News Analysis India

Tag: Haryana

  • Haryana Congress MLAs meet senior leader KC Venugopal, seek ‘leadership change’

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: A group of Congress MLAs from Haryana met senior party leader KC Venugopal on Monday, apparently lobbying for former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

    The meeting comes a few days after some MLAs sought a “strong leadership” for the party in the state when they had met another senior Congress leader in the capital.

    The two meetings indicate rumblings in the Haryana Congress, even as the party’s top leadership deals with factionalism in neighbouring Punjab.

    On Monday, the meeting was held at Hooda’s Delhi residence.

    Hooda is the Leader of Opposition in the Haryana Assembly, while Kumari Selja is the state Congress president.

    Barring Hooda, 22 MLAs visited AICC headquarters to meet Venugopal, the Congress general secretary in charge of organisation.

    Later, some of the 22 legislators held a meeting with him, party sources said.

    All the MLAs who held a meeting at the Delhi residence of Hooda are considered loyalists of the former chief minister.

    Four days ago, 19 Congress MLAs from Haryana had met AICC general secretary and party’s Haryana affairs in-charge Vivek Bansal in Delhi seeking a “strong leadership” for the party in the state and favouring a key role for Hooda.

    The Congress has 31 MLAs in the state.

    “We discussed organisational matters pertaining to the state unit as for many years district unit presidents have not been appointed… political situation in the state in the backdrop of ongoing farmers’ agitation, upcoming panchayat polls… all these issues were discussed,” Congress MLA Kuldeep Vats told reporters on Monday.

    Replying to a question of reporters in Delhi after the meeting, B B Batra, who also went to meet Venugopal, denied that there was any infighting in the state unit.

    Senior Haryana Congress leader Kiran Choudhary, who is a sitting MLA and a former minister, met Venugopal separately.

    Choudhary, however, described her meeting as a routine one.

    “He is our general secretary and in-charge organisation. He is a senior leader, I keep meeting him from time to time. There was no specific agenda of my meeting today. In routine, I keep meeting the senior leadership,” she said.

    During the two meetings, the MLAs stated that the party has not had district unit chiefs for the past eight years and stressed on the need to strengthen the state unit, the sources said.

    They have sought a key role for Hooda in the state unit and a greater say in organisational matters, with some of them saying this was necessary in the present scenario as farmers’ agitation is going on and former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, who was serving a 10-year term in the teachers’ recruitment scam, has been released from the prison.

    The legislators were of the opinion that only a “strong leader” could counter any advantage which the INLD might get owing to Chautala’s release from jail.

    After his meeting with the MLAs on Thursday, Bansal had told reporters that as the legislators had not met for a long time due to the Covid pandemic, it was decided to take their feedback about the political situation in the state and seek suggestions about the party’s organisational structure and upcoming panchayat polls.

    However, a senior Haryana Congress leader, who had attended the meeting with Bansal, said the MLAs conveyed that there should be a “change of leadership at the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC)-level” to strengthen the party.

    Reacting to the meeting of the legislators with Bansal, Selja on Friday had said, “The MLAs can meet their party in-charge. I don’t see any indiscipline if party legislators go and meet the party’s state unit in-charge and say something. It is their right. Bansal sahab later clarified what the meeting was all about.”

    Selja had also separately met the senior leadership of the party after the legislators’ meeting with Bansal on Thursday.

    The developments in the Haryana Congress have come amid infighting in the Punjab unit of the party, where senior leader Navjot Singh Sidhu is at loggerheads with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

  • Meghalaya Governor writes to Amit Shah, seeks justice over mysterious deaths of two Garos in Haryana

    By PTI
    SHILLONG: Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik on Sunday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking justice over the alleged mysterious deaths of two members of a Garo family in Gurugram, an official said.

    While Rosy Sangma had earlier this week died under suspicious circumstances in a private hospital in Gurugram, her nephew Samuel Sangma was found hanging in a room a few days later.

    Both of them hailed from Dimapur in Nagaland.

