Manohar Lal Khattar, union minister for power, housing, and urban affairs, said on Sunday that young professionals would be key to addressing the governance challenges of the future. He made the remarks at the eighth anniversary of the Chief Minister’s Good Governance Associates (CMGGA) Programme in Haryana, held at Sushma Swaraj Bhavan in New Delhi.
Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar at the event on Sunday. (HT Photo)
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The event brought together former good governance associates, senior officials from Haryana, private sector partners, and 22 current associates who have been working in the state for the past 15 months. The programme started in 2016, and is the longest-running district fellowship programme across the country aimed at improving governance and public service delivery in Haryana.
“We are proud of the CMGGA programme, which has become an integral part of our governance framework. The programme is merit-based and provides young professionals with valuable social exposure and a platform for their future careers,” he said.
Dr Amit Kumar Agrawal, additional principal secretary to the chief minister and project director of CMGGA, said, “Over the past eight years, CMGGA associates have worked closely with district administrations and various state departments, and opened more than 660 Antyodaya Saral centres.”
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The event concluded with the release of a film and coffee table book documenting eight years of CMGGA’s work.
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The event concluded with the release of a film and coffee table book documenting eight years of CMGGA’s work.
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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