Hitender Rao is Senior Associate Editor covering the state of Haryana. A journalist with over two decades of experience, he writes on politics, economy, migration and legal affairs with a focus on investigative journalism.
Articles by Hitender Rao
Punjab, Haryana dig in as water row intensifies
Even as Punjab officials boycotted the BBMB meeting, state police continued to control the Bhakra headworks at Nangal, prompting the board to demand their removal and restoration of dam control
Published on May 04, 2025 12:03 PM IST
Punjab, Haryana dig in as water row intensifies
Even as Punjab officials boycotted the BBMB meeting, state police continued to control the Bhakra headworks at Nangal.
Updated on May 04, 2025 04:52 AM IST
Graft cases against IAS officers: Haryana declines to grant approval to FIRs against Ashok Khemka, IAS colleague
Khemka, a now retired 1991 batch IAS officer, was booked in April 2022 by the police for allegedly making appointments in an illegal and arbitrary manner during his stint as managing director of Haryana State Warehousing Corporation (HSWC).
Published on May 03, 2025 08:26 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Bhakra water dispute Centre intervenes, calls chief secys of 4 partner states for meeting today
Union Home secretary Govind Mohan has convened a meeting of chief secretaries of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan, the four partner states of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), on May 2 at New Delhi to work out a solution.
Published on May 02, 2025 06:38 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Punjab, Haryana lock horns yet again over Bhakra waters
Punjab caps allocation of Bhakra water to Haryana at 4,000 cusecs as against 8,500 cusecs decided by BBMB technical committee
Published on Apr 30, 2025 07:14 AM IST
Hitender Rao /Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Freebies, a cause of concern but what would qualify as one: Panagariya
Chairman of the sixteenth Finance Commission Arvind Panagariya has said that the competitive populism displayed by states doling out freebies is a cause of concern for the Commission, but it is struggling to address the question as to what would qualify as a freebie
Published on Apr 29, 2025 07:28 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Haryana makes pitch for higher devolution of revenue from Centre
Haryana's BJP government seeks increased revenue devolution from the Centre, urging the 16th Finance Commission to revise criteria for equitable fiscal distribution.
Published on Apr 29, 2025 07:22 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Housing for BPL families in Gurugram: Haryana govt scraps flat allotments following detection of irregularities
Officials said that chief minister, Nayab Singh Saini approved the cancellation of allotments of flats last week and ordered that they be allotted through e-auction.
Published on Apr 23, 2025 07:16 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
{Dhirendra Brahmchari’s Aparna Ashram land} Governor reserves bill for Prez consideration
This also means that the state government will have to wait longer to wrest control of the moveable and immoveable assets of the Society.
Published on Apr 22, 2025 07:44 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Gurgaon land deal: 7 yrs on, hardly any progress in probe
Tuesday’s questioning of Vadra by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case originates from the FIR registered by Haryana police on September 1, 2018 against former chief minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Vadra and others.
Published on Apr 16, 2025 06:44 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Securing contract staff’s jobs turns tricky in Haryana
Orders to dispense with the services of contract employee with the most length of engagement and not covered under the 2024 Act set to invite litigation
Published on Apr 05, 2025 07:24 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Supply to farm sector: Haryana govt’s subsidy bill to shoot up with power rate hike
Farmers will continue to get highly subsidised power at a tariff of 10 paisa per unit in 2025-26 with the state government continuing its commitment by pitching in with ₹5,400 crore as rural electrification (RE) subsidy in 2025-26 budget estimates.
Published on Apr 03, 2025 06:40 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
{Revenue generation} Haryana to crack whip on delayed property registration
For allottees who fail to register deed of conveyance within a specified period, the state government is planning to impose a stipulation whereby the allottee will have to pay stamp duty at the current collector rate.
Published on Apr 02, 2025 09:10 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Haryana plans to take over Dhirendra Brahmchari’s Aparna Ashram land
The state government will introduce a Bill in the state assembly during the ongoing budget session to facilitate the takeover of the assets of the Society.
Published on Mar 26, 2025 06:49 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Haryana budget: Focus on women, AI but dip in capex a worry
The budget outlay of ₹2.05 lakh crore ( ₹2,05,017.29 crore) was about 8% higher than the ₹1.89 lakh crore ( ₹1,89,876.61 crore) presented by Saini’s predecessor Manohar Lal Khattar, while presenting the 2024-25 budget estimates last year
Published on Mar 18, 2025 09:46 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
HT Interview: Infra push, farmer welfare prime focus, says Haryana CM
Nayab Singh Saini will complete a year as Haryana chief minister on March 12.
