Chandigarh,  November 9:

In view of the sensitivity of the Border district of Tarn Taran, in which Bye poll is going to be held for Tarn Taran Assembly Constituency on 11.11.25, Election Commission of India (ECI) had made foolproof security arrangements through District Election machinery and had finalized the deployment plan in consultation with Observers deployed by ECI.

Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C informed that 12 Companies of Central armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed in the Assembly Constituency, which is one of the largest deployment of CAPF ever by ECI in any bye election.

The CEO also said that as per the Deployment plan, all 114 Polling station Locations, covering 222 Polling Stations will be covered by CAPF. Apart from CAPF, all Polling stations will have CCTV cameras with webcasting which will be closely monitored at Returning officer, DEO and CEO level under overall supervision and monitoring of ECI. He added that all the critical polling station locations will also be covered by 46 Micro observers.

CEO Punjab also informed that all the assured Minimum facilities have been provided in all 222 Polling stations and assured that any violation of law and order will be dealt strongly by the election machinery. He further urged all the voters of AC Tarn Taran to come forward and exercise their franchise freely and fearlessly during Polling to be held on 11.11.25 from 7.00 am to 6.00 pm.

Chandigarh / 8th, November.

The General Secretary of All India Congress Committee, former Union Minister, and Member of Parliament from Sirsa, Kumari Selja, has expressed deep concern over the Haryana Police’s only 5.2% response rate on the Women’s Helpline 181, calling it alarming. Kumari Selja said that this statistic exposes the government’s negligence and insensitivity regarding women’s safety in the state. 

In a statement released to the media, Kumari Selja said that Helpline 181 was launched with the objective of providing immediate assistance to women in distress, but such a poor response rate clearly shows the huge gap between the government’s claims and the ground reality. Kumari Selja said that the BJP government has reduced the crucial issue of women’s safety to mere publicity and data manipulation. The MP said that if out of every 100 calls made to the helpline, action is taken on only 5, it reflects not only the failure of the administrative system but also a betrayal of the trust of women. 

Kumari Selja demanded that the Chief Minister take this report seriously, order an independent investigation into the functioning of the helpline system, and make all details public transparently. Kumari Selja said that citizens have the right to know how many total calls were received, how many received immediate help, and in how many cases action is still pending. She said that only transparency can restore public confidence, and women must feel assured that the state machinery stands with them. Kumari Selja said that women’s safety is not a matter of politics but of responsibility and sensitivity. The government must review the helpline system in collaboration with the Women’s Commission, police, and social organizations, and take immediate corrective steps wherever needed.

Kumari Selja said that the Congress Party is continuously fighting for the safety and dignity of women. If the state government fails to take concrete action, the Congress Mahila Morcha will launch a statewide awareness campaign on women’s safety. She concluded by saying, The daughters of Haryana don’t need speeches, they need safety. Making Helpline 181 effective, transparent, and reliable is the government’s responsibility. If the government fails to take women’s safety seriously, Congress will raise this issue from the streets to the Parliament.

Chandigarh, November 1 – On the occasion of Haryana Day, Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini announced another major gift for the people of the state. The state government has taken another historic step towards digital governance by implementing a paperless registry system across Haryana.

Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini launched the system digitally during a press conference held at Haryana Niwas today. He informed that the initiative was first started in the Ladwa tehsil of Kurukshetra district on September 29, and has now been expanded to the entire state. From September 29 to October 31, 2025, a total of 917 paperless registries have been successfully completed, demonstrating the success of this system.

The Chief Minister stated that this new system will relieve citizens from the decades-old, complex registry process and will eliminate unnecessary delays in registry-related work. Citizens will now be able to complete most of the procedures from the comfort of their homes — they will only need to visit the tehsil once for photo verification.

He added that this initiative is not only a major step toward transparency and good governance but will also provide genuine convenience to the people of the state. The paperless registry will save both time and resources while curbing any scope for corruption.

