IEP Chandigarh, July 21      

     As part of its commitment to provide succour to the beleaguered people in accordance with the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the State Government machinery has plunged headlong to mitigate the situation created by floods in the state.            To speed up the relief operations in the state and as per the directions of CM Bhagwant Mann, 26800 persons have been evacuated and taken to safe places. A spokesperson informed that 1441 villages have been affected by the flood till 8 am on July 21. A total of 155 relief camps are running in the state in which 4560 people are staying.           Currently, 19 districts are affected by floods including Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Kapurthala, Patiala, Moga, Ludhiana, SAS Nagar, Jalandhar, Sangrur, SBS Nagar, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Mansa, Bathinda and Pathankot.  According to the report received by the revenue department from different districts, a total of 40 people have lost their lives due to floods in the state.            As per the information received from the animal husbandry department, a total of 1746 animals treated in the state while the number of vaccinated animals is 4836.            Rescue teams of the department are working round the clock to provide treatment, supply feed, fodder and silage to the needy animals. Special flood relief camps are also being organised in affected districts.           On the other hand, the teams of the health department are working in the flood-affected areas with full attention. According to the spokesperson, 458 Rapid Response Teams (RRT) have been working at flood affected areas. The health department has set up 246 medical camps in the affected areas.           He further informed that dry food packets are being continuously distributed in the flood affected areas. 22,881 dry food packets have been distributed in Rupnagar, 64000 in Patiala, 4800 in SAS Nagar, 5700 in SBS Nagar and 2200 in Fatehgarh Sahib.

IEP SAS Nagar, July 21

 To gear up for the paddy straw management in advance, the Deputy Commissioner, Aashika Jain held a meeting with Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), all Sub-Divisional Magistrates, Chief Agricultural Officer and officials of various departments and progressive farmers for making the requisite machinery available during the harvest season.      She said that in view of the sowing of paddy in an area of 39000 hectares in the district this time, an action plan should be drawn up for the maintenance of stubble before the harvesting season. She said that out of this, 16000 hectares would be managed by In situ (disposal by plowing in the field itself) and 23000 hectares of ex-situ (disposal outside the field) measures.    She said that since most of the 962 stubble management machines in the district are for in-situ disposal, farmers and groups should be encouraged for ex-situ machines like baler, rake etc. as the area for ex situ disposal is more.  She said that the farmers and groups should also be informed about the extension in the date of submitting applications till August 15 on stubble management machinery and agriculture mechanized machinery subsidy by the government through mass awareness. She said that out of the 327 online applications received by July 20, the demand for 20 balers should be met as well as encouraged to get more baler machines. She said that the Punjab government has increased the amount for subsidy limit from 5 lakhs to 15 lakhs for custom hiring centers, now they can get a subsidy of Rs 12 lakh rupees at the rate of 80 percent subsidy, so instead of getting it individually, the groups should be encouraged to procure it.     She also asked the Punjab Pollution Control Board to encourage the industrialists to set up pellet units for straw management along with existing biomass plants in the district. She said that awareness should be raised about the subsidy amount of Rs 28 lakhs at the total cost of Rs 70 lakhs per tonne for setting up a pallet unit.    She fixed targets for Sub-Divisional Magistrate Derabassi, Mohali and Kharar for timely acquisition of stubble management machinery and other activities in the district to make stubble management machinery available at individual or custom hiring centers operational before the harvest season. They were also asked to create awareness about the extension of applying date to August 15 for stubble management machinery being provided on subsidy.      DSP Ashok Sharma, Executive Engineer Punjab Pollution Control Board Gursharan Das Garg, DDPO Amarinder Singh Chauhan, DR Co-operative Societies Gurbir Dhillon, DFSC Dr  Navreet,  Chief Agriculture Officer Gurmail Singh, Baler owners, representatives of Bio Mass Units, Agriculture Department officials/employees and progressive farmers participated in the meeting. 

IEP Chandigarh, July 22  

      Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) nabbed an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Ram Prakash, posted at Police Station Patara in Jalandhar district, for accepting a bribe of Rs. 30,000.          The accused ASI has been arrested on the complaint of Jasvir Singh Judge resident of Guru Nanak Nagar of village Kaki. He is running a Dairy Farm at village Kangniwal.          Divulging the details here today, an official spokesperson of the VB said that the complainant approached the Police Station VB, Jalandhar Range and lodged a complaint that he had got registered a case against Gurpreet Singh and others under sections 323, 341, 149 of IPC at Police Station Patara on May 13, 2022 and the other party was pressurizing him for settlement in the case. Gurpreet Singh and his brother Amanpreet Singh came to his Dairy Farm on 27-09-2022 and thrashed him. After that, Gurpreet Singh had managed to register a fake FIR no 78 dated 5-10-2022 under sections 323, 324, 326, 506, 148, 149 of IPC against him (Jasvir Singh) and his son Jastej Singh at Police Station Patara.          The Complainant’s father Karnail Singh submitted an application at the office of SSP Jalandhar (Rural) and Human Rights Commission, Chandigarh against the illegal case registered against his grandson Jastej Singh as he was at college on 27-09-2022. On this application, an inquiry of FIR no 78 dated 5-10-2022 was marked to ASI Ram Prakash for investigation. The accused ASI demanded Rs. 2 Lakh to withdraw Jastej’s name from the FIR and on his repeated requests; he agreed to take Rs. 30,000 for the same.          After the preliminary investigations of the complaint, the spokesperson said that a team of VB Jalandhar laid a trap and arrested the accused ASI while accepting a bribe of Rs.30,000 from the complainant in the presence of official witnesses.          In this regard, an FIR no. 17 dated 20-07-2023 under section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the accused ASI Ram Prakash at Police Station VB, Jalandhar Range.

