normalnormalnormalHaryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said that technology that reduces a farmer’s input costs, lowers the need for manual labour and increases returns from crops is the real innovation for farmers. The true success of any technology should be reflected in the farmer’s account book. He said that technology is useful for farmers only when it is affordable, easy to use and can also be repaired locally in or around villages.The Chief Minister was addressing the closing session of the fifth ‘Innovative Farmers’ Meet’ organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Ladwa, Kurukshetra, on Wednesday. On the occasion, he inaugurated and visited an exhibition of agricultural machinery and interacted with progressive farmers. He said the distinctive feature of the Innovative Farmers Meet was that discussions were not confined to big cities or conference halls, but were being taken directly to farmers. *Technology Essential for Water and Soil Health* The Chief Minister said that agriculture today faces serious challenges such as weather uncertainties, increasing water scarcity and deteriorating soil health. Therefore, there is a need to move towards farming practices that can withstand changing conditions while increasing farmers’ income. He said paddy and wheat cultivation has particular significance in the region. Measures such as direct seeding of rice, crop-specific micro-irrigation and land levelling can prove useful. He urged farmers to get their soil tested and use fertilisers according to the requirements of their land. He also emphasised maintaining soil fertility through crop diversification, organic matter and scientific advice. *Benefits of One Machine Should Reach Multiple Farmers* The Chief Minister said that small farmers cannot afford to purchase every expensive machine individually. Therefore, farmer groups, cooperative societies and centres providing machinery on rent have an important role to play. The benefits of one machine should reach multiple farms. He said village youth should be trained to operate and repair farm machinery and provide agriculture-related services. This would help reduce farmers’ costs while also creating new employment opportunities in villages.The Chief Minister also called for greater focus on crop diversification. He said that wherever conditions are suitable, possibilities for cultivating pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits and other appropriate crops should be explored. He urged industries to support farmers by providing training on quality and food safety standards and helping them connect with better markets.*Training and Support to Promote Natural Farming* The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, farmers’ welfare is a priority of the government. The government is committed to increasing farmers’ income, expanding irrigation facilities, promoting natural farming, encouraging crop diversification and integrating agriculture with technology.He said that around 2 lakh farmers have registered 3 lakh acres of land on the portal launched to promote natural farming. Of these, verification of 23,930 farmers for adopting natural farming on 44,000 acres has been completed. During 2025-26, natural farming was undertaken on 20,727 acres in the state.The Chief Minister said that under the PM-KUSUM scheme, farmers are provided a 75 per cent subsidy for installing solar pumps, and 1.95 lakh solar pumps have been installed so far. He said an incentive of Rs 1,200 per acre has been provided for proper management and baling of paddy stubble. So far, Rs 907 crore has been provided as subsidy to 10 lakh farmers. *Direct Seeding of Rice Can Benefit Farmers by Around Rs 15,000 per Acre, Saves Water: Shyam Singh Rana* Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana said farmers should adopt direct seeding of rice. This can benefit farmers by around Rs 15,000 per acre, including savings of Rs 10,000 per acre in cultivation costs and assistance of Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per acre from the government. He said direct seeding also helps conserve water.Rana expressed concern that the balance of water, soil and air is deteriorating at present, while soil health is also declining. Therefore, he said, there is a need to work with greater seriousness towards conserving natural resources and establishing a sustainable agricultural system.Former Minister of State Subhash Sudha, CII Haryana Chairman Saket Bhatia, other office-bearers and a large number of farmers were present on the occasion.*CM Pays Floral Tributes to Martyr Rao Tula Ram on Haryana Veer and Shaheedi Diwas*Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday paid heartfelt tributes to the great hero of the First War of Independence of 1857 and immortal martyr Rao Tula Ram on his Shaheedi Diwas in Chandigarh. The Chief Minister said that Rao Tula Ram displayed exemplary courage, valour and patriotism in his struggle against British rule. His life and sacrifice will continue to inspire generations to come.Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said that Rao Tula Ram made an unparalleled contribution to the struggle against British rule in the south-western region of Haryana. He sacrificed everything for the freedom of his motherland and demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership during the First War of Independence of 1857.He said that even in adverse circumstances, Rao Tula Ram chose the path of struggle for freedom instead of bowing before the British regime. His sacrifice, courage and dedication to the nation continue to inspire all of us to work in the national interest.Nayab Singh Saini said that the valiant legacy of Rao Tula Ram is an important chapter in the glorious history of Haryana. His sacrifice keeps alive the memory of countless bravehearts who fought for the freedom of the nation. His inspiring legacy will continue to kindle the flame of patriotism in our hearts.The Chief Minister said that the younger generation should draw inspiration from the life, struggles and ideals of great freedom fighters like Rao Tula Ram and contribute to nation-building. His ideals will continue to inspire us to safeguard the unity, integrity and honour of the country.*Haryana accelerates Ease-of-Doing-Business Reforms; 8 Priority Areas Implemented, 14 to be implemented by next month*Haryana has accelerated its deregulation and compliance-reduction drive, pushing a series of reforms aimed at cutting red tape, eliminating duplicate approvals and speeding up services for citizens, entrepreneurs and investors, Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi said.Rastogi shared the state’s progress after participating in a review meeting chaired by Union Cabinet Secretary T. V. Somanathan on the implementation of Phase I & II of the Compliance Reduction and Deregulation Exercise. Haryana’s reform agenda spans priority areas covering land regulations, construction, utilities, industrial development, power, environment, tourism, education, healthcare and broader ease-of-doing-business measures. Haryana has already implemented 8 Priority Areas while 14 are under implementation, which will be done by the next month.Healthcare has emerged as a key pillar of the deregulation push, with Haryana moving to simplify registration and NOC requirements for medical practitioners and create a single nodal mechanism for healthcare-specific licences. The single-nodal-agency reform is under implementation, with healthcare establishment services proposed to be integrated with the Invest Haryana portal, a move aimed at replacing multiple regulatory touchpoints with a more streamlined approval mechanism, he added.Director General, Industries & Commerce, Yash Garg informed that among other significant measures, Haryana’s proposal to remove dual licences for businesses has been agreed to and approved by the Deregulation Cell. The exercise seeks to eliminate overlapping licences, approvals, NOCs and permits issued by different departments and reduce avoidable compliance for businesses.The state has also moved to liberalise regulations governing shops and commercial establishments. Registration under the Haryana Shops and Commercial Establishments framework is already a one-time registration, while further measures aimed at simplifying compliance and facilitating businesses are being pursued.The reform drive also has a strong MSME focus. Haryana has agreed to facilitate MSMEs through self-declaration, pre-establishment approvals and protection from inspection, with the measure currently under implementation. The state is simultaneously working to strengthen the role of HSIIDC and the Haryana Enterprise Promotion Centre in facilitating approvals within industrial clusters.Industrial land rules are also being liberalised. HSIIDC’s Board of Directors has allowed subdivision or fragmentation of industrial plots, including vacant plots, into up to three plots, provided none of the resulting plots is smaller than 450 square metres, subject to planning parameters, feasibility and applicable charges.Haryana has also taken steps to promote the “walk-to-work” concept in industrial areas. HSIIDC has constructed industrial labour housing over 4.6 acres in Sector 8, IMT Manesar, while another such facility is being developed over six acres at Industrial Estate Kundli.To address infrastructure gaps in older industrial areas, the government has proposed a Rs 500-crore SAKSHAM fund for infrastructure upgradation. HSIIDC has also issued a new policy for common firefighting infrastructure.Haryana is also implementing an affidavit-based clearance system under the Right to Business framework, aimed at speeding up clearances for eligible enterprises and reducing their dependence on multiple pre-establishment approvals. The measure forms part of the state’s broader shift towards trust-based regulation.The Chief Secretary said Haryana would continue to pursue the pending measures in a time-bound manner, with the larger objective of reducing compliance burden, improving service delivery and creating a more facilitative environment for businesses and citizens.normalnormalThe post CM addresses Closing Session of CII’s 5th ‘Innovative Farmers’ Meet’ in Ladwa appeared first on Chandigarh City News.