On the solemn occasion of Good Governance Day, I bow in reverence and pay my heartfelt respects to former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji, whose ideals continue to illuminate the path of public service.

Good governance, which essentially means effective, transparent, accountable, and inclusive management of public affairs and resources to meet societal needs, has been, and remains, the mantra of the Haryana Government.

Charting the e-governance route, it has taken pointed and decisive steps in the last eleven years to modernise administration, facilitate delivery of services to the people in a time-bound and hassle free manner, and ensure inclusive growth. Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji, Former Prime Minister and a great statesman, whose birthday, December 25, is observed as Good Governance Day (Sushasan Diwas), is remembered as an icon of good governance in India.

His model of governance was characterised by his ability to balance ideological commitments with pragmatic, inclusive, and people-centric administration. He was of the firm conviction that the ultimate goal of governance is to improve the lives and ensure welfare of the people, especially the poor and the marginalised. Shri Vajpayee Ji had a special emotional connection with Haryana.

He visited and stayed in Haryana on several occasions. It is notable that on December 24, 1987, he also visited the Haryana Legislative Assembly to witness the proceedings during a session. Taking a cue from the thinking of Shri Vajpayee ji, and drawing inspiration from the vision of our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, who feels that good governance requires political will, transparency, accountability, and people’s participation for which e-governance is a key tool, the Haryana Government has made systemic reforms.

These have been designed to ensure that the administration bends to the needs and convenience of the people; goes to their doorsteps; services are made available on-line; doors are slammed shut on graft; and touts and middlemen who would undertake to do a job for a consideration, are shown the gate. Levers have been pressed to ensure that policy matters are decided after feeling the pulse of the stakeholders. Decisions are taken to serve public interest by leveraging the principles of rule of law and participation to facilitate equitable development and empowerment of citizens. Efforts have been made to foster an ecosystem in which all citizens, especially the vulnerable, have a voice, and get equal opportunities.

The state government stands committed to serving the people; make the man in the street feel the ease of living; and industry, the ease of doing business. Multiple interventions have been done to realise the vision of the Prime Minister of transforming India through e-governance, and reduce the gap between people and welfare schemes to nil. Most of the services in Haryana are now just a click away. Good governance reforms have facilitated the people to reap the benefits of all welfare schemes either from the comfort of their home, or by visiting the nearest Community Service Centre. Thanks to the flagship scheme Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP), gains from most schemes are now delivered to the people in an auto mode, and money is deposited directly into their bank accounts, courtesy the DBT scheme. As one becomes a senior citizen, he gets his pension credited into his account; property deals are registered online (50,000 so far); farmers get payment for the crops procured into their accounts now in 48 hours, not 72; and all staff transfers are made online.

From pioneering forensic set-up enabling the police to crack open intractable cases defying solutions for years to AI-enabled emergency response systems; and from women’s safety initiatives to result-oriented cybercrime crackdowns; the Haryana Police are setting new standards in citizen-oriented policing with a human touch. With focus on innovation, transparency, and citizen-first strategies, Haryana Police have logged a perfect score of 100 in August 2025, retaining its top position in national performance rankings. These initiatives are not isolated efforts; they form a part of a broader vision to use technology as a tool to ensure service delivery and transparency by minimising interface between the seeker and the giver. Haryana’s tech-driven governance model demonstrates how digital platforms can help simplify complex administrative processes while empowering citizens.

Modernisation of land and revenue records stands out as a milestone reform. By scanning, verifying and digitising crores of pages of revenue records, Haryana has not only preserved vital documents but also ensured easy access to citizens. This has helped reduce the number of disputes and litigations, improve trust and streamline administrative processes.

Setting up of modern revenue record rooms has further strengthened institutional capacity. Citizens now experience faster services, reduced paperwork and enhanced accountability, courtesy digitisation of registration services and e-stamping system. Effective land governance is fundamental to economic stability and social justice. Recognising the fact that land ownership as a critical factor in economic inclusion and rural development, Haryana has implemented SVAMITVA scheme, a transformative step in securing property rights. Issuance of property cards has enabled landowners to access institutional credit.

This reform not only strengthens economic empowerment but also enhances legal certainty and social security for families. Since good governance thrives on transparency and accountability, Haryana has taken concrete steps to make administrative systems more open, accessible and citizen-friendly. Registration offices have been modernised, and services have been decentralised through e-Disha centres to take them nearer homes. The introduction of web-based platforms has significantly reduced delays and improved monitoring. Citizens can now track their applications, access records, and receive services without unnecessary administrative hurdles. Decidedly, these reforms have brought people and the government closer.

Determined to foster a culture of excellence and innovation in public administration, Haryana has introduced the Haryana Good Governance Award Scheme 2025 (Haryana Sushaasan Puraskaar Yojana 2025), to incentivise and recognise government employees who demonstrate extraordinary dedication and innovative approach at work.

This is just a beginning. The state government is determined to accelerate the pace of reforms to serve the people better. Haryana is forging ahead on the highway to good governance, and there is no stopping and stalling on this journey.