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Chandigarh, Chandigarh, Haryana, Haryana

Statue of Viraat Swaroop of Lord Krishna unveiled in Jyotisar, Kurukshetra

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INDIA E POST CHANDIGARH JULY 1, 2022

The 40-ft tall ‘Virat Swaroop’ of Lord Shri Krishna was unveiled today on the holy land of Jyotisar in Kurukshetra, Haryana, amid the blowing of conch shells and chanting of mantras.

        Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief, Dr. Mohan Bhagwat, in the august presence of Haryana Governor, Sh. Bandaru Dattatraya, Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal and Chairman, Gita Gyan Sansthanam, Geeta Manishi Swami Gyananand Ji Maharaj, virtually unveiled the statue by pressing the remote control button from the Gita Gyan Sansthanam.

        The 40-ft tall ‘Virat Swaroop’ of Lord Shri Krishna weighing close to 35 tons is made from a mixture of 4 types of metals, including 85 percent copper and 15 percent other metals. In this vast form, 9 forms of Lord Shri Krishna are depicted.

        During the unveiling programme, a magnificent description of Lord Krishna’s journey from  ‘Viraat Roop’ and ‘Vishwaroop’ were also depicted through an incredible light and sound show.

        Notably, under the first phase of the renovation of Jyotisar, the first site of the Krishna Circuit project, the statue of Lord Krishna’s Viraat Swaroop has been unveiled today. After this, as per the directions of the Chief Minister, a world-class ‘Jyotisar Anubhav Kendra’ is being set up at Jyotisar, which is likely to be ready in the next year. The Centre will be divided into five buildings. In its first building, information about the events before the war of Mahabharata will be made available.

        With the 18 Mirrors installed in the next building, visitors will be able to see the events that happened in 18 Days of War.  Besides this, the visitors can also seek solutions to their problems written in Gita from the interactive pod. In the fifth building, information about the post-war events like the coronation of Yudhishthira etc. will be made available. This Centre will become a Centre of attraction for visitors coming across the globe.

        On this occasion, Home and Health Minister, Sh. Anil Vij, Education and Tourism Minister, Sh. Kanwar Pal, MPs, Sh. Rattan Lal Kataria, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, Sh. Sanjay Bhatia, Rajya Sabha MP,  Sh. Kartikeya Sharma, MLAs, Sh. Subhash Sudha, Sh. Mahipal Dhanda, Sh. Parmod Vij, Sh. Leela Ram and other dignitaries also remained present.

Chandigarh, Chandigarh, Haryana

The Gita does not belong to a single religion, it is a book giving the essence of humanity to the whole world: Dr Mohan Bhagwat

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INDIA E POST CHANDIGARH, JULY 1, 2022

Sarsanghchalak of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Dr. Mohan Bhagwat said that the answer to the problems of the universe and the solution to the problems of the entire humanity and the knowledge of never-fading happiness is in Shrimad Bhagvad Gita, which is given to every human being. Due to this knowledge of Gita, Kurukshetra, apart from being the land of Mahabharata, will now be known as the land of Gita in the world.

Dr. Mohan Bhagwat was addressing a programme on the current relevance of Bhagvad Gita organized at Gita Gyan Sansthanam at Brahmasarovar, Kurukshetra today. During this, Haryana Governor, Sh. Bandaru Dattatraya, Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal and Gita Manishi Swami Sri Gyananand ji Maharaj and other dignitaries were present.

The Gita does not belong to a single religion, it is a book giving the essence of humanity to the whole world – Dr. Mohan Bhagwat

Dr. Mohan Bhagwat said that The Gita does not belong to a single religion, it is a book giving the essence of humanity to the world. Although the Hindu tradition follows the Gita, but there is no patent of any kind on it, it is Vishwadharma.

He said that as long as the human race exists, the Gita will remain relevant. These things were told on this land 5155 years ago. In this way the knowledge that answers the problems of creation, the solution to the problems of all humanity is in the Gita.