Published on Mar 06, 2025 06:45 AM IST
HT This Day: February 20, 2007 -- Peace train attacked: 66 dead, talks on, security revamped
The Indian and Pakistani governments called the blasts an act of terror aimed at derailing the peace process between the two countries. No group has claimed responsibility
Published on Feb 19, 2025 03:57 PM IST
Haryana law officer misled the court: HC
Suppressing material facts, misrepresenting or misleading the court constitutes a serious violation of prosecutorial ethics
Published on Feb 12, 2025 05:54 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
2004 HCS selections: HC quashes prosecution of four HCS, one HPS officer
The HC judgment of 2016 is binding on Vigilance Bureau as it has been upheld till Supreme Court. Thus, investigation, which continued qua petitioners after the decision of LPA 1168 of 2015 was illegal and invalid and amounted to overriding the order passed by a court – Justice NS Shekhawat
Published on Feb 07, 2025 07:40 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Perpetual dissenter, Anil Vij at it again
If it was Manohar Lal Khattar with whom the veteran leader was at loggerheads during BJP’s previous two tenures, it is his successor Nayab Singh Saini who is now in the line of his fire.
Published on Feb 05, 2025 09:04 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Corruption case against CBI/PMLA judge:HC recommends Haryana to grant sanction to prosecute judicial officer
Parmar, an additional district and sessions-rank judge, was holding charge of special CBI and PMLA courts in Panchkula when he was booked by the Haryana anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on April 17, 2023.
Updated on Jan 25, 2025 05:18 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Gurgaon land release case: Out on bail in Bihar’s job for land scam, Delhi businessman to face trial in Haryana
A CBI court in Panchkula on December 4 listed the trial case for January 20, 2025 for consideration on charge
Updated on Jan 10, 2025 06:40 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Dadupur Nalvi irrigation scheme: Haryana move to return 1K acres suffers setback after HC order
Denotification of land acquired by the state government for public purposes means that the land will be returned to the original landowners after recovering the compensation amount paid to them for acquisition.
Updated on Jan 04, 2025 06:28 AM IST
OP Chautala: Jat strongman and five-time Haryana chief minister
Near-mythologised for his rustic charm, Om Prakash Chautala, the eldest son of former deputy Prime Minister Chaudhary Devi Lal, was a force to reckon with
Updated on Dec 21, 2024 06:44 AM IST
{Power deficit measures} Haryana ties up for nuclear power from Rajasthan plant
The projected average power deficit is 1,557 MW in 2025-26 which will surge to 4,423 MW in 2034-35: Haryana Power Purchase Centre
Updated on Dec 14, 2024 06:30 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Just 6 weeks to retire, IFS officer set to get top job in forest dept
Chief minister Nayab Saini is learnt to have ordered Jagdish Chander’s appointment as head of forest department, overriding the fact that his functioning would get hampered in view of the restrictions imposed by the chief secretary on officers having two months of service left.
Updated on Nov 18, 2024 08:10 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Haryana to enact law to provide job security to contractual educators
The Council of Ministers had in August 2024 approved an ordinance to provide job security to about 1.20 lakh contractual employees.
Updated on Nov 16, 2024 06:02 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Witnessing the advent of modernity and country’s changing social fabric
At 101, Ranjit Singh Sandhu reflects on life from a mud hut to modern comforts, witnessing societal changes and cherishing family amidst evolving times.
Updated on Nov 09, 2024 08:08 AM IST
Haryana first state to clear Dalit sub-quotas
Haryana will subclassify Scheduled Castes into two groups for job reservations, following a Supreme Court ruling, aiming to better represent disadvantaged communities.
Updated on Oct 19, 2024 05:24 AM IST
BJP balances caste, regional aspirations in govt formation
Due consideration was also given to the caste factors while selecting these lawmakers for induction in the council of ministers. Since seven Brahmins and six Ahirs were elected as BJP MLAs, the party picked two Brahmins – Arvind Sharma and Gaurav Gautam and two Ahirs – Rao Narbir Singh and Aarti Singh Rao for ministerial berths.
Updated on Oct 18, 2024 09:48 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh