IEP Chandigarh

Presenting his report card on completion of one year as member of Rajya Sabha – the upper house of the Parliament, Sh. Vikramjit Singh Sahney said that the major focus has been on Skilling and Jobs for the youth of Punjab.

 “During this year we have provided 2,000 jobs after skilling the youth from our Skill Development Centres. I am also setting up 10 more World Class Skill Centres of Excellence to create 10,000 jobs every year, out of which the work of a state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence at Ludhiana is near complete and will begin training next month,” informed Sh. Sahney.

 Sh. Sahney also played a key role in acting as a bridge between the Government of Punjab and the Centre as he organised an interactive meeting of all MPs of Punjab cutting across party lines to create consensus for resolving issues such as Pending Rural Development Fund, Stubble Burning incentive fund and Debt restricting of Punjab.

 In addition to this Sh. Sahney also launched ‘Sikhya Langar Movement’ to establish Skill Centres in various Gurudwaras of Punjab and first one will come up at Gurudwara Nanaksar, Ludhiana. “This movement will go a long way in making unemployed and hapless youths to become an earning hand for the family, and a resource for the state,” said Sh. Sahney who added that he sees a huge scope for the reason that the centres of religious and spirituality could also play a role in social and economic upliftment of the masses.

 Sh. Sahney who has not been availing any benefit entitled to the Members of the Rajya Sabha, has donated his salary to a fund called Shahid Bhagat Singh Scholarship fund established by him under which he has sponsored education of several doctors, pilots, sportspersons etc.

 Apart from the salary entitlement Mr. Sahney has not availed any government perks such as in traveling and darkness allowances, free flights, govt vehicles etc.

 “One of the biggest achievements during my first year is the anti-human trafficking campaign ‘Mission Hope’ which we are running to safeguard the women and youth of Punjab”, he said, adding that through his efforts and resources he was able to rescue more than 50 Punjabi women from Oman, 17 boys from Turkey and 17 boys from Libya have been rescued from the Mafia are under custody of the Indian Mission in Tunisia, they will be coming back home next week.

These efforts, and strong will of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the state government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for the first time and took strict and swift action against the unscrupulous agents operating in the state. Sh. Sahney was also successful in putting a stop on deportation of 700 Punjabi students from Canada.

 The Rajya Sabha member informed that to bring investment in Punjab he reached out and persuaded leading Industrialists in the past one year. It includes M.A. Yusuff Ali Chairman Lulu Group a middle eastern giant; Sh. Prakash Hinduja President Hinduja Group, Europe; Sh. PD Singh CEO JP Morgan; and the officials of HUL, Cargill etc.

 In addition to this Sh. Sahney also met many Industry stalwarts of UK on his recent visit to London where he chaired various meetings discussing issues pertaining to Punjab and requesting investment in the state. He has also organised various meetings of leading Industrial groups like CII, PHD Chamber, CICU, FICU with the Chief Minister of Punjab.

 Talking about various issue he has raised and achieved results in the Parliament during all the four sessions happened in the year includes No Centralisation of Punjab University; Abolition of GST on Serais; Inclusion of Punjabi sport Gatka into national games and Restoring of the work at Halwara, Airport Ludhiana. The MP has also disbursed 100% allocation of his MPLAD fund and ensured its utilisation in the field of Education, Livelihoods and Heath.

 Sh. Sahney said: “I am a son of Punjab and committed to do all the efforts possible for the development of the state. I think I am accountable to the people of the state so I have decided to present my report card every year so as to inform the people what their representative in the upper house of parliament has been doing for them and the state”.

 Not only the social and governmental issues, Sh. Sahney reached out to the people of Punjab at the time of natural calamity. During the recent floods in Punjab he contributed towards the flood relief work by providing Food Kits, first aid medicines, Giant Waterproof Tents, Safety equipments, fodder for livestock and donating 50 lakhs for construction of a Bandhs at badly affected village Burj in Anandpur Sahib Tehsil.