Tourism Minister Sh. Arvind Sharma, Health Minister Arti Singh Rao, Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi, Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Sh. Rajesh Khullar, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Dr. Sumita Misra, Additional Chief Secretary, Social Justice, Empowerment, Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes Welfare & Antyodaya Department, Smt. G. Anupama,  Director General of Information, Public Relations, Languages and Culture Department Sh. K.M. Pandurang, Special Secretary, Revenue Department, Sh. Yash Pal, and Media Secretary to the Chief Minister Sh. Praveen Attrey were also present on the occasion.

Chandigarh, October 18:

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday directed senior IAS officers and Administrative Secretaries of various departments to ensure that the ongoing procurement of paddy is carried out in a smooth and hassle-free manner during the upcoming festival of lights.

Chairing a meeting with IAS officers at his residence, the Chief Minister noted that despite massive devastation caused by floods in the state, Punjab is still expected to contribute 175 LMT of paddy to the national pool. Stressing the need for seamless and efficient procurement, he said that concerted efforts must be made to ensure that every grain produced through the hard work and dedication of Punjabi farmers is purchased. Bhagwant Singh Mann informed the officers that the Punjab government has notified 1,822 regular purchase centers for procurement of paddy in KMS 2025–26, and that all these notified mandis have been duly allotted by the Department of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs, Punjab.

The Chief Minister revealed that as of Friday, 38.65 lakh MT of paddy had arrived in the mandis, out of which 37.20 lakh MT had already been purchased. He said that, in line with the state government’s norm to ensure lifting within 72 hours of procurement, an impressive 100% lifting had been achieved. Bhagwant Singh Mann further mentioned that payments totaling Rs 7,472.20 crore had already been made to farmers for the procured grains.

Reiterating the state government’s firm commitment to procure every single grain of paddy, the Chief Minister said he is personally monitoring the entire procurement process to ensure that farmers do not face any inconvenience. He emphasized that the government has introduced path-breaking measures to ensure smooth, transparent, and efficient grain procurement across the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann added that no stone will be left unturned to facilitate farmers through foolproof arrangements at the micro level.

On the occasion, Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and other senior officers of the state government were also present.

Chandigarh, October 11: Sh. Manish Tewari, Member of Parliament, Chandigarh and former Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting Government of India, along with S. Malvinder Singh Kang, Hon’ble Member of Parliament from Shri Anandpur Sahib, Punjab, jointly chaired a meeting convened by Chandigarh International Airport Limited on the question on issue of unusual bird activity around the Chandigarh International Airport, which is causing a flight safety hazard for Indian Air Force and Civilian  aircrafts that  are either landing and taking off.

The Ajay Verma Chief Executive Officer (CHIAL), Manav Anand Group Capt (SATCO), Municipal Commissioner of Mohali Parminder Singh, the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development) Mohali Anmol Singh Dhaliwal, Municipal Commissioner of Chandigarh Sh. Amit Kumar, ADC Chandigarh Amandeep Singh Bhatti, Sh. Sanjay Arora Chief Engineer Municipal Corporation Chandigarh, MOH Health Chandigarh Dr. Inderdeep Kaur and other concerned officials attended the meeting along with senior officials from the Indian Air Force attended the meeting.

Officers of the Indian Air Force – SATCO Group Captain Manav Anand and his colleagues briefed the assembled stakeholders about the gravity of the problem to aircraft safety as a consequence of increased bird activity in and around the Chandigarh airport.

The problem areas in the take-off and landing approach of the Chandigarh airport, where bird activity is taking place was microscopically identified by pin pointing them on a Map of the area around the airport.

Both Mr. Tewari and Mr. Kang instructed the concerned officials that immediate steps need to be taken to ensure that all garbage and other unauthorized activity, that  is leading to this increased bird activity in the funnels of the runway on the eastern and western side of the runway need to be addressed on a priority basis.

