Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has announced that potato growers will now benefit from the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana.

An official spokesperson said on Thursday that an outstanding Rs 46.34 crore for 2023-24 has been disbursed among farmers under the scheme.

In addition, farmers have been advised that if potato prices fall, they should consider storing their crops in cold storage to safeguard their produce and income.

The government introduced the Bhavantar Bharpai scheme, an initiative aimed at making farmers in the state risk-free.

The primary objective of the scheme is to protect farmers from financial losses due to a decline in selling prices in the wholesale markets.

The Haryana government on Wednesday clarified the allegations by former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda about the loss of Rs 5,000 crore in illegal mining, saying that there is no mention of loss due in the CAG report.

Quoting the recent CAG report, Congress leader Hooda claimed that the total loss due to illegal mining was Rs 50,000 crore during the 10-year stint of the BJP government.

A spokesman for the Mines and Geology Department said that upon verification of the fact it was found that the report in question pertains to 2019 and there is no mention of a loss of Rs 5,000 crore due to illegal mining.

“The report has already been discussed in December 2022 in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). While there were some findings based on the geospatial survey of sand and gravel mines, no specific loss of Rs 5,000 crore due to illegal mining or scam was identified by the CAG as alleged by Hooda,” he said.

In a step to enhance horticultural practices, the Haryana government on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Birmingham to establish the first-of-its-kind Haryana-UK Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Crop Post-Harvest Management and Cold Chain for horticulture crops.

The centre, located in Panchkula, aims to significantly reduce post-harvest losses while maintaining the quality and freshness of horticultural produce from the farm to the consumer.

The pact was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana.

On behalf of the government, the pact was signed by Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Raja Shekhar Vundru, while Prof Robin Mason, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International), University of Birmingham, signed on behalf of the university.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), Shyamal Misra chaired a meeting with different departments to discuss various projects, to further resolve any on-ground hindrances, improve the civic services and accelerate the ongoing infrastructure development works being undertaken in the city.

The matter of incomplete connectivity of surface drains under NHAI with the master stormwater drains of GMDA was raised in the meeting.

GMDA officials said that storm water drains laid by NHAI along Iffco Chowk, Signature Tower, Jharsa Chowk, Manesar Bus Stand, and Hero Honda Chowk among other key locations are yet to be linked with the master drain of GMDA, in the absence of which waterlogging occurs during the monsoon season.

The Gurugram Traffic Police have issued 147 challans worth Rs 14.70 lakh for modified silencers mostly by Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles and pressure horns from January 1 to January 31, officials said on Tuesday.

Out of 147 challans 56 challans were issued for modified silencer and 91 challans for pressure horns.

Earlier the traffic police had issued 753 challans worth Rs 75.30 lakh in the previous year. ‘Silencer blast’, technically an offence called ‘silencer making noise’ under Sections 120 of Central Motor Vehicle Rules and 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, is usually performed by switching the engine off and suddenly on again when the motorcycle is at a high speed and a sound like that of a firecracker is produced. It is usually done in very heavy-engine motorcycles like the Bullet, police said.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday said following the municipal elections, various public development projects would be fast-tracked and new projects would also be implemented at an accelerated pace.

The Chief Minister made these remarks during a programme organised by party workers in Narnaund town.

He urged the workers to ensure the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates in the civic elections and to push for further development of the region.

In view of the model code of conduct (MCC) imposed after the announcement of the Municipal Election in Haryana, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Wednesday said that it removed multiple political advertisements including posters, banners, hoardings, wall paintings, signage, and flags from four zones of the city.

The civic polls will be held in a single phase on March 2, and the counting of votes will take place on March 12.

The nomination submissions will continue until February 17, with the candidates allowed to file their papers between 11 am and 3 pm on working days, excluding holidays.

The nominations for the post of Mayor will be accepted in the SDM Court and nominations for the councillor from different wards will be accepted in various other government offices in Gurugram, Sohna, Manesar and Pataudi.

On February 18, the nomination papers will undergo scrutiny and by February 19, the candidates can withdraw their nominations between 11 am and 3 pm.

Haryana Environment, Forest and Wildlife Minister Rao Narbir Singh on Wednesday said the government has been increasing the greenery through afforestation in Aravalli, one of the oldest mountain ranges in India that starts from Delhi and runs mostly through Rajasthan.

Spanning over 1.15 million hectares, the Aravalli Range covers parts of Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana.

To enhance the environmental balance in the region, the initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- Mission LIFE (Lifestyle for Environment) -- along with the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' programme is a commendable step, he said.

In line with this, Haryana has prepared an outline of the Aravalli Green Wall Project, inspired by similar efforts in Saudi Arabia, aimed at increasing the region’s greenery. Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav will officially inaugurate the project on February 6.

In a major relief to ‘arhityas’ (grain commission agents), the Haryana Cabinet on Tuesday approved reimbursement to compensate for the weight loss due to moisture during the Rabi procurement of 2024-25.

The government will bear an expenditure of Rs 3,09,95,541 to compensate for losses incurred by the ‘arthiyas’.

The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, also approved the amendment to the Haryana Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act of 1961.

With this, a piece of land in Shamilat Deh, which was leased out before the commencement of the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Rules, 1964, by the Collector under the Haryana Utilisation of Lands Act, 1949, for 20 years has been excluded from the ambit of Shamilat Deh.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini on Saturday expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the Union Budget 2025-26, saying it will provide a new boost to the country's development and play an important role in making the state self-reliant.

The Chief Minister highlighted that the Budget has been designed to benefit all sections of society. Haryana will also benefit from the Budget's provisions, which will aid the state's continued progress and development.

Describing the Budget as a strong foundation for a Viksit Bharat, CM Saini highlighted that it will further empower the youth, the poor, the women, and the farmers.

He said the Modi government has identified these four groups as the pillars of a developed India.