Haryana and British Columbia Explore Strategic Cooperation in Clean Energy, Trade and Technology
Chief Minister holds meeting with British Columbia delegation; emphasizes State–Province partnerships
Chandigarh, January 17- Underscoring Haryana’s growing global engagement and its commitment to forging meaningful international partnerships, Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini on Friday held a meeting with a high-level delegation from British Columbia, Canada, led by the Premier Mr. David Eby. The interaction focused on exploring opportunities for collaboration across key sectors and strengthening State–Province level cooperation between Haryana and British Columbia. During this Chief Principal Secretary to CM Sh. Rajesh Khullar, Commissioner and Secretary, Foreign Cooperation Department Smt. Amneet P. Kumar also remained present.
Welcoming the delegation, the Chief Minister said that the Government of Haryana attaches great importance to State–Province partnerships, which play a vital role in deepening India–Canada relations and strengthening economic, technological and people-to-people ties. He said that such engagements help translate shared democratic values into practical cooperation and long-term collaboration.
Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that British Columbia is among Canada’s most progressive provinces, with notable achievements in clean energy, technology, logistics and sustainable development. Haryana, he said, is one of India’s leading industrial and investment destinations, with strong capabilities in automobiles, electronics, IT services, agri-processing, logistics and renewable energy. He emphasized that the complementary strengths of both regions offer significant scope for mutually beneficial cooperation.
Detailed discussions were also held regarding collaboration in technology and digital sectors, including IT services, digital platforms and AI-based solutions, alongside cooperation in the agri-food and food processing sector, focusing on value-added agriculture, cold-chain infrastructure, food safety standards and export promotion.
Clean Technology and Pacific Trade Gateway of Strategic Importance
Highlighting priority areas, the Chief Minister drew attention to British Columbia’s expertise in clean technologies, its forward-looking environmental policies, strong innovation ecosystems, and the strategic importance of the Port of Vancouver as a Pacific trade gateway. These strengths, he said, align closely with Haryana’s vision for sustainable industrial growth and expansion of global trade linkages.
Growing Trade Ties Offer Significant Expansion Potential
Referring to trade relations, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that India–Canada bilateral trade, currently valued at around USD 9 billion annually, has substantial potential for further expansion. He further shared that Haryana–Canada trade, estimated at approximately USD 280 million, is steadily increasing, particularly in engineering goods, auto components, IT services and processed food products, and that British Columbia can serve as an important platform for further enhancing Haryana’s exports to Canada.
Focus on Clean Energy and Climate Action-CM
The Chief Minister assured Haryana’s readiness to cooperate in clean energy and climate action, including renewable energy projects, green hydrogen, energy storage solutions, and energy-efficient industrial processes. He also highlighted opportunities in clean technology, particularly through partnerships among startups, research institutions and industrial units, as well as pilot initiatives in Haryana’s industrial areas.
Skill Development, Education and Workforce Mobility
Emphasizing human capital development, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that skill development and education are key priorities for Haryana. He highlighted the scope for cooperation in industry-aligned skill training, academic collaboration, and student and faculty exchange programmes, and stated that Haryana is open to exploring workforce mobility opportunities, in accordance with prescribed regulations, particularly in sectors such as clean energy, technology and manufacturing.
Strong Presence of Canadian Companies in Haryana
The Chief Minister also highlighted the growing presence of Canadian companies in India, including CGI, Brookfield, SNC-Lavalin, BlackBerry, Apotex, Sun Life, Manulife, Royal Bank of Canada and Scotiabank. He said Haryana has emerged as a key hub for Canadian businesses, with companies such as Sun Life Global Solutions (Gurugram), Brookfield India REIT and SOTI Inc. having a strong presence in the state.
The Chief Minister expressed confidence that this meeting would help certainly identify priority sectors and pilot initiatives, and pave the way for future institutional arrangements such as MoUs or Letters of Intent, thereby strengthening Haryana–British Columbia cooperation in the coming years.