Mr. Tewari and Mr. Kang advised the concerned stakeholders including officers of the Indian Air Force, the representatives of the Chandigarh International Airport Limited as well as the district and municipal authorities of the Chandigarh and the Mohali to immediately convene among themselves and draw up an action plan to resolve the problem of garbage and waste dumping, that  is leading to this unusual bird activity at the earliest in the next seven days.

Both Mr. Tewari and Mr. Kang specifically stated that an action taken report with regard to the problem areas identified and the steps taken in order to address those problems must be presented within a period of three weeks, when the next meeting on this issue would be jointly convened by both the Member of Parliament from Chandigarh and the Member of Parliament from Shri Anandpur Sahib as a sub group of the Airport Advisory Committee of the Chandigarh International Air Port Limited.

Both MP’s Mr Tewari and Mr Kang  further strongly recommended that the penal provisions of the Indian Aircraft’s Act 1937 that provide for a fine of Rupees one crore and an imprisonment of upto three years must be immediately actioned by the designated authority administering the said act to ensure that violators within a radius of 10 Kilometres from the airport whose activities are safety and security hazard to the safety of aircraft are rigorously enforced immediately by issuing show cause notices and instituting criminal proceedings against the violators.

Passenger safety and Aviation safety is a matter of utmost concern  and top most priority and therefore both the MPs advised the concerned stakeholders that absolutely that there should be zero tolerance for any unauthorised activity which causes a safety issue to incoming or outgoing aircraft at the Chandigarh International Airport.

Chandigarh, September 26:

Punjab Water Resources Minister Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal on Friday presented a resolution in the special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha demanding a special package of Rs.20,000 crore for flood-affected families, farmers and infrastructure restoration across the State.

In a detailed address pertaining to “Rehabilitation of Punjab” resolution in the House, the Cabinet Minister severely criticised the unsympathetic stance of the Union Government and termed the token relief package announced by Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi as nothing more than routine expenditure rather than genuine support.

The Cabinet Minister recalled how Punjab has always stood tall in service of the nation, feeding the country as the food bowl of India, safeguarding its borders during wars and making unmatched sacrifices during national crises. He said it was deeply unfortunate that the GoI completely ignored Punjab when it faced one of the gravest natural calamities in its history.

Sh. Goyal said that the floods this year surpassed even the devastation of 1988, with more than 2300 villages ravaged, nearly 20 lakh people were directly affected, crops on more than 5 lakh acres destroyed and 7 lakh people displaced from their homes. He added that over 3200 schools, 19 colleges, 1,400 hospitals/clinics, besides nearly 8,500 kms of roads and 2,500 bridges were either damaged or washed away. He noted that joint surveys conducted by State departments estimated initial losses at around Rs.13,900 crore, yet the Centre ignored this reality and announced just Rs.1,600 crore, which was actually a routine release and not an extraordinary grant. He said that Punjab has not yet received anything from this amount.

The Water Resources Minister said that while Punjab had sought Rs.20,000 crore in relief, the announcement by the Prime Minister was nowhere close to meet the urgent requirements of the State. He described it as a grossly inadequate measure that failed to recognise the gravity of the disaster. Sh. Goyal added that the people of Punjab expected compassionate action, not symbolic gestures.

The Cabinet Minister underlined that this year’s inflow peaked at 14.11 lakh cusecs against 11 lakh cusecs in 1988, nearly 20 percent higher, with almost 10 lakh cusecs entering Punjab through drains, streams and rivulets alone. This, coupled with faulty forecasts of IMD, worsened the calamity. On August 24, IMD predicted 21 mm of rainfall but actual recorded was 163 mm. On August 25, 18 mm was predicted against 147 mm (717% higher) and on August 26, 13 mm forecast turned into 90.5 mm (596% higher). Such gross inaccuracies, he said, exposed complete negligence of the central agency.

Shri. Goyal also held Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) responsible for compounding the disaster as decisions on water release were delayed due to rigid protocols of convening inter-state meetings. Punjab had requested water release when Bhakra touched 1660 feet, but the Board refused until levels reached 1665 feet, thereby risking lives and property.

