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
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
Monthly stipend for women, 50% quota for deprived SCs soon after BJP 3.0 swearing-in
BJP functionaries said that the soon to be constituted Council of Ministers headed by the newly elected leader of the BJP legislature group, Nayab Saini will approve Lado Lakshmi Yojana entailing a monthly stipend of ₹2,100 to every woman in the state in its first meeting likely to take place on October 18. The yojana was announced by the BJP in its 2024 assembly poll manifesto.
Updated on Oct 17, 2024 08:34 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Haryana: 10 ministers likely to take oath with Saini
The BJP is likely to keep at least three slots vacant while announcing member of the new Council of Ministers in Haryana.
Published on Oct 16, 2024 10:12 PM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Haryana assembly elections: Inability to consolidate non-Jats, failure to pacify rebels did Congress in
The Congress, which led in 42 assembly segments when it won five out 10 Lok Sabha seats during the 2024 general elections, failed to touch the 40-seat mark in the Haryana assembly elections.
Updated on Oct 10, 2024 06:16 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
CM Saini meets PM Modi day after BJP stormed back to power in Haryana
Saini said he had done his duty and that the party’s parliamentary board and the lawmakers would elect their leader
Published on Oct 09, 2024 11:44 AM IST
Haryana election: Behind BJP’s third term, last-minute gamble that paid off
A second senior party leader, also asking not to be named, attributed the BJP’s win to the polarisation of non-Jat voters.
Updated on Oct 09, 2024 10:21 AM IST
BJP’s former ally JJP faces brunt of anti-incumbency in Haryana
Ex-deputy CM Dushyant Chautala, who had won from Uchana Kalan in 2019 by 47,452 votes, is trailing at sixth place; not a single candidate is even remotely in the contest in any of the 66 constituencies the Jannayak Janta Party is contesting.
Published on Oct 08, 2024 02:36 PM IST
BJP-led Haryana government ‘keen’ on granting parole to Ram Rahim
The self-styled godman has often been accused of trying to influence his followers to vote in a particular manner in the assembly elections.
Updated on Oct 01, 2024 04:50 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Dera chief seeks parole again; poll panel questions reasoning
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples, has once again sought a temporary release on a 20-day parole.
Updated on Sep 29, 2024 07:32 AM IST
Hitender Rao, Chandigarh
Haryana polls: Grandchildren vie for Bansi Lal’s legacy in bitter battle for Tosham
Estranged cousins Shruti Choudhry (BJP) and Anirudh Chaudhary (Congress) face off for family stronghold of Tosham, while BJP rebel Shashi Ranjan Parmar, who is contesting as an Independent, threatens to play spoilsport.
Published on Sep 27, 2024 02:40 PM IST