Institutional Framework key to Strengthening Haryana’s Global Partnerships- Pawan Choudhary
Advisor to the Chief Minister, Foreign Cooperation Department, Sh. Pawan Choudhary said that Haryana is following a structured, focused and outcome-driven approach towards international engagement. He emphasized that the state is actively working to build institutional frameworks with global partners to ensure that discussions lead to concrete projects, policy collaboration and long-term partnerships. He said that engagement with provinces such as British Columbia aligns with Haryana’s strategy to attract quality investments, advanced technologies and global best practices, while ensuring sustainable and inclusive growth.
The British Columbia delegation included David Eby, Premier of British Columbia; H.E. Chris Cooter, High Commissioner of Canada to India; Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth; Ms. Leslie Teramoto, Deputy Minister, Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat; Mr. Fazil Mihlar, Deputy Minister, Jobs and Economic Growth; Mr. William Hoyle, Assistant Deputy Minister, Jobs and Economic Growth; Ms. Jeanette Lam, Acting Executive Director, Trade and Invest BC; Ms. Shruti Joshi, Director of Outreach and Stakeholder Relations, Office of the Premier; Mr. Prashanth Nair, Managing Director, BC India Office, Canadian High Commission, New Delhi; and Mr. Rajesh Sharma, Trade Commissioner, British Columbia, Consulate General of Canada.
==========================
Digital Policing Strengthens Citizen Safety and Transparency - ACS Home, Dr. Sumita Misra
Chandigarh, January 17 - Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Dr. Sumita Misra today said that the adoption of digital policing platforms marks a significant step towards making policing more transparent, responsive and citizen-friendly. She said that technology-driven initiatives under the Digital Police framework are empowering citizens while simultaneously enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of law enforcement agencies.
Dr. Misra said that the Digital Police portal (https://digitalpolice.gov.in/), developed under the Ministry of Home Affairs, provides a comprehensive platform for citizens to access a wide range of police services online. These include filing crime-related complaints, reporting cyber-crimes, tracking the status of complaints, obtaining copies of FIRs, and accessing information related to missing persons, stolen or recovered vehicles, and wanted criminals. The platform also enables citizens to seek antecedent verification for domestic help, drivers, tenants and prospective employees, as well as to obtain Police Clearance Certificates (PCCs), thereby reducing the need for repeated physical visits to police stations.
Highlighting the citizen-centric nature of the initiative, the Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department said that services such as missing person search, vehicle NOC generation, locating the nearest police station and accessing proclaimed offender information have made police services more accessible and time-efficient. She added that the facility for blocking lost or stolen mobile phones and unblocking recovered devices through the CEIR system has proved particularly useful in safeguarding citizens against misuse of stolen devices.
Dr. Misra further noted that the Digital Police ecosystem is equally beneficial for policing and internal security. Platforms such as Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) Search, Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) Search, monitoring of terrorism-related cases, cyber training modules and crime analytics tools are strengthening investigation, data-driven policing and inter-agency coordination. National-level databases, including those related to sexual offenders, human trafficking offenders, offenders of foreign origin and fake currency networks, are enabling faster identification of offenders and more effective crime prevention strategies.
She said that these digital tools are helping Haryana Police align with national best practices in smart policing by ensuring better use of data, technology and analytics for investigation, policy formulation and service delivery. Dr. Misra emphasised that the integration of citizen services with advanced investigative platforms reflects the government’s commitment to balancing public convenience with robust internal security mechanisms. She added that continued capacity building and awareness among both citizens and police personnel will further strengthen the impact of digital policing initiatives in Haryana
================================================
CM digitally releases over Rs. 858 crore under key welfare schemes; Major Push to Women Empowerment, Farmers’ Prosperity and Household Welfare
A total amount of Rs. 659 crore is being released as grants and incentives to farmers under five agriculture-related schemes
Chandigarh, January 17- In a significant step towards inclusive and people-centric governance, Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday digitally released substantial financial assistance under multiple flagship welfare schemes, reinforcing its commitment to women empowerment, agricultural sustainability and household welfare. An amount of Rs. 858 crore released under key welfare schemes including Rs. 659 crore for farmers under five agriculture-related schemes.
While addressing a press conference here today, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that guided by the visionary leadership of Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi, these initiatives reflect a holistic development approach aimed at strengthening social security and improving the quality of life of citizens across the State.
