Page 41 - Punjab

Punjab petrol pumps get 90% cash in Rs 2,000 notes after RBI's withdrawal

"We are afraid that we would again face problems as after demonetization in 2016 most dealers received harassment by tax authorities"

Punjab to release pending 6% dearness allowance installment to employees

The Punjab government Wednesday said it will release the pending installment of 6 per cent dearness allowance (DA), from July 2015 to December 31, 2015, to employees. A spokesperson of the chief minister's office said it will entail an additional financial liability of Rs 356 crore to the state exchequer. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the government employees were a critical segment of the state administration and safeguarding their interests was the government's top priority.

Punjab to come up with green hydrogen policy, says minister Aman Arora

The state government will soon come up with a green hydrogen policy to make Punjab a front-runner state in non-conventional energy production across the country, said new and renewable energy sources minister Aman Arora on Wednesday. "Concerted efforts are also being made to increase the share of renewable energy up to 30 per cent by 2030," said Arora while addressing a national energy summit. Arora emphasised that it is high time to shift from conventional power generation to renewable energy sources to save the earth. An official statement quoting Arora said around 3,200 MW capacity renewable energy projects, including 2,000 MW capacity of solar plants, have been installed, which is about 21 per cent of the total installed capacity in Punjab. This share of renewable energy will be increased up to 30 per cent by 2030, he said. Punjab has a huge potential in renewable energy as over 20 million tonnes of paddy straw is produced every year and only 7-8 million tonnes is being manage

More than 12.56 mn metric tonnes wheat procured in Punjab: Report

He ordered closure of wheat procurement operations that started on April 1 in the state from May 26

BSF shot down Pakistani drone carrying narcotics near border in Punjab

The Border Security (BSF) has shot down a Pakistani drone carrying narcotics near International Border near Punjab's Amritsar, the force said on Sunday

3 Pakistan drones intercepted, 2 downed by BSF along Punjab border

The Border Security Force (BSF) intercepted three Pakistani drones and shot down two of them along the International Border in Punjab in three different incidents, a spokesperson of the force said on Saturday. The three drones were intercepted by the BSF on Friday night. The first drone, a black quadcopter of "DJI Matrice 300 RTK" make, was recovered from Udhar Dhariwal village in Amritsar district, the spokesperson said. BSF troops intercepted this unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by firing around 9 pm on Friday, he said. The second drone, a quadcopter of the same make, was recovered from Rattan Khurd village in Amritsar district after troops fired at it around 9.30 pm. Two packets attached to the drone containing 2.6 kg of suspected heroin were also recovered from the UAV that was found in Rattan Khurd village, the spokesperson added. A third drone was intercepted on Friday night along this front. However, it could not be recovered as it fell on the Pakistani side, he said. CCTV

98% people in Punjab have taken Covid vaccine first dose: Balbir Singh

Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh on Friday said the state has achieved 98 per cent coverage of the first dose of Covid vaccination and 86 per cent of the second dose for its 18-plus population. This information is based on data available on the CoWIN portal till May 12, he said. According to an official statement, Singh presided over a meeting organised by the USAID and the Punjab health department to share experiences and learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic. It said he lauded the efforts of all NGOs supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for playing a pivotal role in fighting the pandemic. Multi-stakeholder partnerships and strong community engagement were behind enhancing the COVID-19 vaccine coverage in the state, the statement said. He also praised the religious institutions of Punjab, especially the Akal Takht and the 'Deras', for their help to boost the vaccination coverage. The minister underlined the role of Ayurveda and homeopathy

Farmers block railway tracks over inadequate land acquisition compensation

Hundreds of activists of farmers' outfit Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMC) on Thursday squatted on railway tracks and blocked rail traffic at a number of places in Punjab over alleged inadequate compensation for the land acquired for the Bharatmala project. The KMC said it also registered its protest against the alleged slapping of a woman by a policeman in Gurdaspur district on Wednesday when farmers were protesting over the compensation issue. Railway officials said incoming and outgoing trains running between Amritsar and Delhi were affected for a few hours after 12.30 pm in the wake of the farmers' protest. Rail traffic was also affected a few other places in the state KMC spokesperson Gurbachan Singh Chabba said the farmers were protesting on the compensation issue in connection with the acquisition of land for the Bharatmala project and the alleged high handedness of the police in Gurdaspur district against the farmers. He said the government was acquiring the land but

Punjab CM sanctions Rs 20 cr for installation of CCTVs in border areas

DGP Punjab Gaurav Yadav has also declared a reward of Rs 1 lakh for providing information on drone movement leading to the recovery of weapons/narcotics

Electricity in Punjab to cost more, opposition leaders slam the move

Electricity rates are set to go up in Punjab with the power regulator PSERC announcing an increase in power tariff by 25 to 80 paise per unit for different categories of consumers. Opposition parties Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal slammed the move, saying it was the AAP government's "first gift" to people two days after it won the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll. Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission Monday announced a new tariff order for 2023-24. The new tariff order will be applicable with effect from May 16. Shortly after the PSERC decision, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that the revised tariff would not impact the common man as the increase would be borne by the government for free power to domestic category consumers and farmers. As domestic consumers get 300 units per month of free electricity, any increase in charges will be borne by the state government. Meanwhile, electricity consumers consuming over 300 units per month will have to bear the burden on account o

