Page 8 - Punjab Government

Death toll in Sangrur spurious liquor case rises to 20; SIT formed

The death toll due to the suspected consumption of spurious liquor in Punjab's Sangrur district has climbed to twenty, with six more persons succumbing, officials on Saturday said. Meanwhile, a four-member special investigation team (SIT), led by an additional director general of police (ADGP) rank officer, has been set up in connection with the incident. Eleven people are undergoing treatment at Patiala's Rajindra Hospital and six at the Civil Hospital in Sangrur. Sangrur Civil Surgeon Kirpal Singh on Saturday said that 20 people have died so far in the incident. The officials said that the casualties have been reported from Gujran, Tibbi Ravidaspura and Dhandoli Khurd villages in Dirba and Sunam blocks. The police have made six arrests in the case so far, they said. The AAP government has been under fire from the opposition parties Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) over the Sangrur hooch tragedy. A case has already been registered under Section 302 (murder) of the Ind

Punjab CM Mann slams arrest of Kejriwal, says AAP will stand behind him

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday flayed the arrest of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, saying the Centre can arrest the Delhi chief minister but cannot imprison his thinking. Mann said the AAP will stand like a rock behind Kejriwal. "You may arrest Arvind Kejriwal but how will you imprison his thinking...Arvind Kejriwal is not an individual but an idea and we stand with our leader like a rock...Inquilab Zindabad," Mann posted in Hindi on X. Mann left for Delhi on Friday where he will meet senior AAP leaders, sources said. He is also likely to meet Kejriwal's family in the national capital. Earlier on Thursday, AAP leaders in Punjab and Haryana had slammed the BJP government for the arrest of Kejriwal, alleging the "dictatorial regime was making a mockery of constitutional norms." Congress leaders from the two states also slammed the Centre for Kejriwal's arrest. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday night in an excise policy-linked money .

Will seek votes on basis of works done by our govt: Punjab CM Mann

Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said his party will seek votes on the basis of works undertaken by his government in the state in the last two years. Mann-led dispensation completed two years in office on Friday. After the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stormed to power by winning 92 out of 117 seats in the state during the state assembly polls, Mann had taken oath as the chief minister at Khatkar Kalan on March 16, 2022. Khatkar Kalan in SBS Nagar is legendary martyr Bhagat Singh's ancestral place. Mann along with his wife on Saturday offered prayers at Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Mohali on the completion of two years of his government. "I prayed for the progress of Punjab," said Mann after offering prayers at the historic gurdwara. Asked about the AAP's preparation for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Mann said his party will seek votes on the basis of works undertaken in the past two years. "We do politics of work," he said. About his government's works, he poin

Senior Punjab Congress leader Raj Kumar Chabbewal quits party, joins AAP

In a setback to the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, senior party leader from Punjab and MLA Raj Kumar Chabbewal on Friday quit the party and joined the ruling Aam Aadmi Party. The 54-year-old Chabbewal quit as a legislator from the Chabbewal assembly constituency in the Hoshiarpur district. He was also the Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly. The prominent Dalit leader joined the AAP here and was welcomed into the party fold by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Chabbewal is the second Congress leader from Punjab to join the AAP within a week. Gurpreet Singh GP, a former Congress MLA from Bassi Pathana, had recently joined the AAP. The AAP, which named its candidates for eight of the 13 Lok Sabha seats on Thursday, is likely to field him from the Hoshiarpur reserved parliamentary constituency. Speaking to reporters here in the presence of Punjab ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Chabbewal said he is impressed with the pro-people policies

No tie-up with BJP but 'like-minded parties' welcome: SAD chief Badal

Claiming that such speculations were only confined to social media platforms, Badal said his party was keen to continue its tie-up with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the state