A total amount of Rs. 659 crore is being released as grants and incentives to farmers under five agriculture-related schemes
Reaffirming that farmers remain at the core of government policies, the Chief Minister said, sustained efforts are being made to make agriculture a profitable and future-ready sector so that farmers’ children remain connected to farming. Acting on the principle of supporting farmers at every stage—from seed to market—the government today released a total of Rs. 659 crore as grants and incentives under five agriculture-related schemes, he said. An amount of Rs. 461.75 crore as incentive to 5,54,405 farmers who did not burn crop residue, under the Crop Residue Management Scheme. Rs. 85.10 crore as subsidy for 9,885 crop residue management machines provided to farmers. Rs. 75.54 crore as incentive to 31,605 farmers adopting Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR). Rs. 15.75 crore to 13,500 farmers under the Mera Pani – Meri Virasat scheme for the Kharif season 2025–26. Rs. 20 crore as price difference compensation to 4,073 farmers engaged in potato and cauliflower cultivation, under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana.
An amount of Rs. 181 crore was transferred into the bank accounts of 8,63,918 eligible women beneficiaries
The Chief Minister shared that as part of its focused efforts on women empowerment, the government released the third installment of the Deen Dayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana. Under this installment, an amount of Rs. 181 crore was directly transferred into the bank accounts of 8,63,918 eligible women beneficiaries. With today’s release, a total of Rs. 441 crore has been disbursed so far in three installments to eligible girls and women under the scheme. The Deen Dayal Lado Lakshmi mobile application, launched on September 25, 2025 on the occasion of the 109th birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya ji, has seen encouraging participation, with 9,98,650 women applying through the app by December 31, 2025 out of which 8,63,918 were found eligible, shared Sh. Nayab Singh Saini.
Sh. Nayab Singh Saini further shared that to ensure wider inclusion, the scope of the scheme has been expanded from January 2026. Earlier, only families with an annual income of up to Rs. 1 lakh were eligible; this threshold has now been increased to Rs. 1.80 lakh, enabling more daughters and sisters to benefit. He said that eligibility has also been extended to mothers whose children study in government schools and have secured more than 80 percent marks in Class 10 or 12 board examinations, or have achieved grade-level competency in Classes 1 to 4 under the NIPUN Bharat Mission, or whose children have been successfully rehabilitated from severe or moderate acute malnutrition. These benefits are subject to verification through the Parivar Pehchan Patra, with the condition that the family’s annual income does not exceed Rs. 1.80 lakh and the mother has no more than three children, he said.
Notably, under the Deendayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana, each eligible woman is provided financial assistance of Rs. 2,100 per month. From February 2026, Rs. 1,100 will be credited directly into the beneficiary’s savings bank account, while the remaining Rs. 1,000 will be deposited in a government-operated recurring deposit or fixed deposit account. The accumulated amount, along with the interest earned, will be paid to the beneficiary upon maturity, ensuring both immediate support and long-term financial security.
Meanwhile, providing relief to households, the government released Rs. 18.56 crore as gas cylinder refill subsidy under the Har Ghar–Har Grihini Yojana. The amount was credited directly into the bank accounts of 6,08,842 women beneficiaries. Under this scheme, eligible women are assured a gas cylinder every month at a subsidised cost of Rs. 500. The subsidy released today pertains to the month of October 2025, and the subsidy amounts for November and December 2025 will be released shortly.
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare’ Minister, Sh. Shyam Singh Rana, Additional Chief Secretary, Social Justice, Empowerment, Welfare of Scheduled Castes & Backward Classes and Antyodaya (SEWA) Department, Smt. G. Anupama, Principal Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Department, Sh. Pankaj Agarwal, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Dr. Saket Kumar, Director General, Information, Public Relations, Languages & Culture Department, Sh. K. Makrand Pandurang, Director General, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Sh. Anshaj Singh, Director, Social Justice, Empowerment, Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and Antyodaya(SEWA), Sh. Prashant Panwar, Media Secretary to Chief Minister, Sh. Praveen Attrey also remained present on this occasion.
==========================================
Anti-Farmer, Anti-People Welfare Policies of Congress and AAP Turn ‘Rangla Punjab’ into ‘Kangla Punjab’- CM
One cracks jokes, the other listens — neither cares for farmers, says CM
Mann Government made tall claims of compensation even for poultry during floods, but delivered nothing on ground –CM
Chandigarh, January 17- Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, stating that their policies have pushed Punjab into a severe crisis, turning the once-prosperous ‘Rangla Punjab’ into ‘Kangla Punjab’. Both parties have no concern for public welfare and are only interested in enjoying power and personal gains. Punjab has fallen far behind on the development front, and people there are deeply worried about the state’s future, he added.
