Rahul Gandhi meets Pahalgam terror attack victim Lt Vinay Narwal's kin in Karnal
Chandigarh: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday met the family members of Navy officer Lt Vinay Narwal, who was killed in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Accompanied by senior Congress leader B K Hariprasad, who is the party's Haryana affairs in-charge, the LoP reached Karnal in Haryana in the afternoon. Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan, Congress' Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda and party leader Divyanshu Budhiraja were also present when Gandhi arrived. After paying his tributes to the Naval officer upon reaching his residence, Gandhi spent more than one-and-a-half hours with Narwal's family. Speaking to reporters later, Hooda said Gandhi consoled the family.
Himachal CM directs to clear employment on compassionate backlog within a year
Shimla: Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday directed to clear the backlog of employment on compassionate grounds within a period of one year. While presiding over a high level meeting on Compassionate Employment Policy, he said that income criteria will be raised from Rs. 2.50 lakh to Rs. 3 lakh per annum, adding that the backlog of compassionate employment will be cleared in three phases and directed to give priority to the widows and orphans below the age of 45 years. At present, there are 141 widows and 159 orphans falling in this criterion. Sukhu said that in the second phase eligible individuals falling in the low income group would be given priority for compassionate employment and the remaining candidates will be offered jobs in the third phase.
MC Conducts Briefing Session on Rain Water Harvesting for RWA Members
Chandigarh: The Municipal Corporation Chandigarh organized a comprehensive briefing session for members of various Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) at the Jal Shakti Kendra, Water Works, Sector 37, to promote awareness and understanding of Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) technology and the construction of structures/pits for water conservation. The session was attended by engineering staff and officials from the Municipal Corporation, RWA representatives from different sectors, and water conservation experts. The aim of the session was to encourage RWAs to adopt sustainable water management practices and assist them with the technical aspects of implementing rainwater harvesting systems within their respective residential areas. Amit Kumar, Commissioner, MC Chandigarh said that this initiative is part of the ongoing efforts under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, reflecting the commitment of the MCC towards sustainable urban development and efficient water resource management.
Awaaz Ghar: The First-Ever Punjabi Audio Library Launched
Chandigarh: A new chapter in Punjabi literature and knowledge-sharing begins with the launch of Awaaz Ghar, the first-ever Punjabi audio library, dedicated to preserving and promoting the richness of Punjabi language and literature. The platform brings a vast collection of Punjabi books, spanning literature, history, poetry, and folklore, to audiences worldwide through digital audio. At launch, Awaaz Ghar offers over 700 audiobooks, with an additional 300 titles currently in processing. Furthermore, new books will continue to be added every month, expanding the collection and ensuring fresh content for listeners. Available via its own dedicated app on iOS and Android, and accessible through the web, Awaaz Ghar also distributes its content on global streaming platforms like Spotify and many more, ensuring that the voices of Punjab reach listeners everywhere. It will also distribute its collection to major libraries, universities, and schools, integrating seamlessly with their existing digital platforms. This initiative aims to make Punjabi literary heritage more accessible to students, researchers, and general readers who prefer audio learning.
Manish Tewari inaugurates installation of CCTV Cameras in Ramdarbar
Chandigarh: City MP Manish Tewari on Tuesday inaugurated the installation of 56 Close Circuit TV Cameras to enhance the safety and security of residents in Ramdarbar. Speaking on the occasion, he said that there is a great demand for CCTV cameras from across the city, whether it is the villages or the colonies or the sectors itself. Everywhere people and their representatives want close circuit TV cameras installed, because of apprehensions with regard to the general safety and security of the area. He said that he had written to the Director General of Police, Chandigarh providing a list of where all CCTV cameras have been given under the MPLAD scheme and where they are going to be given in future, so that they could be integrated into the police surveillance network, either at the integrated command control I-CCC level or at the local level of the police thanas and beat boxes.
Haryana govt takes action against six officers in illegal mining case
Chandigarh: Taking strict cognizance of the illegal mining activities, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has directed chargesheets against six officers of the Mining Department with an illegal mining case in Nuh district. He has also directed action against staff from the Panchayat and Forest Departments found involved in the case. An official spokesperson said that a complaint was received regarding the extraction of mining material beyond the permitted limit in a mining lease between November 2011 and January 2025 in village Rawa of Ferozepur Jhirka tehsil, Nuh district. The Department of Mines and Geology conducted a detailed investigation and found that illegal mining had indeed taken place. Taking strict cognizance, the Chief Minister directed that six officers of the department be chargesheeted. The officers who have been chargesheeted include Assistant Mining Officer R.S. Thakran, and Mining Officers Bhupender Singh, B.D. Yadav, Rajender Prasad, Anil Kumar-2, and Anil Atwal.
Himachal CM directs to expedite school Principals' promotion process
Shimla: Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while chairing a meeting of the Education Department, has directed the officers to expedite the promotion process of the posts of Principals in Government Senior Secondary Schools. He said that government employees play a crucial role in the development of the State, and it was therefore imperative to ensure that they receive their due benefits in a timely manner. He said that the state government was bringing about several positive reforms in the education sector and the results of these reforms were visible and the state has made a remarkable improvement in national education rankings. He said that the teachers of the state were playing an important role in realizing the aim of providing the best quality education to the students.