    “The Governor of Meghalaya has taken cognizance of media reports and outrage over the unnatural deaths of both the individuals of North East and has taken note of the petition addressed to him on the matter,” a Raj Bhavan official said in a statement.

    The governor, who is travelling to New Delhi on Sunday, would take up the matter with the authorities concerned for a free, fair, and expeditious investigation into the matter and ensure justice for the deceased, the statement said.

  • Haryana extends lockdown till July 12

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government on Sunday extended the lockdown clamped in the state to curb the spread of the coronavirus by another week till July 12, while allowing some examinations to be held.

    According to the order issued by Chief Secretary Vijai Vardhan in exercise of powers under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, “the Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana is extended for another week, that is from July 5 (5 am onwards) to July 12 (till 5 am) in the state of Haryana.”

    .The state government has termed the covid-induced lockdown as “Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana (Epidemic Alert-Safe Haryana)”.

    The Institute of Chartered Accountants is allowed to hold “Chartered Accountant Examinations” from July 5-20, the order said.

    While conducting the exams, “guidelines for examination centres, examination functionaries and candidates for July 2021 CA examination in wake of the ongoing Covid pandemic, released by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India” along with SOPs issued by the Centre from time to time regarding preventive measures to be followed to contain Covid will have to be followed strictly, according to the orders.

    The orders further said that it has also been decided to allow the Common Entrance Exam (CEE) to be held at Hisar by the Army Recruiting Office, Military Station Hisar, subject to strict observance of social distancing norms, sanitisation and Covid appropriate behavioural norms.

    The relaxations, with respect to opening of shops, malls, restaurants, religious places, corporate offices, gatherings in weddings, funerals, and open spaces will continue as currently in place.

    According to earlier relaxations, all shops are allowed to open from 9 am to 8 pm, malls are allowed to open from 10 am to 8 pm, restaurants and bars, including those in hotels and malls, are allowed to open from 10 am to 10 pm with 50 per cent seating capacity.

    Swimming pools and spas will continue to remain closed.

    “Now, after duly considering the fact that although the Covid positivity rate and the number of new Covid positive cases have declined, so as to continue the preventive and precautionary measures to contain the Covid pandemic the ‘Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana’ is extended for another week…,” the order said.

    The number of daily COVID-19, which had crossed the 15,000-mark in May, have now come down to nearly 50 while the Covid fatalities have also registered a sharp fall in the state.

    The Haryana government had imposed the lockdown in the state on May 3 in view of the prevailing Covid situation.

    It has now been extended for the ninth time.

  • CM Manohar Lal Khattar to meet EAM Jaishankar for Haryana man lodged in Australian prison

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said he will be meeting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to seek his intervention in securing the release of 24-year-old Vishal Jood from a prison in Australia.

    According to local media reports, Jood, who hails from Haryana’s Karnal, is lodged in an Australian prison for his alleged role in a series of hate attacks on suspected pro-Khalistan Sikhs in Sydney this year.

    Khattar said he would also urge the Australian High Commission to intervene in the issue, an official statement said here.

    The chief minister had earlier also spoken to Jaishankar and was assured of full cooperation from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian High Commission in Australia regarding Jood’s release, it said.

    Khattar, who is in Manali, said continuous efforts are on to secure the release of the youth.

    Meanwhile, on the second day of his visit to the resort town in Himachal Pradesh, the Haryana chief minister held a virtual meeting with representatives of NGOs and NRIs living in Australia and thanked them for sending oxygen concentrators and other medical equipment to India amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

    He also urged the Haryanvi diaspora and foreign investors to invest in Haryana.

    Describing Haryana as a preferred destination for investment, Khattar said the state government has constituted a Foreign Cooperation Department to resolve various issues related to foreign investment and to coordinate with foreign investors.

    Along with this, a single-window system has been created through which investors can get all types of approvals online easily in 45 days to set up their industry, he said.

    Apart from this, Khattar said, a relationship manager will be assigned to investors who wish to set up their business in Haryana.

    Khattar added that the Haryana government was committed to create a progressive business environment in the state.

    In Haryana, 10 industrial model townships with all necessary facilities have been set up.

