IEP Chandigarh, August 4      

    In an effort to address the issue of unauthorized constructions within the jurisdiction of Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils, and  Improvement Trusts in Punjab, Minister for Local Government and Parliamentary Affairs, Balkar Singh, has today issued a WhatsApp number 7889149943 for the convenience of the people at Municipal Bhawan, Sector-35, Chandigarh.          Local Government and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Balkar Singh highlighted that with rapid urbanization and population growth, the threat of unauthorized colonies and illegal constructions has become a concern. To effectively address this issue, Minister Balkar Singh has taken the initiative to provide an accessible and convenient platform for citizens to complain about such violations.          He mentioned that the WhatsApp number, 7889149943, is now functional, and residents can use it to lodge complaints about unauthorized constructions and colonies. All complaints will be promptly reviewed and acted upon by the relevant authorities to ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations.          Minister Balkar Singh urged all citizens to come forward and participate in this campaign against unauthorized constructions, as it will significantly contribute to maintaining the planned and sustainable development of the cities and towns of Punjab.          On this occasion, Local Government Department Secretary Mr. Ajoy Sharma, Director Mr. Uma Shankar Gupta, Chief Vigilance Officer Mr. Rajeev Sakheri, Chief Engineer Mr. Ashwani Chaudhary, Mr. Mukesh Garg, and Senior Town Planner Mr. Gautam Kumar were present.

IEP Chandigarh, August 4   

       Taking a serious note of the irregularities committed in transferring 100 acres of Panchayat land to private individuals, Chief Secretary Mr Anurag Verma has directed Financial Commissioner, Rural Development and Panchayats, Punjab to get an FIR registered against retired DDPO Kuldeep Singh and other beneficiaries of his order dated 27-2-2023 under Prevention of Corruption Act and other relevant provisions of IPC.          In the Inquiry ordered by Mr Anurag Verma, it has come out that very serious irregularities were committed by Kuldeep Singh. Kuldeep Singh was posted as ADC (D) Pathankot on 24-2-2023 which was a Friday. He was to retire on 28-2-2023 i.e.Tuesday. So, he listed the case for hearing on the very next working day i.e. 27-2-2023 (Monday). Kuldeep Singh decided the case in favour of private petitioners on 27-2-2023 itself. He did not bother to give any opportunity to Gram Panchayat to bring its evidence on record.          The inquiry report states that in such cases all Jamabandis right from 26 January 1950 to till date are to be examined. However, Kuldeep Singh did not bother to take these Jamabandis on record. It was found that the irregularities committed by him were prima facie wilful and malafide as the officer who exercised the powers of Collector knew very well that he was retiring on 28.02.2023 and 24 hours before his retirement he decided a case which involve 734 kanal 1 marla (91.75 acre) shamlat land in the favour of private persons and the act of Collector has caused a loss of crores of rupees to the Gram Panchayat.          Mr. Verma has further directed Rural Development Department to initiate disciplinary action under Rule 2.2 (b) of Punjab Civil Services Rules against Kuldeep Singh. He has further directed Rural Development Department not to disburse retrial benefits of Kuldeep Singh as required under rules.

IEP Chandigarh, August 2  

         Punjab Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, on Wednesday, directed all the field officers to vigorously continue the campaign of vacating encroached panchayat land after the recent floods in the state.          Presiding over an important meeting with all the Additional Deputy Commissioners (Development), Deputy Directors and DDPOs of the department at Vikas Bhawan (Mohali), S. Laljit Singh Bhullar said that although the department has successfully reclaimed 11,665 acres of panchayat land, but still thousands acres of cultivable and non-cultivable land is encroached in the state.          Sternly addressing the issue of land mafia involvement in mining on panchayat land, the Cabinet Minister directed the officials to promptly lodge FIRs against such illegal activities.          Reiterating the commitment to uphold integrity and accountability, the Rural Development and Panchayats Minister unequivocally stated that the government will not tolerate any collusion of department officials and employees in illegal land occupations.          The minister was apprised that this year, the government has collected Rs.432.71 crores revenue through the auctioning of 1.34 lakh acres of shamlat land. He instructed officials to swiftly auction the remaining around 7,000 acres of land within a week.          During the first meeting with the field officers, while Laljit Singh Bhullar reviewed the situation after the floods in the state and the work done by the department, he also became acquainted with the performance of the officers posted at head office and field. He instructed all the officials that the work at the village level should be carried out as per the vision of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann. He also directed to continuously monitor the performance of the field officers and officers with poor performance should be punished.          The Cabinet Minister reviewed various schemes such as settlement of panchayat roads leading to residential colonies and projects, solid and liquid waste management, renovation of ponds, conducting 100 percent audit of panchayati raj institutions, work under MNREGA, Livelihood Mission, issues related to rent of properties and shops of Zilla Parishads/Panchayat Samitis, expediting grievance redressal, expediting the process of disposal of court cases and implementation of EPM module in technical institutes.          Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included, Principal Secretary Mr. D.K. Tiwari, Director Mr. Gurpreet Singh Khaira, Joint Development Commissioner Mr. Amit Kumar, Additional Director Mr. Sanjeev Garg, Joint Director Mr. Jagwinderjit Singh Sandhu, Mr. Joginder Kumar, Mr. Jatinder Singh Brar and other officers of the department. 