Gita is a life science

He said that the Gita teaches us that whatever work we do in life, do it without any hatred and enmity. The knowledge of discharging one’s duties with a pure mind is in this scripture, that is, Gita is a life science.

He said that today we are seeing that the balance of the universe has deteriorated, it needs to be balanced. Today bigotry is visible everywhere. There is a loss of trust in each other. Wars are being seen in countries, although it is rarely seen in India, because there is Gita in the culture of India. This is happening because the human mind is narrowing. It is limiting itself, and dividing itself into caste and creed and sect. This needs to be removed with the knowledge which we get from Shrimad Bhagvad Gita.

He said that it has been said in the Gita that one should not run from problems, but face them.

The message of living life by Lord Shri Krishna ji is equally relevant today – Sh. Manohar Lal

On this occasion, Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal said that it is a matter of great fortune that the statue of Shri Krishna has been unveiled today. He said that the importance of Gita is in the whole world, there can be no greater book for humanity than this. The message of living life given by Lord Shri Krishna to the whole world at that time is relevant even today.

He said that apart from the huge statue of Shri Krishna, a world-class museum is also being built. About Rs 200 crore will be spent on other works including this museum. Mahabharata and Saraswati civilization will be explained in this museum. The message of Gita will be given through light and show in the museum which will indeed become the center of attraction for the people of the country and the world.

Shri Krishna Utsav will also be celebrated like International Gita Mahotsav- Chief Minister

Sh. Manohar Lal said that the holy land of Jyotiswar has its own importance. Kurukshetra Development Board was formed to develop the city of Dharmakshetra Kurukshetra. 164 places are being renovated under 48 Kos circuit by this Board. Temples and lakes located at these places are being developed. Just as the International Gita Mahotsav is organized in a grand manner, similarly Shri Krishna Utsav will also be celebrated in the coming times.

He said that Kurukshetra is being made a pilgrimage site by the Haryana Government and the Central Government under the Krishna Circuit Scheme, which will become a center of attraction. A temple of Tirupati Balaji is being built in Kurukshetra. ISKCON temple and Akshardham temple have been built. Gita Gyan Sansthanam is also going to become a big institution for spreading the knowledge of Gita. Research work is also going on here. Not only this, the verses of Gita have been included in the syllabus of Class X.

Kurukshetra will be made the Land of Shri Krishna

He said that just as Kurukshetra will be known as the land of Shrimad Bhagvad Gita from now on, similarly Dharmakshetra Kurukshetra will also be made the Land of Shri Krishna, just like people visit Vrindavan, Mathura and Dwarka to imbibe the thoughts of Shri Krishna and the message of his life. Similarly, they will also come to Kurukshetra, because in reality the message of life was given on the holy land of Kurukshetra.

Expressing his gratitude and thanks to Gita sage Swami Shri Gyananand Ji Maharaj, he said that the campaign launched by him to spread the message of Gita is commendable. Before the year 2016, there used to be a small programme on the occasion of Gita Jayanti but gradually the programme started expanding and the International Gita Mahotsav is being organized regularly. The campaign of Gita Jayanti is also being run at the international level. Now there is a demand from abroad also that the programme of Gita Jayanti should be organized in their country as well.

Haryana Home and Health Minister, Sh. Anil Vij, Education and Tourism Minister, Sh. Kanwar Pal, MPs, Sh. Rattan Lal Kataria, Sh. Naib Singh Saini and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

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Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is scripture of all religions: Haryana Governor

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INDIA E POST CHANDIGARH JULY 1, 2022

Haryana Governor, Sh. Bandaru Dattatraya said that Shrimad Bhagvad Gita is scripture of all religions which teaches the essence of life and humanity. Kurukshetra is known as the land of the Bhagavad Gita where Arjuna received the eternal message of Gita. He said that in the coming days, Kurukshetra will be recognised on the world map in terms of historical, religious and tourism related aspects with the efforts of the Central and State Government.

        Sh. Bandaru Dattatraya was addressing a programme on the true relevance of Bhagavad Gita at Gita Gyan Sansthanam, Kurukshetra today. During this, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Chief, Sh. Mohan Bhagwat, Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal and Geeta Manishi Swami Gyananand Ji Maharaj and other dignitaries were present.

