People bid tearful farewell to CRPF jawan H Guru
Bengaluru, Feb 16: Sobbing parents and wife of braveheart H Guru, who was killed in the Pulwama terror attack, fainted during his funeral in Mandya district and emotional slogans rent the air as his mortal remains were consigned to flames with full State honours Saturday.
Thousands of people, including Union Minister Sadananda Gowda, turned up at his remote Gudigere village to pay their last respects to the martyr.
Earlier the tricolour-draped casket carrying his mortal remains was brought by a special plane at the HAL Airport where chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, union minister D V Sadananda Gowda, state home minister M B Patil, and others paid homage by laying wreaths on the coffin.
As the body was taken to his home village by a convoy of Army vehicles, thousands of people stood on both sides of the road all along from Bengaluru to his home village, a distance of about 100 km, holding the tricolour.
Emotional slogans like 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', 'Vande Mataram', 'Veer Yodha Guru Amar Rahe' and 'Pakistan Murdabad' rent the air as the convoy passed through.
In many places, schools declared holiday for children to pay their last respects to the slain soldier.
At many places, people blocked roads to pay homage to the martyr.
Police had the tough time clearing the blockade.
Throughout the journey, people showered flowers on the vehicle.
Man people followed the convoy in their vehicles.
Some people waving the tricolour were at the front of the convoy.
Emotions ran high as the body reached the village.
While his relatives were inconsolable, his father, mother, wife Kalavathi fainted several times.
A gun salute was offered before the body was consigned to flames.
People wept openly when Kalavathi saluted the coffin containing her husband's mortal remains and said 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Veer Yodha Guru Amar Rahe.'
Kumaraswamy, deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, Union Minister Sadananda Gowda and several other politicians and officers reached the village and attended the last rites.
The chief minister announced a Rs 25 lakh solatium to the bereaved family and a government job for Kalavathi.
In a goodwill gesture, actress Sumalatha, widow of actor-politician Ambarish announced donating half-an-acre of land in Gudigere to build a memorial for the martyr.
Kumaraswamy's actor son Nikhil Kumaraswamy is at Gudigere trying to console the bereaved family members.
Many business establishments in the prime business area of the city, Chikpet and surrounding places remained closed to condemn the attack and pay homage to the departed souls.
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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.
