Page 30 - Punjab

CM Mann, Kejriwal launch free pilgrimage scheme for elderly in Punjab

On the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the Punjab government Monday launched the 'Mukhya Mantri Tirth Yatra Yojna' under which elderly people of the state would be sent on pilgrimage free of charge on trains and buses. AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, who attended the launch event along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, said the state government will bear the expenditure for the pilgrimage. "Today is a pious day. It is the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. On this day, I am happy to note that the Mukhya Mantri Tirath Yatra Yojana for elderly people started in Punjab." The first train carrying devotees left Amritsar for Hazur Sahib in Maharashtra. Around 300 pilgrims from Amritsar, 200 from Jalandhar and 500 from Dhuri were on this train, said Kejriwal, who is also the chief minister of Delhi. Under this scheme, people will be able to visit religious places such as Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Patna Sahib, Anandpur Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, Mata Naina Devi temple, ...

7 officials suspended for security lapse during PM Modi's Punjab visit

Six more policemen have been suspended for alleged dereliction of duty in connection with a security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state in January 2022. These six were placed under suspension along with a Superintendent of Police rank officer, who was reported suspended earlier. Two Deputy Superintendent of Police rank officers, Parson Singh and Jagdish Kumar, Inspectors Jatinder Singh and Balwinder Singh, Sub-Inspector Jaswant Singh and Assistant Sub-Inspector Ramesh Kumar were the six policemen suspended, according to the November 22 order of the State's Home Department. SP Gurbinder Singh, who is at present posted as SP in Bathinda district, reported suspended on Saturday. According to the order, all seven policemen have been named in a charge sheet under section 8 of Punjab Civil Services rule (punishment and appeal) 1970. On January 5, 2022, Prime Minister Modi's convoy was stranded on a flyover due to a blockade by protesters in Ferozepur after w

Bikanervala ties up with Montana group to expand in domestic, intl markets

Bikanervala on Friday said it has tied up with The Montana group from Punjab to further expand its footprint in domestic and international markets. This collaboration marks a milestone for further expansion and aims to reach out to a broader audience, the company said in a statement. It is a privilege to work with the iconic brand of India and the entire team will put best possible effort to make this brand a global leader in years to come, said Manoj Madhukar, CEO of The Montana Group. Bikanervala started its operations as a small sweet shop at Bikaner, in Rajasthan in 1905. Over the years, it has expanded its portfolio to include restaurants and snack businesses. Presently, Bikanervala is operating 175 sweet shop-cum-restaurant outlets in India as well as in international markets like the UAE, the US, Singapore, New Zealand, and Nepal, the company said. Suresh Kumar, CEO, Bikanervala, briefed the media about its current operation and further expansion plan both in domestic and .

SC order worth reading by Punjab Guv, Delhi L-G: AAP on ruling on governors

With the Supreme Court making it clear that governors cannot keep bills pending indefinitely without any action, AAP MP Raghav Chadha on Friday said the Punjab Governor and Delhi LG need to read the apex order that made it clear that "unelected heads of state" cannot "misuse" their powers. The Supreme Court has directed Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit to decide on the Bills passed by the state legislative assembly during its "constitutionally valid" session held on June 19 and 20, saying the governor's power cannot be used to "thwart the normal course of lawmaking". The top court, in its November 10 judgement which was uploaded on Thursday night, decided on the plea of the AAP government in Punjab which alleged the governor was not granting his assent to four bills which were passed by the assembly. Purohit is locked in a running feud with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. In a post on X, Chadha said, "The Hon'ble Supreme Court h

Punjab govt calls protesting farmer leaders for meeting with CM Mann

The Punjab government has called farmer union leaders for a meeting here on Friday with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as highway blockade in Jalandhar by the farmers who are demanding an increase in sugarcane prices entered the fourth day. Farmers are staging a 'dharna' in the middle of the Jalandhar-Phagwara section of the highway which has also affected traffic between Jalandhar and Delhi. On Thursday, the farmers also blocked a section of the railway track near Dhanowali village in Jalandhar, which affected the train movement too, but on Friday they decided to lift the blockade from the rail track after receiving a call of meeting with the chief minister. However, the road blockade continues. The farmers, who are demanding an increase in the prices of sugarcane from Rs 380 per quintal to Rs 450 per quintal, have put up a tent in the middle of the road and are spending the night on the highway. They are also demanding the resumption of sugar mills' operations for the crushing of .

