IEP Chandigarh

A fire incident occurred in the computer room of C-block of Nehru Hospital, PGIMER, Chandigarh around 11:45 PM on 09-10-2023 midnight. The primary reason of fire is guessed to be a short circuit in the computer room. The C-block has dialysis unit, Adult kidney Unit, Renal Transplant unit, Female Medical Ward, Male Medical Ward, Gynae, Maternity, Nursery& Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Bone Marrow Transplant and operation theatres which functions 24×7 throughout the year. As soon as the incident occurred, security officers, fire officers and staff members including faculty, residents, staff nurses and subordinate staff of PGI got into action and all the patients from these area were rescued and shifted to the safer areas.

Prof Vivek Lal Director, PGI along with senior faculty members Medical Superintendent and Administrative Officers reached the spot immediately and Fire wing, Engineering wing of PGIMER swung into action to provide all the needed care and support required for patient care.
The UT administration, UT fire department also reached the spot and contributed in quick & safe evacuation of the patients and their attendants. The smoke and heat spread to the corridors due to which the patients from adjoining areas Advanced Urology Centre, Male Surgical Ward were also shifted to the safer places so as to avoid any sort of suffocation to the patients.

Patients evacuated during fire incident in C block of Nehru Hospital:

1. Total patients evacuated = 424
2. Adults = 351
3. Intensive Care Unit = 34
4. Pregnant females = 80
5. Babies = 56
6. Paediatric = 17

These patients were shifted to 2 different areas of Nehru Hospital and Nehru Hospital Extension Block.

The patients admitted in adjoining wards and corridors were also shifted to other concerned wards or ICUs to avoid any untoward incident, as smoke spread out in the nearby wards. The evacuation was done with in 60 min of the incident and there was no loss to life of patients or staff. Around 2:00 AM all the services related to patient care were grossly restored.

The Director PGI immediately instructed the engineering wing for restoration of the affected area. The tarnished area will require major repair work and functioning of the OTs and other facilities are expected to made functional as soon as possible. At present, alternative arrangements have been made in other area of PGI, Advanced Trauma Centre and Nehru Hospital Extension & OTs.

A 14-member committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Dean (Academic) Prof Naresh Panda to ascertain the exact cause of fire and working out an action plan so as to avoid any such incidences in future.

IEP Chandigarh

Haryana Home and Health Minister Anil Vij said that the Bhoomi Pujan of the Civil Enclave to be constructed in Ambala Cantonment will be performed by Chief Minister, Mr. Manohar Lal on October 15, 2023 (1st Navratri). He said that  under the RCS (Regional Connectivity Scheme) UDAN scheme, 20 acres of land has now been registered in the GLR (General Land Register) records in the name of “Civil Enclave”. The Minister further said that the land registration in the GLR, designated for the civil enclave’s construction, was facilitated by the Defence Estate Officer of the Defence Ministry. Previously, this land was registered as “Military Dairy Farm.” Vij said that the land has been made available through the Airport Authority of India for the civil enclave project under the UDAN scheme. Vij emphasized that the construction process for the Civil Enclave on the 20-acre plot adjacent to Ambala Air Force Station would commence shortly.

A technical bid for the construction, estimated at a cost of Rs 16 crore, has been opened, with three firms having submitted their applications. He expressed his determination to initiate flights from Ambala in the near future. In addition, the administrative team installed boards and flags representing the RCS UDAN scheme on the land designated for the Civil Enclave on Air Force Station Road. Vij said that the establishment of the Civil Enclave under the RCS Udaan Scheme is progressing. Recently, a sum of Rs 133 crore was transferred to the Defense Estate Officer in exchange for the 20-acre land. Vij explained that when the Civil Enclave is constructed alongside Ambala Air Force Station, passengers will perform check-in and check-out procedures here for security checks. Subsequently, they will be transported to the aircraft located inside the Air Force station near the airstrip via bus. The airstrip of Ambala Air Force Station will be utilized for flights. He mentioned that the Civil Enclave would initially operate on an ad-hoc basis, with plans for future expansion. Vij said that  discussions have been initiated for four-laning of the Air Force Station Road, extending from Capital Chowk in Ambala to GT Road. Correspondence regarding this matter is ongoing with  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The four-lane road project is expected to enhance travel convenience for commuters. Notably, the proposed airport in Ambala is intended to be named “Amba Airport Ambala Cantonment.” Home Minister Anil Vij has forwarded this proposal to the Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar for consideration.

IEP Chandigarh

Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal, while stressing the need for government resources to prioritize the well-being of underprivileged communities, said that the more schemes the government implements for the economically disadvantaged, the greater the well-being of society will become. The government is committed to the welfare and development of poor and deprived communities.                    

