, July 12

– Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal today announced a compensation of Rs. 4 lakh for the families who lost their members in the flash flood occurred due to heavy rains across the state.Meanwhile, Sh. Manohar Lal today conducted an aerial survey of about 4-5 districts to take stock of the areas affected by heavy rains in the state. He then held a meeting with the officers of the district administration in Ambala and reviewed the relief and rescue operations in the district.During the meeting, the Chief Minister directed the officers of the district administration to first ensure timely drainage of water from waterlogged areas and make arrangements for food and other things for the people living in such areas. If the administration needs more pumps to drain the water, they should immediately make arrangements at their level or inform the headquarters, directed Sh. Manohar Lal.He further directed that along with drainage of water from residential areas, proper drainage of water from fields should also be ensured, as this is the sowing season, so farmers do not face any kind of problem, added the Chief Minister.The Chief Minister said that directions have been given to all the Deputy Commissioners to assess the financial loss in their respective districts. The poor families whose houses have been damaged will be immediately repaired by the government. Other sections will also be given assistance from the Disaster Management Fund according to the loss, he added.Sh. Manohar Lal further directed that attention must be paid to cleanliness in the areas after draining the water so that no fear of getting ill to water-borne disease increases.The District Administration should ensure that the citizens should not face any kind of problem. Officers should regularly visit the field instead of holding meetings. Continued uninterrupted supply of emergency services like electricity, directed the Chief Minister.Sh. Manohar Lal directed officials from the Public Health Engineering Department to ensure that drinking water is available in all places. Besides this, the delivery of water tankers in the areas where pipeline water supply is not yet possible should also be ensured.  He also sought the cooperation of social organisations for this work.  Proper cleaning of the sewage system should also be done, directed the Chief Minister.Sh. Manohar Lal directed that the government has given directions to improve the supply of fodder for animals. The districts which can arrange fodder for animals at their own level should do so, if they are not able to do the same, then arrangements for fodder will be made from other districts, said the Chief Minister.The Chief Minister said that so far 240 villages have been reportedly affected by the rains. Therefore, there is a possibility of an increase in waterborne diseases in these villages. For this, the health department has been directed to hold special camps for 2 to 3 days in such villages and urban areas which have been affected by the rains and medicines should be made available to people suffering from malaria and other diseases, said Sh. Manohar Lal.Sh. Manohar Lal said that the situation has become worse as the state has received above-average rainfall and water coming from Himachal Pradesh and Punjab has also aggravated the situation.“In some places, the records of the years have been broken. 7 districts namely Ambala, Panchkula, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Yamunanagar, Panipat and Kaithal have been more affected by the rains. But there is relief from yesterday evening. Relief and rescue work is going on a war footing,” said Sh. Manohar Lal.He said that the monsoon season is still going, so future strategies for tackling the same should be started from now itself. Along with the arrangements for relief and rescue works, a sewerage system should also be put in place. In such an emergency situation everyone has to work as a team. The Administrative Secretaries have also reached the districts assigned to them and they are also closely monitoring the rescue operations in the districts, said the Chief Minister. The Director General of Police has been asked to work jointly with the District Administration to help people in this time of need, he added.In the meeting, Home and Health Minister, Sh. Anil Vij said that the District Administration is working with full promptness.  The officers have been directed to ensure timely drainage of water from the low-lying areas. A system should also be prepared for the supply of water tankers so that tankers can be sent as per the requirement. Attention should be paid to ensure proper arrangements for electricity, drinking water and fodder for animals, said Sh. Anil Vij.In the meeting, Ambala Deputy Commissioner Dr. Shaleen apprised the Chief Minister that the district has been more affected due to excessive water flow in Ghaggar, Tangri and Markanda rivers in Ambala. Relief rescue work is going on with the cooperation of NDRF, SDRF and the Army. Drainage of water from the areas is being ensured. Now there is water logging only in 10-12 villages, which will be drained by today evening or tomorrow, said Sh. Manohar Lal.Rajya Sabha MP, Sh. Kartikeya Sharma, Ambala City MLA, Sh.  Aseem Goel, Additional Chief Secretary, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Department, Sh. Ankur Gupta and other officers of the district administration remained present in the meeting. 

IEP Chandigarh, July 12

The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor Railway (EDFC) Railway project, spanning from Shambhu to Kalanaur in Haryana, costing about Rs. 2000 crore, is on track and likely to be completed by August, as revealed by officials from the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd. (Ministry of Railways). The progress update came during a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary, Mr. Sanjeev Kaushal, who reaffirmed the full support of the state government in ensuring timely completion of the project.The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) Rail line traverses through Haryana, spanning from Ambala City to Kalanour. Along this route, seven strategically located stations in Haryana are set to play a crucial role in facilitating seamless freight transportation. These stations include Kalanour Station, Jagadhari Station, and Darazpur Station in Yamunanagar District, as well as Barara Station, Kesri Station, Dukheri Station, and Ambala Station in Ambala District.During the meeting, it was apprised that the track laying work has been successfully accomplished, while the installation of power lines and signal systems is currently in progress. The officials expressed confidence in meeting the August deadline, ensuring seamless connectivity and efficient transportation along the EDFC Rail route.The completion of the EDFC Rail project will play a pivotal role in bolstering trade and commerce, benefiting not only the local economy but also facilitating smoother operations for businesses across the country.With the track laying work completed, and the ongoing installation of power lines and signal systems, the EDFC Rail  project is rapidly moving towards its final stages. The successful implementation of this project is poised to revolutionize freight transportation and contribute to the overall economic growth and development of the region.Mr. Pankaj Saxena, Director, Projects, DFCCIL, New Delhi, Mr. Mukesh, GGM Electric, New Delhi, Mr. Pankaj Gupta, Chief General Manager, Ambala and others senior officers of state government and Ministry of Railways were present in the meeting. 