Cop killed, 6 injured in firing to take control of Kapurthala gurudwara

A Punjab Police constable was killed and six others were injured in an exchange of gunfire between two Nihang factions trying to take control of the Gurdwara Sri Akal Bunga Sahib in Sultanpur Lodhi

14 places in Punjab, Haryana raided over attacks on Indian Consulate in US

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday carried out raids at 14 locations in Punjab and Haryana in connection with its probe into attacks on the Indian Consulate in San Francisco in the US earlier this year, an official spokesperson said. The spokesperson said these places located in north India were raided to unravel the complete conspiracy behind the attacks on March 19 and July 2, involving criminal trespass, vandalism, damage to public property and attempts to cause hurt to the consulate officials and set the building on fire through acts of arson. The locations raided by the NIA were spread across the districts of Moga, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Gurdaspur, Mohali and Patiala in Punjab and Kurukshetra and Yamunanagar in Haryana. The crackdown led to the seizure of digital data containing information related to the accused persons, along with other incriminating documents, the spokesperson said. The NIA has been probing the case with the aim to identify and prosecute the

Don't turn people against you by blocking roads: CM Mann tells farmers

A day after farmers blocked a stretch of the national highway in Jalandhar, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday asked the farm unions not to turn people against themselves by blocking roads. Farmers under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha blocked the Jalandhar-Phagwara section of the Jalandhar-New Delhi National Highway near Dhanowali village for an indefinite period on Tuesday, seeking a hike in sugarcane prices. Mann said if the farmers do not shun the practice of blocking roads every time their demands are not met, a day will come when people will stop sympathising with them. "My request to the farmer unions is not to turn common people against you by blocking roads for every issue. For holding talks with the government, there is Punjab Bhawan in Chandigarh, the Secretariat, the office of the agriculture minister and my office and residence but not the roads. If this attitude remains, then the day is not far when you will not find people for 'dharnas'... understand

'Targeted killing plan averted': 3 linked to Pak-based terror module held

Punjab Police on Wednesday claimed to have averted planned targeted killings in the state with the arrest of three members linked to an ISI-controlled Pakistan-based terror module. Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said three .30 bore pistols and five .32 bore pistols were recovered along with nine magazines and 30 live cartridges from their possession. Those arrested have been identified as Rajbhupinder Singh alias Bhinda of village Dikh in Bathinda, Raman Kumar of village Guru Harsahai in Fazilka and Jagjit Singh of Dhilwa Kalan in Kotkapura. Yadav said following reliable inputs, police teams from the Counter Intelligence, Bathinda put up a checkpost near the bridge at village Gobindpura in Bathinda and arrested the trio. Preliminary investigations have found that the arrested trio were in contact with some persons currently lodged in Sangrur Jail under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, he added. Assistant Inspector General, Counter Intelligence, Avneet Kaur Sidhu

Centre, Punjab govt negligent in stubble management: Farmers leaders

Farmer leaders in Punjab on Wednesday accused the Centre and the state government of not making proper arrangements for stubble management and said it is vehicular and industrial pollution which affects the air quality in Delhi and not farm fire. They also said the governments should guarantee minimum support price on alternative crops such as maize and pulses to wean away growers from the water-guzzling paddy crop, which is not even native to Punjab. Their remarks came a day after the Supreme Court, while hearing a matter related to stubble burning, observed farmers are being made "villains" and that they have not been heard. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia had also suggested why should there be any purchase under the minimum support price (MSP) system from farmers who indulge in crop residue burning, irrespective of the fact that citizens and children were affected due to pollution. Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh ...

NIA raids suspects in Punjab linked to banned terror group SFJ: Reports

The NIA sleuths conducted the raids based on specific inputs about some suspects having links to the SFJ, and started raids since early Wednesday morning

Haryana CM should stop doing politics: Punjab minister on stubble burning

The Punjab Police on Wednesday said it has arrested three people allegedly linked to a Pakistan-based terror module. Eight weapons and 30 cartridges were recovered from their possession, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said, In a major breakthrough, Counter Intelligence #Bathinda has arrested 3 persons linked to #ISI-controlled #Pak-based terror module. Preliminary investigation reveals that the arrested persons were in contact with persons currently lodged in Sangrur Jail under UAPA cases, Yadav said in his post on X. Recovery: 8 weapons, 9 Magazines & 30 Live Cartridges. FIR registered at PS Cantt Bathinda, Further investigations ongoing for unveiling forward & backward linkages, Yadav added.

PEDA signs pact with Gail to set up 10 compressed biogas projects in Punjab

State-owned Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) has signed an agreement with GAIL (India) Limited to set up 10 compressed biogas projects and other new and renewable energy projects in the state. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by PEDA CEO Amarpal Singh and GAIL (India) Executive Director RK Singhal, an official release said. Punjab New and Renewable Energy Sources (NRES) Minister Aman Arora said the pact will help the state to manage five lakh tonnes of paddy straw per annum and generate clean energy out of it. Punjab is an agrarian state, and it has immense potential for crop residue-based CBG plants, he said, adding that the Punjab government's business-friendly policies are helping in facilitating companies to set up their industries in the state. NRES Secretary Ravi Bhagat said that with the implementation of these 10 projects, paddy straw in around 1.25 lakh acres is expected to be prevented from being burnt. These projects will also create around 50 rur

