Page 59 - Punjab

2.5 mn households get zero electricity bills: Punjab Power minister

The AAP government in Punjab has fulfilled its promise of providing 300 units of free electricity per month and as such 25 lakh domestic consumers have received zero bills, state Power Minister Harbhajan Singh said Saturday. In a statement, he claimed this was the first time a government is fulfilling its election promises in the initial year itself. Otherwise, previous governments have been fulfilling election promises only in the last year of their tenure, Singh claimed. The minister said of the total 72 lakh domestic consumers, bills were sent to 42 lakh out of which, 25 lakh have received zero electricity bills, he stated. The bills are for the July-August bi-monthly billing cycle. The power minister also said that due to the two-month billing circle with the waiver, consumers are getting 600 units of free electricity, which is more than the requirement of every normal household. Before the 2022 Punjab assembly polls, the Aam Aadmi Party had promised 300 units of free electri

AAP govt failed to protect minorities in Punjab: SAD leader Majithia

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia on Saturday said the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led government has allegedly failed to protect the minorities and maintain peace and law and order in Punjab. Referring to the incident of vandalism of a church in Tarn Taran district, Majithia said ensuring law and order is the prime responsibility of the government, but it has continuously failed on this front. He said such unfortunate incidents were occurring because the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government was being "remote-controlled from Delhi". Asserting that the Sikhism always accorded due respect to people of all faiths, Majithia said, "The teachings of 'Guru Sahiban' have always taught us love, respect and tolerance for everyone. It is our duty to keep every minority in Punjab safe and secure. Punjabis will never tolerate any harm coming to them." Four masked men had broken into the church in Tarn Taran, vandalised it and fled after setting the pastor's car on fire on ...

SJVN eyeing to develop 5,000 MW renewable energy projects in Punjab

After signing a pact for developing 10,000 MW solar projects and parks in Rajasthan, public sector SJVN is now eyeing to tap renewable energy in Punjab

Punjab govt giving top priority to education, says CM Bhagwant Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said his government is giving top priority to the education sector, asserting that it is the bedrock for building a progressive society. Mann visited a local government senior secondary school and interacted with the students and teachers. "My visit is not aimed at fault finding but the real purpose is to assess the situation at grassroot level to introduce comprehensive reforms in the education sector," an official statement quoting Mann said. Education is the bedrock for building a new and progressive society due to which the state government is according top priority to it, said Mann. He said the state government is already working on introducing multi-pronged improvements in the education sector to benefit students especially from the needy and underprivileged sections of the society. He further said the state government is committed to transforming the government schools of the state into "Schools of eminence" The CM emphasised

Punjab taps agricultural residues to speed up lean energy transition

Punjab's agriculture holds a huge potential for energy generation from agro-residues, an alternative model of diversification, besides clean energy transition by tapping solar power

Viral disease behind stunting of paddy plants in many parts of Punjab: PAU

The Punjab Agricultural University has found southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV), a viral disease, behind the stunting of paddy plants in many parts of Punjab. This is the first time that SRBSDV, which was first reported in 2001 from Southern China, has been detected in Punjab. Ludhiana-based PAU vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal said that SRBSDV is the real cause behind stunting of rice. The PAU scientists had received complaints of stunted rice plants from farmers. Preliminary reports about the occurrence of these symptoms started coming from the districts of Sri Fatehgarh Sahib, Patiala, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Pathankot, SAS Nagar, and Gurdaspur. Within one month, stunted rice plants were observed in almost the whole of Punjab and its adjoining states, said the PAU in a statement here. "The infected plants were stunted with narrow erect leaves, with both roots and shoots of the plants severely affected. In severely infected rice fields, the infected plants showed

Terrorism rearing its head again in AAP-ruled Punjab: Cong's Raghu Sharma

Terrorism is rearing its head again in Punjab after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in the northern state in March, Gujarat Congress in-charge Raghu Sharma alleged on Friday. Seeking to downplay the AAP's entry is Gujarat, where Assembly polls are due by the year-end, Sharma claimed the real fight will be between his party and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit does not have any mass base in the western state. "They (AAP) now want to do politics in Gujarat, the land of Mahatma Gandhi. This is the same party which had removed Gandhiji's photos from offices after forming government in Punjab. People are also raising questions over some of the activities of the AAP," he said at a press conference here. "They formed government in Punjab by making attractive promises. But, their government is failing in handling the situation in the state. Terrorism is also rearing its head in Punjab under the AAP government. They only know how to manage ...

