Inspect Madrasas, ban Muslim organizations: Sogadu Shivanna
Tumkur, Feb 18: Former minister Sogadu Shivanna urged the government to inspect all Madrasas and ban all Muslim organizations across the country.
Speaking to reporters here on Monday, he said that in view of Pulwama terror strike, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take firm decision and declare war against Pakistan. People would support the government. There was a need to take stringent actions to contain extremists and traitors, he added.
Mujahidin, SDPI and other organizations should be banned immediately. Otherwise, the country has to face serious threat. Owaisi brothers should be arrested first as they have been provoking the people.
Today, no one would believe politicians as they have involved in appeasement politics. But everyone should join hands together to protect the country, he said appealing the Prime Minister to take steps to ensure that such incidents would not repeat, he said.
Hunger strike on Feb 28
If the state government approved Express Line water project to supply water to Channapatna and Ramanagara from Tumkur through pipeline on February 28, he would stage dharna in front of the deputy commissioner’s office in Tumkur, Shivanna said.
As per the wish of Siddaganga swamiji, first water should be supplied to Devaraya Patna and Mydala reservoir. The district has three ministers, but no use at all. Now, neither the farmer leaders nor the politicians have come together to find a solution to this problem. Instead, the swamiji's have come together to find a permanent solution.
The allotted water should be supplied completely to the district and if there is surplus water, they could take it to other districts, he said.
Leaders MB Nandeesh, KP Mahesh, Jayasimha, Nataraj and others were present.
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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.