'Guarantee' of giving Rs 1,000 to women will be fulfilled: Punjab minister

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Wednesday informed the Assembly that the state government will fulfil the "guarantee" of giving Rs 1,000 to women. His statement came after the opposition parties accused the Bhagwant Mann government of not fulfilling the pre-poll promise of giving Rs 1,000 each month to women in the state. Responding to issues raised by the MLAs during a debate on the state budget, Cheema said the state government has fulfilled four out of five "guarantees", including free electricity and the opening of 'aam aadmi clinics'. "We implemented four guarantees out of five within two years. One guarantee related to women is pending. I am saying this with full responsibility in the House that this guarantee will also be fulfilled," the state finance minister told the House. Taking on the opposition Congress MLAs, Cheema said they were not aware of the fulfilment of these four "guarantees" as they are related to the common people of the state. Because most o

Punjab govt presents state Budget for FY25 with over Rs 2 trn outlay

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday presented the state's budget for the financial year 2024-25 with an allocation of over Rs 2 lakh crore, and said health and education are the focus areas of the government. The Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) government has provided over 40,000 jobs in two years, he said while presenting the budget in the state assembly. Of the total annual outlay of over Rs 2 lakh crore, Cheema said, Rs 13,784 crore has been earmarked for the agriculture sector and Rs 16,987 crore for the education sector.

Punjab has secured Rs 70,000 cr investment so far: CM Bhagwant Mann

Punjab has secured investments worth Rs 70,000 crore so far and many big companies are keen to set up units in the state, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Saturday. He was addressing a gathering at 'Sarkaar Vpaar Milni' event organised to address issues faced by the trading community in the state. The initiative aims to secure the well-being of the trading community, marking a significant step towards restoring the pristine glory of the state and boosting its economic development, said Mann. Industry and trade serve as the backbone of every state's economy and should therefore be given a significant impetus, he added. Underlining the importance of revenue and employment generation in driving state development, Mann said he has visited major cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, to invite industrialists to establish ventures in Punjab. So far, investments worth Rs 70,000 crore have already been firmed up, with prominent companies expressing interest to invest in the state, Mann said.

Farmers draw up fresh protest plans; plea filed in Supreme Court

Haryana waives crop loan interest in Budget; will discuss farmer issues: BKS

Rs 1 cr compensation, job for kin of Punjab farmer killed in police firing

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann assured that the younger sister of the dead farmer will be offered a government job. He further promised that adequate action would be taken against the culprits

Farmer leader takes on Punjab govt for not filing FIR on death of youth

He said that the way the Punjab government is 'insulting the martyrdom of our martyrs' is condemnable. Pandher questioned the delay in filing the FIR though all the deamands were accepted

14,000 people, 1,200 tractors at Shambhu border, MHA tells Punjab govt

The Centre has estimated that nearly 14,000 people have gathered along the Punjab-Haryana border with 1,200 tractor-trolleys, 300 cars, 10 mini-buses as well as small vehicles and conveyed its strong objections to the Punjab government for it, sources said on Tuesday. In a communication to the Punjab government, the Union Home Ministry also said that the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the state has been a matter of concern over the last few days and asked it to take stringent action against lawbreakers. The home ministry said many miscreants in the guise of farmers were indulging in stone-pelting, mobilising heavy machinery along the Shambhu on Punjab's border with Haryana. Protesting farmers have been staying put at Shambhu and Khanauri points on Punjab's border with Haryana after their 'Delhi Chalo' march to press the Centre for various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops, was stopped by security forces which led to clashes last

Stir causes stirrings in Punjab politics

If everything goes according to plan, a resuscitated SAD could emerge as a central player in Punjab in three years.

SKM bandh: Commuters left stranded as many buses stay off roads in Punjab

Commuters in Punjab faced inconvenience on Friday as many buses stayed off the roads in response to the Samyukta Kisan Morcha's call for a 'Bharat Bandh' to press the government to accept farmers' demands including a legal guarantee of MSP. Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC Contract Workers' Union are supporting the Samyukta Kisan Morcha's (SKM) bandh call. During the day, farmers will also hold demonstrations at many places in Punjab under the banner of the SKM. Many farmer bodies including Bharti Kisan Union (Rajewal), Bharatiya Kisan Union (Dakunda), Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal), Bharatiya Kisan Union (Qadian) and Kirti Kisan Union are taking part in the bandh. Passengers were seen waiting for buses at many bus stands to reach their respective destinations. Mainly students and office-goers faced inconvenience because of the non-availability of buses. At the Patiala bus stand, a college student said he could not find any bus to go to Landran road. A government employee said

