Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday said that the Cabinet has decided to offer MLA Vinesh Phogat, the option to receive benefits equivalent to those of a silver medal under the state’s sports policy. He said that the state’s sports policy offers three types of benefits: a cash prize of Rs. 4 crore, an OSP job under Group ‘A’, and the allotment of an HSVP plot.

Addressing a press conference after presiding over the Cabinet meeting, Saini said that Vinesh had raised this issue in the Vidhan Sabha. In today’s Cabinet meeting, considering the matter, Vinesh Phogat has been treated as a special case and considered for grant of benefits under the scheme. Since Vinesh is now an MLA, the Cabinet has decided to seek options from her that which benefits she wishes to avail. The Chief Minister stated that Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the Paris Olympics through a procedural decision. Given the circumstances at the time, he had tweeted that he would not allow the honour of Haryana’s pride, Vinesh Phogat, to be lessened.

In reply to another question, the Chief Minister mentioned that a group of farmers from Punjab, including 15-20 Sarpanches, most of whom were young, had come to meet him. The farmers invited him to participate in several programs. The Chief Minister stated that the youth and farmers of Punjab have expressed faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies. Farmers in Punjab see Modi as their role model, and people across the country are impressed by his policies.

Cabinet approves categorization of posts under Group A, B, C & D in Municipalities

The Cabinet has approved the categorization of posts under Group A, B, C, and D in municipalities across the state, following the pattern of other government departments. This categorization will streamline recruitment processes, enhance service equality, and bring about consistency in municipal administration, said the Government official spokesperson.

He said that with this categorization, municipal posts with Functional Pay Level (FPL) equivalent to Group A and B will now be recruited through the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC), while those under Group C and D will be filled through the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC). This move will not only ensure parity between municipal employees and those in other government departments but will also facilitate the application of government instructions, including the reservation in promotion. Currently, there are 31,533 sanctioned posts across 87 municipalities in the state, including 11 municipal corporations, 23 municipal councils, and 53 municipal committees. It may be mentioned here that in 2018, the state government had declared posts with a grade pay of Rs. 6,000 or above as Group A posts in municipal corporations only.

Approves amendment in ‘Haryana One Time Settlement Scheme for Recovery of Outstanding Dues 2025’

To further simplify the scheme for small taxpayers, the Cabinet gave approval to amendments in The Haryana One Time Settlement Scheme for Recovery of Outstanding Dues 2025′. Under the scheme, an applicant who has curnulative outstanding tax dues up to Rs. 10 lakh in all the years under a relevant Act shall get a waiver of Rs. 1 lakh. Notably, there is a high percentage of entries of arrears of small traders which is less than Rs. 10 lakh and they will be able to avail benefit of this scheme. The applicant can opt for the scheme within 180 days from the appointed day.

In light of the success of the scheme and overwhelming response from entrepreneurs across the State, the State Government has decided to extend the operative period of the Haryana AatmaNirbhar Textile Policy 2022-25 along with its subsequent schemes by one year till December 18, 2026. Additionally, the government has decided to remove the cap on the number of cases under the Capital Investment Subsidy for Textile Units scheme under the Policy.

Approves hike in honorarium for part time member of Second Haryana State Law Commission

The Cabinet has also approved an increase in the honorarium for part-time members of the Second Haryana State Law Commission. The honorarium has been raised from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000 per month through an amendment to notification no. 03/01/2021-4AR dated May 26, 2021. The Commission serves as the primary body for initiating law reforms in the state. Both part-time and full-time members of the Commission are typically responsible for defining specific topics and references for the Commission’s work.

Chandigarh, March 21– Haryana Environment, Forest, and Wildlife Minister, Rao Narbir Singh said that trees are important for life, climate balance, and biodiversity. We need to preserve and expand forests for future generations. To support this, Haryana, under the leadership of Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, is actively promoting Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi’s campaign, “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” .

Rao Narbir Singh was speaking as the Chief Guest in a programme organised at the foot of Dhosi Hills on the occasion of World Forestry Day today. He appealed to the people to plant a tree on every special occasion and care for it until it matures. 

He also encouraged people to avoid printed wedding invitations and instead use digital invitations. Besides this, he also advised against using plastic bags to protect the environment. 

He said that one of Haryana’s unique initiatives, “Pran Vayu Devta Yojana,” provides an annual financial assistance of Rs. 3,000 to those who care for trees older than 75 years. This scheme aims to prevent tree cutting and promote environmental conservation. 

