Haryana minister Rao Narbir Singh on Friday addressed a public event in Dhanawas village, Badshahpur where he stressed the importance of fostering development in Gurugram’s rural areas alongside its urban regions.
Haryana cabinet minister Rao Narbir Singh. (PTI)
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Singh, who is the minister for industries, commerce, environment, forests, and wildlife, assured villagers that their concerns regarding basic amenities would be addressed with urgency.
“When I return to these villages, I ensure that all feasible projects listed in your demands will be undertaken,” he said. Singh visited at least 10 villages on Thursday and Friday such as Saidpur, Mohammadpur, Judola, and villages in ectors 47, 49, and 51, among others.
Singh reflected on his tenure from 2014 to 2019 and vowed to replicate the same momentum in 2024-29 through new projects aimed at setting developmental benchmarks. He addressed complaints regarding electricity, water supply, and sewer blockages, instructing officials to resolve these within a month. “The trust you’ve placed in me will be met with dedication and efforts that exceed your expectations,” he said while praising chief minister Nayab Singh Saini’s hands-on approach to governance.
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Ban on polythene use in villages
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Ban on polythene use in villages
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He also urged gram panchayats to enforce a strict ban on polythene use, aligning with the government’s environmental protection policies. “No one in the village should use polythene. Violators should be fined by the gram panchayats,” he said, encouraging residents to participate in the “One Tree for Mother” campaign to foster a positive environmental impact within five years.
He also promised swift action to upgrade schools if government standards were met. He highlighted ongoing efforts to improve infrastructure and modern facilities in government schools with support from CSR initiatives.
Community-based approach
Singh met local officials and community leaders, including Panchayati Raj executive engineer Ajay Sharma, BDO Naresh Kumar, and sarpanches from Dhanawas, Saidpur, Mohammadpur, and Judola. Singh concluded his visit with a call for collective effort to ensure sustainable development and environmental preservation in Gurugram’s villages.
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest.
Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents.
Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure.
Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing.
Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity.
Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations.
Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling.
A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.
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