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Chandigarh

For the first time, Punjab crosses 10K crore GST collection in 6 months : Cheema

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IEP Chandigarh, October 05

Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema said that Punjab has collected  GST of Rs 10604 crore during the first six months of the current financial year, crossing the 10 K mark for  first time since the implementation of the GST regime.

Issuing a statement here, the Finance Minister said that the state has seen a growth  of 22.6 percent in GST collection in the current financial year as against the same period last year.  He further added that during the first six months of the last financial year GST collection stood at Rs 8650 crore whereas during the current year the state has earned Rs 1954 crore more, taking the  total GST collection to Rs 10604 crore.

Disclosing the GST figures for the month of September 2022, Harpal Singh Cheema said that the state has registered a growth rate of 22 percent. He said that the GST collection for September this year was Rs 1710 crore as compared to the collection of Rs 1402 in September 2021.

The Finance Minister said that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government has estimated a GST collection of Rs 20,550 crore in its maiden budget for the Financial Year 2022-23. “The state has achieved more than 50 percent in the first six months”, said the Finance Minister while adding that the state is expected to see a healthy growth in GST collection during the upcoming festival season.

The Finance Minister said that the state government has passed the Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill 2022 in the Punjab Assembly to plug all loopholes besides stopping bogus billing which would not only benefit the traders but would also increase the own revenue of the state.

Chandigarh, Punjab

PUNJAB POLICE BUSTS DRONE-BASED ARMS SMUGGLING MODULE; PRISONER AMONG TWO HELD

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IEP CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, October 5

The decisive war against anti-social elements waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has delivered yet another victory after Punjab Police on Wednesday busted a drone-based arms/ammunition smuggling module with the arrest of its two members including a prisoner.

Those arrested have been identified as Jaskaran Singh of Bhikhiwind in Tarn Taran, currently lodged at Sub Jail Goindwal Sahib, and Rattanbir Singh of Khemkaran in Tarn Taran, out on bail. The Police have also recovered 10 foreign-made pistols including five .30 bore (made in China) and five 9mm (made in USA Beretta) along with 8 spare magazines from both of them, besides a mobile phone concealed by Jaskaran in his barrack.

AIG Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar Amarjit Singh Bajwa said that accused Jaskaran Singh was brought on a production warrant in a case pertaining to NDPS act, which was registered at SSOC Amritsar in August 2022.

During questioning, Accused Jaskaran confessed that he was using a mobile phone in jail to contact Pak-based smugglers through WhatsApp for smuggling of narcotics and arms/ammunition from Pakistan via drones.

The AIG said that for this purpose the accused was taking the help of Rattanbir, who used to retrieve the consignments dropped via drones from different border areas. Pertinently, Rattanbir is also a co-accused in various NDPS cases with Jaskaran Singh.

He said that one consignment of five .30 bore pistols along with four spare magazines was recovered from the pinpointed location revealed by accused Jaskaran at Village Pidhi on Taran Taran-Ferozepur Road, which was concealed by Rattanbir on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, 2022.

AIG Amarjit Singh Bajwa said that acting on Jaskaran’s inputs, the Police teams of Counter Intelligence Amritsar have also managed to arrest Rattanbir from Khemkaran and on his disclosure five more Pistols of 9 MM were recovered along with four spare magazines, which were concealed by him near drain at village Machhike in Khemkaran.

Meanwhile, a case FIR No. 30 dated 04.10.2022 has been registered under section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station SSOC Amritsar.

Chandigarh

Vigilance Bureau arrests FCI retired employees taking bribe Rs 10,000

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IEP Chandigarh October 5

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau during its anti-corruption campaign, has nabbed Shankar Shah, a labour handling incharge (retired) of FCI, Nakodar, district Jalandhar for accepting bribe of Rs 10,000.

Giving this information here today, a spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau (VB) said the accused labour incharge has been arrested on the complaint of Ms Shama, of village Maheru, Jalandhar. In this regard a case has been registered under Prevention of Corruption Act at VB police station Jalandhar. Further investigation in this case is under progress and role of other officials of the FCI, if any, involved in this case would also be probed.

