Page 23 - Punjab

Battleground 2024: Of four parties and Amritpal in Punjab's Khadoor Sahib

Many parties, especially the SAD, believe that Amritpal contesting would cut their votes

LS polls: Youths' foreign dreams overshadow all issues in Jalandhar

Talhan gurudwara epitomises the dream of youth in Punjab to have a life beyond India's borders, in the face of unfulfilled government promises and farmer protests, besides emulating others

Centre disbursed 'massive' funds for Punjab in 10 years: BJP's Jakhar

People of Punjab across all spectrums mainly benefited from the funds provided by the Modi government in the 10 years of the BJP rule at the Centre, Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said on Sunday. The benefits of the "massive" funds disbursed by the Modi government under its flagship and other schemes penetrated right up to the last mile, he said. "Be it social security, agriculture, health, infrastructure, welfare, railways, housing, power, nutrition, road network or employment, Punjab received enormous central assistance in the last decade that has been instrumental in elevating Punjab on the socio-economic pedestal," Jakhar said here. Highlighting the schemes and their corresponding impact, both economic and social, Jakhar said that while the BJP at the Centre continued to help Punjab grow without bias, the people of Punjab can now see through the "false narrative" propelled by the ruling AAP dispensation under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, which allegedly failed to live up to many

NCBC recommends raising reservation quota for OBCs in Bengal, Punjab

The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) has recommended an increase in the reservation quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in public employment in Punjab and West Bengal. The Commission's decision comes after a review of the current reservation policies, oral statements, and documentary evidence, aiming to align with the directives laid out by the Supreme Court in the Indra Sawhney case, according to an advisory. Currently, Punjab allocates 25 per cent of public employment positions to Scheduled Castes and 12 per cent to OBCs, totalling 37 per cent reservation. The NCBC has proposed enhancing the OBC quota by an additional 13 per cent, bringing the total OBC reservation in public employment to 25 per cent. This adjustment will adhere to the Supreme Court's ceiling of up to 50 per cent reservation for socially and educationally backward classes. D K Tiwari, Additional Chief Secretary of the Punjab Government, appeared before the NCBC on February 22, expressing the .

Lok sabha elections 2024: Over 21.4 million eligible to vote in Punjab

Over 2.14 crore electors are eligible to cast their votes in the June 1 Lok Sabha polls in Punjab, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sibin C said on Tuesday while releasing the final list of voters in the state. Sibin said May 4 was the deadline for registering new voters in Punjab and the forms submitted has to be verified by May 14. According to the released voter list, the total number of electors in Punjab stands at 2,14,61,739, comprising 1,12,86,726 males, 1,01,74,240 females and 773 transgenders. The CEO said 5,38,715 voters belong to the 18-19 age group, who are eligible to cast their votes for the first time. A total of 1,89,855 voters are aged above 85 years, he said. The total number of 'divyang' (differently-abled) voters in the state is 1,58,718. For the 13 Lok Sabha seats, a total of 24,451 polling stations will be set up, with 16,517 in villages and 7,934 in cities, according to official data. The number of polling stations constituency-wise are 1,895 in Gurdaspur, 1,

Mann has 'understanding' with Amit Shah to split AAP after LS poll: Badal

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has an "understanding" with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to split AAP into a separate Punjab unit after the elections, like Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde did in Maharashtra, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed on Saturday. Badal made the claim while addressing rallies at Sunam and Dhuri for the Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) Sangrur candidate Iqbal Singh Jhundan. "Bhagwant Mann has compromised with the BJP as he felt he would also be arrested like his boss (Arvind) Kejriwal because he had also perpetrated the same liquor scam as done by AAP in Delhi. This understanding has saved him from arrest," Badal alleged. Shiv Sena leader Shinde became Maharashtra chief minister after parting ways with Uddhav Thackeray and forming an alliance with the BJP. The Election Commission of India has since recognised the Shinde faction as officially representing the Shiv Sena while the Thackeray-led faction has been using the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) name. The

Chamkila, Canada & dangers ahead

Even in the weeks leading up to Chamkila's assassination, there were massacres every other day. To airbrush all of this is sheer intellectual cowardice, if not a crime

Beyond hawks and doves

Influential voices in Pakistan and India, including two recent books, serve as advocates for cross-border peace and hope that post-elections, the new government will respond to these friendly overture

Eminent Indian Americans commit $100 million for development of Amritsar

A group of eminent Indian-Americans have come together to announce a commitment of USD100 million for startups towards the socio-economic development of Amritsar, the first of its kind initiative for any Indian city by the diaspora. In collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) and the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), a group of eminent Indian-Americans and Indians living in the US had their first meeting in a Maryland suburb of Washington DC to announce the formation of Viksit Amritsar Initiative. The mega initiative, its founding members said, is inspired by former Indian envoy to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, who after an illustrious diplomatic service, including the last four years in Washington DC, has returned to his home town with the mission of helping the city develop as one of the best in the world both in terms of economic and industrial growth but also as an attractive tourist destination from across the ...

