Page 11 - Bhagwant Mann

Punjab govt to modernise secondary healthcare institutions: CM Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Friday announced the launch of a special project to modernise the state's secondary healthcare institutions at an estimated cost of over Rs 400 crore. Chairing a meeting here to review the healthcare sector, Mann said under the first phase of the project, district hospitals, sub-divisional hospitals and community health centres (CHCs) in larger rural areas will be strengthened on priority, according to an official statement said. These facilities will be developed as ultra-modern healthcare facilities where people can avail quality treatment, the release added. Mann said 40 such facilities, including 23 district hospitals, have been identified for a facelift in the first phase. The chief minister stressed that the state government has already given a major boost to primary healthcare services by opening more than 500 'Aam Aadmi clinics' in the state, the statement added. These clinics are acting as a cornerstone in providing free-of-cost health

CM Mann bats for optimum utilisation of MGNREGA, boost to rural development

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday batted for optimum utilisation of the MGNREGA scheme to give a boost to development in rural areas and provide livelihood opportunities. He was chairing a meeting here to review the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme. The chief minister called the scheme important as it provides enhancement of livelihood security, giving at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household, whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. He said the scheme has been implemented in all districts across the state since April 2008, adding that the state government will enhance the budget of this ambitious scheme up to Rs 2,000 crore. It is heartening to learn that 11.53 lakh active job cards are there in the state, said an official release quoting Mann. He bemoaned that the wage rate notified under the scheme for the state is Rs 303 less in comparison to the neighbouring

Prepared to provide uninterrupted electricity for paddy sowing: Punjab CM

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said the state government is fully prepared to provide uninterrupted power to farmers for paddy sowing. In a statement issued here, Mann said like the previous year, the state government has decided to commence sowing of paddy across the state in a phased manner. Sowing started from June 10 in some parts of the state. The remaining areas will be covered on June 16, 19 and 21, he said. Mann said the state has been divided into four zones to implement sowing mechanisms in an effective manner. In the first phase, transplantation in areas beyond the fence across the border started from June 10, the statement said. "From tomorrow, uninterrupted power will be ensured in the second phase to seven districts -- Ferozepur, Faridkot, Pathankot, Sri Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurdaspur, SBS Nagar and Tarn Taran," Mann said. In the third phase, paddy transplantation will be done from June 19 in Rupnagar, SAS Nagar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Fazilka, Bathinda

Punjab Cabinet led by Mann approves job regularisation of 14,239 teachers

In a major pro-people decision aimed at strengthening the education sector, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday approved to regularise the services of 14,239 teachers

In cash-strapped Punjab, CM Mann sits tight on OPS, focuses on freebies

The latest spanner is that the Central government has slashed the state's borrowing limit from Rs 39,000 crore to Rs 21,000 crore

Punjab govt to provide 277,000 private job to youth in state: CM Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said that after giving more than 29,000 government jobs to youths in the last one year, the state government will now ensure 2.77 lakh jobs to them in the private sector. Mann said it is a matter of great pride and satisfaction that the AAP government has so far provided more than 29,000 jobs to the youths in various departments of the state government. He claimed that it is a record as none of the previous governments have given so many jobs to youths, especially in the first year of their tenure. According to an official statement, Mann said that merit and transparency have been the twin pillars on the basis of which job opportunities have been given to the youths across the state. With this, the state government is making strenuous efforts to generate new jobs in the private sector also, he said. "So far, due to the massive efforts made by the state government, an investment worth around Rs 48,000 crore has been roped in for Punjab,

Punjab govt to set up Road Safety Force to avert accident: CM Mann

Expressing concern over the fatalities due to road accidents in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said a Road Safety Force will be formed in the Punjab Police to avert accident. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating a Regional Driving Training centre here, the chief minister said that on a daily basis around 14 people die in road accidents in Punjab. Mann said the force will be entrusted with the task of checking rash driving, and streamlining vehicular movement on roads and others to prevent road accidents. This move will reduce the burden on cops deployed in police stations, Mann said in an official statement. He further informed that the Regional Driving Training Centre is equipped with hi-tech technology and it will give major relief to people who want to get heavy vehicle licences, thereby saving their time, money and energy. Mann said the state government is making all-out efforts to remove the blind spots on the roads to avert any casualties. The

Punjab to construct high-security digital jail near Ludhiana: CM Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday announced the construction of a high-security digital jail over 50 acres of land near Ludhiana

Punjab CM writes to Centre, seeks allocation of another 1K MW electricity

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has written to the Centre, seeking allocation of additional 1,000 MW of electricity for the upcoming paddy season. In a letter to the Union minister for Power R K Singh, CM Mann pointed out that the state's generation capacity was limited to about 6,500 MW, whereas the peak demand is likely to touch 15,500 MW in the summer season. To meet the peak demand of electricity of 15,500 MW in forthcoming paddy/summer season, Mann requested the assistance of power up to 1,000 MW from June 15 till October 10, that may be allocated to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) from central sector generating stations. In the letter, Mann said the state power utility, PSPCL, is keeping a continuous watch over the power availability on the PUShP (High Price Day Ahead Market and Surplus Power) portal. "As the demand of electricity cannot be reliably met through the collective transaction segment of power exchange, the state is in definite need of firm ...