IEP Chandigarh, August 19

The Haryana Government will introduce a spirulina-based product under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) for severe acute malnourished (SAM) and moderate acute malnourished (MAM) children on a pilot basis in Nuh for a duration of 6 months. Spirulina, an algae that grows in fresh or saltwater, is rich in nutrients and possesses antioxidant properties. A study conducted by the Institute of Health Management and Research (IHMR), Bangalore, demonstrated a 46% and 67% reduction in malnutrition by administering spirulina for 6 months to children.

This was disclosed by the Chief Secretary, Mr. Sanjeev Kaushal, after presiding over the 5th meeting of the State Convergence Committee under POSHAN Abhiyaan here. He said that three nutrition-rich programmes will be implemented across all blocks of the aspirational district Nuh under Nutrition Campaign-2. These programmes aim to alleviate malnutrition and anemia among children and women. Nutritional support in the form of ready-to-eat food items, nutritional packets, and antioxidant-rich foods will be provided to children and women in all blocks of the Nuh district.

The Women and Child Development Department will provide Aurthonut (Peanut Mix) under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) to severe acute malnourished (SAM) and moderate acute malnourished (MAM) children on a pilot basis in the Nuh district for a duration of 6 months. He said that the Women and Child Development would introduce a pictorial card game called “Poshan ki Potli” to raise awareness about the nutritional value and benefits of different food items.

“Today I announce to increase this amount to Rs. 41,000 to alleviate the financial load during significant life events such as weddings,” said Sh. Manohar Lal.

“To boost education for daughters in the state, the Government and private polytechnic colleges with underutilized infrastructure will be upgraded into women degree colleges based on the demands and requirements received from such colleges. This move aims to enhance educational opportunities and optimize existing resources,” announced the Chief Minister.

During an event, Sh. Manohar Lal highlighted the significant progress made in Haryana by shedding its past image of being associated with female feticide. He reminded the audience that the very ground where the event is taking place is where Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi vowed, on January 22, 2015, to protect and educate daughters by launching ‘The Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao campaign. The state government, in collaboration with the society, has diligently worked to erase the stigma linked with Haryana’s history of gender-based atrocities. This dedication has yielded commendable results as the state’s gender ratio, once standing at a meagre 871, has now risen to a more encouraging 927, said Sh. Manohar Lal.

Haryana state, under the leadership of Sh. Manohar Lal, continues to make impressive strides towards empowerment and economic progress. With the formation of more than 57,000 self-help groups, a substantial foundation for community development and financial independence has been established. These groups have received a remarkable boost, with a revolving fund of Rs. 54.57 crore, a community investment fund of around Rs 285 crore, and a bank credit linkage amounting to approximately Rs. 880 crore. Notably, the Revolving Fund amount has been doubled from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000, fostering greater entrepreneurship. In a significant move towards gender empowerment, women’s self-help groups have been exempted from stamp duty on loans up to Rs. 5 lakh.

“Their contributions to national pride and community welfare are also evident through their creation of tricolour for the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence and mask production during the pandemic,” said Sh. Manohar Lal.

The State Government has taken significant strides towards women’s empowerment and environmental conservation. Notably, 50 percent representation for women in Panchayats has been ensured, fostering gender equality in local governance. Efforts to promote girls’ education have led to the establishment of colleges within 20 kilometres, allowing convenient access to higher education. Impressively, 76 new government colleges have been opened, with over half exclusively for girls.

The Chief Minister also emphasized the importance of tree planting to protect nature during the Teej festival. This multifaceted approach underscores the government’s commitment to a prosperous and sustainable future.

Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Smt. Kamlesh Dhanda, Lok Sabha MP, Sh.  Sanjay Bhatia, Rajya Sabha MP, Sh. Krishan Lal Panwar, MLAs, Sh. Mahipal Dhanda,  Sh. Parmod Vij, Additional Chief Secretary., Information, Public Relations Languages and Culture Deptt, Sh. Rajesh Khullar, APSCM and Director General,  Information, Public Relations Languages and Culture Deptt, Dr. Amit Agrawal and other dignitaries also attended the programme.

        It was apprised in the meeting that state government has introduced a new set of initiatives to combat malnutrition in the state. These initiatives include establishment of a Tele Calling Hub to enhance communication with malnourished families and ensure improved service delivery within the Anganwadi service schemes under Mission Poshan 2.0. The Tele Calling Hub will serve as a valuable tool for collecting real-time feedback, identifying gaps in the current system, and implementing targeted interventions to enhance the quality and coverage of Anganwadi services.

        During discussions, the Chief Secretary inquired about the distribution of fortified rice, flour, iron, folic acid, vitamin A, and vitamin D to prevent anemia and malnutrition among children and women under the Nutrition Campaign. Additionally, community-based initiatives such as special health check-up camps for pregnant women and improved planning to enhance the diets of infants and young children were thoroughly explored. The Women and Child Department made a presentation outlining these plans.

        Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Mr. Sudhir Rajpal, Additional Chief Secretary, Women and Child Development, Dr. Sumita Misra, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Mrs. G. Anupama, Director, Secondary Education, Mr. Ashanj Singh and other senior off

IEP CHANDIGARH/JALANDHAR, August 18

          Three days after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann vowed to make Punjab a drug-free state by the next Independence Day, Special Director General of Police (Spl DGP) Law and Order Arpit Shukla on Friday, chalked out a foolproof strategy with the Border Security Force (BSF) to completely break the supply chain of drugs and to counter the Drone operations at Punjab borders, which have emerged as the new modus operandi to smuggle drugs from across the border.

          The Special DGP accompanied by IG Frontier Headquarters, BSF Jalandhar Dr Atul Fulzele was holding a Joint coordination-cum-review meeting with senior officials of BSF, Punjab Police, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and other Central Agencies at Frontier Headquarters of BSF Jalandhar to further strengthen the security at the state border to prevent the cross border smuggling. IGP Law and Order Pradeep Yadav, DIG Ferozepur Range Ranjit Singh Dhillon and six DIGs of BSF were among the other senior officials, who attended the meeting.

          Giving a call for total synergy and teamwork between BSF and Punjab Police, Spl DGP Arpit Shukla said that it was high time that both the elite forces should work as one team and activate good old human intelligence by gathering and sharing real-time information.

          He said that CM Bhagwant Mann had already sanctioned Rs 20 crores for the installation of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) Cameras in the border areas to further strengthen the second line of defence and keep vigil against drug smugglers and anti-social elements.

          Additionally, Rs 10 crores are being spent to strengthen the police infrastructure including Police Stations, he said, while adding that additional police force and vehicles are also being provided to the Border Police.

          Notably, Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav had already announced a reward of ₹1 lakh for providing information on drone movement leading to the recovery of weapons/narcotics.

          Special DGP Arpit Shukla ordered DIG Border range and DIG Ferozepur range to direct SSPs and other gazetted rank officers of border districts to ensure staying overnight in the border villages at least once or twice in a month as part of the confidence-building measure.

          He also directed CPs/SSPs to identify and forfeit properties of big narco smugglers caught with commercial quantity of drugs. This year as many as 30 properties worth Rs 12.99 crores were seized and forfeited by the Punjab Police, he informed.

          He also stressed on the need to implement Civic Action Programme to transform border villages into model villages by upgrading facilities including infrastructure, education, transportation, communication, etc. “We should establish parks and grounds in all the villages to promote sports culture among the youth and channelise their energy in the right direction,” he said.

          Meanwhile, Special DGP Arpit Shukla also directed Police officers to tighten the noose around the mining mafia and take strict action against anyone found carrying out illegal mining.