Singhu, Tikri borders remain sealed as farmers' protest enters day 3

Two key border points between Delhi and Haryana remain closed for traffic while security personnel in anti-riot gears were deployed at strategic locations in the national capital as farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' agitation entered the third day on Thursday. While the two borders - Tikri and Singhu -- with Haryana remain closed, movement was allowed through the Ghazipur border with Uttar Pradesh under the watch of security personnel. According to senior police officer, the Delhi Police is on extra vigil though the protesting farmers have been stopped by the Haryana Police at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana near Ambala. In the central part of Delhi as well, the police have put up barricades on several roads leading to Parliament and other sensitive locations. Farmer leaders have said a meeting will be held with three Union ministers in Chandigarh on Thursday after which the protesters will decide the next course of action. At Tikri and Singhu borders, the Delhi Police has put

Protesting farmers stay put at Punjab-Haryana borders for heading to Delhi

Scores of farmers from Punjab continued to stay put at the two borders of the state and Haryana on Wednesday while security personnel fired some tear gas shells on the protesters at the Shambhu border near Ambala. As the peasants gather there to resume their 'Delhi Chalo' protest, farmer leaders will first hold a meeting before moving ahead with their plan to break multi-layered barricades at the Shambhu border in an attempt to march towards Delhi. With the farmers from several places in Punjab continuing to pour in to participate in the 'Delhi Chalo' march, a large number of tractor-trolleys could be seen parked along the national highway on the Punjab side. The protesting farmers from Punjab plan to make a fresh attempt to break past the multiple layers of barricades at the border with Haryana. The Haryana security personnel lobbed a few tear gas shells on Wednesday morning after some farmers gathered near the barricades at the Shambhu border, the protesters claimed. While the .

Punjab objects to Haryana's use of drone inside its territory at Shambhu

Authorities in Punjab have raised an objection over the use of a drone by Haryana to air-drop tear gas shells on agitating farmers in their territory at the Shambhu border, a senior official said on Wednesday. Punjab's Patiala Deputy Commissioner (DC) Showkat Ahmed Parray has written to the Ambala Deputy Commissioner, asking him not to send their drone inside Punjab's territory at the Shambhu border near Ambala. Haryana security personnel had deployed a drone on Tuesday to drop tear gas shells to disperse farmers who were trying to break barricades in an attempt to march towards Delhi to press the Centre for various demands. Farmers claimed the unmanned aerial vehicle dropped several tear gas canisters on them when they were standing well inside Punjab territory. "I wrote the letter to the Ambala DC not to send the drone inside our area," Parray told PTI on Wednesday. He said he conveyed this to the Ambala Senior Superintendent of Police as well. Parray said after he took up the

Punjab's 'aam aadmi' most distressed in AAP regime, says SAD chief Badal

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Badal on Wednesday said the 'aam aadmi' of Punjab were the most distressed in the AAP government's regime with people being denied even the basic facilities. The SAD president, who travelled across Tarn Taran and Khadoor Sahib assembly constituencies as part of the 'Punjab Bachao Yatra' said, "This government cannot aspire to represent the common man who is suffering in this regime which is being run by remote control from Delhi." Badal added that the "remote control" in Delhi is being used to "spread the wings of AAP across the country rather than fulfill the aspirations of the 'aam aadmi' (common man) in Punjab". Badal said infrastructure had gone to "rot" during the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regime, be it link roads or sewerage systems or even roads and streetlights in villages. He added that the poor were being denied social welfare benefits. The SAD president interacted with labourers who told him that they were the worst-affected in th

Punjab CM Mann to hand over job letters to 10 state players in Chandigarh

The ten players to be presented with the appointment letters include nine players from the Tokyo Olympic Games winning team in hockey and Indian women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur

Delhi police detain Haryana AAP Chief Sushil Gupta ahead of protest

Delhi police detained AAP leader Sushil Gupta from his residence