        Earlier, Sh. Mohan Bhagwat unveiled the statue of Lord Sh. Krishna in the holy land of Jyotisar in Kurukshetra.

        Sh. Bandaru Dattatreya said that it is a matter of great pleasure for the people of the state that the foundation stone of the huge statue was laid by Sh. Mohan Bhagwat and today after 3 years, this statue has been unveiled by him. On the battlefield on this holy land of Jyotisar, Lord Krishna delivered an eternal message to Arjuna, which will remain the ultimate guide to humanity.

Finding good from evil and making it an inspiration- Geeta Manishi Swami Gyananand Ji Maharaj 

On this occasion, Geeta Manishi Swami Gyananand Ji Maharaj said that the basic priority of our nation is to find something good out of evil and make it an inspiration. The first words that came out of the mouth of King Dhritarashtra were ‘Dharma-kshetra-Kurukshetra, which became an inspiration for everyone.

        He said that work is being done in the direction towards spreading facts of Gita to the people across the world. Certificate, diploma and degree courses on Gita are being prepared in Gita Gyan Sansthan, so that research on the facts of Gita can be made accessible to the masses.

        On this occasion, Home and Health Minister, Sh. Anil Vij, Education and Tourism Minister, Sh. Kanwar Pal, Members of Parliament including, Sh. Rattan Lal Kataria, Sh. Naib Singh Saini, Sh.  Sanjay Bhatia and other dignitaries were present.

Chandigarh, Haryana

Haryana bags third place in ‘MSME National Award’

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IEP CHANDIGARH JULY 01, 2022

Haryana has been ranked third at the national level for the remarkable work done by the state government in the field of MSMEs. The Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi gave this award to Haryana, at the ‘MSME National Award’ function organized under the Entrepreneur-India programme by the Ministry of MSME, Government of India, in New Delhi today. Haryana Deputy Chief Minister, Sh. Dushyant Chautala and Principal Secretary, Commerce and Industry Department, Sh. Vijayendra Kumar were present on this occasion. Haryana is included in the top 3 states of the country in the field of MSME. The industrial policies of Haryana were highly praised on this occasion.

        Two MSMEs of Haryana have also received awards in this programme. Among these, Dr. Harjinder Kaur Talwar got the first prize in the small service enterprise of women category and Sh. Rishabh Gupta got the third position in the overall category of manufacturing micro enterprise.

        In response to a question asked by mediapersons after receiving the award, the Deputy Chief Minister extended gratitude towards the Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi and the Ministry of MSME, Government of India, for recognizing the efforts made by the Haryana Government to promote the development of the State MSMEs. He said that along with big industries, Haryana remains among the top performing states in terms of medium and small scale industries. I congratulate all the entrepreneurs of the state for this achievement. It has always been our resolve that new industries should be set up in the state, they should be developed and our youth should get maximum employment.

        He said that Haryana has made rapid economic development in the last few years and our MSMEs have made a special contribution in this. There are about 9.7 lakh MSMEs in the state which are the backbone and contribute to the pacing economy. The state government has launched several new schemes and initiatives for MSMEs to provide them institutional advice and facilitation, as well as to create a strong policy framework.

Sh. Dushyant Chautala said that the Haryana Government has set up a dedicated department ‘Directorate of MSME’ to support MSMEs in various sectors, thereby facilitating access to market, technology and skilled workers. He informed that the State Government has come up with targeted policies for industrial development, especially for MSMEs in the State.

