Chandigarh, January 25:

Punjab Mining Minister Mr. Barinder Goyal participated in the 3rd National Mining Ministers’ Conference held at Konark, Odisha. The conference was attended by the Union Mining Minister, representatives from 11 states, and senior officials.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Goyal highlighted Punjab’s unique approach to mining, stating that unlike other states where mining occurs deep underground, Punjab’s mining activities are conducted above the surface.

The Minister emphasized that Punjab is optimally utilising its natural resources and just like the state has, over the years, responsibly expanded its agricultural activities  to feed the entire nation, the state is responsibly mining its natural resources to add to the economy.

The Minister underscored Punjab’s efforts to bring transparency to mining by establishing public mining sites, enabling access to affordable sand for common citizens while generating employment for local labor and youth.

During the conference, Mr. Goyal raised concerns about recent directives from the Ministry of Defence requiring prior clearance for mining activities within 20 km of the border. He termed the decision discriminatory. He said that the State of Punjab has three rivers namely Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, where mining can happen, and out of these two of the rivers are impacted by this decision, which should be immediately reviewed.

Mr. Goyal also addressed delays in obtaining environmental clearances for mining sites.

He strongly advocated the need for empowering the government with overriding powers of taking over the Environmental Clearance issued to any contractor in case he defaults or declines to carry on with any mining activity. This, he said, will eliminate unnecessary delays in obtaining fresh environmental clearances

Additionally, the minister urged the union mining minister to assist the state in expanding its mining activities into major minerals by exploiting the huge reserves of Potash detected in parts of Punjab bordering Rajasthan. This, he said, will save the nation a large amount of foreign exchange which it otherwise pays for importing potash every year in huge quantities.

Mr. Goyal reiterated Punjab’s commitment to sustainable and responsible mining practices and called for greater collaboration with the Union Government to enhance the state’s mining sector.

Ludhiana/Chandigarh, January 25:

Local Bodies Minister Dr Ravjot Singh inspected the temporary pumping station established under ‘Kar Sewa’ led by Rajya Sabha MP Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal near Gaushala point of ‘Buddha Dariya’ on Saturday.

Applauding the efforts put in by MP Seechewal to stop the flow of sewer waste into the ‘Buddha Dariya’, Cabinet minister Dr Ravjot Singh reiterated the commitment of Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Singh Mann to rejuvenate ‘Buddha Dariya’.

Mayor Principal Inderjit Kaur, MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal, SDM  (East) Jasleen Kaur Bhullar, Additional Commissioner Paramdeep Singh, EO GLADA Aman Gupta, PPCB Chief Engineer RK Ratra, Chief Engineer Ravinder Garg among other officials accompanied the cabinet minister.

MP Seechewal appreciated Cabinet minister Dr Ravjot Singh for his concern over the project to clean ‘Buddha Dariya’ stating that the cabinet minister has visited the temporary pumping station site for the fourth time in a period of around a month.

Cabinet Minister Dr Ravjot Singh said that the state government is not against the industry or any other sector, but no one can be allowed to pollute ‘Buddha Dariya’.

After inspecting the temporary pumping station, Cabinet Minister Dr Ravjot Singh also conducted a meeting with the officials and directed them to take strict action against those dumping untreated waste in the Buddha Dariya.

Dr Ravjot Singh said that they would also be holding meetings with the dairy owners of Tajpur road dairy complex and Haibowal dairy complex on January 27. The dairy owners would again be appealed to stop dumping cow dung in the Dariya to avoid action.

Meanwhile, Dr Ravjot Singh directed the officials to expedite the projects to establish bio-gas plants in Hiabowal and Tajpur road dairy complexes. Till that time arrangements should be made to lift the cow dung from dairy units and dump the same at designated sites. Civic body officials stated that temporary arrangements have already been made to lift the cow dung and tenders have also been floated to rope in a contractor for lifting cow dung from dairy units.

Cabinet Minister Dr Ravjot Singh said that the state government is regularly monitoring the situation and all efforts are being made to rejuvenate ‘Buddha Dariya’.

