Page 19 - Punjab

Punjab BJP rejects reports of Sunil Jakhar quitting as state unit chief

The Punjab BJP on Friday asserted that Sunil Jakhar was leading the party in the state, dismissing as "totally baseless" speculation that he had resigned from his post. Though the 70-year-old Jakhar himself was not responding to calls, his close aide Sanjeev Trikha told PTI that there was nothing like this. A media report had claimed that Jakhar has quit as the Punjab unit chief. Punjab BJP general secretary Anil Sarin dismissed it as "totally baseless and false". He said Jakhar is leading the party's state unit. On Jakhar staying away from Thursday's meeting of the party's membership drive, Sarin said it was not important for the state unit chief to be present in every meeting. Referring to reports of his resignation as the Punjab BJP chief, Punjab Congress chief and Ludhiana MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said on X, "Mr @sunilkjakhar, All the best, where next ?" Jakhar was appointed as the Punjab BJP chief in July 2023, succeeding BJP MLA Ashwani Sharma. He had joined the BJP

This 'red entry' in Punjab has farmers fuming. Here is what it means

Farmers are opposing Punjab's plan to introduce "red entries" in land records for those caught burning paddy stubble-a major contributor to air pollution during winter

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

Rs 364 crore pending for hospitals under Ayushman Bharat: Punjab minister

Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh on Thursday refuted claims by the private hospitals that the state government owed over Rs 600 crore for various treatments availed under the Ayushman Bharat Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojna. He said the total pending amount for both public and private hospitals is Rs 364 crore. Singh said the breakup of pending payments shows that Rs 166.67 crore are owed to the public hospitals and Rs 197 crore to the private hospitals. The minister's reaction came a day after the private hospitals and nursing association (PHANA) claimed that the state government owed over Rs 600 crore and had also threatened to stop providing medical treatments under the Ayushman Bharat Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana. Notably, the Ayushman Bharat Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana offers cashless treatment up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year in as many as 772 government and private empaneled hospitals across the state. The minister said since April 1, 2024, the government has disbursed

Health schemes face hurdle in Punjab as pvt centres stop cashless treatment

The hospital body PHANA claimed that it took the step due to unresolved payments of approximately Rs 600 crore owed by the state government, pending for the last six months

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

Work on 12 industrial smart cities to kick off this year; 4 to be completed

In August, the Union Cabinet approved the creation of 12 industrial zones, strategically positioned across 10 states and planned along six major corridors

25 travel agents booked for illegally advertising jobs: Punjab police

Twenty-five travel agents in Punjab have been booked for illegally advertising employment opportunities on social media, said police on Wednesday. The action came after the Protector of Emigrants under the Ministry of External Affairs red-flagged the advertising on social media for jobs in foreign countries by such unscrupulous travel agencies. In a statement, Additional Director General of Police (NRI Affairs) Praveen K Sinha said these travel agencies were advertising jobs abroad without possessing the requisite licence and permissions. "We checked the online platforms, verified their credentials covertly and registered FIRs against them," he said, adding that a total of 20 FIRs have been registered under the Emigration Acts at various NRI police stations in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Patiala, Sangrur and SAS Nagar. The ADGP said this operation specifically targeted those illegal travel agents, who were advertising on online platforms, offering promisi

1991 Multani murder case: SC to not quash fresh FIR against ex-Punjab DGP

The Supreme Court Tuesday refused to interfere with a fresh FIR lodged against former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in the 1991 disappearance and murder of junior engineer Balwant Singh Multani. A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Pankaj Mithal said that in view of the subsequent development of a charge sheet being filed in the case, it would not like to interfere with the FIR. The top court, however, said that observations and findings recorded in the Punjab and Haryana High Court verdict dated September 8, 2020, will not come in the way of proceedings before the trial court. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Saini, sought quashing of the FIR, saying it was lodged in 2020 after decades of the alleged incident due to political reasons. He said that time and again this court had granted relief to Saini, who is a decorated officer, and even protected him from any coercive action in the case. Justice Sundresh said that since the charge sheet has been filed in the case, it

Punjab docs begin 3-day strike, patients suffer as OPD services suspended

Government doctors in Punjab on Monday suspended outpatient department (OPD) services for three hours across the state to press for their demands, including reinstatement of the assured career progression scheme and adequate security measures for healthcare workers. The protest, being held under the banner of Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) Association, will continue till September 11 in district and sub-divisional hospitals, and community health centres, said the protesting doctors. Many patients visiting these government hospitals were inconvenienced as the OPD services remained suspended from 8 am to 11 am. However, emergency services continued. President of PCMS Association (Patiala unit) Dr Sumeet Singh said the reinstatement of the assured career progression scheme (ACP) is one of the main demands of the protesting doctors. Unlike other departments, doctors do not have many avenues of promotion through the course of their career, which was compensated through the annual

