Page 12 - Punjab Government

'Will withdraw plea from SC if guv gets pending RDF released by Centre'

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Saturday said the state government will withdraw its petition in the Supreme Court on the pending rural development fund (RDF) if the governor gets it released from the Centre. Cheema was responding to Governor Banwarilal Purohit's letter to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday in which he had stated it would be appropriate to wait for the decision of the Supreme Court on the state government's plea. Chief Minister Mann, in a letter on Thursday, had asked the governor to take up the issue of the pending RDF worth Rs 5,637.40 crore with the president and the prime minister. The state government had moved the Supreme Court in July on the RDF issue. On the governor's statement that the state's debt rose by Rs 50,000 crore under the AAP dispensation, Cheema asked him not to talk about debt as it was inherited from previous governments. Responding to the governor's response on the RDF issue, the finance minister said the Punjab governmen

Punjab govt has provided over 36,000 jobs in past 18 months: CM Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said his government has given 36,524 appointment letters of government jobs to the youth in the past 18 months of being in the office. Addressing a gathering during a function to hand over appointment letters to 427 recruits in power, education, forest and other departments, Mann said it is a rare feat as none of the previous governments have achieved this milestone in such a short span of its tenure. He said in the last 25 days, the state government has given appointment letters to 7,660 youth in the state. A foolproof mechanism has been adopted for the entire recruitment process due to which not even a single appointment out of these 36,524 have been challenged so far in the court, an official statement quoting Mann said. These youths have been given government jobs completely on the basis of merit, he claimed, adding that the sole aim is to ensure that Punjab's youth become active partners in the social and economic growth of the .

PRTC, Pepsu contract employees call off strike after govt assurance

After the meeting, Bhullar said that an agreement was made to implement a 5% salary hike, and orders were issued to reinstate the dismissed employees in 15 days

Punjab to host three-day tourism summit from September 11, says CM Mann

The state government will organise the Punjab Tourism Summit on September 11-13, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said on Sunday. The summit in Mohali will witness detailed deliberations on boosting the state's tourism sector, Mann said in an official statement. Deliberations will be held on topics such as Amritsar as a tourism destination, heritage tourism, eco and farm or homestay tourism, food and culinary tourism, wellness tourism and media and entertainment tourism, he said. The event will showcase the indomitable spirit of bravery, sacrifice, revolution, hard work and hospitality inherited by the Punjabis in front of the world, the AAP leader said. The chief minister added that Punjab is renowned all over the world for its warm hospitality and no stone will be left unturned to welcome the guests during these events. The state government has made elaborate arrangements for a hassle-free summit, he said.

CM Mann hands over Rs 1 cr cheque to kin of army jawan killed in Ladakh

The Chief Minister also announced suitable jobs for the kin of the jawans on compassionate grounds according to the policy

Sanyukt Samaj Morcha blames Punjab govt of delayed action to control floods

"The condition of Punjab is bad due to frequent floods. We think it is man-made, not natural. The government did not control it on time," Balbir Singh Rajewal said

Punjab schools closed till August 26 amid rains and flood-like situation

According to the state education minister, CM Bhagwant Mann has instructed to shut down the schools amid the flood-like situation in the state after intense downpour

Punjab CM Mann to inaugurate 76 'Aam Aadmi Clinics' in Sangrur on Aug 14

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will inaugurate 76 'Aam Aadmi Clinics' in Sangrur district on August 14, Health Minister Balbir Singh said here on Saturday. At present, 583 'Aam Aadmi Clinics', including 403 in villages and 180 in cities, are operational in the state, he said. More than 44 lakh people have availed the free services of these clinics and over 20 lakh medical tests have been conducted so far. The AAP government had rolled out these clinics last year. Singh further said the state government will also upgrade 40 government medical facilities -- 19 district hospitals, six subdivision hospitals and 15 community health centres -- in the state.