Chandigarh, January 25 

          Today lead Agency on Road Safety, Punjab state road safety council and National Highway Authority of India organized a one-day workshop on the topic “Improvement of Black Spots and Their Impact on Road Accidents and Fatalities” to reduce road accidents and fatalities. 

          The workshop was held at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration, Sector 26, Chandigarh, in connection with the National Road Safety Month 2025. The focus was on improving accident-prone black spots and assessing their impact on road accidents and fatalities. The workshop was conducted under the leadership of the Lead Agency, Punjab State Road Safety Council, in collaboration with the Transport Department, Punjab, and other stakeholders, including the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), PWD (B&R), Local Government Department, Punjab Mandi Board, and Punjab Traffic Police. 

          Additional Chief Secretary of Transport, Mr. D.K. Tiwari, stated that under the able leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and the guidance of Transport Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar, special efforts will be made regarding road safety. He emphasized that the primary objective of the workshop is to discuss and address critical issues related to road safety. These deliberations will play a crucial role in shaping future strategies to enhance road safety standards and reduce road hazards. He also commended the role of the Road Safety Force and encouraged officials from various departments to adopt well-coordinated measures to minimize road accidents, especially during foggy weather conditions, and to discourage underage driving. 

          Director General of the Lead Agency for Road Safety, Mr. R. Venkata Ratnam, pointed out that the number of fatalities due to road accidents in the state is alarmingly high, with 14 deaths occurring daily. He urged road-related agencies, including NHAI, PWD, Punjab Mandi Board, and the Local Government Department, to put in more efforts to rectify black spots on roads and properly evaluate their impact to reduce fatalities. He also directed police and transport department officials to strictly enforce traffic rules to prevent accidents and save lives. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of accurately documenting road accident data to facilitate better planning and ensure optimal utilization of government funds allocated for accident prevention. 

          Additional Director General of Police (Traffic), Mr. A.S. Rai, highlighted the performance of the Road Safety Force and stated that due to the effective operations of the force over the past 11 months, there has been a significant decline in road accidents and fatalities in Punjab, which is a testament to the efforts of the current Punjab government. 

          State Transport Commissioner Mr. Jaspreet Singh provided insights into various initiatives for road safety, such as special awareness campaigns for school and college students, the importance of wearing seat belts, scrapping of old vehicles, electronic surveillance-based challans in major cities, third-party insurance and pollution certificate checks, educating students on traffic rules through traffic parks, and simplifying the online learning license process. 

          Mr. Vipnesh Sharma, Regional Officer of NHAI, provided insights into road safety initiatives and shared details about efforts undertaken by the department to rectify black spots to reduce road accidents and save lives. 

          The workshop witnessed participation from senior officials of the Punjab Government and various associated agencies, along with key stakeholders. Experts elaborated on various safety measures and future action plans to reduce road accidents, improve road infrastructure, and raise public awareness.

Chandigarh, January 25 :

          The Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, is continuously striving to provide employment opportunities to the youth of the state. In line with this effort, Barinder Kumar Goyal, the Minister for Land and Water Conservation, today handed over appointment letters to 21 newly appointed candidates. Among these candidates, 19 were appointed as Agricultural Sub-Inspectors, 1 as Junior Draftsman, and 1 as Peon.

          While handing over the appointment letters to the newly appointed candidates at Punjab Bhawan today, Barinder Kumar Goyal congratulated them and encouraged them to work with full dedication and sincerity. He also mentioned that the appointments made by the state Government were done with full transparency, ensuring that all jobs were awarded to deserving candidates based on merit. The Cabinet Minister further stated that the vision of the Government is to provide employment opportunities to the youth in Punjab so that their skills contribute to the state’s development.

          The Cabinet Minister emphasized that the government has transformed the mindset of the people. He mentioned that the previous governments had eroded people’s trust, as Government jobs were only available through recommendations. However, under the leadership of S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, the present Government has changed this narrative. People now know that only qualified and deserving candidates are appointed based on merit, which has enabled young people from ordinary families in the state to get jobs. He further pointed out that previously, due to lack of employment opportunities in Punjab, the youth had to go abroad, but now, with the jobs provided by the Punjab Government, they are returning to the state.