To safeguard the Aravalli hills, both central and state governments have launched the Aravalli Green Wall project, and Aravalli Green Yatra will also be started soon. This scheme will also be implemented in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi. Besides this, Haryana has also established 53 herbal parks, featuring medicinal plants and significant tree species. To boost eco-tourism, the state has developed a 153-km natural rail route from Pinjore to Kalesar. Besides this, Haryana has announced the creation of the world’s largest wildlife safari, Aravali Safari Park, in the Gurugram and Nuh regions.

Chandigarh, March 21 – In line with Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini’s commitment to providing healthcare services online, the Haryana Health Department has launched a toll-free helpline 104 to help patients book appointments with doctors in government hospitals.

 Health and Medical Education Minister Kumari Arti Singh Rao inaugurated this portal today from Sector-1, Panchkula.

Meanwhile addressing the media, she said that today is a historic day for the Health Department. The helpline will also allow people to register complaints related to healthcare services, which will be addressed within five days. Besides this, the helpline will provide information about medicines as well. CMO’s from across the state participated in the event via video conferencing. She said that the main objective of the portal is to prevent people from standing in queues at civil hospitals. Appointments for doctor consultations can be scheduled in advance by dialing 104, she added.

Responding to questions, Kumari Arti Singh Rao stated necessary steps will be taken to ensure the safety of healthcare workers in hospitals and 761 new doctors have recently been appointed to address staff shortages. She also mentioned that the existing e-telemedicine services will be integrated with this new system. Besides this, she said that a meeting with the Public Works Department will soon be held to discuss hospital maintenance and repair work.

Additional Chief Secretary, Health Department, Sh. Sudhir Rajpal, Director General Health Services, Dr. Manish Bansal, Director, National Health Mission, Dr. Virender Yadav, Dr. Kuldeep Singh and other officers of the department also remained present.

Chandigarh, March 18

Haryana Health Minister Arti Singh Rao today praised the budget presented by Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini as Finance Minister and said this year, the budget of the Health Department has increased by 8.17 percent as compared to last year. She said with a budget of more than Rs 10,000 crore, while the infrastructure in the hospitals of the state will be strengthened, modern facilities and equipment will be increased in government health institutions.

Arti Singh Rao said that many medical colleges are being completed in the state and during this year, the MBBS seats will increase to 2485. This will help in meeting the shortage of doctors in the state.

She said in the last 10 years, we have increased 1485 seats of MBBS, 754 seats of post graduate degree and diploma, 30 seats of DM and MCH. Today, the state has 2185 MBBS seats, 1043 seats for post graduate degree and diploma and 37 seats for DM and MCH.

The Health Minister said at present, “Day Care Centres” are running for cancer patients in Panchkula, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Yamunanagar and Faridabad, and the announcement made in today’s budget to open “Day Care Centres” in the remaining 17 districts will provide great convenience to cancer patients. He also thanked the Government of India for approving an investment of Rs 201.59 crore in the year 2025-26 for 70 Advanced Life Support Ambulances and other structural improvements in the district hospitals of 14 districts to increase the treatment facilities during accidents and trauma. This will reduce deaths due to lack of timely treatment. She appreciated the Chief Minister for the government’s focus on Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathic systems of medicine and said that this would help the people of the state in maintaining good health. She welcomed the proposal made by the Chief Minister in the budget to upgrade the District Hospitals of Hisar and Panipat from 200 to 300 bedded hospitals, to upgrade the District Hospital of Jhajjar from 100 to 200 bedded hospitals, to equip all the District Hospitals with modern services and latest equipment and to create a Critical Care Block of 50 beds in each District Hospital and in every Government Medical College. She said the Chief Minister has shown that he is concerned about the health of the people of the state.

Budget reiterates govt’s commitment to implement National Education Policy first in country: Mahipal Dhanda

Haryana Education Minister Sh. Mahipal Dhanda said special provisions have been made in the state’s budget for the year 2025-26 to implement the National Education Policy first in the country. Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, as Finance Minister, has prepared the budget in accordance with the norms of the budget framework, which is commendable.