        Giving information about the steps taken towards making the state self-reliant, the Deputy Chief Minister said that following the principle of ‘Vocal for Global’, Haryana has started a one-of-a-kind programme ‘Padma’, whose main objective is to develop a self-reliant programme at the block level. To create a dynamic, self-sustaining and thriving industrial infrastructure. He said that the Haryana Government is completely focusing on the cluster development approach of the Government of India for the development of MSMEs. Haryana has also come up with a first of its kind ‘State Mini Cluster Scheme’, in addition to its thrust on the Government of India’s MSE-CDP scheme. He informed that so far, 9 clusters worth Rs. 140 crore have been sanctioned from Haryana under MSE-CDP scheme. Out of this, an assistance of Rs. 58 crore has been given by the Government of India. Whereas, under the State Mini Cluster Development Scheme, various initiatives of 43 MSME clusters, which cost more than Rs. 119 crore, have been started in the state. More than 8,000 MSMEs in Haryana have been benefited by these comprehensive cluster development efforts of the state government.

Chandigarh, Haryana, Haryana

Gov grants exemption to all classes of transport vehicles from penalty for delayed payment

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IEP CHANDIGARH JULY 1, 2022

Haryana Government  has granted exemption to all classes of transport vehicles which were granted exemption from payment of motor vehicle tax from penalties for delayed payment of Motor Vehicle Tax from April 1, 2020 till 30th day after the publication of this notification in office gazzette. Any penalty paid by such vehicle owners for this period shall be refunded.

        Divulging more details in this regard, Transport Minister, Sh. Mool Chand Sharma said that State Government, in view of the first wave of COVID-19, had granted the exemption to the transport vehicles from the liability of payment of motor vehicle tax for the period April 1, 2020, to May 31, 2020, and from June 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020  (partial exemption).

        He further informed that the said exemption was again given by the State Government from April 1, 2021, to June 30, 2021 (except goods carriages) in view of the second wave of COVID. The exemptions could not be properly availed by the owners of the vehicles due to some technical issues.

        Keeping in view the same, the Haryana Government has exempted the penalty accrued due to delayed payment of motor vehicle tax from April 1, 2020 till the 30th Day of the date of the publication of the notification for this purpose in the official gazette, said Sh. Mool Chand Sharma.

        All concerned may contact the offices of the concerned DTO-cum-Secretary RTAs in the State to get the exemption in the penalty accrued due to delayed payment of motor vehicle tax.

Chandigarh, Haryana

Haryana among the top ranked States in ‘Ease of Doing Business’

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INDIA E POST CHANDIGARH JULY 01, 2022

Today was a day of bonanzas for the industrial sector in Haryana. While the state has been ranked third at the national level by the Government of India for the remarkable work done in the field of MSME, Haryana has been ranked in the Top Achievers Category in the fifth edition of ‘State Ease of Doing Business’ released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Haryana Deputy Chief Minister, Sh. Dushyant Chautala, who also holds the portfolio of Industries and Commerce Department, expressed happiness over this achievement of the Haryana government and congratulated the department and the entrepreneurs.

        In the Ease of Doing Business Report 2022 released today by Union Minister, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in the presence of the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Sh. Piyush Goyal, Haryana was announced to be in the top achievers category. Apart from Haryana in this category, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Telangana are included in the Top Achievers Category. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry released the 5th edition of State Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) rankings based on the State Business Reform Action Plan (State BRAP).

        Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department, Sh. Vijayendra Kumar informed that DPIIT in coordination with States and Union Territories (UTs) has taken several steps to improve the business environment in the country. All the states and union territories are ranked on the basis of the implementation and feedback of these remedial steps. He informed that the Action Plan for the year 2020 included 301 improvement points in 15 areas. Haryana has achieved a score of 99+ percentile in the implementation of these reforms.

        In addition to this, he informed that the state bagged first position in Export Preparedness Index (EPI), 2021 and second in Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS), Survey-2021.

        He said that under the leadership of Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal and under the guidance of Deputy Chief Minister, Sh. Dushyant Chautala, several major steps were taken to improve the investment climate in the state, in which the new industrial policy ‘Haryana Enterprises and Employment Policy 2020’ was special. The objective of this policy is to create 5 lakh jobs in the state, attract investment of more than Rs. 1 lakh crore and doubling the exports to Rs. 2 lakh crore. He said that 100 state laws (Acts, Rules and Guidelines) were re-evaluated in the state, which has created an investment-friendly environment in the state. He said that the industrial policy of the state has been appreciated by all the investors and industrial associations etc. Several investment proposals of national and international firms in Haryana like Maruti, Faiveley, Grasim Paints, ATL Batteries, Aarti Green Tech Ltd, Amperex Technology Limited, Enrich Agro Food Products, Gls Polyfilms etc. have shown interest.

        Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Sh. Vijayendra Kumar said that Haryana Government is committed to provide a conducive ecosystem to the industries which led Haryana in getting excellent ranking in Ease of Doing Business, Ease of Logistics and Export Preparedness. He said that we are delighted that our efforts have been well received by industry as these ranking exercises involved capturing feedback from the investors on their experience on industry reforms and facilities in the State”

Chandigarh, Haryana

Chief Minister lays foundation stones of four projects worth Rs. 32.16 crore

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INDIA E POST CHANDIGARH JULY 1, 2022

Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal on Thursday laid the foundation stones of four projects worth Rs 32.16 crore in Kurukshetra district.  Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sarsanghchalak, Dr. Mohan Bhagwat, Haryana Governor, Sh. Bandaru Dattatreya, Gita Manishi Swami Gyananand, Haryana Education Minister, Sh. Kanwarpal, Kurukshetra MP, Sh. Naib Saini, Ambala MP, Sh. Rattan Lal Kataria and Kurukshetra MLA,  Sh. Subhash Sudha were also present.

        Haryana Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of bridges to be constructed by Irrigation and Water Resources Department on RD 307800 of Narwana Branch and SYL Km 44.817.

Along with this, he also laid the foundation stone for the reconstruction work of bridges on RD 271741 of Narwana Branch and SYL km 33.824. He also laid the foundation stone for the reconstruction work of the bridge on SYL Canal Km RD 26.435. Apart from this, the foundation stone of Moga No. 17940 L Pabnawa Distribution, 7515 R Pindarsi Minor, 16700 L Paharpur Minor and 17140 R Paharpur Minor was also laid by the Micro Irrigation and Command Area Development Authority under the Micro Irrigation Project.

Chandigarh, Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab

Prof Vivek Lal, Director PGIMER inaugurates a Clinical Simulator Lab at the Biomedical Instruments and Devices Hub (BID Hub), at PGIMER

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INDIA E POST CHANDIGARH JULY 1, 2022

Prof.Vivek Lal, Director PGIMER inaugurated a Clinical Simulator Lab at the Biomedical Instruments and Devices Hub (BID Hub), at PGIMER Chandigarh. He was accompanied by Prof. G D Puri, Dean of PGIMER, and Sh Kumar Abhay, Financial Adviser of the Institute. The Clinical Simulator Lab is a major milestone for the institute. It mimics human physiology, and many disease conditions and drug reactions can be practiced on this.

Prof. Lal highlighted the importance of the Clinical simulator and stressed that it should be utilized to the maximum, to train health care personnel as well as students. Prof. G D Puri and Prof.Joseph Mathew, the Coordinators of the Hub explained the various functions of the simulator. The sophisticated equipment will also be used for the clinical testing of indigenously developed instruments and devices. Notably, life-saving equipment such as ventilators, breathing support devices, and cardiac equipment can be successfully tested using the simulator.

Prof. Lal lauded the efforts of the Biomedical Hub in developing novel indigenous technologies, and their clinical testing. The Hub was established in 2018 and has successfully developed several innovative equipment. Notable among these are the Closed Loop Anesthesia Delivery system (popularly called Anesthesia robot), the IV-alert (to provide alarms when infusions are running low), and the Artificial Breathing Capability Device. Several others are in advanced stages of clinical testing. These include the Double Volume Exchange Transfusion Device, Cricoid Pressure Sensor Device, Gastrointestinal Impedance monitoring device, and hi-tech endoscopic needles for treating patients with pancreatic disorders.

