IEP Chandigarh, February 6

The work of Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant in Yamunanagar, with a capacity of 800 megawatts, to commence soon. This project will help ensure uninterrupted power supply for the citizens of Haryana.

Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal while chairing the meeting of High Powered Works Purchase Committee (HPWPC) held late last evening gave the approval for allocating the tender for the construction of the new 800-megawatt capacity Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant in Yamunanagar to Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) at a cost of Rs 6,900 crore. BHEL will complete this project within a period of 57 months. Energy Minister, Sh. Ranjit Singh also remained present in the meeting.

During the meeting, the officers of Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL) apprised the Chief Minister that this plant will have an ultra-supercritical unit installed, whereas so far only sub-critical units have been installed. It has 8 percent more capacity than the previously installed units. This will reduce coal consumption and make electricity cheaper. Provision has also been made to install all devices to control pollution.

Additional Chief Secretary, Energy Department, Sh. Apoorva Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Sh. V. Umashankar, Chairman, Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited, Sh. P.K. Das, Managing Director, Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited, Sh. Mohammed Shayin and other senior officers were also present at the meeting.

IEP Chandigarh, February 6

The Chief Electoral Officer, Haryana, Sh. Anurag Agarwal issued directions to all Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officers to promptly designate Sectoral Officers/Supervisors in their respective areas for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections-2024. Besides this, they have been directed to coordinate with the District Police Officers to ensure smooth routes for their inspection visits to polling stations during the election process.

Sh. Anurag Agarwal while chairing the meeting of Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officers held  through video conference late last evening said that they should prepare District Election Plans for their respective districts in accordance with the Election Planner issued by the Election Commission of India.

He further directed that all District Election Officers should meet with representatives of recognised national and state political parties at least once every 15 days, and the Electoral Registration Officer should hold weekly meetings to facilitate coordination. He emphasized the swift resolution of pending forms.

Sh. Anurag Agarwal emphasized the goal of increasing the voter turnout percentage compared to the previous Lok Sabha elections. The Election Commission’s aim is to ensure that eligible voters aged 18 and above are included in the voter list and do not miss the opportunity to vote.

He said that the Election Commission has appointed actor Rajkumar Rao as the election icon. At the district level, Election Officers should focus on innovation, mascots, and icons, ensuring they are non-political individuals. He urged for a minimum of 75 percent voter turnout in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Haryana.

Sh. Anurag Agarwal that District Election Officers should operate a helpline number (1950) in their respective districts. In the meeting, Additional Chief Electoral Officer, Smt.  Hema Sharma, Joint Chief Electoral Officer, Sh. Apurv, and Sh. Rajkumar were also present.

IEP Chandigarh, February 6

Haryana Deputy Chief Minister, Sh. Dushyant Chautala said that the Civil Aviation Department has achieved significant milestones in the past four years. He shared about the major project of the state, Hisar Aviation Hub, stating that recently an aviation-related conference “Wings India-2024” was held in Hyderabad where three MoUs were signed.

The first MoU was with the Airports Authority of India. Under this agreement, the Airport Authority of India will manage equipment, functioning, and technical support at the airport. The second MoU was between Pawan Hans Limited, the Government of India, and the Government of Haryana. For this, the Civil Aviation Department of Haryana has provided 30 acres of land to the Indian government through HSIIDC, shared Sh. Dushyant Chautala.

He said that this land is adjacent to the Dwarka Expressway in Gurugram, where the country’s largest heli-hub will be established. He mentioned that this heli-hub will be just 13 kilometres away from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. This heli-hub will provide facilities such as helicopter taxi service, private charter, and medical ambulance services to the entire northern region of India as an epicentre, informed the Deputy Chief Minister.

Divulging more details about the third MoU, Sh. Dushyant Chautala said that MoU was done between Alliance Air Company and the Government of Haryana. He said that nine air routes have been identified in the state, where flights will be operated by the said company based on the VGF (Viability Gap Funding) scheme. Two flights from Hisar will fly three days a week, shared the Deputy Chief Minister.