Reacting to the budget, Sh. Mahipal Dhanda said that the Chief Minister has consulted all stakeholders to prepare the budget outline and has given place to important suggestions in the budget. The pre-budget consultation talks with the MPs, ministers and MLAs of the state in Panchkula were very important, in which the MLAs of the ruling and opposition parties gave important suggestions. The MLAs also praised the Chief Minister wholeheartedly for this initiative.

He said 197 Government Model Sanskriti Vidyalayas are functioning in the state to provide quality education in accordance with the National Education Policy. In the financial year 2025-26, a new Model Sanskriti School will be opened in the state within every 10 km radius.

It has been decided to develop one Government Model Sanskriti Vidyalay in each district as a Center of Excellence in Sports to hone the talent of the youth of Haryana in sports, which is welcome. Haryana already has a name in the world in sports. These Excellence Centers will provide a new platform to the emerging sports talents.

The minister said collective efforts are being made by Vishwakarma Skill University, Palwal, Haryana Education Board Bhiwani and Education Department to implement the National Education Policy in the state. A total of 12 schools are running in double shift in districts Ambala, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Fatehabad, Charkhi Dadri and Mahendragarh in the state. In the financial year 2025-26, a provision has been made to run these schools in single shift by creating infrastructure as per the requirement. He said the talented students of the state are already bringing laurels to the country and the state in sports. Now in the budget, students have also been encouraged to participate in Mathematics Olympiad. There is a plan of organizing ‘Haryana Math Olympiad’ every year for the students of Class 10th to 12th, which is a good initiative. This will give the youth an opportunity to know the method of our ancient Vedic mathematics.

He said students will be given the opportunity to choose and promote their career in accordance with the National Education Policy. By starting their own startup, students will not only make themselves self-reliant but will also provide employment to other youth. Entrepreneurship competitions will be organized in every district from the academic session 2025-26 and the selected teams will be given an amount of Rs 1 lakh to convert their idea into a business model. He said in the interest of the safety of students and teachers, PM Shri School and Model Sanskriti Schools are being established in every cluster. He informed that for the first time in the budget, a provision has been made to install CCTV cameras for security, surveillance and discipline in 1497 government schools in the state. Apart from this, there is also a mention of building e-libraries in 197 Government Model Sanskriti Schools and all 250 PM Shri Schools and keeping them open for general public use after school hours.

State budget gives special focus on sports: Gaurav Gautam

Haryana’s Minister of State for Sports, Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship, Sh. Gaurav Gautam, while welcoming the budget for the year 2025-26 presented by Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini in the Assembly, said this budget will provide opportunities to the youth of Haryana in accordance with the sports policy of the state. In the coming time, new sporting talent of the state will bring glory by winning medals in national and international competitions.

He said many new proposals have been made in the budget 2025-26 to further strengthen Haryana’s sports infrastructure, provide better resources to emerging players and establish the state as a global sports power.

He said the new sports excellence centers will be opened in 5 universities of the state, namely Maharishi Dayanand University, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Kurukshetra University and Indira Gandhi University, Rewari. He said in the budget, it has been decided to start the “2036 Vijayibhav” scheme with the aim of bringing maximum medals by the players of Haryana in the Olympic Games to be held in the year 2036 for which a provision of Rs 20 crore has been made. This is a unique initiative taken in the budget of any state. This will definitely encourage the players of Haryana and as per the vision of the Chief Minister, Haryana will make its mark in the 2036 Olympics.

Similarly, a provision has also been made in the budget for the proposal of Khiladi Bima Yojana in the financial year 2025-26, under which the players will be given medical coverage of up to Rs 20 lakh, whose premium will be paid by the government. He said in the same way, in order to motivate and encourage the players, a reward of Rs 50 lakh, 30 lakh and 20 lakh will be given to the 3 best akhadas every year at the state level.

He said that for better operation and maintenance of sports complexes of the state, two sports complexes will be given to run on PPP mode on pilot basis.

He said it is the priority of this government to keep the youth away from drugs. Under this, the Haryana Sports Equipment Provision Scheme has been started in 2023-24, in which there is a provision to allocate equipment for eight sports like volleyball, football, basketball, handball, boxing, wrestling, judo and cricket through municipal bodies and panchayats.

Chandigarh, March 18

Haryana Chief Minister Sh Nayab Singh Saini said that an amount of Rs 150 crore will be transferred to the accounts of approximately 70,000 beneficiaries who have been verified so far, for the construction of houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, by the 20th of this month.

The Chief Minister made this statement in response to a question raised by MLA Shishpal Keharwala during the ongoing budget session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha here today.