Revealing the details, he informed that the complainant has alleged in his complaint that the above mentioned retired labour incharge was demanding bribe in lieu of helping her to get back the arrears from FCI after the demise of her father. In addition to this the complainant has submitted that the accused Shankar Shah had already taken Rs 10,000 from her in this regard.

The spokesperson further added that after verification of the facts and the evidence available in this regard a VB team has arrested the accused in the presence of two official witnesses.

Chandigarh

ERADICATE ALL THE SOCIAL MALADIES TO RESTORE THE PRISTINE GLORY OF STATE: CM EXHORTS PEOPLE ON DUSSEHRA

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IEP SAS Nagar (Mohali), October 5

 On the sacred festival of Dussehra, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today gave a clarion call to people for eradicating the social maladies in the state for restoring its pristine glory. Addressing the gathering here while participating in the Dussehra festivities at Phase 8 organized by the Dussehra Committee Mohali (Regd), the Chief Minister greeted the people of the country especially the Punjabis living across the globe on the sacred occasion of Durga Puja and Dussehra (Vijaydashmi). He said that these two festivals, which symbolize the victory of good over evil, remind us of our rich cultural heritage. Bhagwant Mann said that our nation has an age old tradition of celebrating both these festivals which play a vanguard role in promoting goodwill, peace and communal harmony in the society besides showing us the way of ideal living to carve out an egalitarian and harmonious society.The Chief Minister appealed to the people to collectively celebrate this joyous occasion by rededicating themselves for promotion of peace, amity and brotherhood in the state. He said that all of us must rejoice this festival with full religious fervor and gaiety by rising above the parochial considerations of caste, creed and color. Bhagwant Mann said that these festivals give us a message of togetherness and brotherhood adding that on this day we should vow to make our state frontrunner in the country by getting rid of all the social maladies.Congratulating people on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that Punjabis were especially filled with pride over Dussehra, as the epic of Ramayana was written in Punjab, on the land of holy city Amritsar. He said that the festivities of Dussehra inspire us to remain grounded, keep our anger under control and stay away from hate. Bhagwant Mann said that these three factors became the reasons for decline of even the most intelligent person adding that the festivities also teach us to remain with brotherhood.The Chief Minister further said that these festivals are not only sources of our inspiration, but also help us to perpetuate the rich cultural heritage to our coming generations. He said that the true essence of Dusshera lies in fighting against injustice, evil and egoism with love, brotherhood and communal harmony. Bhagwant Mann called upon the people of Punjab to imbibe the teachings of these festivals in their daily lives to take Punjab to unprecedented heights.Meanwhile the Chief Minister also announced to use the Dussehra Ground at Mohali solely for the purpose of Dussehra celebration. He said that no commercial activity will be allowed on this ground. Bhagwant Mann further said that the notification in this regard will be issued very soon.

Chandigarh

CM BATS FOR BETTER TIES WITH TAJIKISTAN IN THE FIELDS OF ACADEMICS, TOURISM, TRADE AND COMMERCE

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IEP Chandigarh, October 5

          Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday batted for better collaboration with Tajikistan in the fields of Academics, Tourism, Trade and Commerce for the welfare of the residents of both.

          Interacting with a high level delegation from Tajikistan, which called on him his official residence today, the Chief Minister said that with the world swiftly emerging as a global village there was a need for acquainting the students about the emerging trends in the education sector. He said that in such a scenario the academic collaboration between the universities, which were temples of education, of the different countries could do wonders in spreading the light of knowledge in every nook and corner of the world besides helping in overall development of the students. Emphasizing the need for frequent student and faculty exchange program between Punjab and Tajikistan, Bhagwant Mann said that it would be very beneficial for the students of the state and Tajikistan.