Jalandhar LS bypoll: AAP's vote share climbs to 34%, Cong's vote share dips

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that emerged victorious in the high-stakes Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll in Punjab on Saturday secured a vote share of 34.05 per cent, up from 2.5 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. AAP's Sushil Rinku defeated his nearest rival, Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary of the Congress, by a margin of 58,691 votes, according to the Election Commission's data. Rinku, who joined the AAP after quitting the Congress before the bypoll, polled 3,02,279 votes, while Chaudhary secured 2,43,588 votes, according to the data. Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi, who was backed by the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), finished the poll race at the third spot, while the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal was fourth. Sukhi polled 1,58,445 votes, while Atwal bagged 1,34,800 votes. With this victory, the AAP wrested the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency from the Congress. The seat with a considerable Dalit presence was considered a bastion of

Win reflects people's faith in AAP: Raghav Chadha on Jalandhar LS bypoll

Rinku has so far polled 3,02,097 votes, while Congress nominee Karamjit Kaur has secured 2,43,450 votes

Jalandhar LS bypoll: AAP's Rinku ahead of Congress candidate by 4,503 votes

AAP candidate Sushil Rinku is leading in the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll, counting of votes for which is underway, trends showed. Rinku is ahead of his nearest rival and Congress candidate Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary by 4,503 votes, according to the trends on the Election Commission website. The seat had fallen vacant following the death Karamjit Kaur's husband and Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary in January. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate has so far polled 49,807 votes while Chaudhary has got 45,304. BJP candidate Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal was at the third spot while Shiromani Akali Dal's Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi, who is being backed by the BSP, was at the fourth spot, according to the trends. Atwal has, so far, got 29,244 votes while Sukhi has polled 22,352 votes, it showed. The bypoll was held on May 10 and counting began at 8 am. Nineteen candidates contested the bypoll, which recorded a voter turnout of 54.70 per cent. The turnout was well below the 63.04 per cent recorded i

Counting begins in Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll amid tight security

Counting of votes began Saturday morning for the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll that witnessed a four-corner battle among the BJP, Congress, SAD and the ruling AAP. Counting began at 8 am, officials said. A tight security arrangement has been put in place in and around the counting centres set up at the office of the Director Land Records and Sports College Complex in Kapurthala Road. Prominent among the 19 candidates in the fray are the AAP's Sushil Rinku, Congress' Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary, BJP's Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal, and the Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi. The bypoll, held on May 10, recorded a voter turnout of 54.70 per cent, the officials said. It was well below the 63.04 per cent recorded in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Jalandhar seat had fallen vacant following the death of Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary in January. The AAP fielded former MLA Rinku, who joined the party after quitting the Congress, while Atwal moved to the BJP from the SAD. Backe

PSEB Board Class 12 Result 2023 soon at pseb.ac.in, details inside

The official website of Punjab School Education Board (PSEB); pseb.ac.in will publish the results. More than three lakh students are enthusiastically waiting for the result

54.7% voter turnout in Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll: Election office

A voter turnout of 54.70 per cent was recorded in the May 10 Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll, according to final figures released by the election office on Thursday. This was well below the voter turnout of 63.04 per cent recorded in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. According to the final figures released by the election office, 54.70 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in the bypoll on Wednesday. Of the 16,21,800 eligible voters in the constituency, only 8,87,154 cast their votes, the data showed. Among the nine assembly segments of the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat, Shahkot recorded the highest polling percentage at 58.23, followed by 57.97 in Kartarpur, 56.49 in Jalandhar West, 55.89 in Nakodar, 55.81 in Phillaur, 54.43 in Jalandhar North, 54.02 in Adampur, 50.19 in Jalandhar Cantt and 48.94 in Jalandhar Central. The Jalandhar seat fell vacant following the death of Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary due to a cardiac arrest during his party's Bharat Jodo Yatra in January. The bypoll

Jalandhar bypoll sees nearly 50% turnout, AAP legislator arrested

Amid clashes and arrest of a AAP legislator, nearly 50 per cent of 16.21 lk electorate cast votes to decide the fate of 19 candidates in the fray for Jalandhar (reserved) parliamentary constituency

Punjab launches energy action plan to ensure promotion of energy efficiency

Punjab New and Renewable Energy Sources Department launched Punjab State Energy Action Plan to ensure promotion of energy efficiency in buildings

Punjab: 41% polling till 3 pm in Jalandhar LS bypoll, set to close at 6pm

A voter turnout of nearly 41 per cent was recorded till 3 pm on Wednesday in the by-election to the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat which is witnessing a four-cornered electoral battle. Voting began at 8 am amid tight security and is set to continue till 6 pm, officials said. The parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary due to a cardiac arrest during his party's Bharat Jodo Yatra in January. The AAP, which is the ruling party in the state, the Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal are vying to outdo each other in the Dalit stronghold. According to the Election Commission's voter turnout app, 40.62 per cent polling was recorded till 3 pm. A few incidents of scuffle and altercations were reported between the AAP and opposition party members at some booths. Leaders of opposition parties accused the AAP of violating the model code of conduct by deploying outsiders at several booths, a charge denied by the ruling party. AAP MLA from Amritsar's

Voting begins for high-stakes Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll in Punjab

Polling began on Wednesday morning for the high-stakes Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll where a four-cornered electoral battle is in the offing with the AAP, Congress, BJP, and Shiromani Akali Dal vying to outdo each other in the Dalit stronghold. Amid tight security arrangements, voting for the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency began at 8 am and will continue till 6 pm, said officials. There are a total 16,21,800 eligible voters, including 8,44,904 males, 7,76,855 females, and 41 transgenders in the constituency. Nineteen candidates, including four women, are in the fray. The counting of votes will take place on May 13. There are 1,972 polling stations in the constituency and 497 of them have been identified as critical, officials said. A dedicated women-only polling station has been set up in all nine assembly constituencies, which are part of the Jalandhar parliamentary seat. The Jalandhar Lok Sabha (reserved) seat fell vacant following the death of Congress MP Santokh Singh ...