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Chandigarh, Haryana

EDFC Railway project in Haryana to be completed by August

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IEP Chandigarh, July 12

The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor Railway (EDFC) Railway project, spanning from Shambhu to Kalanaur in Haryana, costing about Rs. 2000 crore, is on track and likely to be completed by August, as revealed by officials from the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd. (Ministry of Railways). The progress update came during a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary, Mr. Sanjeev Kaushal, who reaffirmed the full support of the state government in ensuring timely completion of the project.The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) Rail line traverses through Haryana, spanning from Ambala City to Kalanour. Along this route, seven strategically located stations in Haryana are set to play a crucial role in facilitating seamless freight transportation. These stations include Kalanour Station, Jagadhari Station, and Darazpur Station in Yamunanagar District, as well as Barara Station, Kesri Station, Dukheri Station, and Ambala Station in Ambala District.During the meeting, it was apprised that the track laying work has been successfully accomplished, while the installation of power lines and signal systems is currently in progress. The officials expressed confidence in meeting the August deadline, ensuring seamless connectivity and efficient transportation along the EDFC Rail route.The completion of the EDFC Rail project will play a pivotal role in bolstering trade and commerce, benefiting not only the local economy but also facilitating smoother operations for businesses across the country.With the track laying work completed, and the ongoing installation of power lines and signal systems, the EDFC Rail  project is rapidly moving towards its final stages. The successful implementation of this project is poised to revolutionize freight transportation and contribute to the overall economic growth and development of the region.Mr. Pankaj Saxena, Director, Projects, DFCCIL, New Delhi, Mr. Mukesh, GGM Electric, New Delhi, Mr. Pankaj Gupta, Chief General Manager, Ambala and others senior officers of state government and Ministry of Railways were present in the meeting. 

Chandigarh, Haryana

Haryana Deputy CM Takes Stock of Flood Devastation, Promises Swift Relief Measures

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IEP Chandigarh, July 12

Haryana Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Dushyant Chautala today interacted the media persons during his visit to flood-affected regions in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, and Panipat districts. He provided an update on the relief measures undertaken by the government to support those who have suffered losses due to heavy rainfall.Mr. Dushyant Chautala highlighted that immediate instructions have been given to the Deputy Commissioners to compile a comprehensive report on the extent of damages incurred by the people of the state. Once the report is received, necessary compensation will be provided to the affected individuals. Assuring the availability of adequate funds, he revealed that an amount of Rs. 216 crore of State Disaster Relief Fund has already been disbursed by the Central Government.During his visit, Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Dushyant Chautala personally visited the flood-affected areas, demonstrating his commitment to understand the situation on the ground. He drove tractor through Ambala city and visited affected villages and farms in the Shahabad area to inquire about the well-being of the residents. In response to the immediate needs of the people, he directed officers to arrange essential food items, drinking water, and solar lights for night lighting. He said that the administration, army, and government are working collaboratively to provide assistance to those trapped in flood-affected areas, with the Air Force even assisting in delivering rations to remote villages.In the Indri area of Karnal district, the Deputy Chief Minister prioritized the safety of the populations, including the elderly, children, and women. He directed officials to ensure their evacuation from the affected areas and maintain round-the-clock monitoring of water-logged villages. Mr. Dushyant Chautala further stressed the importance of utilizing boats and helicopters for the rescue and relocation of affected individuals, particularly in areas inaccessible by boat.Addressing the breach of embankments in the Yamuna river, the Deputy Chief Minister informed that repair work is underway at the three affected locations in Karnal and Panipat. He acknowledged the significant impact on agricultural land and stated that a comprehensive damage assessment would be conducted following the plugging of embankments. He expressed some relief as the water level of the Yamuna has receded by approximately one and a half meters. Directing the concerned officers to prepare detailed reports on damaged crops, animals, and houses, he emphasized the importance of comprehensive data for effective relief efforts.During assessment with MLA Ramkaran Kala in Shahabad city, Mr. Dushyant Chautala informed that the waterlogging situation has arisen due to the rise in the water level of Markanda. He assured that the administration is working to provide assistance to the affected residents. He commended the efforts of local individuals who have been supporting those affected by the floods.Providing updates on the water levels, the Deputy Chief Minister mentioned that the water has receded by approximately two feet in Shahabad city and up to four feet in the Tangri and Narwana branch river areas of Ambala. He expressed optimism regarding the receding water levels and appealed for no further rainfall in Himachal. Assuring a swift restoration process, Mr. Dushyant Chautala stated that if no rain occurs in the next 48 hours, it will be easy to bring the flood-affected areas back to normalcy.He also mentioned that the flow of rainwater is expected to move towards Sirsa district, and necessary directions have been given to officials to prevent further damage. 