On the issue of de-silting, the Cabinet Minister said that Beas river being declared a Ramsar site without consulting water department has prevented even basic de-silting or mining since 2017, leading to heavy siltation.

The Cabinet Minister stressed that Punjab Government under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann acted swiftly and responsibly. River embankments were strengthened well in advance, breaches plugged in time and flood protection works executed on war footing. Dhussi bandhs and embankments on Ravi, Beas and Sutlej stood firm, while extensive channelisation on Ghaggar river prevented breaches for the first time in five decades, saving Rs. 400 crore in potential damages from Ghaggar alone. At Khanauri, water remained at 750.7 feet for nine consecutive days, yet no breach occurred.

The Water Resources Minister expressed gratitude to all who stood by Punjab in the crisis including leaders of different political parties, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Cabinet Ministers, MLAs, party workers, besides NGOs, social organisations and saints who reached out to affected people.

He said it was shocking that when Punjab battled floods from August 25–26, Union leaders chose to add salt to wounds instead of applying ointment. Some even labelled the disaster as man-made. The Prime Minister, he said, visited only on September 9 after silence of nearly two weeks. Punjab’s assessment of Rs.13,900 crore loss and demand for Rs.20,000 crore was brushed aside, while within days of visiting Punjab, the PM sanctioned around Rs.7,000 crore to a smaller state as a Gift. He added that despite Punjab’s unprecedented sacrifices in agriculture, wars and militancy, the State was denied its rightful share.

Sh. Goyal urged that the Centre must rise above politics and extend genuine empathy towards Punjab. He said Punjab’s demand for Rs.20,000 crore was not only justified but essential for rebuilding lives, farms, roads, schools and health institutions. Anything less, he said, would amount to betrayal of Punjab’s contributions to the nation.

On the resolution “Rehabilitation of Punjab” in the House, Cabinet Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar, MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Amansher Singh Sherry Kalsi, Inderjit Kaur Mann, Dr. Amandeep Kaur Arora, Narinderpal Singh Sawna, Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy, Davinderjit Singh Ladi Dhos and Dr. Charanjit Singh also shared their views.

Chandigarh, September 22 – Haryana’s Energy, Transport & Labour Minister, Sh. Anil Vij said that health check-up camps being organized at various places in Ambala Cantonment under Seva Pakhwada are proving highly beneficial for the people. These camps are providing facilities for a wide range of medical tests.

As part of the Seva Pakhwada programme, the Minister today inaugurated a two-day health camp organized by ESI Health Care and the Labour Department at Civil Hospital, Ambala Cantonment. Later, he also visited a health camp set up near BD Flour Mill at Hari Nagar Singh Sabha Gurudwara by the BJP and interacted with patients undergoing check-ups, motivating them to prioritize their health.

Sh. Vij said that Seva Pakhwada is being observed nationwide from September 17, the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, until October 2, the birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri. During this period, various activities such as plantation drives for environmental protection, cleanliness campaigns, blood donation camps, and health check-up camps are being conducted.

He shared that in Ambala Cantonment, four mandals are actively organizing their own programmes. Under Mahesh Nagar Mandal, the camp at Hari Nagar Gurudwara Singh Sabha saw participation from doctors of Civil Hospital as well as physicians from Mullana Medical College. Free diagnostic facilities including ECG, lung tests, and a variety of medical screenings were made available, along with free consultation and medicines. Patients identified with serious health conditions were referred to Civil Hospital, Ambala Cantonment for regular treatment. A large number of people attended the camps to get their health check-ups done.

Earlier in the day, while inaugurating the camp at Civil Hospital, Ambala Cantonment, Sh. Vij interacted with workers from nearby areas who came in significant numbers to avail the services. At Hari Nagar Singh Sabha Gurudwara, he was warmly welcomed by Gurudwara Management Committee members, BJP workers, and local residents.

