Pledge secured from social media platforms on curbing posts that affect poll process: CEC
Indore, Nov 13: Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat Tuesday said a pledge has been secured from social media platforms stating they would curb the flow of posts which adversely affect the election process in the country.
Interacting with reporters here, he said the poll watchdog had made several attempts to curb the misuse of social media during elections.
"We have separately held talks with the national and regional heads of all important social media platforms and secured a pledge from them that they will stop the flow of all such posts that are likely to adversely affect the election process," he said.
Rawat said the expenditure on poll advertisements on social media will be added to the expenses of the candidates. Information would also be collected from the social media officials about the sponsors of such election advertisements.
In response to a question, Rawat said the EC has a strong mechanism in place to review the manifestos of political parties.
"We have made a firm commitment to review the electoral manifesto of all parties according to the Supreme Court's guidelines," he said.
Prior to his interaction with the media, Rawat held a meeting of top officials of police and administration of Indore, Ujjain and Narmadapuram divisions in the state and reviewed the preparations for the election.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer V L Kantha Rao was also present in the meeting along with several senior officials of the ECI.
Rawat expressed confidence that the EC would be successful in conducting free and fair assembly elections across the state on November 28.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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.
