Page 3 - Manohar Lal Khattar

States' contribution mandatory in phase 2 of PMAY(Urban) scheme: Khattar

Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said that states' contribution has been made mandatory under the second phase of the Pradhan Mantari Awas Yojana (Urban) for the smooth functioning of the government's ambitious housing scheme. Addressing a press conference on 100 days of the Modi government, the Union housing and urban affairs minister said that there was no such provision in place earlier, adding that in the PMAY (U) 2.0, some new parameters have been added. The minister said that the Modi government in its first Cabinet meeting after the Lok Sabha elections this year approved PMAY-U 2.0 for construction of additional one crore houses for eligible urban poor and middle-class families over the next five years. "In PMAY 2.0, some parameters have been changed. States' contributions have been mandatory as there were some difficulties during the first phase of this housing scheme," Khattar said. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban 2.0 was launched by Prime Minister Narend

Draft Master Plan for Delhi 2041 will be notified soon: Manohar Lal Khattar

Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said the draft Master Plan for Delhi-2041 (MPD) is currently under consideration and that it will be notified soon. Addressing a press conference on 100 days of the third term of the Modi government, Khattar said there have been some difficulties in preparing the final draft of the MPD, adding that some suggestions that have been received from the public are being considered. The approval of MPD has been pending for one-and-a-half years. In February last year, Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena approved the draft MPD, saying that its thrust is on inclusive development, sustainability and innovative interventions such as transit-oriented development hubs, land pooling, heritage and Yamuna rejuvenation, and regeneration of the city. So far, the HUA ministry has not given its final approval to the MPD-2041. The MPD, prepared by the Delhi Development Authority, is a statutory document that facilitates city's development

Thermal capacities needed till RE supply equals demand: Power minister

There is a need to continue with installation of new thermal capacities as the supply of green power is not in line with demand, Union Minister Manohar Lal said on Monday. He also said that any call on reducing installation of thermal capacities can only be taken after 2030. The union power minister made the remarks at an event to brief 100-day achievements of the Modi-3.0 government in the national capital. "Till the supply of renewable energy does not matches the demand, it seems necessary to increase the capacity of thermal plant in the country, and reduce its installation gradually. But till 2030-35, We have to take these (thermal projects) ahead," Lal said. The government is looking to set up an additional 80 GW coal-based capacity by 2031-32. According to Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal, in 100 days of the present government, 12800 MW or 12.8 GW capacity has been awarded for construction, while 28 GW is under progress. The minister further said that the National Electricity

Govt planning to form 'Golden City Club' for top-performing cities: Khattar

The government is planning to introduce the 'Golden City Club' initiative aimed at recognising cities that consistently excel in various development indicators, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced on Friday. Khattar explained that this initiative will create a special category for cities which hold top ranks in government assessments across the country. "This year, we have devised a plan where those cities that come first every time will be grouped into a separate category called the 'Golden City Club,'" the union minister said. He further elaborated that only cities securing top positions in their respective categories would be included in the club. Each year, a new city that bags the top ranks in its vertical will be added to this prestigious club. "Every year, the top-ranking city will join the Golden City Club, and there will be separate competitions for this club," Khattar explained. However, the club will not be permanent for its members. Cities that fail to mainta

427 dumping sites cleaned across India, 4,500 acres of land freed: Khattar

Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Friday said out of 2,300 identified garbage dumping sites across India, 427 have been fully cleaned, freeing up 4,500 acres of land and asserted that the remaining locations would be cleaned in the next two years. The Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs of India, addressing media, said the nationwide garbage-free cities initiative began in 2021, with only 18 per cent of solid waste being processed at the time. Today, that figure has risen to 73 per cent. "We are currently processing 1.5 lakh tons of solid waste per day," he said, adding that the country has identified 22 crore metric tons of waste at 2,300 dump sites. Highlighting the country's progress towards creating garbage-free cities, Khattar noted that a significant portion of the cleaned land has been repurposed for development projects, including initiatives to generate electricity from waste. "Some of the projects on these lands are focused on waste-to-energy solutions," he ...