He said that after the construction of a civil terminal in Ambala, air services will start from there as well. He also mentioned that representatives of other major airlines in the country, such as Akasa, IndiGo, and SpiceJet, have expressed their desire to utilise Hisar Airport for parking, similar to Chandigarh Airport. As air traffic at Delhi International Airport is increasing day by day, Hisar Airport will prove to be a beneficial option for night-time aircraft parking, informed Sh. Dushyant Chautala.

IEP Chandigarh

The Haryana government has given relaxation in the process of character and antecedent verification for selected candidates before their first appointment to government service.

In a letter addressed to all Administrative Secretaries , Heads of Department  including Managing Directors, Chief Administrators, Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, and Registrars of Universities in the state, the Chief Secretary, Mr. Sanjeev Kaushal, stated that candidates recommended by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) and Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) for appointments up to June 30, 2024, may now be appointed provisionally without prior verification of character, antecedents, as well as  all documents deemed necessary for appointment.

The letter further  added that the verification process, including character, antecedents, and all other essential documents required for final appointment, must be completed within a period of two months after their provisional appointment.

IEP Chandigarh

The State Level Steering-cum-Monitoring Committee for the Mid Day Meal Scheme (now PM POSHAN), which met under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Mr. Sanjeev Kaushal today, approved a budget of ₹658 crore for the 2024-25 fiscal year, with the state contributing ₹457.26 crore and the central government contributing ₹200.74 crore.

Focus on Enhanced Implementation and Nutrition:

During the meeting, Chief Secretary Kaushal emphasized the need for “special attention to better implementation and utilization of the PM Poshan Scheme so that children can get nutritious and protein-rich food.” He urged officials to study best practices from other states and implement strategies to provide children with complete protein and nutritious meals.

Scheme Objectives and Improvements:

Emphasizing the scheme’s primary goals, Kaushal stated, “The main objective of the PM Nutrition Scheme is to increase enrollment and attendance, improve the nutritional status of primary school students by increasing their intake, and promote the universality of primary education.”

He further highlighted the revamped menu, featuring dishes like Parantha with Curd, Nutritious Bajra Chana, and Vegetable Pulao with Khichdi, ensuring both taste and nutritional adequacy.

Chief Secretary said that the PM Nutrition Scheme, implemented by the School Education Department, is being run in a total of 14,253 schools, including 8,671 primary schools and 5,582 upper primary schools in the state. These also include play ways, schools, and gardens.

Increased Honorarium for Cooks and Helpers:

He said that initially, the central government had set an honorarium of Rs 1,000 for cook-cum-helpers, comprising Rs 600 from the central share and Rs 400 from the state government’s share. However, the state government has now revised their honorarium to Rs 7,000. Under this revision, the state’s contribution is Rs 6,400, while the Centre’s contribution remains Rs 400. This significant increase underscores the government’s commitment to the well-being of workers in the mid-day meal program.

The meeting was attended by senior officials, including Additional Chief Secretary of the School Education Department Shri Sudhir Rajpal, Additional Chief Secretary of Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department Shri Ankur Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Dr. G. Anupama, and Commissioner and Secretary P. Amneet Kumar.

IEP Chandigarh, February 5

The Haryana Police Complaint Authority convened a national conference today with the aim of standardizing the operations of Police Complaint Authorities across states. These authorities are tasked with addressing public grievances regarding police conduct and functioning. This conference, a first of its kind in the nation, facilitated in-depth discussions on various pertinent issues. Haryana Chief Minister Sh Manohar Lal, speaking as the chief guest, emphasized the need for enhancing the efficacy of these authorities, ensuring swift resolution of complaints, and fostering improved coordination with law enforcement agencies.