Chandigarh, Punjab

PUNJAB MINISTER JIMPA DIRECTS OFFICERS TO ENSURE SUPPLY OF CLEAN DRINKING WATER IN FLOOD AFFECTED RURAL AREAS

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IEP Chandigarh, July 12      

    Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Bram Shanker Jimpa today presided over a meeting with the department’s senior officials and field staff and directed that there should be no shortage of clean drinking water in the flood-affected rural areas.          He said that as per the  instructions issued by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the supply of clean drinking water should be ensured to the flood-affected areas of the state and adequate quantity of water tankers should be sent to the areas where piped water cannot reach.          During a review meeting at Jal Supply Bhawan, Mohali, Jimpa said that the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is doing everything possible to meet all the needs of the residents of the flood-hit areas. Encouraging the officers and employees of the department, he said that everyone is doing a great job in this difficult time. He also praised the officials and employees of the department for timely repair of the damage caused to Kajauli Water Works due to floods.          Jimpa further said that those water supply schemes in Punjab affected by floods should supply water to their beneficiaries through alternative methods till they are fully operational. During meeting, he sought complete information from the SEs of Chandigarh, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Jalandhar and Ludhiana circles about their areas and issued necessary guidelines.          He said that adequate steps should be taken to protect the motors/tubewells of water supply schemes from flood water, where the possibility of flood is still remains. He said that it should be ensured that chlorinated water is provided to the people.          Principal Secretary of Water Supply and Sanitation Department Jaspreet Talwar and Head of Department Muhammad Ishfaq, other senior officers and field officers of the department were present in the meeting.  

Chandigarh, Punjab

PUNJAB CM REITERATES COMMITMENT TO DULY COMPENSATE PEOPLE FOR EVERY SINGLE PENNY OF LOSS DUE TO HEAVY RAINFALL

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IEP Chandigarh, July 12 

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday reiterated the firm commitment of the state government to duly compensate the people for every single penny of loss incurred by them on account of heavy and incessant rainfall across the state. In a statement issued here today, the Chief Minister said that he is monitoring the situation every moment by taking regular updates from across the state. He said that a regular tab is being kept through district administrations in the entire state regarding the level of water and the relief measures being carried out in these districts. Bhagwant Mann said that the state government is duty bound to help the people in this hour of grave crisis and no stone is being left unturned for this noble cause. The Chief Minister said that succour is being provided even to the last person at the far flung areas of the state. He said that special thrust is being laid to ensure relief in the worst affected areas of the state so that people do not face any sort of problem. Bhagwant Mann said that priority is being given to carry rescue and relief work in the badly affected areas of the state. The Chief Minister said that all the dams in the state are safe and water is flowing below the danger mark. He expressed hope that by Wednesday evening the situation in the state will improve considerably by all means. Bhagwant Mann said that already all the Cabinet Ministers, MLAs and the officers are in their respective areas and reaching out to the needy people in this hour of grave crisis. The Chief Minister said that an elaborate mechanism has been put in place to safeguard the life and property of people from the increasing level of water. He said that Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSPs) are expediting the relief work in their respective districts so as to provide succor to the masses. Bhagwant Mann said that the state government is duty bound to secure the interests of the people in this situation caused due to the heavy downpour of water adding that the Ministers, MLAs and officers are visiting the low lying and flood prone areas to ensure that people are evacuated from these areas to safe positions. 

Chandigarh

PUNJAB WATER RESOURCES MINISTER MEET HAYER VISITS SISWAN AND BUDHKI RIVERS AT ROPAR

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IEP Rupnagar/Chandigarh, July 12

Punjab Water Resources Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer today visited Siswan and Budhki rivers in Rupnagar district to take stock of the damage and situation at the ground level.Meet Hayer said that such condition of the state has arisen after many years due to heavy rains in the hilly areas as well as in Punjab. He said that many areas of Punjab had to bear the brunt of water due to overflowing of water in the rivers.The Water Resources Minister said that the department has made full preparations. The situation is fully under control and people need not panic. The flood-affected people in Rupnagar district have been lodged in relief camps, where their food and accommodation have been fully arranged. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has already released Rs 33.50 Cr from the disaster fund and approved the release of another Rs 71 Cr.Meet Hayer said on this crisis time the district civil and police administrations are promptly visiting the ground level and taking stock of the entire situation from time to time. He also appealed to the people to contact the Deputy Commissioner’s office of their respective districts so that they can be evacuated in case of any emergency. Saving of human life is the top priority of the government. The staff of the department has been asked to conduct night vigil as well as to monitor the fields. Immediate measures like sandbags, tippers and JCB machines etc. have already been instructed to be ready to deal with any situation.MLA Advocate Dinesh Chadha, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Preeti Yadav, SSP Viveksheel Soni, SDM Amrik Singh, and officials of the concerned departments were also present at the occasion.  