          The Chief Minister said that it was the need of the hour to update the knowledge of students and upskill the teachers in which such initiatives could play a pivotal role. Bhagwant Mann said that Punjab and Tajikistan can initiate measures for starting student and faculty exchange program, in which the state government will provide fulsome support and cooperation to them. He also batted for mutual collaboration in the tourism sector between both Punjab and Tajikistan adding he invited the visiting delegation to be part of the Invest Punjab Summit being held in the state in February 2023.

          Advocating the opening of more trade between Punjab and Tajikistan, the Chief Minister said that it can also be very helpful for promotion of economic activity amongst both of them. Citing an example, he said that Basmati of Punjab has high demand in Tajikistan and its export has enhanced it can transform the destiny of farmers of the state. Bhagwant Mann said that the state government will leave no stone unturned for fostering better ties with Tajikistan in sectors of academic, tourism, trade and commerce.

          Meanwhile the delegation comprising Ubaydullo Aseorzoda from International University of Tourism and Entrepreneurship, Tajikistan, Vice Rector Foreign Affairs Jabbrov Fathullo Amrievich, Economist Dr Umarov Khojamahmad, Dean, Technical University, Tajikistan Rustam Cholmatov and others assured the Chief Minister of better bilateral ties between Punjab and Tajikistan.

Chandigarh

House rent allowance of employees of Tourism department would be restarted

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IEP Chandigarh, October 4

Haryana Tourism Minister, Sh. Kanwar Pal said that the house rent allowance of the employees of the department would be restarted.

This will bring financial benefits to the employees, said the Tourism Minister while presiding over the meeting regarding demands raised by the representatives of the Haryana Tourism Employees Union held here today.

On the demand of the union, Sh. Kanwar pal directed the officers concerned to restart the house rent allowance from this month. Along with this, he also directed the officers to give token gifts of Surajkund Craft Mela.

The employees also demanded the promotion of diploma holder waiters to the posts of senior waiters and counter incharges that are lying vacant. The Minister was giving a patient hearing to the union representatives and assured them to consider the legitimate demands.

The Tourism Minister said that the long pending service rules of the department are being made. This will automatically redress many grievances of the employees. Besides this, the employees also raised other demands, responding to which the Minister directed the officers concerned to consider their demands.

Principal Secretary, Tourism Department, Sh. M.D Sinha, Managing Director, Sh.  Neeraj Kumar, Chairman, Employees Union, Sh. Mitrapal Rana, General Secretary Sh. Subhash Deshwal and many other officials also remained present.

Sh. Mitrapal Rana expressed gratitude to the Tourism Minister for giving a patient hearing to the demands raised by the union demands also accepting some demands on the spot.

Chandigarh

Education Department issued guidelines regarding cyber awareness

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IEP Chandigarh, October 4

Keeping in view the increasing cyber requirements at the national and international level, the Haryana School Education Department has issued orders regarding the school students and staff, following the instructions issued by the Central Government.

A spokesperson of the department said that Cyber Awareness Day will be celebrated on the first Wednesday of every month in all the schools of the state and it will be started from October 6, 2022.

He said that seminars, workshops, interactive sessions, quizzes, poster making, and many other programmes will be organized to give information related to cyber to the students and school staff.  For this, PGT Computer Science or skilled employees and officers will be engaged as nodal officers.

The spokesperson said that whatever resources will be required to be used at the school level for cyber awareness will be included in the form of cyber tools. 

Information will be shared on all types of display boards or notice boards to make students and school staff to generate wide cyber awareness.  Cyber information will also be displayed on the wallpaper to make students and other staff aware.

Chandigarh

INDIA- APEDA stall inaugurated

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IEP Chandigarh , October 4

Haryana delegation led by Shri Jai Prakash Dalal, Hon’ble Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister has visited IFEMA Madrid-2022 in Spain & also inaugurated INDIA- APEDA stall in the opening ceremony on 04/10/2022 in the gracious presence presence of Dr. Sumita Misra, Addl. Chief Secretary, Agriculture Deptt. and Shri Dinesh Pattanayak- Ambassador of India in Madrid, Spain.