The Chief Minister made these remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a Jan Samvad program held at Karnal late last evening.

This event marked the 19th Jan Samvad program within the Karnal assembly constituency, with seven more scheduled to take place in the coming month. During the event, he attentively listened to the concerns of individuals from various segments of society and directed the relevant officials to address these issues promptly.

Highlighting initiatives aimed at transforming the system, Sh Manohar Lal mentioned the introduction of a Parivar Pahchan Patra (PPP) for every household—an unprecedented step by the government. The data recorded in the PPP is exceptionally accurate, encompassing information about births and deaths. This data forms the basis for determining the precise population of any city. Furthermore, the government has initiated the practice of sending birthday wishes to every citizen. In a heart-warming gesture, the Chief Minister called Praveen Beniwal, born on September 25, and another person on the stage and congratulated them spreading smiles on their faces.

The Chief Minister affirmed that the state’s 2.8 crore people are like his own family and their well-being is his foremost concern. The government has implemented various measures to ensure the education and healthcare of underprivileged children and to augment the income of economically disadvantaged individuals. He mentioned the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, which provides health insurance coverage up to Rs 5 lakh to citizens. The Central government had initially set an annual income threshold of Rs 1.20 lakh for eligibility. However, the Haryana government has expanded this limit to Rs 1.80 lakh, benefiting approximately 29 lakh families under the Ayushman/Chirayu Yojana. To further extend the reach of the Chirayu Yojana, the government has raised the annual income limit to Rs 3 lakh for eligible individuals within this income bracket, with beneficiaries required to pay an annual premium of Rs 1500. This scheme enables beneficiaries to access medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh at government or approved private hospitals.

Referring to the provision of an old age pension of Rs 2750 for individuals with an annual income up to Rs 3 lakh, Sh Manohar Lal highlighted that, based on income records in the PPP, pensions have now been automatically extended to approximately 80,000 residents of the state, eliminating the need for them to visit government offices. He said that Haryana is leading the way as the first state to grant widowers a monthly pension of Rs 2750 after reaching the age of 40. In addition, the government has also decided to provide pensions to unmarried individuals aged 45 to 60.

During his interaction with the people, the Chief Minister inquired about those who had not yet received their old age pensions or PPP and promptly instructed concerned officials to ensure that their pensions and PPP records are processed by Tuesday. Furthermore, he instructed the power corporation officials to resolve the electricity bill issue of Rs 1.90 lakh for a widow residence.

Responding to a request from OP Garg of the Senior Citizens Forum to install an umbrella over the statue of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, the Chief Minister assured a comprehensive assessment of the proposal. BK Nirmala requested land in Sector 9 for a community center, on this, the Chief Minister directed the EO of HSVP to investigate available space in the sector for social and religious institutions and communicate with the local Councillor. Subsequent steps, including advertising and further actions, will be carried out in accordance with established regulations. If no suitable space is found in Sector 9, efforts will extend to exploring options in surrounding sectors.

Gharaunda MLA Mr. Harivandra Kalyan, Municipal Corporation Mayor Mrs. Renu Bala Gupta, Deputy Commissioner Mr. Anish Yadav, SP Mr. Shashank Kumar Sawan, and officials from various government departments were also present on this occasion.

IEP Chandigarh

The Haryana Government is offering a 15 percent discount to urban property owners who make complete payments of their property tax for the year 2023-24 by September 30.

Providing information in this regard, a spokesperson of the Urban Local Bodies Department said that if there are any errors in the Haryana Urban Property Tax assessment, property owners can online rectify them at https://ulbharyana.gov.in/ portal. After addressing the errors, they should proceed to verify the property data.

The spokesperson said that all property owners have the opportunity to avail 15 percent discount by verifying their property data on their own before September 30.

IEP Chandigarh

HAFED and HSIIDC have launched the sale of plots in the Mega Food Park at Rohtak. HAFED has set up the Mega Food Park, Rohtak, which spreads across 50 acres and has 80 plots ranging from 450 to 4050 square meters. Dr. J. Ganesan, Managing Director, HAFED, issued allotment letters to the first allottees today at the HAFED Corporate Office in Panchkula.

        Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Ganesan said that the Mega Food Park is ideally located at IMT Rohtak on NH-10, linking Delhi and Rohtak. He informed investors that they can set up a wide range of units in the Mega Food Park, including cattle feed, fruit and vegetable processing, dairy and milk processing, grain and cereal processing, meat and poultry processing, spice processing, beverage production, edible oil extraction and refining, bakery, snack food manufacturing, ready-to-eat (RTE) and ready-to-cook (RTC) foods, canning and preserving, and food ingredient manufacturing.