IEP Chandigarh, July 22  

      Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Bram Shanker Jimpa has informed that more than 98 percent of the complaints received in the Shikayat Nivaran Kender (SNK) of the department during last 16 months have been resolved. He said that under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, it is the priority of the State Government to provide clean drinking water in the villages of the state and for this purpose the department is working with all sincerity and diligence. He said that many schemes are also being initiated to keep the villages clean and garbage free.          Jimpa said that on toll free number 1800-180-2468 issued by the department, 24277 complaints have been registered from 16 March 2022 to 18 July 2023 regarding water supply, R.O. plants, sewage, Individual Household Latrine and others. Out of these, 23918 complaints have been redressed with the rate of redressal being 98.52 percent.          He further said that after resolving the complaint, feedback is also taken from the complainant and if he/she is not satisfied, appropriate action is taken again on his/her complaint. The Minister said that the State Government is making all efforts to provide clean drinking water and adequate sewage facility to the residents of State villages.  He said that most of the water supply schemes of the villages affected by floods have been repaired and Punjab Government has ensured the supply of clean water to the flood victims through alternative arrangements and sufficient quantity of water tankers have been sent to the areas where water could not reach through pipes.          Jimpa appealed that if any village resident has any kind of complaint or suggestion regarding water supply and sanitation, then he/she should not hesitate to submit his/her views. The State Government will leave no stone unturned for people’s welfare and lifting the standard of living, added Jimpa. 

IEP Chandigarh, July 22  

     The Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is taking important steps to eradicate child labour from the state.          Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr.Baljit Kaur giving further information, said that the objective of “Mission Vatsalya Scheme” is to ensure the welfare of children caught in the clutches of child labour. The department is continuously working towards this goal.          A State Level Workshop on Elimination and Rehabilitation of Child Labour was organized by the Government of Punjab at Mahatma Gandhi State Level Institute of Public Administration, Chandigarh. The main objective of this workshop was to assign responsibilities to each partner involved in the process of child rescue and rehabilitation during the “Month of Action against Child Labour”. Representatives from various departments including Social Security, Women and Child Development Department, Labour, Police and Education participated in the workshop to plan and execute effective raid and rescue operations. District task forces were also constituted under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners to ensure action against child labour at the district level.          Cabinet Minister said that rescue operations have been carried out on a large scale in all the districts of Punjab to eradicate child labour from the state. District Child Protection Units in collaboration with Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) conducted awareness campaigns in slums, schools, dhabas and eateries.          She said that  total of 131 raids were conducted across Punjab in connection with the eradication of child labour, resulting in the rescue of 173 children. Apart from this,  FIRs have been registered  3 in Amritsar, 7 in Ludhiana, 8 in Patiala, 1 in Bathinda and 3 in Rupnagar to save children. Besides, 33 challans have been issued by labour inspectors under Section 14-D of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Management and Regulation) Act, 1986 against offenders in different districts of the state. Besides, 11 children have been enrolled in schools in different districts and efforts are on to compensate 13 children under the Labour Act in the current financial year 2023-24.          The Minister expressed satisfaction over the results achieved during the State Action Month against Child Labour. She appreciated the efforts of various departments, NGOs and partners, due to which the number of children saved from child labour has increased as compared to previous efforts.           Social Security, Women and Child Development Department Director Mrs. Madhvi Kataria, said that the department has brought back the migrant child labourers and reunited them with their families. She also said that the Government is making efforts to provide financial assistance to the families of these children to prevent child labour. 

IEP Chandigarh, July 22    

      With the aim of motivating the state youth towards sports, Punjab Cabinet Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar, on Saturday, laid foundation stone of four multi-purpose sports parks in different villages of the Patti constituency, which will be constructed at an approximate cost of Rs.2.25 crores.          He informed that these multi-purpose sports parks would be constructed in four villages; with an estimated cost of Rs.65 lakh in village Kott Budha village, with Rs.35 lakh in village Sabhra, Rs.70 lakh in village Pringri and with the cost of Rs.10 lakh in village Ratta Gudda.          While addressing the gathering after laying the foundation stone, S. Laljit Singh Bhullar said that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann led government will construct 40 such multi-purpose sports parks in the Patti constituency, which will illuminate the life of budding players and youngsters of the region will bring laurels for their villages, constituencies and the state.          S. Laljit Singh Bhullar said that the Punjab government aims to create excellent sports arenas, promoting good health and honing sporting skills of the youth to enable the young generation of the state to achieve success in their lives.          He mentioned that the previous dispensations pushed the youth of Punjab into drugs, while our government is trying hard to eradicate drugs from the state.          On this occasion Gurvinder Singh Behadwal, Chairman, District Planning Board, Chairman Dilbagh Singh, Varinderjit Singh Kaleke Heera Bhullar, Gurbinder Singh Kaleke and Gurpinder Singh Uppal was present.