In his address, the Chief Minister said that the present government, upon assuming office, has made significant efforts to strengthen the mandate of the State Police Complaint Authority. Our goal was to pursue a fair path in addressing public grievances. He said that upon assuming office, there were complaints regarding non-registration of FIRs. In response, directives were issued to ensure that FIRs should be registered for every individual visiting police station. Furthermore, to alleviate concerns regarding police jurisdiction, instructions were issued to implement zero FIR registration, effectively streamlining the process.

He said that after assuming office in 2014, his aim from the very first day was to curb corruption in the state. For this he has taken many effective steps to ensure transparency into the governance. Regarding police reforms, the Chief Minister highlighted the establishment of the Haryana State Enforcement Bureau to strengthen law enforcement capabilities, particularly in addressing financial irregularities such as tax evasion, electricity theft, mining theft, and illegal canal water usage. In addition, current government has established He said that our government has established 33 women police stations and has also increased the female representation in the police force. To deal with cyber crime, separate cyber police stations have also been created and cyber desks have been established in every police station.

He said that State Police Complaint Authority was established to address grievances related to police misconduct. Over the course of its operation, approximately 2000 complaints have been lodged with the Haryana Police Complaint Authority. Based on the authority’s recommendations, the government has taken decisive actions against the implicated police officers and staff, including suspensions and fines. Consequently, there has been a notable increase in public confidence in the authority’s efficacy, affirming their belief that their complaints are being earnestly addressed.

Officials encouraged performing their duties with a spirit of service

Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi, Sh Manohar Lal said that ‘Mission Karmayogi’, aimed at aligning administrative services with the requirements of the future, fostering the appropriate mindset, skills, and knowledge. He highlighted the implementation of ‘Mission Karmayogi in Haryana’, with approximately 3.5 lakh employees undergoing training to meet public expectations. All officers and employees need to work with a spirit of service.

He remarked that organizing such a conference is a commendable decision, facilitating the exchange of best practices among all states. Expressing gratitude to the keynote speaker of the conference, Sh Prakash Singh, DGP (Retd.), he said that Sh Prakash Singh has consistently emphasized the need for police reforms and has tirelessly worked towards that goal.

Haryana Police Complaint Authority started an online complaint registration system – Navraj Sandhu

Speaking on this occasion, Chairperson of the Haryana Police Complaint Authority, Mrs. Navraj Sandhu, highlighted on the constitution and functions of the authority. She said that Chairpersons and Members from various states have participated in today’s conference, emphasizing discussions on enhancing the functionality of police authorities nationwide. Mrs. Sandhu mentioned the special initiatives undertaken by the Haryana Police Complaint Authority to raise public awareness, including the implementation of an online complaint registration system.

She said that Chief Minister Sh. Manohar Lal has extended full support and encouragement to the Authority, resulting in its enhanced performance compared to other states. Special efforts have been made to raise awareness among the people, she added.

In his keynote address, Sh Prakash Singh, DGP (Retired) one of the well  known architects of police  reforms gave key note address which outlined the genesis of the State Police Complaint Authorities. He highlighted the need for having strong and effective State Police Complaint Authorities  in order to provide relief to the citizens and to check the misuse of powers by the Police. Tracing the history of the police reforms, he elaborated the various issues faced by the police and the efforts that have been made to give it operational autonomy.

Haryana Advocate General Sh Baldev Raj Mahajan, Additional Chief Secretary of Home Department Sh TVSN Prasad, Director General of Police Sh Shatrujit Kapur, ADGP CID Sh Alok Mittal, Members Haryana Police Complaint Authority Sh KK Mishra and Sh RC Verma, Chairman of Haryana Public Service Commission, Sh. Alok Verma, Chairman of Haryana Food Commission, Sh. Arun Sangwan, along with chairpersons and members of police complaint authorities from different states were also present on this occasion.

IEP Chandigarh  February 5

Haryana Minister of School Education, Sh. Kanwar Pal, said that the government will conduct a survey in Haryana to address the needs of the people and to fulfil public demands. He said that with the cooperation of the central government, commuting has been made easier for people by laying a network of roads in the state.