PM security lapse: SC panel finds Ferozepur SSP failed to discharge duty

A Supreme Court-appointed committee to probe the security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Punjab in January has found that the Ferozepur SSP failed to discharge his duty though sufficient force was available. The Supreme Court on Thursday said it will send the report of the five-member committee headed by former apex court judge Indu Malhotra to the Centre for appropriate action. "The Ferozepur SSP failed to discharge his duty to maintain law and order. He failed to do this even though sufficient force was available and even though he was informed two hours before that PM will enter that route," the bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana and also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli said while reading from the committee's report. On January 5, Modi's convoy was stranded on a flyover due to a blockade by protesters in Ferozepur after which he returned from Punjab without attending any event, including a rally.

'Sycophancy eating into party like termites': Jaiveer Shergill quits Cong

Have resigned from Congress, severed all ties with party, says Shergill

HC orders fresh assessment of security threat to protectees in Punjab

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered fresh assessment of security threat of protectees after several protected individuals in Punjab had approached it against the withdrawal and de-categorization of their security cover. While hearing a batch of 45 petitions filed among others by former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister O P Soni, the court said it cannot lose sight of the fact that decategorisation of security may sometimes prompt inimical anti-social elements to take drastic step to overcome the decategorised security in order to attack the protectee. "In order to ward off the continued apprehension of the protectees in view of bringing the issue of withdrawal of security under public domain, this Court is of the opinion that the competent authority should make fresh assessment in respect of security threats of protectees after considering the available inputs from different agencies including State and Central," the HC ordered. The competent authority should also consider the

Punjab native held for forging fake degree certificate for Swapna Suresh

A man has been arrested for allegedly forging fake degree certificate for Swapna Suresh, a key accused in the controversial gold smuggling case. Sachin Das from Punjab, was arrested on Tuesday morning by a police team from Kerala and will be brought to the state tomorrow, police said on Wednesday. "A four-member police team nabbed the accused in Punjab. He will be brought to the state tomorrow. The team had reached Punjab on August 18 and apprehended him yesterday," police told PTI. Earlier, it was alleged that Suresh's appointment as a consultant to Space Park, promoted by the state government, was based on her fake degree certificate. A case has been registered in this connection.

PM Modi to unveil 2 health initiatives in Haryana and Punjab today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Haryana and Punjab on Wednesday as he is slated to inaugurate and dedicate to the nation two important health initiatives.Prime Minister will inaugurate Amrita Hospital at Faridabad in Haryana after which he will travel to Mohal and dedicate the 'Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital & Research Centre' to the nation at Mullanpur in New Chandigarh, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar District in Mohali at around 02:15 PM, read a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.The availability of modern medical infrastructure in the National Capital Region (NCR) will get a boost with the inauguration of Amrita Hospital at Faridabad.Managed by Mata Amritanandamayi Math, the super-speciality hospital will be equipped with 2600 beds. The hospital, which is being constructed at an estimated cost of around Rs. 6000 crore, will provide state-of-the-art healthcare facilities to the people of Faridabad and the entire NCR region.In an endeavour to provide world-class cancer

BSF recovers cache of assault weapons along Indo-Pak border in Punjab

The Border Security Force (BSF) has recovered a cache of assault weapons, suspected to have been smuggled from across the border, during a patrol along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab on Tuesday. Three AK series rifles along with six magazines, 2 M3 sub-machine guns with four magazines and two pistols along with two magazines were unearthed by the personnel of the border force from the Ferozepur sector in the early hours, officials said. The weapons are suspected to have been smuggled in from Pakistan, they said.

Punjab expects low cotton production at 800,000 bales this season

Punjab is expecting a cotton output of around 8 lakh bales in the current Kharif season due to lower acreage and damage to the crop due to rains. The cotton output had dropped sharply to 6.45 lakh bales in the last 2021-22 season due to the pink bollworm insect attack against more than 10 lakh bales in the previous year. The current season production would be nearly 35 per cent lower than that in 2018-19. Lesser area under cotton along with damage to the crop by rains and whitefly pest attack are being seen as the main reasons behind the expected decline in the overall yield. Punjab could bring only 2.48 lakh hectares under cotton crop as against the target of 4 lakh hectares in cotton-growing areas of Bathinda, Muktsar, Mansa, Fazilka, Sangrur, Moga and Faridkot in the Kharif sowing season. During the time of sowing which is mid of April till May, farmers in several cotton-growing areas could not get sufficient canal water for sowing of the crop as there was a breach in the Sirhi

Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal demand probe into Punjab's excise policy

The opposition Congress and SAD on Saturday demanded a probe into Punjab's excise policy, alleging it was a "sellout" and the state was "defrauded" like in Delhi where its liquor policy is under the CBI scanner. The demand in AAP-ruled Punjab came a day after CBI carried out searches at 31 places which included premises related to Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as well as some bureaucrats and businessmen over alleged irregularities in Delhi Excise policy 2021-22. Congress Legislative Party leader in Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa along with other party leaders said they will meet the governor seeking a probe into the excise policy in Punjab. "Like Delhi, the liquor policy in Punjab is a sellout in which the AAP leaders in connivance with some senior officials have defrauded the state of thousands of crores of rupees, besides rendering hundreds of Punjabi traders jobless," Bajwa alleged. He also said the Congress will seek an NIA probe into "illegal sand mining going

African Swine Fever: Punjab govt to give compensation for culling of pigs

Punjab Animal Husbandry Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar on Saturday said the state government will provide due compensation for the culling of pigs following the detection of African swine fever in the animals. The compensation will be given according to the policy of the Centre. African swine fever was detected in samples which were sent from Patiala district for testing. The fever is a highly contagious and fatal viral disease affecting domestic pigs. "African swine fever (ASF) has been confirmed at two places in Patiala and as per the guidelines of the Government of India, it is necessary to cull pigs within the radius of one kilometre from the epicenter of the disease, otherwise, this disease can be fatal, said Bhullar. The mortality rate of this disease can be as high as 100 per cent and once a pig is affected, it dies within a few days, he said. The minister said the compensation will be given only for the culling done by the department. He urged pig farmers to cooperate wi

Punjab food dept official dismissed for negligence in discharge of duty

Amid alleged irregularities in the tendering process of labour, cartage and transportation for lifting foodgrain, Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak on Saturday said his department has dismissed a deputy director rank officer for gross negligence in the discharge of duty. This came days after the registration of a case by the Vigilance Bureau in connection with alleged irregularities in Ludhiana district in the previous Congress government. The role of Deputy Director Rakesh Kumar Singla is being investigated with regard to the irregularities in the tendering process, sources said. Singla is said to be close to former food and civil supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu whose role is also under the scanner, they said. Addressing the media here, minister Kataruchak said Singla has been dismissed for wilfully concealing facts and gross negligence in discharge of official duty. Kataruchak said Singla violated the Punjab Civil Services Rules, 1970 by hiding t

Punjab, Haryana to name Chandigarh int'l airport after Bhagat Singh

Punjab and its neighbouring Haryana on Saturday agreed to name the Chandigarh International Airport after Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh.

DMU train hits truck at railway crossing in Hoshiarpur; driver escapes

A truck driver had a narrow escape when a DMU train bound for Jalandhar from Hoshiarpur hit the vehicle at a railway crossing in village Mandiala, about 16 kilometers from here, police said on Saturday. The incident took place on Friday night when the truck carrying LPG gas cylinders was going from Jalandhar to the bottling plant near Mandiala village, they said. When it reached the railway crossing gate, the diesel multiple unit (DMU) train coming from Hoshiarpur side hit the rear side of the truck and also dragged it for some distance, police said. Station Superintendent, Nasrala Railway Station, Mohan Singh said the DMU train remained stranded for around three hours at the accident site. However, no loss of life was reported. The railway staff brought a crane to the accident site and the truck was towed to the side. Thereafter, the rail traffic resumed. A case under relevant sections of the Railways Act has been registered against the gateman on duty in this regard.

Post matric scam: No need to hand over probe to central agency, says Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said the state's investigating agencies were fully capable of investigating the alleged irregularities in the post matric scholarship scheme and there was no need to hand the over the probe to a central agency. He also told leaders of the Valmiki community that services of 'safai sewaks' were being regularised and they soon will be taken off the contractual system. On the alleged "multi-crore" post matric scholarship scam, Mann reiterated his government's commitment to ensure stern action against the culprits. The alleged scam had surfaced during the Congress rule in 2020, following a report by the then additional chief secretary, who had flagged misappropriation of Rs 55.71 crore. The report had also questioned the role of the then social justice minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot in shielding those involved in the scam. The then chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh had directed a panel led by the state chief secretary to conduct a thorough