    A separate MSME Department has been created for the purpose of promoting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the state, he said.

    Haryana is a preferred destination for auto companies and auto-component manufacturers, the chief minister said.

    Haryana has immense potential for industry in the fields of auto manufacturing, skill development, IT and ITES, agro and agro-based industries such as food processing, health and animal science, tourism, integrated aviation hubs, he added.

  • Haryana extends lockdown till July 5, relaxations allowed earlier to continue

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government Sunday extended the coronavirus lockdown by another week till July 5, while allowing university campuses to open for research scholars and practical classes in laboratories.

    “The Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana is extended for another week that is from June 28 (5 am onwards) to July 5 (till 5 am) in the state of Haryana,” Chief Secretary Vijai Vardhan said in an order issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

    The state government has termed the coronavirus lockdown “Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana (Epidemic Alert-Safe Haryana)”.

    University campuses are allowed to open for research scholars, laboratory practicals, remedial and doubt classes by adopting requisite social distancing norms, regular sanitisation and Covid-appropriate behaviour, according to the order.

    Anganwadi centres and crèches under Women and Child Development Department shall continue to remain closed.

    These places will remain shut till July 31 in the state.

    The state’s Department of Women and Child Welfare will release the methodology for implementation of various women and child welfare programmes in the state, the order said.

    The relaxations on reopening of shops, malls, restaurants, religious places, corporate offices, gatherings in weddings, funerals, open spaces etc will continue as currently in place.

    According to earlier relaxations all shops are allowed to open from 9 am to 8 pm, malls from 10 am to 8 pm, restaurants and bars, including in hotels and malls, from 10 am to 10 pm with 50 per cent seating capacity.

    Swimming pools and spas will continue to remain closed.

    “Now, after duly considering the fact that although the Covid positivity rate and the number of new Covid positive cases have declined, so as to continue the preventive and precautionary measures to contain the Covid pandemic – the ‘Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana’ is extended for another week…,” the order said.

    The number of daily COVID-19 cases, which had crossed the 15,000-mark last month, have now come down to nearly 100 while the Covid fatalities have also registered a sharp fall.

    The Haryana government had imposed the lockdown in the state on May 3 in view of the prevailing Covid situation.

    It has now been extended for the eighth time.

  • ‘Mahapanchayat’ over blockade: Clear one side of road connecting Singhu border, farmers told

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: People from around 20 villages held a “mahapanchayat” in Haryana’s Sonipat, demanding from farmers protesting the Centre’s farm laws to open a side of the road connecting their area to the Delhi’s Singhu border.

    “People who need to travel for their jobs are facing a lot of problems. Students who go for their tuition and coaching classes are also hit. The industrial units and several shops are facing heavy losses. We have no issue with farmers, we are not against them but as citizens, we too have equal rights,” Ramphal Saroha, who presided over the event, told reporters in Sonipat’s Sersa village.

    “The entire road has been blocked by protesters for the past seven months. We are demanding that one side of it should be cleared as people in the area are facing a lot of difficulties,” Saroha said.

    He said they have given 10 days to the farmers to meet their demand.

    If not done, even a bigger “mahapanchayat will be held in Delhi, in which over 100 villages from Kundli, Narela and other adjoining areas of Haryana and Delhi will take part, he said.

    Saroha said nearly 15 villages of Haryana close to the Kundli border and five of Delhi near the Singhu border took part in the event.

    Saroha said several farmers in the area too are facing problems in taking their vegetables to mandis.

    Farmers have been camping at Delhi’s borders since November last year demanding that the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 be rolled back and a new law made to guarantee minimum support price for crops.

    However, the government has maintained the laws are pro-farmer.

  • Farmers protest ahead of Haryana CM Khattar’s arrival at Panchkula event

    By PTI
    PANCHKULA: A group of farmers on Sunday held a protest hours before Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was to attend an event here, with police taking some of the protesters into preventive custody before the CM’s arrival.