IEP Chandigarh, July 12

Haryana Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Dushyant Chautala today interacted the media persons during his visit to flood-affected regions in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, and Panipat districts. He provided an update on the relief measures undertaken by the government to support those who have suffered losses due to heavy rainfall.Mr. Dushyant Chautala highlighted that immediate instructions have been given to the Deputy Commissioners to compile a comprehensive report on the extent of damages incurred by the people of the state. Once the report is received, necessary compensation will be provided to the affected individuals. Assuring the availability of adequate funds, he revealed that an amount of Rs. 216 crore of State Disaster Relief Fund has already been disbursed by the Central Government.During his visit, Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Dushyant Chautala personally visited the flood-affected areas, demonstrating his commitment to understand the situation on the ground. He drove tractor through Ambala city and visited affected villages and farms in the Shahabad area to inquire about the well-being of the residents. In response to the immediate needs of the people, he directed officers to arrange essential food items, drinking water, and solar lights for night lighting. He said that the administration, army, and government are working collaboratively to provide assistance to those trapped in flood-affected areas, with the Air Force even assisting in delivering rations to remote villages.In the Indri area of Karnal district, the Deputy Chief Minister prioritized the safety of the populations, including the elderly, children, and women. He directed officials to ensure their evacuation from the affected areas and maintain round-the-clock monitoring of water-logged villages. Mr. Dushyant Chautala further stressed the importance of utilizing boats and helicopters for the rescue and relocation of affected individuals, particularly in areas inaccessible by boat.Addressing the breach of embankments in the Yamuna river, the Deputy Chief Minister informed that repair work is underway at the three affected locations in Karnal and Panipat. He acknowledged the significant impact on agricultural land and stated that a comprehensive damage assessment would be conducted following the plugging of embankments. He expressed some relief as the water level of the Yamuna has receded by approximately one and a half meters. Directing the concerned officers to prepare detailed reports on damaged crops, animals, and houses, he emphasized the importance of comprehensive data for effective relief efforts.During assessment with MLA Ramkaran Kala in Shahabad city, Mr. Dushyant Chautala informed that the waterlogging situation has arisen due to the rise in the water level of Markanda. He assured that the administration is working to provide assistance to the affected residents. He commended the efforts of local individuals who have been supporting those affected by the floods.Providing updates on the water levels, the Deputy Chief Minister mentioned that the water has receded by approximately two feet in Shahabad city and up to four feet in the Tangri and Narwana branch river areas of Ambala. He expressed optimism regarding the receding water levels and appealed for no further rainfall in Himachal. Assuring a swift restoration process, Mr. Dushyant Chautala stated that if no rain occurs in the next 48 hours, it will be easy to bring the flood-affected areas back to normalcy.He also mentioned that the flow of rainwater is expected to move towards Sirsa district, and necessary directions have been given to officials to prevent further damage. 

IEP Chandigarh, July 12    

      Minister of Social Security, Women and Child Development, Dr. Baljit Kaur, stated that the age proof rule has been amended by the Punjab Government in the 1966 Rules for Financial Assistance Grant for Pensioners for Old Age Pension, Widow and Homeless Women, Dependent Children, and Disabled Persons.          Divulging in this information, Dr. Baljit Kaur, the Minister of Social Security, Women and Child Development, stated that Notification No. 1670, dated July 12, 2023, has been issued by the department. According to the new amendment, an Aadhaar card has been made mandatory as age proof. Additionally, a voter card or voter list, a birth certificate issued by a competent authority, or a Matriculation certificate can be submitted.          Cabinet Minister said that this amendment has been made for the convenience of the pensioners, as they used to face difficulties in presenting their school certificates.          Minister said that the Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is committed to providing a better life for the people of the state. The pension system for old age pension, widow and homeless women, dependent children, and disabled persons has been made fully effective and transparent.

IEP Chandigarh, July 12

Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Wednesday said that Punjab’s case for amendment of section 10 of the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) Act was vociferously argued while identifying the structural imperfection in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system during the 50th meeting of the GST Council held in New Delhi this Tuesday.Disclosing this in a press communique issued here, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the approval of the proposal for the clear definition of place of supply in Business to Consumer transaction (B2C) over the counter supplies in accordance with the principle of destination-based consumption tax was successfully reasoned. He said that this amendment has been expected to have a strong beneficial impact on the GST revenue of the State.Taking up the cause of preventing evasion of tax in the scrap sector, Cheema said that the state government proposed a broad-based consultative meeting comprising major stakeholders including representatives of both trade and industry as well as that of tax administration so that suitable pro-active solutions can be envisaged for the said sector. “Speaking on the issue of taxation of online gaming, the impact it has on the youth of the country and the cause of concern the unregulated mushrooming of this sector can have on the social fabric of the country was highlighted”, said the Punjab Finance Minister while adding that the state government fervently supported the proposal for taxing online gaming at 28% and the tax to be paid on the face value rather than on the gross gaming revenue. “While discussing the proposal for the pruning of the present exemption being given to the services provided to the government and local bodies, we boldly stated that such pruning will have an adverse impact on the capacity of the State government as well as Local Government bodies including panchayat and municipalities in providing basic services to the public and therefore the said agenda requires further introspection and no decision should be taken in a hurried manner. Taking a cue from the said argument, the GST council has deferred the said agenda”, he added.