Two-minute silence to be observed in all Govt offices in memory of martyrs

Chandigarh: A two-minute silence will be observed in all Haryana government offices at 11 am on January 30 in memory of martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the freedom struggle of the country. In a letter issued by the Chief Secretary's Office, all the Department Heads, Divisional Commissioners of Ambala, Hisar, Rohtak, Faridabad, Karnal and Gurugram, all Deputy Commissioners and Sub-Divisional Officers (Civil) have been instructed to make necessary arrangements in this regard.

Hry CS reviews 25 infrastructure projects of over Rs 100 crore each

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Secretary Vivek Joshi on Friday reviewed 25 infrastructure projects, each with a cost exceeding Rs 100 crore with the officers in Chandigarh. With a total of over Rs 17,516 crore, these projects span over the Departments of Industries and Commerce, Medical Education and Research, Irrigation and Water Resources, and Public Health Engineering. During the meeting, the Chief Secretary instructed officials to establish a panel comprising officers from the irrigation, industry, PWD B&R, and Public Health departments. This panel will review project timelines and propose proactive, long-term solutions to ensure strict adherence to schedules and the timely completion of projects. Issuing strict instructions, the Chief Secretary also directed officials to take action against negligent contractors, including blacklisting them. He directed that all necessary clearances, including environmental and forest approvals, should be obtained prior to issuing tenders for projects, ensuring their completion within the stipulated timelines.

Cold weather prevails at many places in Punjab, Haryana

Chandigarh: Cold weather conditions prevailed in several places in Punjab and Haryana on Friday, with many parts recording temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius. In Punjab, Faridkot reeled under intense chill, recording a minimum temperature of 3.8 degrees Celsius, according to the Met department's weather report. Amritsar and Pathankot also experienced a cold night, recording 5.2 degrees and 5.7 degrees, respectively. Rupnagar, Ludhiana and Gurdaspur, too, experienced a cold night recording a minimum temperature of 7 degrees, 7.7 degrees and 7 degrees, respectively. Patiala recorded a low of 8.9 degrees Celsius. In Haryana, the minimum temperature of Karnal, Narnaul and Bhiwani was 6.4 degrees Celsius, 7.3 degrees Celsius and 7.2 degrees Celsius. Sirsa recorded a low of 8.6 degrees, Gurugram 10.4 degrees and Ambala 10 degrees Celsius.
 
Contractors’ Association warns of agitation if demands are not met by Jan 31

Chandigarh: The Haryana PWD Contractors’ Association has issued an ultimatum to the state government, giving them until January 31 to fulfill their pending demands. The contractors have warned that failure to meet their demands within this period will result in statewide protests and a complete halt of PWD projects across Haryana. In a press statement, office-bearers of the association revealed that nearly Rs 500 crore worth of contractors’ bills have been stuck since December due to budget and fund shortages. Despite repeated appeals to the Haryana PWD Minister, the government has not released the funds, citing a budget crunch. Association President Jai Bhagwan said that releasing at least Rs 200 crore immediately would help clear pending bills for October, November, and December of the previous year. Secretary Manoj Chahal urged the government to release the withheld payments promptly to avoid forcing contractors to stop ongoing projects across the state.

Haryana approves State Water Action Plan-II worth Rs 6,713.13 crore under AMRUT 2.0

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Secretary Vivek Joshi chaired the 4th State High Powered Steering Committee (SHPSC) Meeting for successful implementation of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation 2.0 (AMRUT 2.0) on Friday. During the meeting, it was informed that under the State Water Action Plan (SWAP-I) of AMRUT 2.0, 57 projects costing Rs 1727.36 crore have been approved, which includes 48 projects of water supply and 9 projects of sewerage spanning over 50 towns of the state. Out of these, in 53 projects, work has already been commenced & the remaining are under tendering process.

‘Samman Sanjeevani’ App launched in Hry on National Girl Child Day

Chandigarh: Haryana Women and Child Development Minister Shruti Choudhry on Friday launched the 'Samman Sanjeevani' app of ‘Mahila Evam Kishori Samman Yojana' on the occasion of National Girl Child Day 2025. Facilities being provided under the scheme will be tracked via the app so that the beneficiaries continue to get the benefits of the scheme timely. The Minister said that under the 'Mahila Evam Kishori Samman Yojna', sanitary napkins are distributed to BPL women and girls aged 10 to 45 years. These benefits are delivered through Anganwadi centers and schools. The app has been developed to ensure timely delivery of these services. It will collect data on all beneficiaries and update monthly benefits.