Punjab's GST collection rises 16.5%, excise revenue up 21% in FY24

Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday said the state has registered an increase of 16.5 per cent and 20.87 per cent in revenue from Goods and Services Tax (GST) and excise, respectively during the first four months of the financial year 2023-24. The state's GST collection stood at Rs 6,810.76 crore, and the mop-up from excise was Rs 3,033.78 crore during the April-July period of the current fiscal. Besides, it collected Rs 2,348.55 crore from Value Added Tax (VAT), Rs 76.91 crore from CST (central sales tax) and Rs 52.71 crore from Punjab State Development Tax (PSDT) during the first four months of this financial year, Cheema said in a statement issued here. He said the total revenue of Rs 11,037.17 crore was collected from these sources till the end of July 2022. In the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, the state had received a revenue of Rs 5,846.31 crore from GST, Rs 2,772.08 crore from excise, Rs 2,286.32 crore from VAT, Rs 80.84 crore from CST and Rs

As tomato prices soar, Punjab guv orders halting consumption in Raj Bhavan

Amid an alarming surge in tomato prices, Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit issued an order on Thursday temporarily halting its consumption in his household as "a gesture of solidarity with the citizens facing the impact of rising food prices". Tomato is currently selling at a rate of more than Rs 200 a kilo and its prices are likely to touch Rs 300 per kilogram in the coming days, according to wholesale traders. "Over the past few weeks, the people of State and UT have been grappling with an unprecedented escalation in the cost of tomatoes, a staple in many households across the state," according to an official release. The price surge has been attributed to various factors, including supply chain disruptions, climatic conditions and other market dynamics, it said. Recognising the burden this situation places on ordinary citizens, the governor, who is also the administrator of the Union Territory (UT) of Chandigarh, has expressed his concern and empathy for the difficulties faced

Elections to 39 municipal councils, nagar panchayats of Punjab in November

Elections to 39 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Punjab will be held between November 1 and 15, according to a government notification. By-elections to 27 wards of some municipal councils and nagar panchayats and certain wards of three municipal corporations of Bathinda, Batala and Hoshiarpur will also be held in the first fortnight of November this year. "...the general elections to elect the members of municipal councils/nagar panchayats and bye-elections of certain wards of various municipal councils/nagar panchayats (will) be held within the first fortnight of November 2023," the notification issued by the local government department read.

Girdawari to assess flood damage in Punjab, Govt pegs loss at Rs 1,500 cr

The Punjab Cabinet on Saturday gave its nod for conducting a special 'girdawari' (field inspection) by August 15 to assess the damage caused by the recent floods even as the state government pegged the estimated loss at Rs 1,500 crore. The decision was taken by the council of ministers in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann here, according to an official statement. Several districts of Punjab and Haryana were battered by a heavy downpour that left normal life paralysed and flooded vast tracts of residential and agricultural land. After the cabinet meeting, Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said the floods caused the estimated loss of worth Rs 1,500 crore to the state, though the exact amount was yet to be assessed. A total of 1,495 villages in 19 districts of Punjab were affected by the heavy rain and floods whit at least 44 people losing their lives and 22 sustaining injuries, said an official release. As many as 391 houses were fully damaged and 87

Punjab top beneficiary list under Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana

Launched in October 2020, ABRY aimed to incentivise employers for the creation of new jobs and the reinstatement of retrenched workers during Covid

Punjab suffered losses of nearly Rs 1,000 crore due to floods: CM Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Sunday that the state suffered estimated losses of nearly Rs 1,000 crore due to recent floods. A detailed report on the losses will be sent to the Union government and a relief package will be sought, he said. An on-ground assessment of the losses will be done and people will be provided compensation, he said. Several districts of Punjab and Haryana were battered by heavy rains this month that left normal life paralysed and flooded vast tracts of agricultural land and residential areas. Mann said the water level at the Bhakra dam was below the danger mark and the state government was keeping a strict vigil on the entire situation. The chief minister was here to assess the situation in the wake of incessant rains and held discussions with officers of the Bhakra Beas Management Board and other officials, according to an official release. It is a matter of great relief that the water level at Bhakra dam was still below the danger mark so t