700 km of new metro lines made operational in last 10 years: Khattar

Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said 700 km of new metro lines have been made operational in the last 10 years, taking the total track length to 945 km. Metro services are now in 21 cities of the country, the housing and urban affairs minister said and added that prior to 2014, the service was operational in only five cities. Talking to reporters about the issue of additional Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors, besides the one between Delhi and Meerut, Khattar flagged resistance from the Delhi government as the cause of delay but assured that the remaining two priority corridors connecting Gurugram, Manesar and Dharuhera, and Sonepat and Panipat in the north of the national capital will soon be sanctioned. Hours after the minister's claim, the Delhi government, in a statement, said that there has been no delay on its part. "The Delhi government has already given its share of amount to fund the project," it said. "So much money has been given by the Delhi

Coaching students died due to Delhi govt's 'carelessness': Khattar

Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said the Delhi government's "carelessness" is responsible for the death of three students at a coaching institute in the national capital. Three civil services aspirants died after the basement of a building housing Rau's IAS Study Circle coaching institute was flooded following rain in central Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area on Saturday evening. I understand the agencies responsible for this carelessness is either the MCD or the Delhi government, the minister said. The minister was replying to a short discussion on the incident. He said that a similar incident happened in Mukherjee Nagar and the court had instructed the MCD to conduct a survey of institutes and make required provisions. Khattar said that 1,120 coaching institutes were issued notices in 2023 but no action was taken after the notices were issued. He said that timely action could have prevented such incidents. The minister further said that a

Hooda targets Nayab Saini govt over 'Non-Stop Haryana' slogan, CM hits back

Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda has said the Nayab Singh Saini government should change its "Non-Stop Haryana" slogan to "Full Stop Haryana" and alleged that the BJP regime has put a "full stop on investments, industrial development, job creation, crop prices" in the state. "If there is anything non-stop in the BJP government, it is unemployment, inflation, crime, drug addiction and migration of youth," the leader of opposition in the Haryana Assembly said in a statement issued here on Tuesday. His remarks were in reference to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government coming up with the "Mahra Haryana, Non-Stop Haryana" slogan ahead of the state Assembly polls due later in the year. Under the slogan, the Saini government has been spelling out the initiatives launched for various sections of the society and pointing towards the rapid progress the state has made in the last 10 years. Over the last few days, the state government has issued newspaper advertisements, touching up

Haryana govt transfers 12 IAS officers, Anurag Rastogi named new home secy

In a major administrative reshuffle, the Haryana government on Thursday transferred 12 IAS officers while appointing 1990-batch officer Anurag Rastogi as the new home secretary. According to a government order, Rastogi has been transferred and posted as additional chief secretary of home, jails, criminal investigation and administration of justice departments. In addition, as additional chief secretary, he will continue to hold his finance and planning departments. Rastogi takes over as home secretary from Chief Secretary TVSN Prasad. The reshuffle in the top bureaucracy was on the cards for some time after the Lok Sabha polls and comes months before assembly elections, due later this year. More than a week ago, in another major reshuffle, the Haryana government transferred 23 Indian Police Service (IPS) and 27 Haryana Police Service officers. Among other transfers of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, Anurag Agarwal -- the chief electoral officer and additional chief

Haryana CM Saini along with cabinet ministers to visit Ayodhya today

"Today we have also got this opportunity that today all the ministers of our cabinet are going to Ayodhya to have darshan of Lord Shri Ram," CM Saini said while addressing a press conference

Can Congress be third-time lucky in upcoming Haryana Assembly polls?

Dushyant Chautala's Jannayak Janta Party is outvoted by NOTA as Congress secures five Lok Sabha seats. ARCHIS MOHAN writes

Counter falsehood being spread by Congress: Khattar to BJP workers

Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday asserted that the BJP will return to power in Haryana for a third term and asked party workers to blunt the "falsehood" being spread by the Congress. This was his first visit to the state after being sworn in as a minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet. Khattar, a former Haryana chief minister, was given a warm welcome by BJP workers at various places including Sonipat, Panipat and Karnal. During his travel from Delhi to Karnal, the minister for power and housing and urban affairs addressed BJP workers. Khattar asked party workers to keep working on the ground for the October Haryana assembly polls as they had did during the Lok Sabha elections. Lashing out at the Congress, he alleged that during the Lok Sabha polls, the party spread falsehood that if voted back to power at the Centre with absolute majority, the BJP would abolish reservation and scrap the Constitution. "For us, the Constitution is like the holy Gita," Khattar said and as

Modi 3.0: Two-time CM Manohar Lal Khattar to balance power with housing

Khattar, considered close to PM since their time together in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, will be taking over two ministries that will shape the socio-economic growth of the country