The Chief Minister informed that under the scheme, 70,000 beneficiaries have registered on the portal and  these registrations have been verified by the department. A total of Rs 150 crore will be transferred to their accounts  by the 20th of this month.

He further stated that the department has created a portal to facilitate the provision of housing for the poor in the state, where applicants are verified after registration.  If anyone has the guarantee of providing houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, it is Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi, he added.

Haryana Chief Minister Sh Nayab Singh Saini said that the state government is committed to provide better higher education opportunities to the youth, particularly to daughters across the state. For this purpose, the government has established colleges within a 20-kilometer radius across the state. If there are any issues with the roads leading to these institutions, they will be promptly repaired.

The Chief Minister made these remarks in response to a question raised by MLA Raghuvir Tewatia during the ongoing budget session in the Haryana Assembly here today.

Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that injustice was done to the youth during the police inspector recruitment in 2008 under the Congress government, which is a matter of concern. He said that the Punjab and Haryana High Court, in its judgement, had expressed its concerns about the recruitment process followed at that time.

The Chief Minister made these remarks in the House while speaking on the issue of nepotism in recruitment during Congress rule raised during the zero hour of the ongoing budget session in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha here today.

He highlighted how the top performing candidates were sidelined and not recruited, while others were selected. He also said that during the recent assembly elections, the youth were misled by the Congress leaders with promises that if they provide 50 votes, they would secure a job.

Chandigarh, March 18

Haryana Chief Minister Sh Nayab Singh Saini said that an amount of Rs 150 crore will be transferred to the accounts of approximately 70,000 beneficiaries who have been verified so far, for the construction of houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, by the 20th of this month.

The Chief Minister made this statement in response to a question raised by MLA Shishpal Keharwala during the ongoing budget session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha here today.

The Chief Minister informed that under the scheme, 70,000 beneficiaries have registered on the portal and  these registrations have been verified by the department. A total of Rs 150 crore will be transferred to their accounts  by the 20th of this month.

He further stated that the department has created a portal to facilitate the provision of housing for the poor in the state, where applicants are verified after registration.  If anyone has the guarantee of providing houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, it is Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi, he added.

Haryana Chief Minister Sh Nayab Singh Saini said that the state government is committed to provide better higher education opportunities to the youth, particularly to daughters across the state. For this purpose, the government has established colleges within a 20-kilometer radius across the state. If there are any issues with the roads leading to these institutions, they will be promptly repaired.

The Chief Minister made these remarks in response to a question raised by MLA Raghuvir Tewatia during the ongoing budget session in the Haryana Assembly here today.

Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that injustice was done to the youth during the police inspector recruitment in 2008 under the Congress government, which is a matter of concern. He said that the Punjab and Haryana High Court, in its judgement, had expressed its concerns about the recruitment process followed at that time.

The Chief Minister made these remarks in the House while speaking on the issue of nepotism in recruitment during Congress rule raised during the zero hour of the ongoing budget session in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha here today.

He highlighted how the top performing candidates were sidelined and not recruited, while others were selected. He also said that during the recent assembly elections, the youth were misled by the Congress leaders with promises that if they provide 50 votes, they would secure a job.

Chandigarh, March 18

Haryana Health Minister Arti Singh Rao said 501 vacant posts of nursing officers in the state will be filled soon, for which a demand has been sent to the Haryana Staff Selection Commission. Apart from these, the vacant posts of doctors will also be filled soon. The vacant posts of Class IV employees will be filled through Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam.

The Health Minister was responding to a question asked by a member of the House during the budget session of the Haryana Legislative Assembly today.

Arti Singh Rao said at present, 3969 posts of medical officers are sanctioned, out of which 3192 posts are filled and out of 644 sanctioned posts of senior medical officers, 425 posts are filled. Steps are being taken to fill the vacant posts.

Responding to a question related to the vacant posts of doctors in the Yamunanagar Civil Hospital, she said 67 posts of doctors are sanctioned at the hospital, out of which 43 posts are filled.

She informed that on March 8, 2025, appointment letters have been issued to 561 newly appointed medical officers by Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini and they will be given posting stations soon. The state government is working to meet the shortage of doctors. She also informed that in February 2024, appointment letters were issued to 1365 nursing officers.