Punjab, Haryana HC dismisses plea of Cong MLA's son against ED arrest

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed a petition seeking quashing of criminal proceedings and arrest of a Haryana Congress MLA's son by the ED, citing 10 judicial pronouncements made by the Supreme Court on these issues. The Court of Judge Mahabir Singh Sindhu in Chandigarh on August 27 held that prima facie, the offence of money laundering was "clearly made out" against the petitioner Sikandar Singh Chokker and that his plea was "nothing but complete misuse of the process of Court as well as law." Sikandar Chokker is the son of Dharam Singh Chokker, sitting Congress MLA from the Samalkha (Panipat district) seat of Haryana. Dharam Singh Chokker has been recently given a ticket by his party for contesting the forthcoming assembly polls in the state from the same seat. Sikandar Chokker was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on April 30 from a hotel in Haridwar, Uttarakhand on the basis of a special PMLA court issued arrest warrant against him in a money laundering

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

Monsoon in India: Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh face below-average rainfall

IMD weather update: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Punjab and Chandigarh face a 23 per cent rainfall deficit, while Haryana has an 11 per cent shortfall, below expected levels

Punjab farmers end protest after CM Mann's assurance on agri policy

Farmers protesting against the alleged delay in implementation of Punjab's new agriculture policy ended their strike on Friday, a day after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann assured them that a draft of the policy would be shared with them by September 30. Mann also assured them that their suggestions would be incorporated before the policy's implementation. Mann on Thursday held an over two-hour meeting with leaders of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) and Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, which led the protesting farmers, to discuss their demands. Farmers under the banner of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) and the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union began a five-day protest on Sunday to press for their demands, including the agriculture policy's implementation. Speaking to reporters at the protest site, Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan said they had urged the state government to make the agriculture policy public. "They (the government) said it was being finalised They sa

Many Scheduled Caste sub-categories have limited urban presence in Punjab

In the last of a three-part series, Business Standard looks at Punjab's Scheduled Caste population and inter-group variance on key parameters

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

AP Dhillon assures fans of safety after shots fired outside Canada home

A day after shots were reportedly fired outside his Canada residence, India-born Canadian artiste AP Dhillon assured fans about his safety and thanked them for their support. According to media reports, a purported post from Rohit Godara, a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, has taken responsibility for the incident. Popular Punjabi singer Dhillon, who is based out of Vancouver, shared a message on his Instagram Stories on Monday night after the alleged shooting. "I'm safe. My people are safe. Thank you to everyone who reached out. Your support means everything. Peace and love to all," he wrote. The incident comes weeks after Dhillon featured with Bollywood superstar Salman Khan in the music video of his song "Old Money". Shots were also fired outside Khan's Mumbai apartment in April and the actor has told police that he believes the Lawrence Bishnoi gang was responsible for the same. Dhillon is a rising global star in the hip-hop scene with songs such as "Brown Munde", "Excuses

Had shown displeasure over Kangana's remarks on farmers' protests: Grewal

Senior Punjab BJP leader Harjit Singh Grewal has said that he had immediately spoken to his party high command after Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut's remarks on the farmers' protests and expressed his displeasure. Grewal said that he had spoken over phone to Union Minister and BJP president J P Nadda in this regard. Kangana, the MP from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, had recently posted a clip of her interview with Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar in which she suggested that a "Bangladesh-like situation" could have erupted in India but for the country's strong leadership. She then alleged that bodies were hanging and rapes were taking place during the farmers' protests against the now-repealed three farm laws. "The first thing is that just by becoming a MP, one does not become a leader...connecting with (party's) ideology does not happen in one day. I have been with the BJP for more than 35 years," Grewal told reporters here on Sunday. "When she said (made the remarks), I immediately reacted and .

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

SC to hear Punjab's plea for release of rural development funds on Sept 2

The Supreme Court on Friday said it will hear on September 2 an interim plea of the AAP-led Punjab government seeking release of over Rs 1,000 crore urgently from the Centre on account of alleged dues pertaining to the Rural Development Fund. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was told by lawyer Shadan Farasat, appearing for the state government, that the apex court website does not show the matter listed in the list of business of September 2. The lawyer said he was assured that the matter will be listed on that day. We will see, the CJI said, adding the matter will be taken up. The state government has filed an interlocutory application (IA), in a pending lawsuit against the Centre, and has sought urgent release of over Rs 1,000 crore as an interim measure. The Bhagwant Mann government, in 2023, had moved the top court alleging non-release of the Rural Development Fund (RDF) and withholding a portion of the market fee by t