Page 33 - Punjab

EC team holds meeting on revision of electoral roll, preparedness in Punjab

A team of the Election Commission led by Deputy Election Commissioner Hirdesh Kumar held a meeting here on Wednesday on special summary revision of the electoral roll and preparedness for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Punjab. The meeting was attended by Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C and all 23 Deputy Commissioners-cum-District Election Officers (DEOs). It focused on the revision of the voters' list, the inclusion of names of new voters and the deletion of names of deceased voters, according to an official statement. Reviewing the electoral roll management at the district level, Kumar assessed existing gaps in rolls in terms of elector-population (EP) ratio, gender ratio and age cohorts, it said. The DEOs were asked to make concerted efforts in ensuring a 100 per cent error-free electoral roll. They were also asked to ensure inclusivity and especially focus on marginalised segments, persons with disabilities (PwDs) and transgenders, the statement said. Kumar instructed the

Terror bid foiled in Pakistan's Punjab province, 2 ISIS terrorists arrested

Pakistani law enforcement agencies foiled a major terror plot to target key installations in the Punjab province and arrested two terrorists of the Islamic State (ISIS) militant group during intelligence-based operations, police said on Saturday. According to the spokesperson of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police, the terrorists were arrested from Gujranwala and Rawalpindi cities. "The CTD has foiled a major terror plot in Punjab province and arrested two suspected terrorists of Daesh (ISIS) with weapons, explosives and other prohibited materials. The terrorists had planned sabotage across the province and wanted to target important installations," the spokesperson said. The terrorists have been identified as Zakirulla and Muhammad Eisha. Around 1.5 kgs of explosives, eight detonators, 13 feet of safety fuse wire and banned literature were recovered from them. The spokesperson said the police registered two cases against the terrorists in Gujranwala and Rawalp

Party's word supreme: Sidhu to Punjab Cong leaders opposing AAP alliance

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu Wednesday said the decision of the party high command is supreme, his remark coming in response to state Congress leaders opposing any alliance with the AAP in Punjab. The statement of the cricketer-turned-politician came amid strong reservations by the Punjab Congress leaders over any alliance with the ruling party in the state. "The decision of the party high command is supreme. It is for a greater cause, National interest has been kept paramount to honour the spirit of the constitution and to free the enchained institutions which draw their strength from constitutional values," Sidhu posted on X. "Petty perish pump politics loaded with selfish vested interests should be discarded for safeguarding our DEMOCRACY. Elections are not fought for the next election, they are fought for the next generation. Long live INDIA. Jurrega BHARAT," he posted. Congress leaders in Punjab had on Tuesday asserted they were against any kind of alliance with the AAP

Punjab records 28% jump in GST revenue in April-August this fiscal

Punjab recorded a 28.2 per cent rise year-on-year in goods and services tax revenue during April-August 2023, state Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said on Tuesday. A total of Rs 8,524.17 crore in GST has been mopped up during the first five months of the current fiscal against Rs 6,648.89 crore collected in the year-ago period, Cheema said. An additional revenue of Rs 1,875.28 crore has been collected from GST up to August this fiscal. In an official release, Cheema said the total revenue collected from GST, excise, value-added tax and other sources in 2023-24 registered an increase of 17.49 per cent as compared to the last fiscal year.

KBC 15: Jaskaran Singh from Punjab creates history, wins Rs 1 crore

Kaun Banega Crorepati got its first crorepati of the 15th edition. Jaskaran Singh, who hails from Khalra village, Punjab, created history as he reached the Rs 7 crore question

Punjab sees fivefold rise in study loans; statistics indicate exodus

Experts told Mint that the difficult job market in Punjab has led to young individuals seeking opportunities abroad

Punjab CM Mann announces hiring of new 586 'patwaris' amid agitation

Amid the agitation by 'patwaris' to press for their demands, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Saturday announced to hire 586 new 'patwaris' (revenue officials) on vacant posts, asserting that people will not be allowed to be harassed. In a video message, CM Mann also said 741 undertraining patwaris will be assigned their jobs in circles where posts are vacant. He further said there are 710 such posts where appointment letters are yet to be issued because of pending police verification. He said the home department has been directed to complete the process of police verification so that appointment letters to 710 candidates, who have already passed their exams, be given. With these steps, a total of 2,037 circles where posts of 'patwaris' are lying vacant will be filled, the chief minister said. The 'patwaris' began the agitation on Friday, saying they were boycotting "additional" work they are expected to carry out. A union leader said the officials have stopped work allotted t