Punjab govt didn't use Rs 218 cr aid by Centre for flood relief: Jakhar

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar Sunday hit out at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the flood situation in the state, accusing him of not utilising Rs 218 crore fund released by the Centre for relief measures. Jakhar was in Patiala to visit flood-hit areas in Sanour in the district. He was accompanied by Jai Inder Kaur, the daughter of former chief minister Amarinder Singh. Addressing the media here, Jakhar said the Central government released Rs 218 crore for Punjab without even considering the previous year's utilisation certificate of the funds meant for the disaster relief from the state government. Jakhar said people had to suffer loss of life and property because of the "gross negligence" and "inefficiency" on the part of the AAP dispensation. The state government failed to handle the flood situation and ruling party MLAs were busy in photo-ops, he charged. He alleged the state government failed to take necessary measures including cleaning of drains and the strengthening of .

Punjab govt to introduce specialised force to check road accidents

The Punjab government will raise a specialised force to streamline traffic movement and check road accidents, which claim 12-14 lives in the state on an average every day, an official said. To be raised as a part of the Punjab Police, the Sadak Surakhya Force (Road Safety Force) personnel will be deployed at national and state highways where nearly 75 per cent of road accidents occur every year. With a strength of around 1,300 personnel, the force will be equipped with modern gadgets such as body cameras and breathalysers, they said. The force will also be given interceptors to check the speed of vehicles. "Our effort is that the force will start functioning before August 15," said Additional Director General of Police AS Rai, the force's nodal officer. The state government has earmarked nearly Rs 40 crore for the Sadak Surakhya Force, he said. Its personnel will also get a special uniform, he said. "The uniform is being designed. As it will be a specialised force, its uniform wil

BSF, Punjab Police recover another Pak drone near international border

A joint team of Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police, on Sunday morning recovered another Pakistani drone near India-Pakistan International Border in Amritsar district.The drone was recovered from the outskirts of Kakkar village in Amritsar following a search operation launched by the BSF and Punjab Police on specific information.During the search, the BSF said, its troops along with police personnel recovered a drone from the farming field adjacent to Kakkar village."The recovered drone is an assembled Quadcopter," said the BSF, adding "yet another Pakistani drone was recovered by the joint efforts of BSF and Punjab Police."Earlier on Saturday, the BSF recovered a drone near India-Pakistan Border in Punjab's Tarn Taran district.The drone was intercepted at around 9.05 pm on Friday near Pallopati village in Tarn Taran district and the BSF troops immediately reacted to intercept the drone as per the laid down drill.The drone was also a Quadcopter of the model - DJI Matrice 350

Haryana khaps running awareness campaign against drugs, sensitising youth

Several khap panchayats in Haryana are running an awareness campaign against the ill-effects of drugs and also sensitising people in the rural areas on the importance of environmental protection. A prominent khap leader said many khap panchayats (caste councils) are involved in the campaign against drugs as they are apprehensive that the menace can spread in Haryana just like it has in neighbouring Punjab. "Our khap and many other khaps in Rohtak, Sonipat, Jind, Hisar and elsewhere are running the campaign against the menace of drugs. We make people, especially youngsters, aware of the ill-effects of drugs and prevent addiction," Tek Ram Kandela, the head of the Sarv Jatiya Kandela Khap, said. He also said they sensitise people on issues related to the environment when they hold panchayats in villages. "We also promote organic farming," Kandela said. On the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking last month, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had .

Chhattisgarh CM Baghel hints a big 'LPG' surprise in Cong poll manifesto

Rajasthan has given LPG at Rs 500. Something needs to be kept for the announcement and if everything will be done now then what would be for the announcement (referring to the poll promise)

1.6 mn Indians renounced citizenship in last 10 yrs, 70K gave up passports

90% of passports were surrendered in just eight states, with Goa topping the list