        The most significant advantage for investors in the Mega Food Park is that they do not need to invest in creating common facilities for their units. Instead, they may utilize the common infrastructure facilities already set up by HAFED as a part of this project, such as a 5000 MT multi-purpose cold storage, a 1.5 MT/hr individual quick freezing (IQF) unit, a 1500 MT deep freezer, two 2500 MT silos, a 7500 square meter warehouse, and a food and quality testing laboratory. All these facilities will be available to investors on a nominal rental basis.

In addition, 24 standard design units of 236.20 square meters each have also been constructed in the Mega Food Park exclusively for MSMEs as plug-and-play facilities.

Dr. Ganesan expressed his gratitude to all the stakeholders like MOFPI Government of India, Haryana Government NABARD, HSIIDC, and Investors for their support. He further informed that with the onset of the festive season, HAFED, in association with the HSIIDC, endeavors to offer all the remaining industrial plots for sale through e-auctions by HSIIDC regularly till all these plots are sold out on a free-hold basis.

IEP Chandigarh

Union Home Minister, Sh. Amit Shah chaired the 31st meeting of the Northern Zonal Council convened in Amritsar, Punjab, today. During the meeting, Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal apart from highlighting key issues for regional development, cooperation among the states also advocated for several critical issues including the construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal (SYL) and the Affiliation of Haryana Colleges from Panjab University.

Punjab Governor, Sh. Banwarilal Purohit, Lieutenant Governor, UT of Jammu and Kashmir, Sh. Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor, Delhi, Sh. Vinai Kumar Saxena, Punjab Chief Minister, Sh. Bhagwant Mann, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Sh. Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and representatives of Northern Indian states attended the meeting.

The Chief Minister also underscored the significance of establishing an environment of collaboration among the states to ensure the successful and prompt execution of development projects. He emphasized that by pooling resources, sharing knowledge, and adopting best practices, the states could achieve efficient and effective project execution, ultimately contributing to the growth of the region and the nation as a whole.

The Chief Minister stressed the urgent need to complete the construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal (SYL) canal in the Punjab region. He clarified that water availability and canal construction were distinct issues and should not be conflated. He pointed out that surplus water from rivers such as Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas currently flowed into Pakistan, and constructing SYL would enable the productive utilization of this valuable water resource. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of SYL as an alternative channel, especially in light of the aging Nangal Hydel Channel (NHC).

Sh. Manohar Lal advocated for Haryana colleges in Panchkula, Ambala, and Yamunanagar to have the option of affiliating with Panjab University. He highlighted that while Haryana’s share in Panjab University had been discontinued in 1973, reestablishing these affiliations would be in the best interest of students. He stressed the importance of expanding educational opportunities and enhancing the university’s reputation by affiliating more colleges from both Haryana and Punjab.

Reiterating Haryana’s commitment to equitable water sharing and peaceful dispute resolution, the Chief Minister discussed issues related to the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). He emphasized the need to address delays in repairing the Dhulkot BBMB sub-station and underscored the importance of raising the banks of the Bhakra Main Line for efficient water resource management.

Sh. Manohar Lal proposed considering Hathnikund as a national project for small hydropower projects. He believed that such a project could have far-reaching impacts on water management and power generation capabilities in the region, warranting detailed discussion.

The Chief Minister also shared Haryana’s innovative approach to demographic data collection through the Parivar Pehchan Patra scheme. This scheme provides real-time demographic data and has created a comprehensive database of every family in the state. This database plays a crucial role in government planning and policy implementation, bridging the gap between data collection and practical application.

Sh. Manohar Lal encouraged other participating states to explore innovative solutions like PPP to strengthen governance and ensure the welfare and prosperity of all citizens.

IEP Chandigarh

Haryana Minister of Cooperation Dr. Banwari Lal said that in order to facilitate farmers who bring sugarcane to the mills, a system has been established to send mobile notifications, ensuring that farmers do not encounter any difficulties or delays.

The Cooperation Minister engaged in discussions with farmers and organizational representatives here today.

        He said that the sugarcane crushing operations will commence in all state cooperative sugar mills during the first week of November. This year’s target is to process 424 lakh quintals of sugarcane with a recovery rate of 10 percent. He said that arrangements have also been made to provide nutritious and quality food to the farmers at an affordable rate of just Rs 10. Farmers are happy with timely payment of sugarcane and excellent arrangements.