She further informed that the recruitment for the vacant posts of Class IV employees in the Health Department will be done through Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam, and she will hold a meeting with the concerned officials of the corporation and give instructions for recruitment as soon as possible.

Permanent buildings to be constructed for 50 ESI dispensaries in Haryana: Anil Vij

Haryana Labour Minister Sh. Anil Vij said about 50 ESI dispensaries will be shifted after constructing permanent buildings. He was replying to a question during the Budget Session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha today.

Sh. Anil Vij informed that the ESI dispensary at Kundli is already being operated from a rented premises. The HSVP has allotted 1.23 acres of land in Sector-58, Kundli. The final decision for purchase of land and construction of dispensary would be taken by the Employees State Insurance Corporation, New Delhi.

He informed that ESIC, New Delhi has given in-principle approval for setting up of a new 150-bed ESI hospital at Sonipat. For this, the HSIIDC has offered 6.35 acres of land in Industrial Area Rai (Sonipat). The hospital will be constructed there after getting approval from ESIC, New Delhi.

The Labour Minister also informed that about 50 ESI dispensaries in the state are being run in rented buildings, which the government wants to construct permanently. In the budget presented by the Chief Minister, a provision has been made to take land for this from HSVP and panchayats at concessional rates, so that these dispensaries can be shifted permanently.

Haryana Animal Husbandry Minister, Sh. Shyam Singh Rana said that the government will soon fill the vacant veterinary posts in the state. 

Sh. Rana was responding to a question during the Vidhan Sabha session today.

He said that out of the 1,184 sanctioned veterinary posts in the state, 1,027 are currently filled. The remaining vacancies will also be filled soon, and a letter has been sent to the concerned department for the same.

501 vacant posts of nursing officers will be filled soon: Arti Singh Rao

Haryana Health Minister Arti Singh Rao said 501 vacant posts of nursing officers in the state will be filled soon, for which a demand has been sent to the Haryana Staff Selection Commission. Apart from these, the vacant posts of doctors will also be filled soon. The vacant posts of Class IV employees will be filled through Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam.

The Health Minister was responding to a question asked by a member of the House during the budget session of the Haryana Legislative Assembly today.

Arti Singh Rao said at present, 3969 posts of medical officers are sanctioned, out of which 3192 posts are filled and out of 644 sanctioned posts of senior medical officers, 425 posts are filled. Steps are being taken to fill the vacant posts.

Responding to a question related to the vacant posts of doctors in the Yamunanagar Civil Hospital, she said 67 posts of doctors are sanctioned at the hospital, out of which 43 posts are filled.

She informed that on March 8, 2025, appointment letters have been issued to 561 newly appointed medical officers by Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini and they will be given posting stations soon. The state government is working to meet the shortage of doctors. She also informed that in February 2024, appointment letters were issued to 1365 nursing officers.

She further informed that the recruitment for the vacant posts of Class IV employees in the Health Department will be done through Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam, and she will hold a meeting with the concerned officials of the corporation and give instructions for recruitment as soon as possible.

Haryana Power, Labour and Transport Minister Sh. Anil Vij said as per the present policy, the cost of shifting of existing dhanis from A.P. feeder to R.D.S. feeder will be borne by the beneficiary, which will not include the cost of transformer. He was responding to questions raised by Nangal Chaudhary MLA Smt. Manju Chaudhary during the Question Hour of the Budget Session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha today.

The Power Minister said for new dhani connections, where the length of the line is more than 300 metres from the phirni and upto 3 km, 50 per cent of the cost of the line and the entire cost of the transformer is borne by the corporation.

Chandigarh, March 18- Haryana Education Minister Sh. Mahipal Dhanda said approximately 8 acres of land of Gram Panchayat Silana has been leased to the Higher Education Department for construction of building of Government College, Rewari. The Architecture Department of Haryana has been requested to prepare the drawing of the building.

Sh. Mahipal Dhanda said this in response to a question asked by a member of the House during the Assembly session today.

He informed that at present, a total of 184 government colleges are running in Haryana, out of which 141 colleges are running in their own buildings and 43 colleges are running in alternative buildings. At present, the classes of the college are running from Government Senior Secondary School, Rewari, in which a total of 373 students are studying.

Government will shift overhead power lines in Mahendragarh: Anil Vij

Haryana Energy, Labour and Transport Minister Sh. Anil Vij said the state government has prepared a comprehensive plan to shift the electricity wires in areas where overhead power lines pose a security threat to residential areas.

