Page 6 - Punjab Government

Lawrence Bishnoi interview: Punjab Police suspends 2 dy SPs among 7 cops

The Punjab Police has suspended seven personnel, including two deputy superintendent rank officers, in connection with an interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi while in police custody. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police, led by the special director general of police (human rights), found that one interview of Bishnoi was conducted when he was in Punjab Police's custody in Mohali's Kharar while the second was done in Rajasthan. The suspension came after the SIT found dereliction of duty on the part of the seven personnel. According to an order of the Punjab home secretary issued on Friday, SP Gursher Singh Sandhu, DSP Sammar Vaneet, sub-inspector Reena (CIA Kharar), sub-inspector Jagatpal Jangu, sub-inspector Shaganjit Singh, assistant sub-inspector Mukhtiar Singh and head constable Om Parkash have been suspended. "Keeping in view the sensitivity of the case, all the above officers have been suspended," said the order. The home secretary order referred to the S

Ram Rahim to face trial for 2015 sacrilege, Punjab govt grants nod

The development follows the Supreme Court lifting the Punjab and Haryana High Court's stay on Dera Sacha Sauda head Ram Rahim Singh's trial in the 2015 sacrilege cases three days ago

Polling for gram panchayats underway in Punjab amid tight security

Polling for gram panchayats in Punjab was underway amid tight security arrangements on Tuesday, officials said here. They said voting for the posts of 'sarpanch' and 'panch' through ballot boxes began at 8 am and would continue till 4 pm. After the polling, the votes will be counted at the polling stations, the officials said. There are 19,110 polling booths, 1,187 of them marked as hyper-sensitive, for the election. There are 13,225 gram panchayats in the state. According to an official, 9,398 gram panchayats will elect 'sarpanch'. The officials said 3,798 candidates for the post of 'Sarpanch' have already been elected unopposed. Elderly people, women and youth were seen standing in queues outside many polling booths in the morning. The elections are being held without symbols of political parties as a consequence of the Punjab Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2024, passed last month by the Vidhan Sabha. There are a total of 1.33 crore registered voters for this election. The

CM Mann bats for sustained campaign to reduce stubble burning in Punjab

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday batted for a sustained campaign to make farmers aware about the paddy straw management to further reduce incidents of stubble burning in the state. Chairing a meeting for preparations regarding crop residue management, the CM said farmers must be made aware of the hazards of paddy straw burning through a communication campaign, an official statement said. The chief minister said farmers must be made aware about the provisions of subsidy on straw management equipment. The farmers must also be informed about reduction in cost of managing straw through Custom Hiring Centres. Mann also advocated establishment of CHC at panchayats and other common places and directed deputy commissioners to launch a vigorous campaign to make farmers aware of the hazards of paddy straw burning. He said this will help in transforming a war against crop residue burning into a mass movement. Mann said under the crop residue management scheme 2024-25, the depart

Widening of NRI quota: Supreme Court junks Punjab's plea against HC verdict

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the Punjab government's appeal against a high court verdict quashing its decision to expand the definition of NRI quota' for admissions in undergraduate medical and dental courses in the state. "This fraud must come to an end now," the apex court said. On September 10, the Punjab and Haryana High Court trashed the AAP-led state government's August 20 move extending the ambit of the NRI quota to include distant relatives "such as uncles, aunts, grandparents, and cousins" of NRIs for admissions under 15 percent quota for this group in admissions in medical colleges. "This is nothing but a money spinning machine, observed a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. "We will dismiss all the petitions. This NRI business is nothing but a fraud. We will put an end to all this.... now the so called precedents must give way to primacy of law," said the bench. Terming the high court verdict "absolutely right", th

Punjab govt in talks with health ministry over Ayushman Bharat backlog

Sources indicate Punjab state health agency has not submitted audit reports since 2020-21

Bhagwant Mann govt inducts five AAP MLAs as Cabinet ministers in Punjab

The Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government on Monday inducted five MLAs as ministers as it carried out a Cabinet rejig. Governor Gulab Chand Kataria administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers during a swearing-in ceremony at the Raj Bhavan here. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, among other party leaders, was also present. Those sworn in as ministers included Hardeep Singh Mundian, Barinder Kumar Goyal, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, Dr Ravjot Singh and Mohinder Bhagat. They took oath in Punjabi. Among the new inductees, three were from the Malwa region and two from the Doaba region. This was the fourth cabinet reshuffle of the 30-month-old AAP government in the state. Earlier, four ministers -- Chetan Singh Jouramajra (public relations, defence services and horticulture), Anmol Gagan Maan (tourism and investment promotion), Balkar Singh (local government and parliamentary affairs) and Bram Shanker Jimpa (revenue) -- were dropped from the Mann Cabinet. Currently, the stre