Civil Surgeon Dr. Rakesh Sehal, PMO Dr. Pooja, Municipal Council Chairperson Swarn Kaur, and BJP leaders Jasbir Singh Jassi, Bijendra Chauhan, Harsh Bindra, Puneet Sarpal, Aarti Sehgal, Surender Bindra, Shyam Sunder Arora, Raman Chatwal, Sudarshan Singh Sehgal, Varinder Singh, Vijay Kumar and many others were present on this occasion.

Chandigarh, September 16 – Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Sh. Shyam Singh Rana, said that despite being a small state, Haryana is making a significant contribution to the country’s food security.

Addressing the National Agriculture Conference–Rabi Campaign 2025 held in New Delhi today, Sh. Shyam Rana stated that crop diversification and sustainable farming are the most effective ways to increase the income of the farmers’and reduce agricultural risks in the future.

Notably, the ‘National Agriculture Conference – Rabi Abhiyan 2025’,  is being organised by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.  The conference  began in the presence of Union Agriculture Minister, Sh. Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Agriculture Ministers of various states, scientists, policymakers, and senior agriculture officials from across the country also remained present.

During the conference,  Sh. Shyam Rana shared Haryana’s achievements and its future agricultural roadmap. Highlighting the state’s contribution, he said Haryana’s total geographical area is just 44.21 lakh hectares, only 1.4 percent of the country’s landmass, yet the state contributes more than 15 percent of India’s foodgrain production.

Sh. Shyam Rana further shared that the foodgrain output has risen from 153.54 lakh tonnes in 2014–15 to 208.80 lakh tonnes in 2023–24, a result of farmers’ hard work and the successful use of modern technology. He informed that under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, farmers in Haryana have so far received compensation worth around Rs. 9,025 crore. To promote direct seeding of rice, the state government is providing an incentive of Rs. 4,500 per acre this year. Haryana has also started procuring 24 crops at MSP and has enforced strict laws to curb the sale of spurious fertilizers and pesticides, shared Sh. Shyam Rana.

The Minister said that all farmers are being registered on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal, ensuring fertilizer distribution strictly on landholding basis and preventing misuse by industries. He urged the Centre to provide dryers in mandis for grain drying, so farmers can sell their produce at MSP without deductions. He also emphasized the need to clean rivers and drains to ensure proper drainage of rainwater and prevent waterlogging.

Talking about horticulture, Sh. Shyam Rana said that the sector has made remarkable progress. The area under horticulture has grown from just 1.15 percent in the 1990s to 6.35 percent today, covering 10.46 lakh acres. Between 2014–15 and 2024–25 alone, the area increased by 2.59 lakh acres, a growth of nearly 120 percent. Along with fruit orchards, vegetables, flowers, spices, medicinal and aromatic plants, the state is promoting technologies like greenhouses, mushroom units, and solar panels, said Sh. Shyam Singh Rana.  He stressed that the conference should focus on tackling climate change, improving soil health, ensuring quality seeds and fertilizers, promoting pulses and oilseeds, strengthening horticulture and agricultural exports, and empowering Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).

Sh. Shyam Singh Rana underlined that effective implementation of schemes is only possible with better coordination between the Centre and states.

For the upcoming Rabi season 2025–26,  Sh. Shyam Singh Rana has urged the central government to ensure timely and adequate supply of urea and DAP. He reiterated Haryana’s commitment to moving farmers from mono-cropping to multi-cropping, thereby enhancing incomes and making farming more sustainable. Thanking the Centre, he said such conferences guide policy-making and agricultural innovations that ultimately work towards farmers’ prosperity.

Responding to Sh. Shyam Singh Rana’s demands, Union Agriculture Minister, Sh. Shivraj Singh Chouhan appreciated Haryana’s efforts, particularly the cash incentive scheme for Direct Seeded Rice, which he termed crucial for groundwater conservation. He assured that the Centre would seriously consider all the suggestions made by the Haryana Agriculture Minister in the interest of farmers.