Chandigarh, Punjab

PUNJAB GOVT KICK STARTS PETRO CARD/ FLEET CARD FACILITY FOR VEHICLES OF CABINET MINISTERS

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INDIA E POST CHANDIGARH JULY 1, 2022

Punjab Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann led state government has introduced Petro Card/Fleet Card facility for the vehicles allotted to the Cabinet Ministers of the state. The State Transport Commissioner’s Office has commenced this facility after getting the nod from Finance Department in this regard.

Drivers deputed at the vehicles alloted to the ministers have been instructed to refuel the vehicles only at those petrol pumps where Petro Card facility will be available, besides making it mandatory to put the vehicle number on the computerized slip received from the pump and submit the duly filled logbook along with both the receipts -computerized and manual- after getting verify the bills by the 5th of every month and mention accurate amount on the summary sheet, failing which the Petro Card will be blocked and in case of loss of the Petro Card, the driver will be charged.

Drivers have also been directed to abide by the fuel limit and they will be solely responsible for violating the prescribed fuel limit. Drivers have been asked to fill in all the details on the duly signed summary sheet such as their name, mobile number, vehicle number and the name of the minister whom the vehicle has been alloted and mention open/closing meter reading accurately.

Meanwhile, Punjab Transport Minister Mr. Laljit Singh Bhullar urged all the Cabinet Ministers to ensure strict adherence to the instructions by the concerned drivers deputed on their vehicles so that the facility of Petro Card could be run smoothly.

Chandigarh, Punjab

PUNJAB POLICE AVERT SEVEN POSSIBLE MURDERS WITH ARREST OF 11 OPERATIVES OF LAWRENCE-RINDA GANG

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INDIA E POST CHANDIGARH JULY 1, 2022

In an extensive and planned operation, the Punjab Police have busted an inter-state gang backed by Gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Harwinder Rinda, with the arrest of its 11 members after recovering nine weapons and five looted vehicles from their possession, said ADGP Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) Promod Ban, while addressing a Press Conference here on Thursday. The operation was carried out by the Jalandhar Rural Police.

          Those arrested have been identified as Mohd. Yaseen Akhtar alias Jaisy Purewal of Nakodar, Jalandhar; Sagar Singh of Naya Shahar Badala in Mohali; Amar Malik of Samrala, Ludhiana; Navi of Lohian, Jalandhar; Ankush Sabharwal @ Paya of Nakodar, Jalandhar; Sumit Jaswal @ Kaku of Una (HP); Amandeep alias Shooter of Phillaur, Jalandhar; Shiv Kumar @ Shiva of Phillaur, Jalandhar; Vishal alias Fauji of Nakodar, Jalandhar; Arun Kumar alias Mani Rana of Una (HP) and Annu alias Pehalwan of Kapurthala. All the arrested persons are history-sheeters and have been facing cases of heinous crimes.

          ADGP Promod Ban, who was accompanied by SSP Jalandhar Rural Swapan Sharma, said that this group was active in several neighboring states and had been involved in crimes including murder, attempt to murder, armed dacoity, organized extortion, dacoity, robbery, and drug smuggling. “With their arrest, Punjab Police has thwarted at least seven murders, two police custody escapes, and four armed robberies,” he added.

          The ADGP said that, as per preliminary investigations, the gang was being operated by Vikram Brar, an associate of Goldy Brar on the directions of Harwinder Singh alias Rinda. Notably, Brar, a resident of Hanumangarh in Rajasthan currently residing abroad is wanted by the Police of six states. He is a classmate of Lawrence Bishnoi and is active on social media.

          Giving details about arrested persons, SSP Swapan Sharma said that Mohamad Yaseen Akhtar alias Jasse has been missing since a year. A prodigy of Brar and Lawrence, Jasse has been involved in at least 16 criminal activities, he said.

          He said that another arrested person identified as Ankush Sabarwal alias Paya, who has six criminal cases registered against him, was a student of Vikram Brar at an IELTS center in Nakodar in 2014 and had been providing shelter and safe house to Saurav Mahakal of Maharashtra, who was arrested by Pune Police. Along with Mahakal, he committed three crimes in Punjab, during Mahakal’s two-month stay in the state.