Sh. Anil Vij gave this information during the Assembly session in response to a question by Mahendragarh MLA Sh. Kanwar Singh. He said 163 such places have been identified in Mahendragarh Assembly constituency where electricity wires are passing above residential houses. The proposal to shift these wires has been approved and this work is planned to be completed within six months.

He said it has been decided to shift these lines in the interest of the public at an estimated cost of Rs 55.84 crore on government expense.

Haryana Development and Panchayat Minister, Sh.Krishan Lal Panwar said that a total of 72 works were approved in the last 4 years under the Vidhayak Adarsh Nagar Avam Gram Yojana (VANGY) in Baroda constituency.

Out of these, 58 works have been completed, four are in progress, and 10 are at different stages of development, which are likely to be completed by September 30, 2025. 

Development and Panchayat Minister Sh. Panwar said this while responding to a question asked by MLA, Baroda, Sh. Induraj Singh Narwal in Haryana Vidhan Sabha today.

Chandigarh, March 18– Haryana Additional Chief Secretary Health and Family Welfare Department, Sh. Sudhir Rajpal instructed the Director General Health Services (DGHS) to conduct Community Health Centre (CHC) wise sex ratio analysis in  the state. Strict action must be taken against CHCs showing poor performance in this regard.

He was presiding over a meeting with officers from the Health, Women and Child Development (WCD), and Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) departments here, to review the progress of various measures being implemented to further improve sex ratio at birth.

The ACS also laid emphasis on a focused, multi-departmental approach to address this challenge.

In the meeting, Sh. Rajpal also directed the WCD Department to ramp up Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities aimed at further improving the sex ratio in the state. He proposed the use of awareness vans to educate communities on the importance of gender equality and the need to improve the sex ratio. In addition, he suggested screening short films about the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) initiative in cinema halls across the state. He also encouraged the promotion of cultural practices like “Kuan Puja” to celebrate the birth of a girl child.

Sh. Rajpal further emphasized the need for better tracking of pregnancies by the Health Department. He instructed that every pregnancy must be registered in first trimester on the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) portal. If registration is not completed, it should only be allowed with special permission from the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the concerned district. Action should be taken against responsible person for any negligence in non-registration of pregnancies.

In addition, the Additional Chief Secretary laid significant emphasis on inspecting Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) centers. He directed the Health Department officers to carry out raids on such centers involved in illegal practices of sex determination. He  said that the Ayush Department should also be involved in monitoring BAMS practitioners for any illegal practices related to sex determination.

To further combat the illegal sale of MTP kits, Sh. Sudhir Rajpal directed FDA officials to report on the progress of the online and offline sale of MTP kits to the CMOs across the state. He also said that it should be ensured that MTP kits should only be placed at registered locations.

In a move to recognize and promote positive role models, Sh. Rajpal suggested that female sarpanches with only girl children be involved as brand ambassadors in campaigns aimed at improving the sex ratio. He directed officers to identify five such sarpanches from each district for this initiative. In addition, he recommended conducting counseling sessions for families with a single girl child through the 104 helpline.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Manish Bansal, Director General Health Services (DGHS), Smt Monika Malik, Director WCD department, Dr. Mukta Kumar, Chief Medical Officer of Panchkula, and other senior officials from the Health, WCD, and FDA departments.

Chandigarh, March 18 – Haryana Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sh. Mahipal Dhanda said to ensure that the youth of the state do not fall into the trap of drugs and to crack down on drug smugglers, an authority called ‘Sankalp’ will be formed by the state government. It is the top priority and resolution of the government to make Haryana drug free. The state government is working on a three-pronged strategy to deal with the challenge of drug addiction. First, strict legal action is being taken against drug smugglers, second, extensive awareness campaigns are being run to inform the society, especially the youth, about the ill-effects of drugs and third, adequate arrangements are being made for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts.

          He said that keeping in view the commitment of the government, continuous efforts are being made by all the concerned departments like Police, Health, Social Justice and Empowerment (SEWA) and Public Relations etc. for the success of the de-addiction campaign.

          Sh. Mahipal Dhanda was responding to the attention motion raised by some members of the House during the budget session of the Haryana Legislative Assembly today regarding the increasing influence of synthetic drugs in Haryana and the growing threat from drugs.

