Chandigarh (Balwinder Singh): Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini met with a delegation of women journalists from the Women Journalists Welfare Trust on Monday to discuss media challenges, women’s empowerment, and regional development initiatives. Accompanied by his Media Advisor Rajiv Jaitley, the Chief Minister lauded the morale of women moving forward in the field of journalism despite its inherent professional difficulties. Saini emphasized that the state government is functioning with speed and transparency, noting that he personally reviews information and updates received through public media channels to address governance issues.
Reflecting on the administrative achievements of the past eleven years, the Chief Minister reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a developed nation, identifying women, youth, farmers, and the underprivileged as the four vital pillars of growth. Saini highlighted that the nationwide “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” campaign was launched directly from Haryana, yielding significant demographic shifts across local panchayats where female birth rates have surpassed male birth rates. He noted that the state has honored these panchayats and designated female sarpanches as brand ambassadors to sustain this social progress.
The Chief Minister expanded on economic empowerment programs, highlighting the growing network of self-reliance groups across Haryana. Saini shared testimonies from a recent indigenous fair in Panchkula where local women achieved financial independence through these collectives. He stated that women associated with these self-help groups are currently managing the Atal Canteens across regional grain markets. Furthermore, he noted that the state has taken a leading role in implementing the federal “Namo Drone Didy” initiative to train women in agricultural drone technology.
Addressing broader inter-state and development concerns, Saini criticized the neighboring Punjab administration regarding past flood management and agricultural compensation delivery, stating that the electorate would respond to these shortcomings in upcoming polls. He drew comparisons between Haryana’s immediate distribution of monthly financial aid of ₹2,100 to women and unfulfilled financial pledges in Punjab. For regional infrastructure, the Chief Minister announced a major pipeline project from the Munak Canal to ensure drinking water supply to Gurugram and Nuh, noting that a tender worth approximately ₹2,000 crore has been finalized. He added that wastewater management plans involving sewage treatment plants in low-lying sectors near Sohna are actively underway alongside ongoing federal consultations regarding the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue.