This growing concern is the reason people have now made up their minds that Punjab’s development is possible only under the leadership of Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi, said Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, while interacting with mediapersons at Haryana Niwas on Saturday.
Congress pushed Punjab to the margins, AAP crossed all limits
Responding to a question, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that the Congress was responsible for pushing Punjab to the margins, while the Aam Aadmi Party crossed all limits of governance. He alleged that AAP has gone even four steps ahead of the Congress in matters of public exploitation and corruption. He said that both the Congress and AAP have jointly exploited farmers for political gain.
Farmers blamed for pollution, but ignored after coming to power
Referring to former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister said that when Kejriwal was Delhi’s Chief Minister, he repeatedly blamed farmers of Punjab and Haryana for pollution in Delhi. However, despite the Aam Aadmi Party being in power in Punjab for the last four years, neither Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann nor Arvind Kejriwal has taken any concrete steps for the welfare of farmers. Taking a scathing dig, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini remarked, One cracks jokes, the other listens. Neither of them has any concern for farmers.
Insulted farmers over stubble issue, gave no solutions in Punjab
The Chief Minister said Arvind Kejriwal insulted farmers of Haryana and Punjab over the issue of stubble burning. He said that the BJP government in Haryana has put in place a proper system to resolve the stubble problem so that farmers are not forced to burn crop residue. Questioning Kejriwal, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini asked him to explain what steps have been taken for farmers in Punjab. He said farmers there have received no benefits and have only been insulted and defamed.
Big promises of compensation during floods, but no delivery
Referring to the recent natural disaster in Punjab, the Chief Minister said that during the floods, the Punjab Chief Minister made tall claims. He pointed out that Bhagwant Mann even publicly announced compensation for poultry losses, but nothing was actually delivered on the ground.
Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that while Bhagwant Mann spoke about providing compensation of Rs. 20,000 per acre, Arvind Kejriwal later claimed in Gujarat that compensation of Rs. 50,000 per acre had been given in Punjab. He questioned who pocketed the remaining Rs. 30,000, highlighting the contradiction and lack of transparency.
Congress responsible for farmers’ condition
The Chief Minister said the Congress ruled the country for 55 years but failed to do anything meaningful for farmers. He asserted that the present condition of farmers is the result of Congress policies. Under the guidance of the Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi, he said, the double-engine government has implemented several schemes in the interest of farmers, and the BJP government has worked to empower and strengthen them. He advised the Punjab government to focus on real work on the ground instead of making hollow statements.
Political rivals in public, partners when convenient
Targeting both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that although the two parties claim to be political rivals, they enter into mutual understandings whenever it suits their interests.
Referring to his visits to Punjab, he said people there are now openly admitting that they were misled by false promises. Many have said they were kept in the dark, which is why they alternated between Congress and AAP in the past.
The Chief Minister said that Punjab has suffered badly due to corruption and exploitation, and in these matters, the policies of the Aam Aadmi Party are even more dangerous than those of the Congress.
I am an ordinary party worker, fulfilling my responsibilities with commitment- CM
Responding to questions about his frequent visits to Punjab, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that he is touring Punjab continuously while discharging his responsibilities as an ordinary worker of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He said whatever responsibility the party assigns to him, he carries it out with full dedication and sincerity as a disciplined worker.
Replying to another question, the Chief Minister said that during the Maghi Mela at Sri Muktsar Sahib, the Congress party did not even arrange a stage to honour the Gurus, reflecting its lack of respect for religious and cultural traditions.
When asked whether the Bharatiya Janata Party would contest the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections on its own, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini clarified that the final decision will be taken by the party’s top leadership. He reiterated that his role is limited to performing the duties entrusted to him by the party, which he continues to fulfil with commitment.
The Chief Minister further said that people from Punjab frequently come to meet him at his residence. He added that visitors often return only after fixing dates for programmes, even if it takes until late at night, reflecting the growing public outreach and engagement.