Himachal Cabinet approves draft of Governor's address
Shimla: The State Cabinet in its meeting held on Monday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu approved the draft Governor’s address to be delivered on the inaugural day of the 8th session of Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha on March 10. The Cabinet gave its approval to table the report 2023-24 of Comptroller and Auditor General of India in the budget session and also decided to create and fill up 145 posts of different categories including 66 posts in newly upgraded Municipal Corporations, 3 in newly upgraded Municipal Councils, 70 posts in newly created Nagar Panchayats and 6 posts in the Directorate of Urban Development department.
President Droupadi Murmu to attend PU’s 72nd Convocation on March 12
Chandigarh: Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh, is all set to host its 72nd Convocation on March 12 at the PU Gymnasium Hall. The President of India Droupadi Murmu will preside over and address the Convocation. Medals, prizes, and degrees will be awarded to PU students who passed examinations in 2024 during the Convocation ceremony. Murmu will be the sixth President of India to deliver the Convocation address at PU. Earlier, Pranab Mukherjee, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Giani Zail Singh, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, and Dr. Rajinder Prasad delivered the Convocation address.
Compensate farmers for crop damage: Hooda asks Govt
Chandigarh: Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday demanded immediate compensation to farmers for crop damage due to rain and hailstorms. He said that wheat and mustard crops have suffered heavy damage in 12 districts of the state due to continuous rain and hail storms for three days in the state and the government should compensate the farmers who suffered losses. “Wheat crops have been destroyed in the fields. At the same time, mustard has also fallen. Apart from this, many crops like animal fodder, vegetables and onion have also suffered heavy damage. Therefore, the government should stop making empty statements and immediately get the ‘girdawari’ (survey to assess loss) done for the loss suffered by the farmers and give them proper compensation,” he said. The Congress leader said crops had suffered heavy damages in January also due to hailstorms. “At that time, after the demand was raised by the Congress, the government announced the girdawari but the government neither got it done nor gave compensation,” the senior Congress leader claimed.
Kshtipurti Portal opened on CM Saini’s instructions
Chandigarh: In line with the directions of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Kshtipurti portal has been opened to facilitate farmers in uploading information regarding the crop loss caused by recent unseasonal rains and hailstorms. The Chief Minister had instructed Deputy Commissioners of all districts to gather and forward relevant information of crop loss to the headquarters for timely action. The details of crop losses are gathered from 615 villages across 10 districts of the state. The Kshtipurti portal have been opened for 66 villages in Ambala, 20 villages in Bhiwani, 7 villages in Hisar, and 9 villages in Charkhi Dadri. In addition, the portal has been opened for 78 villages in Yamunanagar, 66 villages in Jind, 81 villages in Rewari, 19 villages in Palwal, 9 villages in Nuh, and 160 villages in Mahendragarh.
Haryana among top 5 states in Country in GST collection
Chandigarh: The Excise and Taxation Department in Haryana has achieved significant growth in the collection of Goods and Services Tax (GST). Government official spokesperson said that in February 2025, gross GST revenue of Rs 1,83,646 crore was collected in the country, which is 9.1 per cent more than the GST revenue of the same month last year. At the same time, the gross GST collection in Haryana in February 2025 is Rs 9,925 crore, while in February 2024, it was Rs 8,269 crore, which shows an increase of 20 per cent. This is double the national growth average of 10 per cent.
Farmers can report crop damage on toll-free number: Hry Minister
Chandigarh: Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana on Monday said for the convenience of farmers of the state, the facility of reporting crop damage is available through Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and Haryana Kshatipurti Portal. He said farmers who have registered under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana can contact their concerned Agriculture Officer or call on toll-free number 14447 and register their crop damage report within 72 hours.
Mech Tech Seminar-cum-Exhibition Begins at Chandimandir Military Station
Chandigarh: A two day Mech Tech Seminar cum Exhibition at Chandimandir Military Station was inaugurated by Lt Gen N S Raja Subramani, Vice Chief of Army Staff on Monday. It aims to provide a comprehensive platform for sharing thoughts and latest technological advancement on ‘Future Landscape of Mechanised Warfare and Infusion of Niche Technology’, a statement said. The seminar cum exhibition underscored the imperative need for technological evolution in mechanised warfare, keeping in view emerging threats and evolving battlefield milieu. Several senior serving & veteran military officers, renowned names from defence industry & academia discussed artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, advanced armour protection, next generation communication networks and enhanced firepower solutions to ensure that Indian Army’s mechanised platforms remain future-ready. Deliberations were also carried out on various issues which are envisaged to make the existing mechanised platforms more battle worthy in terms of mobility, firepower and survivability. Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Katiyar, GOC-in-C Western Command interacted with representatives of Industry, Academia and Media & emphasised the role of Indigenous Defence Capabilities, aligning with the Government of India’s vision of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” in the defence sector.