– IFEMA Madrid is spread over in 57 acres & having 12 halls, 2 congress centres, 2 auditoriums and more than 80 meeting rooms.

– This exhibition is primarily for fruits & vegetables and companies showcase new crops, new varieties, newer technologies & supply chain machines.

– Hon’ble Minister has invited infrastructure companies & exporters for collaboration with Govt. and farmer organisations for export of Haryana produce.

Chandigarh, Punjab

PUNJAB POLICE BUSTS NARCO-TERRORISM MODULE AHEAD OF FESTIVE SEASON; ONE OPERATIVE HELD WITH TIFFIN BOMB, 2 AK-56 RIFLES, 2 KG HEROIN

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IEP CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, October 4 

With Punjab Police having further intensified vigil and alertness against anti-social elements ahead of the festival season on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Amritsar Rural Police has busted an ISI-backed Narco-Terrorism module. Its main operative has been arrested after recovering arms and explosives from his possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Tuesday.The module is being jointly operated by Canada-based Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, Pakistan-based Harvinder Singh Rinda and Italy-based Harpreet Singh alias Happy.The arrested accused has been identified as Yograj Singh alias Yog, resident of Village Rajoke in Tarn Taran, besides, the Police have also identified five more accomplices, who were part of the module in carrying out illegal activities across Punjab and adjoining states.The police have recovered a one RDX loaded Tiffin Box fabricated into an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) or Tiffin Bomb; two sophisticated AK-56 assault rifles along with two magazines and 30 live cartridges; one .30 bore pistol along with 6 live cartridges; and 2 KG Heroin from the accused.DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the arrested accused Yograj is the main operative of this module and wanted by the state police and Central Enforcement Agencies in at least five criminal cases including the one wherein five AK-47 assault rifles were seized in Tarn Taran in September 2019.He said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the cross-border operations of arms-explosives-drugs smuggling was mainly handled by Yograj on the directions of terrorists/gangsters Landa, Rinda and Happy and jailed smuggler Gurpavitar alias Sai of Lakhna, Tarn Taran. Yograj had been active in recovery and further delivery of consignments of Arms and Drugs at a large scale, he added.Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amritsar Rural Swapan Sharma said that the Police has made a major strike in exposing members of Landa-Rinda terror module. In the present module, the Police have managed to identify five operatives of the gang and manhunt has been launched to nab them, he added.He said that further investigations are on, and more recoveries of arms and explosives are expected soon.Meanwhile, FIR no 107 dated 04/10/2022 has been registered under sections 21/27-A/29/61/85 of the NDPS Act and sections 25/54/59 of Arms Act at Police Station Ramdas in Amritsar Rural. 

Chandigarh

RS 151.83 LAKH WILL BE SPENT FOR THE BEAUTIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF BHOGPUR

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IEP Chandigarh, 04 October

          The Punjab government led by Chief Minister Punjab Bhagwant Singh Mann is striving to provide basic facilities and clean environment to the residents of the state.  Working in this direction, Local Government Minister Dr. Inderbir Singh Nijjar said that the state government has decided to spend Rs151.83 lakh  for the beautification and development of Bhogpur.  The department has already started process in this regard.

   Giving information in this regard, Local Government Minister Dr. Inderbir Singh Nijjar said that streets and drains will be constructed in different wards.  In many areas the streets and drains will be repaired, he added. Similarly, the services of drivers will be taken to pick up garbage from the dump sites, so that the environment can be made clean and pollution free.  Apart from this, the services of another posts will also be taken so that cleaning and other tasks can be handled properly.

Dr. Nijjar also said that the maintenance of all tubewells will also be done so that better water facilities can be provided to the residents of Bhogpur.

The Minister instructed the officials that the state government led by Bhagwant Mann is giving top priority to provide corruption free administration to the people of the state, if any officer and employee is caught committing corruption then he will not be spared.

He also informed that the tenders for these works will be opened on 17 October 2022