Punjab CM Mann to meet Kejriwal in Tihar jail on April 30, says report

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will meet his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal in Tihar jail on April 30, AAP sources said on Sunday. This will be Mann's second meeting with Kejriwal in Tihar. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an excise policy-linked money-laundering case. Mann met Kejriwal in jail earlier this month and alleged that the AAP chief was not being given amenities provided even to hardcore criminals.

Separatist Amritpal Singh to fight Lok Sabha polls, confirms his mother

Separatist Amritpal Singh's mother Balwinder Kaur announced that her son has decided to contest Lok Sabha polls to fight the issues facing the Sikh community

LS polls will mark rise of BJP in Punjab: State general secy Subhash Sharma

The Lok Sabha polls will mark the rise of the BJP in Punjab where the ruling AAP's "downfall" has begun, a senior BJP leader claimed on Wednesday. Punjab BJP general secretary Subhash Sharma said his party is getting immense support from people in the state for the elections polling for which will be held in the last phase on June 1. The BJP is contesting the Lok Sabha polls on its own for the first time since 1996. The Shiromani Akali Dal had walked out of the NDA in 2020 over the now-repealed farm laws. Addressing the media here, Punjab BJP leader Sharma said the party leadership will announce the candidates for remaining seats -- Ferozepur, Sangrur, Anandpur Sahib and Fatehgarh Sahib -- ?this week. The BJP has already announced its candidates for nine Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjab. Sharma said despite propaganda and mudslinging by the rival parties, people of Punjab were supporting the BJP whole-heartedly. The BJP has emerged as a "big strength" in state politics, he said

LS polls: SAD announces 5 more candidates; fields Harsimrat from Bathinda

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal on Monday announced his party's second list of five more candidates for Punjab and one for Chandigarh seat for the coming Lok Sabha polls, fielding his wife and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal from Bathinda. New entrant Mohinder Singh Kaypee was named the party candidate from the Jalandhar reserve parliamentary constituency. The SAD chief announced the names of candidates in Jalandhar, where Kaypee, former Punjab Congress chief, joined the Akali Dal on Monday. Badal named former MLA Ranjit Singh Dhillon from Ludhiana, former minister Sohan Singh Thandal from Hoshiarpur reserve seat and party leader Nardev Singh Bobby Mann from Ferozepur. Besides, he also named Hardeep Singh Saini from the Chandigarh parliamentary constituency. From Bathinda seat, three-time MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal will be facing BJP's Parampal Kaur Sidhu, AAP's Gurmeet Singh Khuddian and Congress nominee Jeet Mohinder Sidhu. "I have been serving as a Member of ..

Amar Singh Chamkila: Bawdy songs and radical obscenity

An accusation of obscenity is usually not an attempt to control prurient art but to limit its radical potential

No reports of impact of rains on wheat, other crops: Agri ministry

Late sown wheat crop, sown in 15 per cent of the total area of 34.15 million hectare this year, will be ready for harvest in a week's time. This crop has physiologically matured

BJP fields Abhijit Das Bobby against Mamata Banerjee's nephew: Details here

BJP fields seven candidates in Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab in 12th list for Lok Sabha elections

LS polls: AAP names 4 Punjab candidates, fields Pawan Kumar from Jalandhar

All four candidates in the new list of the ruling party in Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party, are currently members of Punjab's Legislative Assembly

Baisakhi celebration: Devotees in Punjab Haryana offer prayers in Gurdwaras

Devotees across Punjab and Haryana offered prayers at gurdwaras on the occasion of the Baisakhi festival on Saturday. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann greeted people on the occasion of 'Sajna Divas' of the 'Khalsa Panth' and 'Baisakhi'. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini also greeted people on the occasion of Baisakhi. Devotees thronged the gurdwaras, including Amritsar's Sri Harmandir Sahib also known as the Golden Temple, Sri Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib, Damdama Sahib in Bathinda and Nada Sahib in Haryana's Panchkula and paid obeisance. Baisakhi festival marks the foundation day of the 'Khalsa Panth' (Sikh order) by the tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh. On this auspicious day in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh created the 'Order of Khalsa' at the holy city of Sri Anandpur Sahib by baptising 'Panj Pyare' (beloved ones) belonging to different castes. Baisakhi also marks the onset of harvest season.

Jallianwala Bagh martyrs will always inspire future generations: Prez Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu expressed heartfelt tributes on Saturday to the people who sacrificed their lives for the country in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and said the spirit of patriotism of those martyrs will keep inspiring the coming generations. Hundreds of people protesting peacefully against the Rowlatt Act, which granted repressive powers to the colonial administration, were gunned down by British forces without any provocation on this day in 1919 at Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab's Amritsar. "My heartfelt tribute to all the freedom fighters who sacrificed everything for the motherland in Jallianwala Bagh! The countrymen will always be indebted to all those great souls who sacrificed their lives for swaraj. I am sure that the spirit of patriotism of those martyrs will always inspire the coming generations," the president said in a post in Hindi on X.

Happy Baisakhi 2024: Here are the 20 best wishes, messages and quotes

Happy Baisakhi 2024: Baisakhi is a very important festival celebrated majorly in Punjab. People greet each other on this occasion. Here are the 20 best wishes, messages and quotes to share