CM Mann hands over Rs 1 cr cheque to kin of army jawan killed in Ladakh

The Chief Minister also announced suitable jobs for the kin of the jawans on compassionate grounds according to the policy

5 years later, Punjab govt to give cash awards to over 1,800 sportspersons

The Punjab government will give away cash awards to 1,807 sportspersons who have been waiting for it for more than five years, an official statement said on Sunday. The state's sports department has prepared a list of these medal winners who have been deprived of cash prize money since 2017, it said. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will facilitate 1,807 sportspersons with a total prize money of Rs 5.94 crore at the opening ceremony of the second season of 'Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan' at Bathinda on August 29. Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said it came to the notice of the Punjab government that there were many sportspersons in the state, who despite winning medals, did not receive cash prize money for the last five years. Mann directed the sports department to prepare a list of these sportspersons and give them their due rewards. The sports department prepared the list of players from the year 2017 till now, whose total prize money was Rs 5.94 crore. These players brought

Sanyukt Samaj Morcha blames Punjab govt of delayed action to control floods

"The condition of Punjab is bad due to frequent floods. We think it is man-made, not natural. The government did not control it on time," Balbir Singh Rajewal said

Won't bow down to guv's threat: Punjab CM on 'President rule' threat

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday lashed out at Governor Banwarilal Purohit for "threatening" to impose President's rule in the state and asked why his counterparts were "silent" on the law and order situation in BJP-ruled states. Mann said the "selected" governor does not have any moral authority to "threaten" elected representatives of the people and asserted that he is "not going to bow down". Addressing a press conference, the chief minister alleged that the governors are acting as "puppets" of the Union government to create hindrances in the functioning of non-BJP governments in states like Delhi, West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and said such things don't augur well for the country's federal structure. "Punjab is most affected in the past due to (Article) 356. So, don't rub salts on our wounds... Governor Sahab, don't try to test the patience and emotions of the Punjabis," Mann said. The governor has been accusing Mann of not responding to the letters sent to

Ensure 60% DAP allocation to cooperative societies, orders Punjab CS

The Punjab Chief Secretary Thursday issued directions for ensuring the allocation of 60 per cent di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) to cooperative societies in the state. In an order issued on Thursday, the CS stated that it was of utmost necessity that the cooperative societies should have DAP in adequate quantity as the possibility of exploitation of farmers by private traders may increase in the event of a shortage of fertilizer with the societies. Small farmers get soft loans at the rate of 4 per cent from cooperative societies and with this, they can buy fertilizer, said the order, adding that if cooperative societies remain short of fertilizer then it will impact small farmers. It added that the cooperative societies were given very little fertilizer from the first week of July till now. The order further said that it should be ensured that 60 per cent of the total DAP for the state should be made available with the cooperative societies by September 15 for wheat sowing. With the .

Punjab schools closed till August 26 amid rains and flood-like situation

According to the state education minister, CM Bhagwant Mann has instructed to shut down the schools amid the flood-like situation in the state after intense downpour

AAI to set up civil enclave in Ambala for RCS flight operations: Anil Vij

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday said the Airports Authority of India will set up a civil enclave in Ambala for operations of flights under the Regional Connectivity Scheme. The Haryana aviation department will transfer more than Rs 133 crore to the Ministry of Defence for the purpose, to which the state government has given its approval, Vij said, according to an official statement. Vij said the Civil Enclave will be established on about 20 acres, alongside the Air Force station of Ambala, and work on it will start soon. He said a Rs 16-crore tender has been floated for the operation of the civil enclave. A civil enclave is an area of military airbase allotted for civil aviation use. Vij said that the civil enclave was sanctioned under the UDAN scheme. According to the statement, Vij made tireless efforts to set up the enclave and it has now been approved and flight operations will also start soon. Vij said the airplanes will be parked in the enclave while the airstr