Chandigarh, Haryana

AMENDMENT OF AGE PROOF FOR PENSIONERS BY PUNJAB GOVERNMENT: PUNJAB MINISTER DR BALJIT KAUR

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IEP Chandigarh, July 12    

      Minister of Social Security, Women and Child Development, Dr. Baljit Kaur, stated that the age proof rule has been amended by the Punjab Government in the 1966 Rules for Financial Assistance Grant for Pensioners for Old Age Pension, Widow and Homeless Women, Dependent Children, and Disabled Persons.          Divulging in this information, Dr. Baljit Kaur, the Minister of Social Security, Women and Child Development, stated that Notification No. 1670, dated July 12, 2023, has been issued by the department. According to the new amendment, an Aadhaar card has been made mandatory as age proof. Additionally, a voter card or voter list, a birth certificate issued by a competent authority, or a Matriculation certificate can be submitted.          Cabinet Minister said that this amendment has been made for the convenience of the pensioners, as they used to face difficulties in presenting their school certificates.          Minister said that the Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is committed to providing a better life for the people of the state. The pension system for old age pension, widow and homeless women, dependent children, and disabled persons has been made fully effective and transparent.

Chandigarh, Haryana

IN GST COUNCIL MEETING PUNJAB VOCIFEROUSLY ARGUES FOR AMENDMENT OF SECTION 10 OF IGST ACT: PUNJAB MINISTER CHEEMA

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IEP Chandigarh, July 12

Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Wednesday said that Punjab’s case for amendment of section 10 of the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) Act was vociferously argued while identifying the structural imperfection in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system during the 50th meeting of the GST Council held in New Delhi this Tuesday.Disclosing this in a press communique issued here, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the approval of the proposal for the clear definition of place of supply in Business to Consumer transaction (B2C) over the counter supplies in accordance with the principle of destination-based consumption tax was successfully reasoned. He said that this amendment has been expected to have a strong beneficial impact on the GST revenue of the State.Taking up the cause of preventing evasion of tax in the scrap sector, Cheema said that the state government proposed a broad-based consultative meeting comprising major stakeholders including representatives of both trade and industry as well as that of tax administration so that suitable pro-active solutions can be envisaged for the said sector. “Speaking on the issue of taxation of online gaming, the impact it has on the youth of the country and the cause of concern the unregulated mushrooming of this sector can have on the social fabric of the country was highlighted”, said the Punjab Finance Minister while adding that the state government fervently supported the proposal for taxing online gaming at 28% and the tax to be paid on the face value rather than on the gross gaming revenue. “While discussing the proposal for the pruning of the present exemption being given to the services provided to the government and local bodies, we boldly stated that such pruning will have an adverse impact on the capacity of the State government as well as Local Government bodies including panchayat and municipalities in providing basic services to the public and therefore the said agenda requires further introspection and no decision should be taken in a hurried manner. Taking a cue from the said argument, the GST council has deferred the said agenda”, he added.

Chandigarh, Punjab

CM BHAGWANT MANN TO RELEASE RS. 71.50 CRORE MORE FOR RELIEF WORK FOR FLOOD AFFECTED AREAS: JIMPA

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IEP Chandigarh, July 12    

      Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Bram Shanker Jimpa today presided over a meeting with all Deputy Commissioners and senior officials of various departments and issued directions that no stone should be left unturned to help the flood victims. He said that the Punjab government has no dearth of money to deal with this natural calamity and Rs. 33.50 crore has already been released to all deputy commissioners for relief work.          He said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will soon release another amount of Rs. 71.50 crore to provide all possible help to the flood affected areas. Aprising the Deputy Commissioners about the instructions issued by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Jimpa directed that dry rations and medicines should be delivered to the flood affected people so that no one is deprived of these essential items. He said that safety of life and property of every person should be given priority at this time. He said that if any person lost his/her life during the floods, his family should be given a compensation amount of Rs. 4 lakh immediately.          Addressing the Deputy Commissioners through video conferencing, the Disaster Management Minister said that the dilapidated houses should be identified and people should be taken to safe places so that no one’s life is lost. He said that in this hour of crisis, we have to reach out to everyone who is affected from floods. He said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has already announced that it is the priority of the Punjab government to provide all kinds of assistance to the flood-affected areas.          Jimpa encouraged the Deputy Commissioners to save the animals, manage their fodder and ensure the delivery of essential medicines of flood affected areas. During meeting, Jimpa directed the concerned departments to fulfill whatever demands were made by the Deputy Commissioners to deal with the floods. Some districts asked for NDRF/SDRF teams which were accepted on the spot.          In the meeting, Special Chief Secretary Revenue K.A.P. Sinha, Principal Secretary of Water Supply and Sanitation Department Jaspreet Talwar, Principal Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department Vivek Pratap Singh, Principal Secretary of Water Resources Department Krishan Kumar, Secretary of Local Government Department Ajoy Sharma, Commissioner of Jalandhar Division Gurpreet Kaur Sapra, Forest Department Secretary Indu Malhotra, Special Secretary of Revenue Department Dr. Amarpal Singh, Director of Rural Development and Panchayat Department Gurpreet Singh Khaira and Head of Water Supply and Sanitation Department Muhammad Ishfaq were present. Commissioners of different divisons of Punjab and Deputy Commissioners of districts joined the meeting through video conferencing. 