Punjab clocks 634 new farm fire cases, police say over 1,000 FIRs logged

Punjab on Monday reported 634 farm fires with farmers in many areas continuing to set ablaze paddy straw despite police making persistent efforts to prevent stubble burning. The Punjab Police said it has registered 1,084 FIRs against erring farmers and imposed penalties worth Rs 1.87 crore in 7,990 cases since November 8. With the police continuing to make efforts to prevent stubble burning, Punjab witnessed 634 farm fires, the lowest since Diwali, said Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla. Shukla is the police's nodal officer with a mandate to keep a check on stubble burning. "This is consecutively for the third day that the state witnessed significant downfall of at least 28.8 per cent stubble burning cases," he said. Punjab recorded 637 and 740 farm fires on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, Shukla added. Of the 634 farm fires reported on Monday, Fazilka recorded the highest at 168, followed by 98 in Moga, 97 in Ferozepur, 62 in Muktsar and 55 in ..

Punjab farmer bodies protest against cases lodged over stubble burning

Several farmer bodies in Punjab on Monday held protests at the offices of deputy commissioners and sub-divisional magistrates at many places, seeking withdrawal of cases registered against farmers for burning stubble. The protesting farmers, who also demanded a long-lasting solution for paddy straw, brought stubble-laden trolleys to several offices of DCs and SDMs. The call for the four-hour protest was given by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) and 18 other farmer bodies. The agitating farmers demanded withdrawal of legal actions, including registration of FIRs and rollback of the fine imposed on farmers for burning crop residue. They also demanded an increase in sugarcane rates and a fair compensation for land acquisition under the Bharatmala projects. In Moga, a group of farmers, who were bringing stubble in tractor-trolleys, said they were stopped from entering the DC office complex for staging a 'dharna'. One of the farmers even lied in front of a police vehicle, deman

Punjab Cabinet gives nod to convene two-day Assembly session on Nov 28-29

The Punjab Cabinet on Monday gave its nod for convening a two-day assembly session on November 28 and 29. A decision to this effect was taken in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann here. The move comes days after the governor prorogued the Budget session, which was held in March. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema told reporters the two-day session will be convened on November 28 and 29. The Cabinet gave approval to convene the fifth session of the 16th Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Cheema said. "The Vidhan Sabha session will be held for two days in which different Bills that have been pending will be passed," the minister said. Three money Bills -- the Punjab Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Indian Stamp (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2023, will be tabled during the session. Cheema also told reporters that there are many Bills pending before the governor and added he sh

Over 930 FIRs registered against farmers for burning stubble: Punjab Police

Punjab Police has registered 932 FIRs against farmers for burning crop residue since November 8 while a fine of Rs 1.67 crore has been imposed in 7,405 cases, a senior official said on Sunday. According to the Special Director General of Police Arpit Shukla, red entries were made in the revenue records of 340 farmers for stubble burning. He said concerted efforts by the Punjab Police to prevent stubble burning have yielded significant results as case of farm fire fell "drastically" in the last two days. On Sunday and Saturday, the state recorded 740 and 637 farm fire cases respectively. Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is considered one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November. Delhi's air quality index stood at 290 at 7 am. The 24-hour average AQI of Delhi, recorded at 4 pm every day, was 319 on Saturday, 405 on Friday and 419 on Thursday. In many parts of Haryana and Punjab, air quality indices remai

AAP chief Kejriwal to visit Hoshiarpur for 'Vikas Kranti' rally on Nov 18

AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will launch and lay foundation stones of development projects worth Rs 900 crore in Hoshiarpur on November 18, a party leader said on Friday. Malvinder Singh Kang, the AAP's chief spokesperson in Punjab, said Kejriwal will visit Hoshiarpur on Saturday to participate in the "Vikas Kranti" rally. Kejriwal and Mann will inaugurate a sewerage and water sanitation department project in the Doaba region, medical education facility and an Army training institute, Kang said. The state government has also decided to set up 23 sports facilities on panchayat land in villages, foundation stones for which will be laid during the rally, he added.

SAD chief Badal sends legal notice to Punjab CM for 'malicious' allegations

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal sent a legal notice to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday, asking him to tender an unconditional apology within five days for levelling "malicious" allegations against the Badal family during a debate at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana. According to the notice, Badal will seek remedies as available in the law for causing wilful defamation and libel in case Mann fails to tender the apology. The legal notice was sent by Badal's lawyer, Arshdeep Singh Kler. The notice accuses Mann of defaming Badal and his family with his "false" and "malicious" allegation that an irrigation branch was created to carry canal water to the Badal farm in Haryana's Balasar village. The allegations were levelled by the chief minister during the "Main Punjab Bolda Haan" debate held at an auditorium of the PAU on November 1. Opposition leaders from the Congress, SAD and BJP had skipped the event. "In a pre-planned and ..

Delhi's air quality 'very poor', vehicular emissions largest contributor

Delhi air quality: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai will on Thursday hold a meeting with departments on the effective implementation of measures outlined in the Centre's air pollution control plan