Page 9 - Punjab Government

HC seeks administration's response on AAP's plea for fresh mayoral polls

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Chandigarh administration and the municipal corporation on the AAP's petition seeking fresh elections under the supervision of a retired HC judge. The court gave the respondents three weeks to file their replies in the matter. The BJP swept the Chandigarh mayoral polls on Tuesday in a shock defeat for the Aam Aadmi Party-Congress alliance, which alleged foul play and moved the high court seeking fresh elections. The petition was filed by AAP councillor Kuldeep Kumar, who was the candidate for the post of mayor, against the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation and the Union Territory administration, among others. Speaking to reporters after the hearing, the petitioner's counsel Gurminder Singh said the court has given three weeks to the Chandigarh administration, the municipal corporation, and others to file their replies. Senior standing counsel Anil Mehta said the court did not give any interim relief to the ...

Bank fraud: ED raids in J-K, Punjab, UP in Bharat Papers Ltd case

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday raided locations in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in a Rs 200 crore alleged bank loan fraud case linked to the Bharat Papers Ltd. (BPL), official sources said. At least nine premises in these regions are being searched by the central agency under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Incorporated in September, 2006, the BPL is an associate of the Bharat Box Factory Industries Limited (BBFIL), a paper board packaging industry based in Jammu and Ludhiana. The primary allegations against the company are that its directors have perpetrated a bank loan fraud of about Rs 200 crore with a consortium of banks with lead bank as the State Bank of India. The other banks include J&K Bank, PNB and Karur Vysya Bank. It is alleged that the accused "siphoned off" funds to sister concerns/bogus entities and undertook sale of imported/indigenous machinery without permission of lender banks by raising "fake" ...

Security tightened at Chandigarh Municipal office ahead of Mayoral polls

The Mayoral Elections in Chandigarh were scheduled to be held on January 18 but due to the "ill health" of the designated presiding officer, the election was postponed to February 6

No relief in cold wave conditions in North India, temperature below normal

There was no let-up in the cold wave condition in Punjab and Haryana on Saturday with minimum temperatures staying below normal at several places. Hisar in Haryana was the coldest place as it shivered at 3.1 degrees Celsius, four degrees below normal, according to a report of the Meteorological Department here. Among other places, Ambala and Karnal experienced cold weather conditions at 6.2 and 4.6 degrees Celsius respectively. Narnaul, Sirsa, Faridabad, and Fatehabad recorded 7.6 degrees Celsius, 4 degrees Celsius, 3.9 degrees Celsius, and 3.6 degrees Celsius. Faridkot in Punjab was the coldest place in the state as it shivered at 3.6 degrees Celsius. Amritsar reeled at 3.7 degrees Celsius, one degree below normal, while Ludhiana and Patiala recorded their respective minimums of 6 and 6.5 degrees Celsius. Pathankot, Bathinda and Gurdaspur recorded minimum temperatures of 4.3, 4 and 5.5 degrees Celsius respectively. Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a mi

Cold weather conditions persist in North India; Bathinda, Sirsa coldest

Cold weather conditions continued to persist in Punjab and Haryana, with Bathinda and Sirsa being the coldest places in the two states on Friday. According to the Meteorological Department here, Bathinda in Punjab recorded a minimum temperature of 4 degrees Celsius while Sirsa in Haryana recorded a low of 4.2 degrees Celsius. Several other parts of the two states were also under the grip of cold weather and experienced dense fog in the morning. In Punjab, Amritsar, Faridkot, Gurdaspur, Ludhiana, Patiala and Pathankot recorded respective minimums of 6.8 degrees Celsius, 5 degrees Celsius, 5 degrees Celsius, 6.8 degrees Celsius, 7.7 degrees Celsius and 6 degrees Celsius. In Haryana, Bhiwani and Fatehabad reeled under severe cold recording respective minimum temperatures of 4.3 degrees Celsius and 4.6 degrees Celsius. Hisar, Karnal, Rohtak, Narnaul and Ambala recorded respective minimums of 5 degrees Celsius, 7 degrees Celsius, 7.6 degrees Celsius, 6 degrees Celsius and 8.6 degrees .

SAD leader Majithia appears before special SIT in Patiala in drugs case

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia on Tuesday appeared before a special investigation team of the Punjab Police in Patiala district in a drugs case. The former minister was summoned by the SIT led by Deputy Inspector General (Patiala range) Harcharan Singh Bhullar. Tight security arrangements were made around the police lines in Patiala ahead of the appearance of Majithia before the SIT. Several Akali workers had gathered at the spot to express solidarity with Majithia. Majithia was previously questioned by the SIT, led by the then additional director general of police Mukhwinder Singh Chhina, on December 30, 2023 in connection with the drugs case. Before that he was grilled by the SIT on December 18. The Punjab Police formed a new SIT under the chairmanship of Bhullar after Chhina retired on December 31. Majithia was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act on December 20, 2021, when the then chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi-led .