The School Education Minister inaugurated the construction work of CC roads to be built at a cost of Rs. 1 crore 35 lakh in the grain market of Chhachhrauli – YamunaNagar and said that Chief Minister Sh. Manohar Lal is ensuring all-round development across the entire state.

He also said that the construction of CC road in the market will greatly benefit the farmers and commission agents as it was an old demand of the commission.

Sh. Kanwar Pal further mentioned the projects which have been completed or are ongoing for public welfare, including the approval of the road from Darpur to Ibrahimpur and Khillowala to Jatowala, ITI in Chhachhrauli, construction of 73 girls’ colleges, modern Sanskriti schools, and PM Shri schools in each block.For the construction of the railway line in YamunaNagar, Rs. 876 Crore has also been sanctioned; it will provide a lot of facilities to the citizens, he added.

Sh. Kanwar Pal stated that the Chief Minister gave Chhachhrauli the status of a sub-division in response to public demand, and that a mini-secretariat for government offices will also be built in Chhachhrauli soon.

IEP Chandigarh February 5

Newly appointed Chairman of Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) Nand Lal Sharma paid a courtesy call on Haryana Chief Minister Sh Manohar Lal here today.

During the meeting, discussions were held on various issues such as how to enhance service delivery to electricity consumers in Haryana, explore additional measures for their welfare, and strategies to advance the promotion of green energy.

It is noteworthy that the Government of India has set a target to produce 500 GW of green energy in the country by 2030. During that time, 50 percent of India’s electricity requirement will be met from green energy i.e. non-fossil fuel. Every state has to play an important role in promoting green energy, and discussions were held on how Haryana can contribute in this direction.

IEP Chandigarh, February 5

Haryana Chief Electoral Officer, Sh. Anurag Agarwal, announced that financial assistance under ex-gratia will be provided to the families of polling/security personnel in case of death or permanent disability during election duty. In the unfortunate events of violent incidents, bomb blasts, terrorist attacks, or shootings leading to the death of personnel, the family will receive Rs. 30 lakh. Similarly, for other reasons causing death during duty, Rs. 15 lakh will be provided and in case of permanent disability of the employee due to attack by anti-social elements Rs. 15 lakh will be ensured. In case of loss of eyesight or limbs, a financial assistance of Rs. 7.5 lakh will be extended to the family.

Sh. Anurag Agarwal chaired a review meeting regarding the ex-gratia policy for employees engaged in election duty for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The assistance amount will be in addition to any compassion amount provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs, state government, or other employers.

Sh. Agarwal said that the responsibility of initiating the process of compassionate funds will be of the District Election Officer and Superintendent of Police and it will have to be started within 10 days from the date of the incident of death, disability etc. of the employee. The office of the Chief Electoral Officer will have to ensure disposal of the related case within 1 month.

Medical facilities along with other facilities will be ensured for the polling staff

The Chief Electoral Officer directed that all the District Election Officers should ensure facilities for health care, first-aid etc. for the polling personnel at the training centres, dispatch and receiving centres and there should also be a provision for an ambulance with doctors and para medical staff. Also, all the District Election Officers will designate a senior officer as the nodal officer for the welfare and other facilities of the employees engaged in election duty and will inform the headquarters about the same.

He informed that the election duty period will be considered from the date of the announcement of election dates to the date of the results, including both days. The Election Commission of India has issued guidelines to all Chief Electoral Officers to complete the preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The challenging task involves various departments and officials working towards ensuring independent and transparent conduct of elections. According to the Commission, there are stringent activities involved during elections, which are carried out by the designated officers and employees of various departments. These personnel risk their lives with the challenging task of ensuring free and fair conduct of elections. In view of the contribution made by them, the Commission has made a provision to provide compensation to the next of kin of the deceased personnel in the form of ex-gratia amount in case of death or to provide assistance to the personnel in case of permanent disability as a result of serious injury.

