Cold wave persists in Punjab, Haryana; Faridkot records 2 degrees C

Chandigarh: Biting cold conditions persisted in several areas of Punjab and Haryana on Thursday, with Faridkot recording a minimum temperature of 2 degrees Celsius, the meteorological department said. Bathinda also remained under the grip of severe cold, recording a low of 3.6 degrees Celsius, while Pathankot and Gurdaspur registered minimum temperatures of 4.6 and 4.5 degrees Celsius, respectively. According to the data from the department, Amritsar logged a minimum temperature of 4.2 degrees, while Ludhiana registered a low of 5.6 degree Celsius and Patiala recorded a minimum of 6.5 degree Celsius. Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, registered a low of 7.4 degrees Celsius. In Haryana, Hisar logged a minimum of 2.8 degrees Celsius, while Sirsa and Karnal were also swept by severe cold, with both places recording respective lows of 3.2 and 5.3 degrees Celsius. Rohtak registered a low of 5.6 degrees and Ambala recorded a minimum of 8.1 degrees Celsius.  

Bist Doab Canal to remain closed for 33 days

Chandigarh: Punjab Water Resources Department has decided to close Bist Doab Canal for 33 days to complete the ongoing works. An official spokesperson of the department on Thursday said that keeping in view the weather conditions and status of crops, the Punjab Government has decided to close the Bist Doab Canal from 20 December, 2024 to 21 January, 2025 for 33 days. He further said that the state government has already issued notification in this regard.

Dec 21 declared holiday in Punjab civic body areas going to polls

Chandigarh: General and Bye-elections to 5 Municipal Corporations and 41 Municipal Councils apart from some other ward-wise bye-elections will be conducted on December 21. To ensure due opportunity to voters to exercise their franchise in these local body elections, an official spokesperson of the Punjab State Election Commission said that 21 December (Saturday) would be declared as a public holiday in all Punjab Government offices situated in the jurisdiction of the Municipal Bodies where elections are going to be held. It has been declared as a "Dry Day" in the revenue jurisdiction of the Municipal Bodies which are going to the polls.

Efforts to be made to open Airhostess and Pilot Training Centers in Hry:  Minister 

Chandigarh: Haryana Civil Aviation Minister Vipul Goyal on Thursday said that efforts should be made to establish training centers in the state to train air hostesses and provide pilot training to over 200 students annually. Goyal made these remarks during a meeting with officials of the Civil Aviation Department here. Addressing the officials, the Minister instructed them to explore the possibility of operating air taxis from Gurugram to Salasar Dham and Khatushyam. He also highlighted that approximately 90 percent of the work at Maharaja Agrasen Airport in Hisar has been completed. The remaining work should be completed at the earliest. He stressed that the machinery being installed at the airports should adhere to the highest standards.

 Govt to take cognizance of the farmers' issue, find a solution soon: Hooda

Chandigarh: Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday said that it is the government's responsibility to take cognizance of the farmers' issue, and it should find a solution to it as soon as possible. He said the demands of the agitating farmers are completely justified. “According to the Swaminathan report, Congress is in favour of MSP and MSP guarantee under the C2 formula. It was also mentioned in the party's election manifesto and it has also been recommended in the party's national convention. Farming can be made profitable only by giving a fair price to the crops,” Hooda said. Responding to the reporters, the former Haryana Chief Minister said the demand of the farmers is many years old. “BJP itself had ended the farmers' movement by promising MSP, but now the farmers are reminding the government of the promises it had made. BJP had announced to double the income of farmers by promising MSP, but it forgot its promise and instead of doubling the income, it increased the input cost of farming manifold,” he said.

Haryana Govt sets 100-day target, expedites implementation of Sankalp and projects: Chief Secy

Chandigarh: Acting on the directives of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, the state government has initiated swift action to deliver on its Sankalp and projects slated for completion within its 100-day agenda. The Chief Secretary Vivek Joshi said this after reviewing the 40 key Sankalp, eight important projects for inauguration or foundation-laying, and the progress of projects worth over Rs100 crore with Additional Chief Secretaries and Administrative Secretaries here in Chandigarh. Eight significant projects have been identified for inauguration within the 100-day period. These include the Kurukshetra Elevated Track, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya University of Health Sciences in Kutail (Karnal), Pandit NekiRam Sharma Government Medical College in Bhiwani, Government Medical College in Jind, the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway Project, the expansion of BharatNet services for village IT infrastructure, the District Civil Hospital in Gurugram, and the Karnal-Yamunanagar Railway Line.

 Haryana Government promoting millet cultivation: Minister

Chandigarh: Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana on Thursday said that the state government is prioritising the branding and promotion of millets under the "Shree Anna" category to boost their cultivation. This initiative aims to encourage farmers to avail government schemes promoting millet cultivation, ensuring better income and market access. 

Haryana Right to Service Commission orders UHBVN to compensate consumer with Rs 5000

Chandigarh: Haryana Right to Service Commission has directed the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) in Kaithal to compensate consumer Vinod Kumar with a sum of Rs. 5,000 for the unnecessary inconvenience caused due to the non-updation of the extension of load (EOL) in his electricity connection. Sharing the details, a spokesperson of the Commission, the complainant, Vinod Kumar, had applied for an extension of load from 18 KW to 40 KW, which was subsequently approved. Regular readings were generated until June 2023. However, from July to August 2023, the consumer began receiving average bills instead of actual readings. Despite the complainant paying Rs. 5,923 on August 21, 2023, no further payments were made until January 2024. Average billing continued for the months of September to December 2023 due to the delay in updating the EOL by the SDO office. The EOL was eventually updated in the CCB portal on December 22, 2023.

Haryana Govt reinforces responsive governance through "Samadhan Shivirs" initiative

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Secretary Vivek Joshi on Thursday reviewed the progress of "Samadhan Shivirs," a key initiative driven by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini's vision for resolving public grievances promptly and within set deadlines. While presiding over a virtual meeting with Deputy Commissioners to review the progress of this initiative, emphasized that timely and efficient resolution of complaints is vital for fostering trust between the administration and the people. He stated, “These Shivirs must go beyond resolving complaints—they should symbolize the government’s commitment to responsive and inclusive governance. Dr. Joshi stressed the need for direct interactions between officials and citizens to actively incorporate public feedback into policymaking. He called for enhanced inter-departmental coordination to ensure adherence to deadlines and achieve tangible outcomes, fostering greater public satisfaction.