Punjab sub-committee to share concerns over new hit-and-run law with Centre

A Punjab Cabinet sub-committee on Tuesday assured transporters that the state government would share their concerns regarding the new hit-and-run law with the Centre. Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), set to replace the Indian Penal Code, drivers who cause serious road accidents due to negligent driving and run away without informing authorities face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of Rs 7 lakh. The Cabinet sub-committee comprising Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal held a meeting with the representatives of the truck and taxi unions of the state here, according to an official release. The sub-committee discussed in detail the provisions of punishment under Section 106 (2) of the BNS for causing death due to rash and negligent driving, and escaping without reporting it to a police officer or a magistrate soon after the incident. The main concern of the representatives of the transport unions was the manhandling of the driv

Situation normalising day after petrol pumps in Punjab see panic buying

The situation was normalising at petrol pumps on Wednesday in Punjab where fuel supplies were being replenished with fresh stocks, a day after people resorted to panic buying amid truckers' strike. On Tuesday, long queues of motorists were witnessed at many places in Punjab and a few parts of Haryana over fears that stocks would run dry soon in the wake of truckers' strike against stricter punishments in the new law on hit-and-run cases. Later in the evening, authorities in some Punjab districts had said the truckers had called off their strike and urged people not to resort to panic buying. "The situation is normalising now and by evening supplies from depots to all fuel pumps should reach as before. Already, fuel supplies from the depots have started reaching several filling stations," said secretary general of the Punjab Petroleum Dealers Association Rajesh Kumar. He said no long queues like Tuesday were being witnessed at petrol pumps on Wednesday in the state. The administrat

Punjab govt buys Goindwal Sahib thermal power plant for Rs 1,080 crore

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday said the state government has bought a 540-megawatt private thermal power plant at Goindwal Sahib. "It is for the first time that a private power plant is being bought by the government," Mann said at a news conference here. "We have purchased it for Rs 1,080 crore, which works out to a cost of Rs 2 crore per megawatt," Mann said. Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in July last year filed a bid to take over the 540 MegaWatt private thermal power plant at Goindwal Sahib. The 540 MW thermal power plant is an independent power plant and is spread over 1,100 acres of land in Goindwal Sahib in Tarn Taran.

AAP vs BJP after Delhi, Punjab tableaux rejected for Republic Day parade

Delhi Art, Culture and Languages Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday said the BJP-led central government rejected the tableaux of Delhi and Punjab for the Republic Day parade to "exact revenge on the AAP", which governs the national capital and the border state. Addressing a press conference, Bharadwaj said the Centre has rejected Delhi's tableaux for three consecutive years now. The last time Delhi's tableau featured in the Republic Day parade was in 2021. It showcased the Shahjahanabad redevelopment project, according to officials. Bharadwaj said Delhi's tableau this year would have showcased schools in the city and the mohalla clinic model. "The tableau of Delhi, which is the capital of the country, was rejected by the Centre. Its tableau was rejected for the 2022 parade and then for the 2023 parade and now it has been rejected again for the 2024 parade," the minister said. The theme of the Republic Day parade was "Nari Shakti" in 2023 and "Viksit Bharat" for 2024, he said. "

Thick fog blankets large parts of Punjab, Haryana; visibility compromised

A thick blanket of fog enveloped most parts of Punjab and Haryana on Friday morning, reducing visibility, meteorological department officials said. Fog also impacted visibility in Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states. Minimum temperatures hovered close to normal limits at most places in Punjab and Haryana. In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a minimum temperature of 9.9 degrees Celsius, Ludhiana 9 degrees Celsius and Patiala 9.5 degrees Celsius. Pathankot recorded a low of 8.8 degrees Celsius and Faridkot 8.6 degrees Celsius. In Haryana, the mercury settled at a low of 9.8 degrees Celsius in Ambala and at 8.2 degrees Celsius in Hisar. Karnal recorded a minimum temperature of 9.4 degrees Celsius, Rohtak 9.6 degrees Celsius and Sirsa 9.8 degrees Celsius. Chandigarh recorded a minimum temperature of 8 degrees Celsius.

BSF, Punjab Police recover made-in-China drone from Tarn Taran district

Earlier on Tuesday, BSF recovered four packets of a narcotic substance suspected to be heroin from a farmhouse in Fazilka district

HC directs Punjab DGP to register 2 FIRs in gangster Bishnoi interview case

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Punjab police chief to immediately register two FIRs in connection with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's two interviews aired by a private news channel in March. A division bench of justices Anupinder Singh Grewal and Kirti Singh also asked the Punjab Police special investigation team headed by Prabodh Kumar, Director General, Human Rights Commission, to carry out investigations in the FIRs. The other members of the SIT are IPS officers S Rahul and Nilambari Vijay Jagadale. In its Friday order which was released on Saturday, the high court also said the head of the SIT would be at liberty to seek assistance of any other officer or of any other kind after making such a request to the director general of police. The SIT has been asked to conclude the investigation expeditiously and file a status report before this court within a period of two months, according to the order. The division bench passed these directions while hearing a suo m