    Shortly before Khattar was to inaugurate a wellness centre at Thapli Nature Camp here, some farmers carrying black flags to protest against the new agri laws used alternate routes in an attempt to reach closer to the venue, police said.

    A small group among them tried to cross the police barricades put up near the camp but when police stopped them, they squatted on the road.

    Later, the protesters were put into a police bus and taken into preventive custody.

    There was heavy police deployment in the area as Khattar was to reach the venue after inaugurating a few adventure sports activities in the Morni area.

    Some of the protesters said they were holding a peaceful protest, but police used force to disperse them.

    They alleged a group of farmers including some elderly, who were squatting on the road, were picked up and bundled into a police bus.

    Protesting farmers have been opposing public functions of the BJP-JJP leaders in the state over the farm laws issues.

    Several farmers have been camping at Delhi’s borders since November last year demanding that the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 be rolled back and a new law made to guarantee minimum support price for crops.

    However, the government has maintained the laws are pro-farmer.

     

  • Haryana extends lockdown till June 28, announces more relaxations

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH:   The Haryana government on Sunday extended the COVID-19 lockdown in the state by another week till June 28, but eased restrictions imposed on weddings and funerals, and allowed corporate offices to operate with full attendance.

    According to an order issued by Chief Secretary Vijai Vardhan, up to 50 guests can now attend weddings and funerals or cremations, up from 21 earlier, subject to strict observance of COVID-19-appropriate behaviour and social distancing.

    Corporate offices can now open with full attendance but there has to be strict observance of social distancing, COVID-19-appropriate behaviour and regular sanitisation, it said.

    Weddings can now take place in courts but processions are not allowed, the order said.

    It, however, said swimming pools and spas in the state would continue to remain closed.

    Club houses, restaurants and bars of golf courses are allowed to open with 50 per cent seating capacity from 10 am to 10 pm, it added.

    “Now after duly considering the fact that although Covid positivity rate and the number of new Covid positive cases have declined, so as to continue the preventive and precautionary measures to contain the Covid pandemic … the ‘Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana’ is extended for another week from June 21 (5 am onwards) to June 28 (till 5 am) in the state,” the order issued by Chief Secretary Vardhan said.

    All shops can continue to operate from 9 am to 8 pm, and restaurants and bars, including those in hotels and malls, are allowed to open from 10 am to 10 pm with 50 per cent seating capacity.

    The timings for shopping malls will continue to be from 10 am to 8 pm, the order stated.

    The state government has termed the lockdown “Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana (Epidemic Alert-Safe Haryana)”.

    The number of daily COVID-19 cases, which had crossed the 15,000-mark last month, has now come down to under 300, while the count of fatalities has also registered a sharp fall.

    The Haryana government-imposed lockdown in the state has now been extended for the seventh time.

     

  • Haryana is worst performer during COVID-19 vaccine decentralisation

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: A day before the Centre takes full control of vaccination from the states, which were allotted 25 per cent vaccines under the previous policy, The New Indian Express analysed the data available on CoWin app to check how the states have performed in inoculating beneficiaries over the past 51 days.

    On May 1, the Centre had modified the vaccine procurement policy when it had asked states to procure the doses from the open market to vaccinate the 18-44 year age group. The worst performer in this respect turned out to be Haryana where only 50,336 people had received their second dose, out of a total of 25,351,462 population, as per the latest data available on June 19.

    It means only 0.19 per cent of Haryana’s population had been fully vaccinated. The second-worst performer was Himachal Pradesh where of a population of 68.64 lakh people, only 18,303 people had been given their second dose, which is only 0.26 per cent of its population.

    Third from the bottom of the list was Tripura, where only 1.45 per cent of people had received their second dose. The best performing states or UTs were Ladakh, with a total population of nearly 2.74 lakh, where 13.66 per cent people had been fully vaccinated followed by Lakshwadeep whose 11.07 per cent population, of 64,473, had received its second dose.

    Among all the states and UTs, Kerala was at the top of the list, with nearly 14 per cent of its population fully vaccinated. Of the state’s 1.74 crore people, 24.22 lakh had been given their second dose of vaccines.