          Sh. Mahipal Dhanda said that serious efforts are being made by the Police Department to dismantle the network of big drug smugglers. Between 2020 and 2024, 16781 cases were registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988 (NDPS Act) and a total of 25446 accused were arrested and sent to jail, out of which 1767 cases were of commercial quantity, in which 3714 accused were arrested. Illegal property worth Rs 52.79 crore of 117 big smugglers was seized. He informed that under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988 (PIT-NDPS Act 1988), a total of 65 habitual smugglers have been taken into preventive custody so far, and apart from this, 6 other cases are under consideration of the government. 111 illegal constructions of 100 big smugglers have been demolished. During this period, 1325 arrests were made in 969 cases of illegal sale of banned medicines and licences of 100 chemists were cancelled. This year too, the police is after the drug smugglers with new resolve and energy.

          He informed that 567 new cases were registered under the NDPS Act in January and February 2025 in which 888 smugglers were arrested. The government is also taking strict action against synthetic drugs. Between 2020 and 2024, action has been against the illegal supply of LSD, meth, amphetamine, methadone and MDMA. With the help of central agencies, the drug supply chain is being closely monitored. Police officers and employees are being given special training for investigation of drug related cases.

          He said that to prevent interstate drug smuggling in the northern regions of India and to ensure mutual coordination among the states, an Inter-State Drug Secretariat (ISDS) has been established in the year 2018, which is headquartered in Panchkula. It keeps an eye on drug smugglers by coordinating with various states of North India. Coordination with Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh has been further strengthened, so that strict monitoring can be done on the state borders.

          Special surveillance is being kept at interstate border posts to prevent smuggling of drugs in the state. Vehicles and suspicious persons are being searched with the help of trained narco dogs. This has helped in curbing drug smuggling.

          He said that the government is taking effective steps towards punishing the culprits in drug cases. In 2023, the conviction rate in commercial quantity cases was 53.81%, which increased to 71.22% in 2024 and the conviction rate in intermediate quantity cases has increased from 49.48% to 59.43%. Cases of commercial quantity of narcotics are included in ‘identified crimes’ so that their timely hearing can be ensured.

          He told that the state government is running a comprehensive awareness campaign against illicit drugs. 2572 awareness programs were organized in 2024, in which 16.7 lakh people participated. During the ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Pakhwada’ of the Government of India from 12 to 26 June, 2024, 12.3 lakh people of Haryana joined the awareness program directly and 5.6 lakh people through social media and 67748 persons have taken e-pledge of not taking drugs.  Under the Drug Free Haryana campaign, 3406 out of 7197 villages and 809 out of 2095 wards in Haryana were declared drug free. There is no drug seller currently active here. Those who are addicted to drugs have been motivated to give up their addiction through treatment.

          He said that under the ‘Sports for Youth Campaign’, children are being made aware about the ill-effects of drug abuse by running awareness campaigns in villages, schools and other educational institutions. Through the ‘Namak Lota Abhiyan’, small drug sellers are being motivated to come out of this illegal business through social pressure. Through drama activities, college and university students are being motivated to avoid drugs and gang activities and face the challenges of life. Through the Educational Escape Room ‘Chakravyuh’ established in Police DAV Public School, Ambala, school children are being taught to stay away from drugs and gang activities through group activities. The government is planning to take this concept to other schools.

          He said that the social media based ‘Nasha Mukt Jeevan’ bucket challenge has received more than 35 lakh views so far. Famous singers, actors and social media influencers are actively participating in it. Similarly, in the year 2025 also, it is proposed to run a “Drug Free Haryana Fortnightly Campaign” by the government.

          Sh. Dhanda said that the number of de-addiction centers has been increased from 98 in 2021-22 to 130 in 2024-25.

          He said that a meeting of civil officers and police officers was held in the month of January under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, in which guidelines were given for effective elimination of drug addiction. The Chief Minister directed the officers to make a plan to give appropriate reward to the person giving effective information about drug smuggling on the Government of India’s drug helpline number 1033, ‘Manas’ portal and Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau’s helpline number 90508-91508 while keeping his identity secret so that people come forward to give information against drug smugglers.

          The Chief Minister directed to make a plan to reward the Panchayats doing remarkable work in the direction of de-addiction.

          Sh. Dhanda said that he assures the Hon’ble Members that the state government is taking all possible steps to solve the problem of drug addiction. We are committed to its total eradication and to provide relief to the common people from this problem, he said.