Legacy waste: SC stays NGT order directing Punjab govt to pay over Rs 1K cr

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed an order of the National Green Tribunal, which had imposed over Rs 1,000 crore as environmental compensation on Punjab for failing to manage legacy waste and untreated sewage in the state. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra issued notice to the Centre and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the appeal filed by the state government against the NGT order. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi appeared for the state government. The NGT in its July 25 order had directed Punjab through the chief secretary to deposit Rs. 10,261,908,000 towards environmental compensation with the CPCB within one month. "Repeated orders have been passed from time to time giving opportunity to State of Punjab in the hope and trust that it will take serious, substantial and urgent steps to comply with provisions of Environmental Laws and in particular Section 24 of Water Act, 1974 but we are at pain to observe t

Auto parts-making plant for BMW to come up in Punjab, CM to lay foundation

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday assured full support to Modern Automotives for its plans to expand its project in the state and manufacture parts for luxury car maker BMW. A delegation of the Modern Automotives Ltd comprising its representatives -- Aditya Goyal, Suhail Goyal and Manish Bagga called on the Chief Minister here. During the meeting, Mann was informed that Modern Automotive has become the first Indian company to receive approval for deliveries of differential pinion shafts to German luxury vehicles manufacturer BMW AG Munich, according to an official statement. They said that an order has been confirmed for 2.50 million units valued at Rs 150 crore, the statement said. Assuring fulsome support to the company for their future endeavours, Mann accepted the invitation of the delegation to lay the foundation stone of the upcoming plant next month at Mandi Gobindgarh. He said it is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that the parts for BMW will now be

SC to hear Punjab's plea for release of rural development funds from Centre

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will list for hearing an interim plea of the Punjab government seeking release of over Rs 1,000 crore urgently by the Centre on account of dues claimed by the state towards the Rural Development Fund. As soon as a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra assembled for the afternoon hearing, a counsel representing the Punjab government said the interim plea was listed for hearing on September 2 but it could not be taken up. Seeking an urgent hearing, the counsel said in the meanwhile, a notice should be issued to the Centre on the plea so that a response could be filed before the matter is taken up for hearing. "We will list the IA (interim application) for the hearing," the CJI said but did not issue notice to the central government on the petition. Earlier in the day, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, also appearing for the state's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, mentioned the plea for an urg

30 ft statue of Bhagat Singh to come up at Chandigarh airport on Sep 28

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will dedicate a 30-foot tall statue of Bhagat Singh at the international airport here on September 28, the birth anniversary of the freedom fighter, according to an official statement. Presiding over a meeting here on Thursday, Mann said the aesthetically designed statue has been made of gunmetal. He expressed hope that this statue will go a long way to inspire the younger generations to serve the country zealously. Mann also said the statue, which is 30 feet high, will be a befitting tribute to the legendary martyr by the state government and will act as a catalyst to perpetuate the glorious legacy of this valiant son of soil, according to the release. Due to strenuous efforts of the state government, the international airport has already been named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The chief minister further said naming the airports, universities and other institutions in the name of iconic martyrs is important to perpetuate their glorious legacy an

Provided nearly 45,000 jobs to youths in 30-month tenure: Punjab CM Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said his government has given nearly 45,000 jobs to youths till now and they are making strenuous efforts to restore the pristine glory of the state. Mann stated this during an event to hand over 293 appointment letters to youth in various departments. With this, the state government has 44,974 jobs in merely 30 months of its tenure, he said. "It is a historical juncture that will transform the destiny of youths. This venue witnessed a number of such events in which youths got jobs in various government departments. This reflects the commitment of the state government to ensure their well-being and opening new avenues of employment for them," he said. On filling vacant posts in departments, Mann said a foolproof mechanism has been adopted for the entire recruitment process due to which not even a single appointment out of more than 44,000 have been challenged so far in any court. It is a proud moment for the government of Punjab that

Punjab govt raises fuel VAT, ends power subsidy to tackle fiscal crisis

The Punjab government increased VAT increase on petrol and diesel, raising the tax by 61 paise per litre for petrol and 92 paise per litre for diesel