Chandigarh, Punjab

IF HARYANA HAD CLEANED SIPHON UNDER HANSI-BUTANA CANAL IN TIME, FLOODS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED ON OUR SIDE: CHETAN SINGH JAURAMAJRA

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IEP Chandigarh/Patiala, July 12

Punjab Information and Public Relations Minister S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra, on Wednesday, bemoaned that Haryana government has failed to clean the siphon built upon Ghaggar under Hansi-Butana canal on time, which resulted in massive waterlogging in villages of our side of Punjab.While responding to media persons on his visit to various flood affected villages, the Cabinet Minister said, the Haryana government should have cleaned this siphon well in advance, adding that if the siphon had been cleaned in time, this situation could be averted.S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra said that he has asked Deputy Commissioner Patiala Sakshi Sawhney to raise the issue with her counterpart of Kaithal district.He visited the affected villages of Dharmeri, Gheura, Kamaspur, Dhanauri, Nawan Gaon, Bibipur, Ghajislar, Rajla, Droula, Drouli, Bhanra, Bhanri, Main, Sassa Gujran, Sassa Theh, Mangatan, Samspur etc. After listening to the problems of the villagers, he instructed the officials of the district administration to immediately send boats and other necessary relief materials in these villages. He urged the villagers to adhere to the appeal of the district administration to go to safe places, informing that arrangements of stay at Gurdwara Karhali Sahib have been made and more necessary relief materials are being delivered.I am continuously visiting more than 50 villages affected by the rapid flow of water in Samana constituency in this hour of crisis and ensuring the safety of the villagers, said the Cabinet Minister, who was accompanied by Gurdev Singh Tiwana, Advocate Gulzar Singh Virk, Balkar Singh Gajjumajra, Surjit Singh Fauji, Amardeep Singh Sonu Thind and Maninder Singh.

Chandigarh, Punjab

PUNJAB TO IMPART FREE DAIRY TRAINING TO SC FARMERS, SAYS GURMEET SINGH KHUDIAN

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IEP Chandigarh, July 12

In order to increase the income sources of Scheduled Castes (SC) farmers and give them opportunity to adopt dairy farming, Chief Minister S Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government has decided to impart free dairy farming training to SC Candidates.Disclosing this here today, Punjab Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Department Minister Mr. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that Punjab Dairy Development Board will impart free dairy training to SC Dairy Farmers, besides providing them a stipend of Rs. 350 per day during the training.During the training, he said that candidates would be trained in purchase & care of milch animals, breed improvement, making products from the milk, seasonal diseases in animals, cattle feed preparation at home, growing green fodder throughout the year etc.Mr Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that the training will be conducted at nine training centers situated at Chatamli (Rupnagar), Bija (Ludhiana), Phagwara (Kapurthala), Sardulgarh (Mansa), Verka (Amritsar), Gill (Moga), Abul Khurana (Sri Muktsar Sahib), Tarn Taran and Sangrur. The training will be imparted in three batches under this scheme. First Batch has been scheduled from July 24 to August 4, 2023 and counseling for the same will be held on July 17. The second batch will be organised from September 25 to October 6, 2023 and counseling will be held on September 18 and the third Batch will be held from November 28 to December 8, 2023 and counseling will be on November 20.Divulging about the eligibility criteria, the Cabinet Minister said that Candidate aged between 18-50 years (male and married female) can apply for the training and they must be 5th passed, besides belonging to rural areas. One day exposure visit and training kit will also be provided to them.He asked the eligible beneficiaries to contact their nearest Office of Deputy Director Dairy Development. For further any enquiry, aspiring candidates can contact Dairy Development Department, Punjab at phone no. 0172-5027285.