Punjab CM denies affiliation of Haryana colleges with Panjab University

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday said he has rejected a proposal of affiliation of Haryana colleges with Panjab University, saying the Chandigarh-based university has always been connected with Punjab's legacy and heritage. He was speaking after holding a meeting with his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar over the matter. The meeting was also attended by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit. Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh has always been connected with Punjab's legacy, heritage, emotions, culture and literature, Mann said while addressing media after the meeting. We have told them that it is a no from our side, he said. The chief minister recalled that the PU was shifted from Lahore, the then capital of Punjab, to Hoshiarpur and then to Chandigarh, the present capital of Punjab. He said at present, 175 colleges of Punjab and 30 colleges of Union Territory Chandigarh are affiliated with the PU. The first meeting in this regard was held on June 1 in which Punjab

Punjab CM declines Z plus security, says has confidence in state police

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's security team has declined the Z plus security cover offered to him by the Centre by deploying a Central security force

Wrestlers planning to immerse medals in Ganga shameful for country: CM Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Tuesday said it was shameful for the country that the wrestlers planned to immerse their medals in the Ganga as they were fed up with the central government. He said the grapplers were moved to take the decision faced with the central government's unbudging stance on their demand for action against Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused by them of sexually harassing several female player. Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia, all of them country top wrestlers, along with hundreds of their supporters, reached Har ki Pauri in Uttarakhand Tuesday to immerse their medals in the Ganga. A huge crowd gathered in Har ki Pauri as the protesting wrestlers got ready to immerse their world championship and Olympic medals in the river as a mark of protest against outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. In his tweet, Mann said, "After being fed up with the Central government, the international me

Punjab CM announces digitisation of land records for easy access to people

He also directed officials to properly maintain record rooms at state, as well as district and sub division levels

Punjab CM to skip NITI Aayog meet amid AAP's ongoing tussle with Centre

Amid the bickering between the AAP and the Centre, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has decided to skip the Governing Council of NITI Aayog on Saturday as a mark of protest

Punjab CM sanctions Rs 20 cr for installation of CCTVs in border areas

DGP Punjab Gaurav Yadav has also declared a reward of Rs 1 lakh for providing information on drone movement leading to the recovery of weapons/narcotics

Paddy sowing for kharif season to begin from June 10 in Punjab: CM Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday said that the state government is fully prepared to ensure smooth and hassle-free sowing of paddy crop during the upcoming kharif season across the state. According to an official statement here, the chief minister said that as per the suggestions received from farmers, the state government has decided to commence the sowing of paddy across the state in a phased manner. He said that the paddy sowing will begin on June 10, 16, 19 and 21 in different parts of the state. The state has been divided in four zones to implement this sowing mechanism. To ensure smooth irrigation in a staggered manner, the first phase will begin on June 10 with transplantation in the cultivable land near the international border areas. Mann said that uninterrupted power from June 16 will be ensured in the second phase to seven districts -- Ferozepur, Faridkot, Pathankot, Sri Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurdaspur, SBS Nagar and Tarn Taran. In the third phase, paddy ...

Punjab to launch drive to preserve flora & fauna around water bodies: CM

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday announced launching a drive to preserve the flora and fauna along with recharging the water table to save water for the coming generations.

Punjab scaling new heights of development under AAP govt: Kejriwal

Punjab was scaling new "heights of development" under the Bhagwant Mann government, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday as he sought votes for his party's candidate for the May 10 Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll. Addressing a roadshow along with Chief Minister Mann on the second day of his visit to Punjab, Kejriwal also referred to the 300 units of free electricity being provided to people in the state. The Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll was necessitated by the death of sitting Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary in January. AAP has fielded former MLA Sushil Rinku for the contest. Campaigning in Shahkot, Kejriwal told people that they have voted for the Congress for 60 years and asked them to give AAP a chance now, saying if they do not like his party's work, then "do not vote for us in the 2024 general elections". Praising the AAP dispensation for the work done in Punjab in the last year, Kejriwal claimed several people have told him that they have not seen such a governme

With Punjab's debt at Rs 3.12 trn, CM's OPS promise faces uphill challenge

The government says the OPS scheme is expected to benefit more than 4,100 employees in the next five years alone

Why can't common people have free power, healthcare benefits: Punjab CM

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday dismissed the criticism that the AAP government was doling out freebies, asking why can't common people get free power and healthcare when similar benefits are extended to elected representatives. Launching 80 more Aam Aadmi Clinics with his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, he said these health facilities have helped the government in preparing a database of diseases prevalent in Punjab and combating them effectively. More than 25.60 lakh people have benefited from these clinics, he added. Mann said opponents target AAP for giving free power, free treatment and free education to people. "We say when leaders get free power, when exchequer bears all their medical expenses, why cannot it be done for the common people too," he said. With the launch of the new clinics, the total number of these health facilities in Punjab has reached 580. Speaking at the event, Kejriwal said an "honest government" in Punjab is making opponents jittery. "