Punjab Cabinet withdraws previous Cong govt's decision of subsidised power

The Punjab Cabinet on Thursday rolled back the previous Congress government's decision to reduce power tariff by Rs 3 per unit for consumers, a move which will yield Rs 1,500-1,800 crore per annum to the state exchequer. However, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said 300 units of free electricity per month for the domestic category will continue. In November 2021, the then Charanjit Singh Channi government slashed the power tariff by Rs 3 per unit for domestic consumers, having a connected load of up to 7 kW (kilowatt). The decision to withdraw the previous government's decision was taken in the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann here. Addressing the media after the cabinet meeting, Cheema said the previous government had reduced the power rates by Rs 3 per unit for domestic consumers, having up to 7 kW load. "We withdrew that decision today," he said. But 300 units of free electricity, started by the AAP government, will continue, he added. Asked

Crime rate, rising debt likely to dominate 3-day Punjab Assembly session

The three-day session of the Punjab Assembly slated to begin from Monday is going to be anything but calm with the opposition parties set to seek accountability from the AAP-led government on law and order and rising state debt. The session of the Vidhan Sabha will start with obituary references and wind up on September 4. Congress leader and MLA Aruna Chaudhary said her party will raise the issue of deteriorating law and order in the state. "Deteriorating law and order is one of the biggest issues. Everyday incidents related to snatching, theft and extortion are taking place in the state," alleged the Dinanagar MLA. Chaudhary also accused the government of failing to fulfil its promise of giving Rs 1,000 per month to every woman. "The AAP government deceived women in Punjab." Congress MLA Sukhwinder Singh Kotli said, "The AAP government had promised to set up 18 colleges in the state. Two and half years of the AAP regime have passed but they could not procure land for setting up

Govt will give special grants to villages with drug-free status: Punjab CM

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Wednesday said his government will give special grants to the villages that attain the drug-free status, as he inaugurated a new office for the state's apex anti-drug unit. Speaking after inaugurating the new office of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) in Mohali, the chief minister said his government is committed to make Punjab a drug-free state. "The state government will give special grants to the drug-free villages across Punjab," he said. These grants will be used for the promotion of sports and sporting infrastructure in villages, helping channelise the unbounded energy of the youth in a positive direction, he said. Already players from Punjab have brought laurels for the country in events like the Olympics, he said, adding youths from the state will bag more medals. On the occasion, he also launched anti-drug Helpline and WhatsApp Chatbot (9779100200), according to an official statement. Speaking after inspecting the newly constructed

Punjab CM holds meeting to review progress in implementation of schemes

Earlier , CM Mann replied to Union Transport Minister Gadkari's letter over alleged attacks on engineers and contractors in Jalandhar, Ludhiana and said that local police have arrested accused

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann denied political clearance to visit Paris

The Centre has denied political clearance to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for his visit to Paris to support the Indian Hockey team at the Olympic Games, an official source said on Saturday. Mann, who holds a diplomatic passport, was scheduled to visit Paris from August 3 to 9 for the Indian hockey team's quarterfinal match on August 4, and had sought political clearance for his visit. The Centre denied him the permission, saying that since Mann is a Z-Plus security protectee, it is not possible to arrange his level of security at a short notice, the source in the state government said. The Chief Minister's Office was informed of the decision Friday evening, the person said. Political clearance for senior political leaders is required from the Ministry of External Affairs for travelling abroad. Mann had on Friday congratulated the Indian hockey contingent for a historic win over Australia in the ongoing Paris Olympic Games. India on Friday beat the formidable team for the fi

Former Raj min, BJP veteran Gulab Chand Kataria sworn in as Punjab governor

BJP veteran Gulab Chand Kataria was on Wednesday sworn in as the Governor of Punjab and Administrator Chandigarh. Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu administered the oath of office to Kataria at a ceremony in Raj Bhavan. Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, former Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore and several Punjab ministers, including Harpal Singh Cheema and Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, were also present. The 79-year-old Kataria took the oath in Hindi. Kataria replaces Banwarilal Purohit, who tendered his resignation in February. Before being appointed as the Punjab governor, Kataria was the governor of Assam. Hailing from Udaipur, Kataria had served as Rajasthan home minister twice -- from 2004 to 2008 and 2015 to 2018--and had also served as Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly. The BJP veteran had also served as education, public works panchayati raj, rural development and disaster management minister. Kataria, a

Jailed MP Amritpal Singh's parents thank Channi for his support in Parl

Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh clarified that his statement does not reflect the position of the Indian National Congress in any way