From RSS worker to Union minister, ex-Haryana CM Khattar begins new innings

From being an RSS worker once to being hand-picked as chief minister in 2014 to being replaced with his confidante ten years later, 70-year-old Manohar Lal Khattar has seen it all. He joined the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh as a permanent member in 1977 and stayed with it for 17 years before he was made a member of the BJP in 1994. In 2014, he became the MLA for the first time and was tapped to become the chief minister of Haryana by the BJP. Ten years later, in March 2024, he was replaced by his confidante Nayab Singh Saini, to allow him a chance to become a Member of Parliament. Contesting his first Lok Sabha polls from Karnal, Khattar defeated Congress's Divyanshu Budhiraja by an impressive margin of over 2.35 lakh votes. According to some accounts, Khattar is considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who he worked with in the 1990s in party organisation. Khattar, a bachelor, worked for almost 40 years as an RSS pracharak. In 1996, Khattar started working with Modi, wh

Haryana CM Nayab Saini administered oath by Speaker Gian Chand Gupta

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was administered oath of legislator by the Assembly Speaker on Thursday here. Speaker Gian Chand Gupta administered the oath to the BJP leader in his chamber. Saini recently defeated his main rival, Congress's Tarlochan Singh to win the bye-poll for the Karnal Assembly seat, which was earlier held by party colleague Manohar Lal Khattar. In the 2019 Assembly polls, Khattar had retained the seat defeating Tarlochan Singh. Saini, the outgoing MP from Kurukshetra, had contested the by-election for the Karnal assembly seat after he replaced Khattar as chief minister. The bypoll was necessitated by Khattar's resignation as MLA from Karnal after his removal from the post of chief minister. Polling for the state's 10 Lok Sabha seats and the Karnal assembly constituency was held in the sixth phase of the general election on May 25 and the results were declared on June 4. Saini was sworn in as the chief minister on March 12. Khattar, who was field

Lok Sabha results: Trends indicate a strong hand for Congress in Haryana

Congress' Varun Chaudhry is leading in Ambala, Kumari Selja in Sirsa, Jai Parkash in Hisar, Satpal Brahmchari in Sonipat, Deepender Singh Hooda in Rohtak and Raj Babbar in Gurgaon

LS polls: Voting in Haryana for 10 seats on Saturday, ex-CM Khattar in fray

Polling in the 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in Haryana and for the Karnal assembly bypoll will be held on Saturday that will decide the fate of 223 candidates, including big guns like former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Congress' Kumari Selja. A total of 223 candidates -- 207 men and 16 women -- are in the fray in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls and more than 2 crore people are eligible to vote in the state. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini is contesting the Karnal byelection. Voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm. The BJP had won all 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana in the 2019 general elections. For the Lok Sabha elections, Union ministers Rao Inderjit Singh and Krishan Pal Gurjar, former chief minister Manohar Lal and Congress heavyweights Kumari Selja and Deepender Singh Hooda are among the candidates. Khattar, the BJP candidate from Karnal, is facing Haryana Youth Congress president Divyanshu Budhiraja. Haryana is witnessing a direct fight between the ruling BJ

Those injured in bus fire will receive best treatment: Haryana CM Saini

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has expressed grief over the loss of lives after a moving bus caught fire in the Nuh district, and assured the best possible treatment to those injured. At least nine people were burnt alive and 15 injured in the fire incident near Tauru in Haryana's Nuh district in the early hours of Saturday, police said. Saini also expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident. In a post on X, he said that the injured are being treated at the government medical college at Nalhar in the district. He also said the government is making arrangements for the best possible treatment of the injured. Former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar also expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident. The incident occurred around 2 am on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway. The bus was carrying around 60 people, all residents of Punjab, who were returning from pilgrim towns of Mathura and Vrindavan. All of them are relatives, police said. The ca

LS polls: Khattar takes on Congress' youth leader Budhiraja in Karnal

Two months after the BJP replaced Manohar Lal Khattar with Nayab Singh Saini as Haryana chief minister, the 70-year-old leader and former RSS 'pracharak' is preparing for another innings -- to enter the Lok Sabha for the first time. Though 19 candidates are in the fray from the Karnal parliamentary seat, the contest is mainly between Khattar and Haryana Youth Congress president Divyanshu Budhiraja (30). Karnal is an agricultural-industrial district in the north-central part of Haryana and is also famous for its Basmati rice. It is said to have been founded by Raja Karna who was one of the main characters in the epic Mahabharata. In October 2014, when the BJP came to power in Haryana on its own strength for the first time, Khattar, a first-time MLA from Karnal, was made the chief minister. Nine-and-a-half years later, the party handpicked Khattar's protege and Kurukshetra MP Nayab Saini to replace him as chief minister. The change of guard by the ruling BJP in Haryana came as a big

Haryana crisis: Trust vote looms over Saini govt; what numbers say. Updates

The BJP govt in Haryana led by Nayab Saini is short of two MLAs in the 90-member assembly after three Independent MLAs withdrew their support to the govt