          He also mentioned that among the newly appointed candidates, two individuals had worked in Canada and had returned to Punjab to receive their appointment letters for the Agricultural Sub-Inspector position.

          Cabinet Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal further stated that the present Government is the first in the country to provide employment to over 50,000 youth from ordinary families in Punjab during its tenure.

          He urged the newly appointed candidates to understand that positions like Agricultural Sub-Inspector and Draftsman are the backbone of this department. He encouraged them to work diligently to implement Government schemes related to land and water conservation and to create awareness among farmers about these schemes. He also directed officials to organize awareness camps across the state to educate farmers about these schemes.

          Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture), Shri Anurag Verma, also congratulated the newly appointed employees and stressed the importance of water resource management. He urged the newly recruited employees to contribute their full potential in the mission of water conservation throughout the state.

          The Chief Land Officer, Mahinder Pal Saini, welcomed the new recruits to the department and urged them to carry out their duties with full responsibility and dedication.

Chandigarh, January 25 

          Today lead Agency on Road Safety, Punjab state road safety council and National Highway Authority of India organized a one-day workshop on the topic “Improvement of Black Spots and Their Impact on Road Accidents and Fatalities” to reduce road accidents and fatalities. 

          The workshop was held at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration, Sector 26, Chandigarh, in connection with the National Road Safety Month 2025. The focus was on improving accident-prone black spots and assessing their impact on road accidents and fatalities. The workshop was conducted under the leadership of the Lead Agency, Punjab State Road Safety Council, in collaboration with the Transport Department, Punjab, and other stakeholders, including the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), PWD (B&R), Local Government Department, Punjab Mandi Board, and Punjab Traffic Police. 

          Additional Chief Secretary of Transport, Mr. D.K. Tiwari, stated that under the able leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and the guidance of Transport Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar, special efforts will be made regarding road safety. He emphasized that the primary objective of the workshop is to discuss and address critical issues related to road safety. These deliberations will play a crucial role in shaping future strategies to enhance road safety standards and reduce road hazards. He also commended the role of the Road Safety Force and encouraged officials from various departments to adopt well-coordinated measures to minimize road accidents, especially during foggy weather conditions, and to discourage underage driving. 

          Director General of the Lead Agency for Road Safety, Mr. R. Venkata Ratnam, pointed out that the number of fatalities due to road accidents in the state is alarmingly high, with 14 deaths occurring daily. He urged road-related agencies, including NHAI, PWD, Punjab Mandi Board, and the Local Government Department, to put in more efforts to rectify black spots on roads and properly evaluate their impact to reduce fatalities. He also directed police and transport department officials to strictly enforce traffic rules to prevent accidents and save lives. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of accurately documenting road accident data to facilitate better planning and ensure optimal utilization of government funds allocated for accident prevention. 

          Additional Director General of Police (Traffic), Mr. A.S. Rai, highlighted the performance of the Road Safety Force and stated that due to the effective operations of the force over the past 11 months, there has been a significant decline in road accidents and fatalities in Punjab, which is a testament to the efforts of the current Punjab government. 

          State Transport Commissioner Mr. Jaspreet Singh provided insights into various initiatives for road safety, such as special awareness campaigns for school and college students, the importance of wearing seat belts, scrapping of old vehicles, electronic surveillance-based challans in major cities, third-party insurance and pollution certificate checks, educating students on traffic rules through traffic parks, and simplifying the online learning license process. 

          Mr. Vipnesh Sharma, Regional Officer of NHAI, provided insights into road safety initiatives and shared details about efforts undertaken by the department to rectify black spots to reduce road accidents and save lives. 

          The workshop witnessed participation from senior officials of the Punjab Government and various associated agencies, along with key stakeholders. Experts elaborated on various safety measures and future action plans to reduce road accidents, improve road infrastructure, and raise public awareness.