He  also mentioned that the government is actively working to enhance the capacity and production of sugar mills. An ambitious plan is underway to establish ethanol plants by forming a cluster of all the state’s cooperative sugar mills, aiming to boost the economic viability of these mills. An ethanol plant has already commenced operations at the Shahabad sugar mill, and another one will soon be set up in Panipat also.

Dr. Banwari Lal added that sugar mills are diversifying their operations, including the production of refined sugar, buckets, and compact biogas. Additionally, efforts are being made to explore possibilities like manufacturing press mud and sugar. To make the state’s PACS more versatile, initiatives such as opening Jan Aushadhi centres and making HAFED, Sugarfed, and dairy products accessible at reasonable prices are in progress. This will increase the income of sugar mills and provide employment opportunities for the youth.

During the event, Dr. Banwari Lal attentively listened to the concerns of the people and pledged to address them promptly.

IEP Chandigarh

In a significant and proactive move to enhance the capabilities of Zila Parishads (ZPs), Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Manohar Lal said that the responsibility for the repair of link roads in six additional districts, namely Sonipat, Kaithal, Mahendergarh, Rohtak, Jhajjar, and Rewari, will be transferred to the Zila Parishads by the end of this year. Previously, this responsibility was overseen by the Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board (HSAMB).

                                The Chief Minister disclosed this during a meeting with the Chairpersons of Zila Parishads and Chief Executive Officers of Zila Parishads to review various developmental initiatives. Development and Panchayats Minister Sh. Devender Babli also present in the meeting.

                Earlier, the link road repair responsibility had been transferred from HSAMB to Zila Parishads in five districts — Yamunangar, Karnal, Palwal, Bhiwani, and Fatehabad — with process of repair work already underway. With the addition of these six districts, ZPs will be responsible for road repair in a total of 11 districts. This move reflects the State Government’s commitment to empowering Zila Parishads to undertake rural development projects more efficiently.

                                During the review of development progress, Chief Minister Sh. Manohar Lal directed the CEOs of Zila Parishads to initiate the tendering process for the pavement of village phirnis in villages with a population of 5,000 or more by September 30, 2023.

                                The Chief Minister emphasized the importance of respecting and honoring the Chairpersons of ZPs, who play a crucial role as public representatives in the democratic setup. He clearly instructed the CEOs to relocate their offices from district Secretariats to ZP offices. In districts where ZP office buildings have already been erected, this directive should be promptly implemented. However, in cases where such infrastructure is yet to be established, CEOs are instructed to identify suitable land and submit proposals to the Head Office.

                                He also sought budget estimates for the current fiscal year from the CEOs of ZPs. The Chief Minister underscored that it falls within the purview of the Chairman of Zila Parishads to formulate their budgets and subsequently forward them to the government after gaining approval within the ZP House. This ensures that sufficient funds will be accessible to drive developmental initiatives in rural areas effectively.

                                He also encouraged them to construct Anganwari buildings wherever necessary and establish a dedicated unit in each district responsible for overseeing Anganwari Centers throughout the district.

                                He informed the installation of street lights in 750 villages with the highest population across the state. The budget has already been allocated to Zila Parishads for this initiative. Under this program, the five villages with the highest population in each block will soon receive street lights.

                                The Chief Minister pointed out that there are 144 blocks in the state and urged the CEO Zila Parishads to identify the block where even 10 e-libraries have not started. Requests for this purpose have been received through Jan Samvad, and we already have sanction to open 750 e-libraries.

                               During the review of Chaupals’ construction, Sh. Manohar Lal instructed the CEOs to conduct need-based surveys in their respective areas. He also directed them to initiate the process of beautifying or constructing walls for village ponds through the Zila Parishads. The Chairman and CEOs of Zila Parishads should collaborate to plan development activities in rural areas.

                                Speaking on this occasion, Development and Panchayats Minister, Sh. Devender Singh Babli, urged the CEOs to monitor the progress of development projects in their respective areas. He also expressed his intention to visit the entire state for this purpose.

                                Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Sh. V. Umashankar, Director Rural Development Jai Krishan Abhir, OSD to Chief Minister Sudhanshu Gautam, Chairpersons and CEOs of Zila Parisahad and other officers were also present in the meeting.

IEP Chandigarh, September 21

          The Punjab Government has declared a local holiday in Gurdaspur district on September 22, 2023 on the occasion of “Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Viah Purab”

           Giving information in this regard, the official spokesperson of the state government said that all offices, boards/corporations and government educational institutions of the Punjab government in Gurdaspur district will remain closed on Friday (September 22, 2023).  In this regard, a notification has been issued by the personnel department.