Additional Chief Electoral Officer Smt. Hema Sharma, Joint Chief Electoral Officer, Sh. Apurv, besides other officers were present at the review meeting.

IEP Chandigarh, February 5

The Haryana Chief Secretary, Sh. Sanjeev Kaushal today emphasized the need for a paradigm shift in the state’s approach to urban development. He identified several key areas requiring immediate attention, urging stakeholders to embrace innovative solutions and adapt to changing dynamics.

He was addressing the Urban Planners after inaugurating the ‘Haryana Conclave on Urban Planning’, organized by the Department of Town and Country Planning Haryana and High Level Committee on Urban Planning of Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs today.

Prioritizing Brownfield Development

Stressing the importance of utilizing existing resources efficiently, the Chief Secretary advocated for prioritizing brownfield development over greenfield projects. “. “We must focus on redeveloping underutilized land within cities, promoting transit-oriented development, and ensuring sustainable infrastructure upgrades.”

While acknowledging the challenges of traffic congestion and pollution, the Chief Secretary called for a comprehensive review of urban transportation systems. “We need to explore innovative solutions like smart traffic management, integrated public transport networks, and promoting cycling and walking,” he said. “Our focus should be on creating vibrant, pedestrian-friendly spaces that prioritize people over cars.”

Sustainable Development Models-Need of the hour

Moving beyond conventional approaches, the Chief Secretary urged the adoption of sustainable development models for new settlements. “These models should incorporate green spaces, water conservation measures, and energy-efficient designs from the very beginning,” he asserted. Flexible Land Acquisition: Recognizing the complexities of land acquisition, the Chief Secretary emphasized a flexible approach. “A one-size-fits-all policy may not be suitable for all urban areas,” he added. “We must explore alternatives like land pooling, public-private partnerships, and incentivizing landowners to participate in development projects.” Adapting to Changing Dynamics: Highlighting the rapid shift from agrarian to urban society, the Chief Secretary underscored the need for adaptable development methodologies. “Our approach needs to be dynamic and responsive to the evolving needs of our growing urban population,” he stressed. “Specialization in areas like solid waste management, water resource management, and disaster preparedness must be seamlessly integrated into urban planning processes.”

Enhancing Governance

Acknowledging concerns about the multiplicity of agencies involved in urban development, the Chief Secretary called for streamlined governance. “While different bodies play crucial roles, overlapping functionalities can sometimes create confusion and hinder progress,” he added. “We need to explore better coordination mechanisms and clearly define roles and responsibilities to ensure smooth implementation of projects.”

While emphasizing the collaborative approach of the Land Acquisition Act 2013, the Chief Secretary stressed transparent engagement with stakeholders and landowners. “This necessitates addressing concerns transparently before embarking on development projects,” he emphasized. Reframing the Haryana Model: Recognizing the limitations of the current “Haryana Model,” the Chief Secretary called for its re-evaluation. “We must move beyond a land-driven approach and focus on creating sustainable, inclusive, and liveable cities,” he asserted. “This entails embracing mixed-use development, promoting affordability, and ensuring equitable access to basic amenities.” Addressing Unauthorized Colonies: Acknowledging the challenge of sprawling unauthorized colonies, the Chief Secretary emphasized long-term strategic planning. “While regularization may be necessary in some cases, we must prioritize adequate service provision and curb further unplanned development,” he stressed. Resource Mobilization: The Chief Secretary highlighted the need for improved resource mobilization, particularly by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). “ULBs must explore innovative financing mechanisms and enhance financial management practices to fund essential infrastructure and services,” he urged.

HLC, Chairperson, Sh. Keshav Verma, Additional Chief Secretary, Town and Country Planning Department, Sh. Arun Kumar Gupta, NITI Aayog’s Urban Development Specialist Anshika Gupta and Harera Chairman, Sh. Arun Kumar and many experts give their suggestions in this conclave.