Rambagh Gate, Ramparts in Punjab win Unesco's Asia-Pacific Awards

The resilient urban revitalisation of Rambagh Gate and Ramparts in Punjab, and heritage conservation projects related to Haryana's Church of Epiphany and Delhi's Bikaner House won UNESCO awards on Thursday. Twelve projects from China, India, and Nepal were acknowledged by the awards jury in this year's UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. "With people, heritage and creativity at its core, the resilient urban revitalisation of the Rambagh Gate and Ramparts in Punjab, India, has garnered the highest honour, 'Award of Excellence,'" UNESCO Bangkok said in a statement. The project was lauded by the jury for ensuring the continuity of the site's existing uses, while enhancing inclusivity and access to the broader community, it said. Three projects -- the Fanling Golf Course in Hong Kong SAR, China; Dongguan Garden Residences in Yangzhou, China; and Karnikara Mandapam at Kunnamangalam Bhagawati Temple, Kerala, India -- garnered an 'Award of Distinction' each. An

Drug tablets being sold inside jails: Navjot Sidhu slams Bhagwant Mann

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has recently sought a status report from the Punjab and Haryana governments on the steps taken after the BSF gave a list of 75 individuals

Delhi HC refuses to quash charges in 2017 Haryana judicial paper leak case

The Delhi High Court has refused to quash charges framed against a former Punjab and Haryana High Court official in a case relating to the alleged leak of the 2017 Haryana Civil Services (judicial) preliminary examination paper. The HC said that in cases where digital or electronic evidence is available, the prosecution's case cannot be thrown at the initial stage. The record indicated that petitioner-accused Dr Balwinder Kumar Sharma, who was then the registrar (recruitment) of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, was in possession of the question paper immediately before the alleged leakage. "The case is of a very sensitive nature and the evidence which is required to be led for the purpose of proving the case is either digital or documentary in nature," Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma said. The high court further said the jurisdiction of the court while entertaining the revision petition is also very limited, and it can interfere in the challenged order only if there is any serious ..

ED searches in Delhi-NCR, Punjab against Chandigarh-based Parabolic Drugs

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted fresh searches at about a dozen locations in the Delhi-NCR and Punjab as part of a money laundering investigation against a Chandigarh-based pharmaceutical company and its promoters linked to an alleged bank fraud, official sources said. The first round of searches in this case against the company -- Parabolic Drugs-- were carried out in October. The central agency had earlier arrested Parabolic Drugs promoters Vineet Gupta (54) and Pranav Gupta (56), who are also the co-founders of the Sonepat-based Ashoka University, and CA Surjeet Kumar Bansal (74) under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The Guptas stepped down from their posts at Ashoka University in 2022 after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case against them and the company in 2021 for their alleged involvement in a bank loan fraud of Rs 1,626 crore. The ED filed a money laundering case against them in January last year. The

Over 70 students fall ill after eating at Punjab school mess, two arrested

As many as 18 students of a government school in Punjab's Sangrur district were rushed to a hospital as they complained of stomach ache and vomiting after having a meal in the hostel mess, officials said on Saturday. Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the food contractor has been arrested and an inquiry by the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) has been ordered in the matter. Eighteen school students of the government meritorious school at Ghabdan were rushed to the civil hospital on Friday evening after they complained of stomach ache and vomiting, an official said. Officials suspect it is a case of food poisoning. Sangrur Deputy Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal on Saturday said 18 students were brought to the civil hospital, of which 14 have been discharged. Four still remain admitted, Jorwal said while speaking to reporters in Sangrur. He further said 36 more students were brought to the civil hospital on Saturday and all of them were stable. They did not report any loose mot

Punjab CM Mann hikes sugarcane price by Rs 11 per quintal to Rs 391

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday hiked the sugarcane price by Rs 11 per quintal, saying the new rate of Rs 391 a quintal is the highest in the country. However, farmers said the appreciation in cane price is "too meagre" and termed the state government's move as "betrayal". The price hike came days after the chief minister assured farmers of "good news" in the coming days. "With an increase of Rs 11, the new rate will be Rs 391 per quintal, which will be the highest in the country," Mann said in a post on social media platform X. According to an official statement issued later, Mann said in Punjab Rs 11 is considered as a 'shubh shagun' (good omen) so his government has given this gift to the farmers. Mann further said that he has fulfilled the promise he had made during his recent meeting with the farmers. Earlier, farmers held protests demanding an increase in sugarcane price from Rs 380 per quintal to Rs 450 per quintal. After the CM's announcement, farmers' ...

Expansion of BSF jurisdiction doesn't take away power of Punjab Police: SC

The Supreme Court on Friday orally observed that the power of the Punjab Police has not been taken away by the Centre's decision to expand the BSF's jurisdiction to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a larger 50-km stretch from the International Border as compared to the earlier 15 km limit. The bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, hearing the 2021 lawsuit of the Punjab government, said the issues for adjudication by this court have to be settled. It asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, lawyer Shadan Farasat, representing the Punjab government, to sit together and jointly decide on issues to be decided by the bench. The parties shall exchange issues so that they can be settled before the next date of listing, the bench said, adding the advocate general of Punjab can also take part in the meeting of parties. After perusing the records, the CJI prima facie observed that there were concurrent pow