    Delhi, given its population being similar to Kerala’s, also was among the top performers. Of its population of nearly 1.67 crore, over 15.69 lakh people had been administered their second dose. In other words, 9.35 per cent of its total population had been vaccinated fully.

    Among the states with substantial populations, over 5 crore, Gujarat seems to have done better than the others. Nearly 47.69 lakh doses had been administered to its population of nearly 6.03 crore people, resulting in 7.89 per cent of its population being fully vaccinated.

    It was followed by Karnataka, 5.22 per cent of whose population had received both doses. In none of the remaining states were even 5 per cent of people found to be fully vaccinated. On June 7, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a centralised vaccine drive saying that the Centre will procure 25 per cent vaccines that were to be done by states.

    “The Centre has decided to buy 75 per cent of jabs from vaccine makers, including 25 per cent of the state quota, and give it for free t o state governments,’ PM Modi said in an address to the nation.

  • Haryana announces Rs 5,000 one-time aid for labourers, shopkeepers hit by pandemic

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government on Thursday announced a one-time payment of Rs 5,000 each to small shopkeepers, construction workers, auto-rickshaw drivers and unorganised labourers who have faced financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.

    BPL families who have lost a family member in the 18-50 age group to COVID-19 will be given an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced at a media briefing here on the occasion of his government completing 600 days in office.

    The chief minister also announced a host of other benefits, including waiver of property tax and reduction in electricity bill in the first quarter of 2021-22.

    Altogether, these announcements entail a financial package of over Rs 1,100 crore.

    Giving details, Khattar said a financial aid of Rs 5,000 each will be given to 12 lakh families who are engaged in the unorganised sector such as construction workers and auto-rickshaw drivers.

    This package is worth Rs 600 crore.

    The chief minister said to ensure that the labourers of the unorganised sector have easy access to the scheme a portal has been designed and the registrations on the portal will start from June 18.

    The CM also announced Rs 5,000 each for ASHA workers and those engaged in the National Health Mission.

    It would entail an expenditure of Rs 11 crore, he said.

    Similarly, a package of Rs 150 crore was announced for small shopkeepers, he stated.

    Khattar further said that the government had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the BPL families whose members in the age group of 18 years and 50 years died due to COVID-19.

    The CM said that the state government is steadfast to provide relief to consumers of electricity during the COVID-19 crisis and the electricity department has decided that surcharge will not be levied on electricity bills till June 30.

    Apart from this, the state government announced relief to the traders as their business activities are affected due to COVID-19 pandemic.

    He said the consumers whose average electricity bill for the months of April, May and June is 50 per cent less than the average electricity bill for the months of January, February and March, their fixed charge of Rs 10,000 will be completely waived.

    Those consumers whose fixed charge ranges from Rs 10,000 to Rs 40,000, they will get a rebate of up to Rs 10,000 and a rebate of 25 per cent will be given on electricity bills having fixed charges of more than Rs 40,000.

    Khattar also said that it has been decided to waive the entire property tax for the first quarter of the year 2021-22.

    With this, a financial burden of about Rs 150 crore will be borne by the Urban Local Bodies Department.

    In another decision, he said that the government has also given permission for registration of the fourth floor of buildings in big cities.

    The CM said that motor vehicle tax for the first quarter of the year 2021-22 will not be levied on non-goods transport vehicles.

    Due to this, the financial burden of about Rs 72 crore will be borne by the government.

    Apart from this, the fitness date of vehicles has also been extended till June 30.

    He also announced a discount of 25 per cent on purchase of e-tractors.

    He said that the special offer on the e-tractors will benefit 600 farmers.

    The farmers who book e-tractor by September 30, 2021 will be eligible to get the benefit of this offer.

    If the number of applicants seeking this offer is less than 600 then every applicant will get the benefit of this offer and if the number of applicants is more than 600, then the decision will be taken through a draw of lots, he said.

    Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, Home and Health Minister Anil Vij, Education Minister Kanwar Pal, Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma, Power Minister Ranjit Singh, Agriculture Minister J P Dalal and others were present at the briefing.