Nayab Singh Saini Gives Strong Rebuttal to Opposition on Celebration of Birth Anniversaries of Great Personalities and Mining Issues

5 Dariya News

Chandigarh 17-Mar-2026

Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini gave a strong reply to the opposition during the Budget Session regarding allegations on objections raised in the CAG report on expenditure for celebrating birth anniversaries of great personalities, and questions related to the Prasad Committee report on mining.

Sh. Nayab Singh Saini strongly responded to the allegation made by Dr. Kadian regarding objections raised by the CAG on expenditure incurred for celebrating birth anniversaries of great personalities in the state. The Chief Minister said that any society draws guidance from its history, traditions, and great personalities, which shape its future. Keeping this in view, the government launched the Sant-Mahapurush Vichar Samman Evam Prasar Yojana in 2022. 

Under this scheme, a total of 21 birth anniversaries of great personalities were celebrated at the state level with full dignity and respect during 2025–26, with an expenditure of Rs. 10.72 crore. The objective of these events was to inspire society through the ideas, struggles, and ideals of those great personalities who contributed significantly to nation-building.

He listed several personalities whose anniversaries were celebrated, including Prajapati Jayanti, Guru Gorakhnath Ji, Bhagwan Vishwakarma Jayanti, Maharishi Valmiki Ji, Dhanna Bhagat, Maharana Pratap Jayanti, Bhagwan Parshuram, Ahilya Bai Holkar, Sant Kabir Jayanti, Dr BR Ambedkar Jayanti, Jhalkaribai, Baba Makhan Shah and Baba Lakhi Shah Banjara, Goswami Tulsidas Ji, Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, Agrasen Jayanti, Dada Kushal Singh Dahiya, Shoorsaini Jayanti, Sen Bhagat Jayanti, Guru Brahmanand Jayanti, Veer Bal Diwas, Guru Ravidas Jayanti, Maharishi Kashyap Jayanti, and Pandit Jasraj Jayanti.

He said that honouring great personalities is not related to any one party or ideology, but reflects respect for the shared heritage of society. Today, the youth and new generation are drawing inspiration from the lives of these icons through such programmes. Therefore, calling it unnecessary expenditure or a scam is also disrespectful to these great personalities.

He questioned Dr. Kadian that if he believes the government should spend less than an average of Rs. 50 lakh per celebration in 2026–27, he should specify which personalities’ anniversaries should be curtailed. Rejecting the allegation as baseless and misleading, the Chief Minister clarified that no such CAG report has been received by the government raising any objection or irregularity regarding expenditure on these celebrations.

He also invited the opposition members to suggest names of any other great personalities whose birth anniversaries should be celebrated, assuring that such events would be organized with due respect and dignity. Responding to a demand raised by another member of the House regarding the development of a memorial site in the name of Bhagwan Parshuram, he informed that the state government has decided to develop a park and memorial on 4 acres of land in Sector-26, Rohtak, through the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran.

On the issue of mining raised by another member, Bharat Bhushan Batra, the Chief Minister said that no accident has been reported since the suspension of Dadam mine in May 2022. He informed that earlier, in compliance with directions of the Hon’ble Tribunal in case OA No. 169/2020 (Kuldeep vs State of Haryana), a six-member inquiry committee was constituted on July 20, 2021, under the chairmanship of retired Hon’ble Justice Sh. Pritampal to ensure an independent and fair investigation.

He further stated that after an incident in Dadam mine on January 1, 2022, in which six people lost their lives, the NGT took suo motu cognizance and constituted an eight-member committee. Subsequently, on January 18, 2022, another committee headed by Sh. S.S. Prasad was formed to investigate the matter. 

The committee submitted its report based on departmental records, field inspections, technical facts, and expert opinions. The Prasad Committee, in its report dated September 16, 2022, made five key recommendations. It observed that as per the mining plan, the leaseholder was required to maintain a slope of at least 70 degrees and create benches of 10 meters width and 10 meters height. 

However, contour mapping by the Director, Mines and Geology, Haryana found slopes between 75 to 80 degrees, and the required benches were not created. These violations led to excess extraction of minerals, and the committee recommended imposing penalties after assessing the excess extraction.

He informed that a departmental committee, during its inspection on July 21, 2022, assessed 6,67,537 metric tonnes of illegal mining. The illegal mining area was found to be 6,019.5 square yards, while the Deputy Commissioner, Bhiwani reported encroachment over 6,732 square yards, leaving a difference of 712.5 square yards to be resolved.

The Chief Minister said that about 5.45 hectares area has been identified as highly sensitive, where mining should be carried out only after implementing corrective measures suggested by the Directorate General of Mines Safety, Ghaziabad. He added that blasting activities cause vibrations leading to instability in loose rocks, and further investigation on this aspect is required. A robust monitoring mechanism is also necessary for environmental safety.

He said that out of the five recommendations, three relate to environmental clearance and two to illegal mining. He added that based on the reports submitted by the committee headed by retired Justice Sh. Pritampal on March 25, 2022, and the eight-member committee on April 1, 2022, show-cause notices have already been issued to the concerned firm by the NGT.

Concluding, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that the government has conducted the entire investigation process in the mining case with full transparency and seriousness, effectively addressing the allegations raised by the opposition.