Gujarat : Farmer attempts suicide at CM Rupani's programme
Ahmedabad, Nov 11: A farmer Sunday attempted suicide by consuming pesticide at a public gathering of Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in Pransli village of Gir Somnath district police said.
Mashribhai Dodiya was upset with local authorities for failing to remove an encroachment on a panchayat land at the entrance of his farm in Dolasa village in Kodinar taluka of the district, Gir Somnath Superintendent of Police Rahul Tripathi said.
"Someone has illegally captured a panchayat plot outside the agricultural land belonging to the farmer, making it hard for him to enter his own land. Orders had already been issued by the collector to remove the encroachment but local authorities have not acted upon it," the SP added.
Dodiya consumed pesticide as soon as CM Rupani started addressing the public at the village where he earlier inaugurated a new marketing yard, Tripathi said.
"The victim was held by the police deployed at the venue and rushed to a government hospital in Veraval. Doctors have said his condition is stable," he said.
Dodiya told reporters that the encroachment of the panchayat land, which he claimed was the handiwork of the land mafia, had made it difficult for him to enter his own farm.
"Some land mafia closed the road leading to my farm by encroaching upon a land. I had approached the chief minister, who had ordered that the encroachment be removed, but nothing has happened so far," Dodiya said.
"I have made repeated appeals to the village Panchayat officials and the taluka development officer (TDO) but in vain. Fed up of running around, I decided to end my life," he told reporters at the hospital.
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