Punjab to hold tourism summit, travel mart in Mohali from Sept 11-13

The Punjab government on Wednesday said it will hold a tourism summit and travel mart in Mohali from September 11 to 13 to promote the state as the "most preferred" tourism destination. Five cities - Amritsar, Roopnagar, Ludhiana, Patiala, and Fatehgarh Sahib -- have emerged as top draws for foreign tourists and the Department of Tourism is working to ensure that the state becomes a leading international tourist destination by 2030, said an official statement. The tourism department inaugurated its first roadshow in Jaipur to showcase the initiatives taken by the state government to promote tourism. The next roadshow will be held in Mumbai (August 24), Hyderabad (August 25), and Delhi (August 26), said the release. "The Punjab government is working relentlessly to promote tourism in the state that will increase footfall from both international and domestic sectors. This in turn will provide maximum employment opportunities for women and youth," Anmol Gagan Mann, Minister of Tourism

Punjab govt releases Rs 186 cr as compensation for crops damaged in floods

The Punjab government on Tuesday said it has released over Rs 186.12 crore as compensation for crops damaged in the state's flood-hit areas. Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Bram Shanker Jimpa said the money has been released from the relief fund to deputy commissioners of 16 districts. Crops were damaged due to flooding in many areas of the state in July and August, the minister said in a statement. A special 'girdawari (survey to assess losses)' was conducted in all the affected areas, he added. The state government is committed to provide compensation to the victims and it has no dearth of funds for the purpose, the minister said. Providing a district-wise breakdown, he said Rs 59.50 crore was released to Patiala, Rs 26.52 crore to Tarn Taran, Rs 26.08 crore to Sangrur, Rs 22.44 crore to Ferozepur and Rs 12.92 crore to Mansa. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has already announced that loss of every crop, cattle or house was covered in the 'girdawari' to ful

Police raids Punjab factory making ayurvedic alcoholic syrup for Gujarat

In the last one year, the factory had manufactured around two lakh bottles of the syrup for Gujarat

Punjab farmers' protest: Security tightened at inter-state borders

Security has been stepped up at the inter-state borders of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on Tuesday in the wake of a call by 16 farmer bodies to hold a protest here to seek compensation for losses caused by floods, officials said. In Chandigarh, security personnel have been deployed at all entry and exit points to prevent farmers from entering. A heavy deployment of force has also been made at Shambhu in Ambala located on the Haryana-Punjab border, they said. In Punjab's Rajpura, barricades have been put up while anti-riot vehicles and a CCTV vehicle have also been deployed. Sixteen farm bodies, including the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Bharti Kisan Union (Karanti kari), BKU (Ekta Azaad), Aazaad Kisan Committee, Doaba, BKU (Behramke) and the Bhoomi Bachao Mohim, had given the call for staging a demonstration here to seek compensation for losses caused by floods. Farmers are demanding a package of Rs 50,000 crore from the Centre for damages caused by floods in the northern

Punjab: Water recedes from flood-hit areas of Ferozepur, rescue op underway

Water has started to recede from flood-hit areas of Ferozepur district even as relief operations continued in villages near the banks of the Sutlej river, officials said on Monday. More than 3,000 people have been rescued so far, they said. On Monday, 1.60 lakh cusec of water was released downstream from the Harike headworks and 1.55 lakh cusecs from the Hussainiwala headworks, according to the officials. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Army, Border Security Force and the Punjab Police are assisting the district administration in the relief and rescue operation. Four additional NDRF teams have joined the two deployed earlier to evacuate the stranded people. "Around 28 boats have been pressed into service to evacuate the people. At one time, eight to 10 people are being rescued," said an official, adding that efforts are being made to convince those who are still in their villages to move to safer locations. "The water level receded today and it will also h

Punjab CM launches 'mera bill' app to reward GST payment on invoice

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday launched a 'mera bill' app under the 'bill liao inaam pao' (bring a bill, get reward) scheme. The scheme is aimed at enhancing the compliance under the goods and services tax (GST) and thereby the revenue, according to an official release. The scheme is targeted at motivating consumers to get bills from dealers for their purchases made within the state and thereby forcing the dealers to issue the bills for their sales. Mann said the consumers will be encouraged to upload bills of their purchases on the 'mera bill' app to become eligible to participate in a lucky draw, which shall be held at 7th of each month. There will be a maximum 10 prizes per taxation district (29 taxation districts in the state), taking the tally to 290 rewards each month. The reward will be equivalent to five times the taxable value of goods or services declared in the bill with maximum capping of Rs 10,000 for each reward. He said the list of winners will be ..