normalnormalnormal Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini flagged off the ‘Samta’ Marathon dedicated to Bharat Ratna Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar from Yavanika Park, Sector-5. He said that the run symbolizes the state’s unwavering commitment to social justice, equality, and rights.Earlier, upon his arrival at the venue, the Chief Minister was accorded a rousing welcome by youth and children. He warmly acknowledged their greetings and interacted with the gathering. Besides flagging off the marathon, he also boosted the participants’ morale by showering flowers on them. Amid chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram,” the participants enthusiastically ran up to Tau Devi Lal Sports Stadium, Sector-3, spreading a strong message of unity and brotherhood.Extending his greetings and best wishes on the occasion of Baba Saheb’s 135th birth anniversary, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said that Baba Saheb’s life is an extraordinary saga of struggle, sacrifice, and determination. He dedicated his entire life to the upliftment of those sections of society that had remained deprived and exploited for centuries. He said that Baba Saheb not only gave India its Constitution but also an enduring ideology rooted in the principles of equality, justice, and fraternity. Today’s ‘Samta’ Marathon, he added, serves as a powerful medium to carry this ideology to every citizen.The Chief Minister emphasized that the Marathon conveys a clear message that no form of discrimination, inequality, or injustice is acceptable in society. He called upon everyone to work together to build an India where every individual has equal opportunities, every citizen is treated with dignity, and no one is deprived of their rights. He said that this was Baba Saheb’s vision and remains the very soul of the Constitution.The Chief Minister affirmed that the Haryana Government is fully committed to upholding and advancing Babasaheb’s ideals. He said that numerous schemes have been launched for the welfare of every section of society, with the aim of ensuring that the benefits of development reach the last person in the queue. He added that whether through scholarship schemes in education, employment opportunities, or social security initiatives, the state government is consistently working to ensure equality and justice at every level.He emphasized that the present government firmly believes that holistic development of the state and the nation is not possible until every section of society is empowered. Therefore, he said, continuous efforts are being made to formulate policies that bring marginalized sections into the mainstream.Interacting with the youth, the Chief Minister said that they are the future of the nation and that the responsibility of building an empowered and egalitarian society rests on their shoulders. He recalled that Baba Saheb had described education as the greatest weapon and had urged people to “Educate, Agitate, and Organize.” He stressed that these words must be internalized and reflected in our lives, adding that only through education, awareness, and unity can meaningful and positive change be brought about in society.Paying homage to Babasaheb, the Chief Minister called upon the people to follow the path shown by him. He urged everyone to join hands in building an India founded on the values of equality, justice, and fraternity.Among those present on the occasion included Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Krishan Kumar Bedi, BJP State President Mohan Lal Badoli, Rajya Sabha MP Rekha Sharma, Chairperson of the Haryana State Commission for Women Renu Bhatia, former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Gian Chand Gupta, Deputy Commissioner, Satpal Sharma, Additional Director of the Department of Information, Public Relations, and Languages Varsha Khangwal, Additional Director, Manish Lohan, along with other senior officers and dignitaries.Haryana Approves Houses for 2,646 Urban Poor Families Under PMAY-U 2.0Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi Chairs Key Meeting to Fast-Track Affordable Housing for EWS/LIG/MIG FamiliesIn a major push towards providing affordable housing to urban poor and middle-class families, Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi on Monday presided over the 3rd meeting of the State Level Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (SLSMC) under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) 2.0, approving housing projects for 2,646 beneficiaries across 60 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the state.The high-level meeting reflected Haryana’s accelerating momentum in implementing the Central Government’s flagship housing scheme, which aims to provide pucca houses to families belonging to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS), Lower Income Group (LIG) and Middle Income Group (MIG) categories in urban areas.Commissioner & Secretary, Housing for All Department, Mohammed Shayin informed that as many as 1,69,483 applicants have so far registered their housing demand through the Unified Web Portal of the Government of India, underlining the enormous public confidence in the scheme. Of these, 97,584 applications fall under the Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC) vertical, while 71,899 are under the Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) category.Out of the BLC applications, 46,902 applicants have been validated so far — with 17,465 accepted and 29,437 rejected after scrutiny — and 12,552 houses have been geo-tagged, a key step for releasing Central funds to beneficiaries.17,430 Families Get GoI Approval; ₹1,304 Lakh ReleasedIn a significant milestone, projects for 17,430 beneficiaries have already been approved by the Government of India in the 1st and 5th meetings of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) held on March 20, 2025 and October 15, 2025 respectively, for construction of their pucca houses under PMAY-U 2.0. The Centre has further released ₹1,304.40 lakh as the first instalment of Central Share for 2,174 houses — putting the dream of homeownership firmly within reach for thousands of families.2,646 New Beneficiaries Approved in Today’s MeetingIn today’s SLSMC meeting, the Committee took up and approved projects of 2,409 beneficiaries from 51 ULBs. In the meantime, projects of an additional 237 beneficiaries generated by 9 more ULBs were also received and considered, taking the total number of beneficiaries approved in this round to 2,646 across 60 ULBs — a clear sign of the scheme’s expanding reach across the state’s urban landscape.Under the BLC vertical of PMAY-U 2.0, eligible beneficiaries receive financial assistance of Rs. 2.50 lakh (Central Share of ₹1.50 lakh + State Share of ₹1.00 lakh) for constructing an all-weather, multi-storied pucca house with a minimum carpet area of 30 sqm and maximum of 45 sqm.Capacity Building Plan Approved for 2025-26 and 2026-27The meeting also approved the Annual Capacity Building Plans for both FY 2025-26 and FY 2026-27 to strengthen the implementation machinery at the state and city levels. Under these plans, 32 City Level Technical Cell (CLTC) clusters have been proposed to cover all 87 ULBs and 3 Urban Development Authorities (UDAs) across Haryana through a cost-efficient cluster approach.The total budget proposed for capacity building in FY 2025-26 stands at ₹704.45 lakh, while the plan for FY 2026-27 envisages a budget of ₹772.85 lakh — to be shared between the Centre and State in a 60:40 ratio. Activities covered include establishment of State Level Technical Cell (SLTC) and CLTCs, geo-tagging, third-party quality monitoring, social audit, training workshops, and exposure visits.Haryana Committed to Housing for AllThe PMAY-U 2.0 scheme, launched by the Government of India with effect from September 1, 2024, is being implemented in Haryana with full administrative backing. The state has already executed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Centre, constituted the SLAC and SLSMC committees, and issued detailed instructions to all ULBs for smooth rollout of the scheme.DG, Housing for All, Ganesan, Commissioner and Secretary, Urban Local Bodies, Ashok Kumar Meena, and other senior officers were present in the meeting.normalnormalThe post CM flags off ‘Samta’ Marathon dedicated to Dr. Ambedkar in Panchkula appeared first on Chandigarh City News.