          The SSP said that Arun Kumar alias Mani Rana is a jailed gangster and is operating on the behest of the Lawrence-Jaggu Bhagwanpuria group. The arrested gang had planned Mani Rana’s escape from Police custody during a court hearing in Una, Himachal Pradesh, he said, while adding that Sumit Jaswal alias Kaku has been arrested as he was actively involved in doing recce and organizing logistics for this escape attempt. “With the arrest of this gang, the backbone of organized criminal activities in the Doaba region in general and Jalandhar, in particular, has been broken,” he added.

          Pertinently, in the past two months, Jalandhar Rural Police has arrested 32 gang members across the state-affiliated with various jailed gangsters and recovered 38 weapons from their possession.

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Today, the Higher Education and Languages Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer presented a resolution opposing the Union Government’s attempt to change the character of the Panjab University, Chandigarh which was passed by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and now it would be sent for taking up with the Union Government. Speaking on the resolution, Higher Education Minister Meet Hayer said that Panjab University is our heritage and it is a matter of identity for us, Punjabis. State government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is firmly committed to safeguard the rights of Punjab. Alongwith Panjab University, Punjab has full rights on Punjabi speaking areas and waters.

Resolution tables by the Education Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer in the Vidhan Sabha:-

This House is concerned about the attempt being made by some vested interests to push the matter for change of status of Panjab University into a Central University on one pretext or the other.

The House acknowledges and recognizes that the Punjab University was re-commenced with an Act of the Punjab State namely the Panjab University Act 1947 after independence, and subsequently with the reorganization of the State of Punjab in 1966, it was declared as an Inter-State Body Corporate under Section 72(1) of the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966 enacted by the Parliament. Since its inception, the Panjab University has been continuously and uninterruptedly functioning in the State of Punjab. It was shifted from Lahore, the then capital of Punjab, to Hoshiarpur and then to Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab. More than 175 colleges of Punjab, which are situated in the districts of Fazilka, Ferozpur, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Moga, Sri Muktsar Sahib and S.B.S Nagar, are affiliated with the Panjab University at present. The entire territorial jurisdiction and the populace, which the Panjab University is catering to, falls majorly in the state of Punjab, in addition to the area under Union Territory of Chandigarh, which despite many resolutions of this august house has not been restored as the capital of Punjab state only and continues to be a Union Territory.

Historically, the people of Punjab have been very intimately associated and have identified themselves with this university right from its inception. The Panjab University occupies an emotional place in the minds of Punjabis on account of historical, regional and cultural reasons. The University has emerged as an educational and cultural symbol of Punjab’s legacy and inheritance to the extent that it has almost become synonymous with the State of Punjab,

Despite the fact that the States of Haryana and Himachal stopped contributing their share of the maintenance deficit grants to the University, the State of Punjab has increased its share from 20 percent to 40 percent and has continuously been paying it since 1976. The Government of Haryana unilaterally withdrew the affiliation of its colleges from the University and transferred the same to the other Universities within Haryana State, which has reduced the revenue of the university. The Government of India vide its notification dated 27-10-1997 ceased the representation of Haryana in various governing bodies of the University.

This House has observed that the University has been managing and conducting its financial affairs unilaterally. The State of Punjab has however increased the Grant-in-Aid from Rs. 20 crores to Rs. 45.30 crores during the financial year 2020-21, which amounts to an increase of more than 75 %. Besides, nearly Rs 100 crore is collected annually by the University from the affiliated Colleges located in Punjab. This substantial increase may not be commensurate with the needs of the Panjab University, but this is due to the reason that there is no bilateral consultative process in place.

This House strongly and unanimously feels that any decision to change the character of the Panjab University won’t be acceptable to the people of Punjab and therefore, strongly recommends that no change in the nature and character of this University should be considered by the Government of India. Any proposal in case it is being considered should be dropped with immediate effect.

Therefore, this House strongly recommends to the State Government to take up the matter with the Central Government so as not to alter the nature and character of the Panjab University in any way keeping in view the sentiments of the people of Punjab.”