IEP Chandigarh, August 2

Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Wednesday nabbed a MHC (Munshi), Hardeep Singh (ASI), posted at Police Station Koom Kalan, for accepting a bribe of Rs. 20,000 from Ekta resident of village Doaba Bhaini in Ludhiana district.          An official spokesperson of the VB said that the complainant Ekta lodged a complaint on Anti-Corruption Action Line on 21-07-2023 that an FIR no 38 Dated 13.4.2023 under sections 323, 341, 506, 148,149 of IPC was registered against her brother Deepak Kumar and others at Police Station Koom kalan. Her brother Deepak had also been injured, therefore, he also got registered cross FIR under sections 326, 323, 341, 506, 148,149 of IPC against Avtar Singh and others.          She alleged that SHO Paramjit Singh (SI) had demanded Rs 1 Lakh and MHC Hardeep Singh fixed the deal at Rs 50,000 to make the arrest of the accused party in cross case. The Complainant also claimed that ASI Randhir Singh took a bribe of Rs 35,000 from her and MHC Hardeep Singh has also taken Rs 20,000 separately. She also produced a call recording with MHC Hardeep Singh. After preliminary investigation of the complaint and call recording, the spokesperson said that a team of VB has arrested the accused MHC Hardeep Singh after registering an FIR no 18 dated 02.08.2023 under section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act at Police Station VB, Ludhiana Range. He will be produced in court tomorrow. The Spokesperson informed that the role of SHO Paramjit Singh and ASI Randhir Singh is also being examined. 

IEP Ludhiana, August 2

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday handed over cheques of financial assistance worth Rs 101 crore to 25,000 eligible beneficiaries (Rs 1.75 lakh to each) for construction of houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) scheme. Addressing the gathering during state level function after handing over cheques of financial assistance worth Rs 101 crore to 25,000 eligible beneficiaries (Rs 1.75 lakh to each) for construction of house under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) scheme, the Chief Minister said that the state government is duty bound to ensure well being of every strata of society especially that of the weaker and underprivileged sections. He said that it is bounden duty of the government to provide Roti (Food), Kapda (Clothes) and Makaan (House) to all the residents of the state. Bhagwant Mann said that in a welfare state, the money for these pro-people initiatives come from the tax collected from masses which is repaid in form of welfare schemes back to them.   The Chief Minister said that while his predecessors made rhetoric that the state exchequer is empty; his government is spending every single penny from the state treasury for public welfare. He said that there was no dearth of funds earlier but the successive state governments lacked the vision and will to use these funds for the well being of people. Bhagwant Mann said that the funds at that time used to go in pockets of the corrupt leaders but his government has checked this pilferage with a heavy hand and now this fund is being used for welfare of masses. The Chief Minister said that due to incompetent and corrupt leaders the people lost faith in the political leadership of the state. However, he said that in the assembly polls held in year 2022 the people of state had reposed huge trust in him for which he will always remain indebted to them. Bhagwant Mann said that his government is making every effort to uphold this confidence of people by ensuring the welfare of every section of society and giving impetus to development of the state. The Chief Minister, while expressing concern over the fatalities due to road accidents in the state, said that in order to save precious lives of people his government has decided to form first of its kind ‘Road Safety Force’ to streamline the movement of traffic on the roads of the state. He said that daily around 14 precious lives are lost in road accidents in Punjab adding that this causality can be checked by manning the roads well for which ‘Road Safety Force’ has been formed. Bhagwant Mann said that this force will be entrusted with the task of checking rash driving, streamlining vehicular movement on roads and others to check the road accidents. The Chief Minister said that he had flagged off 50 tractors for the Municipal Corporation Ludhiana adding that in order to ensure cleanliness and other works in villages the state government will soon embark a scheme to provide tractors to the village panchayats in the state. He said that in the first phase these tractors will be provided in the big villages so that boost can be given to their development. Bhagwant Mann said that besides ensuring works pertaining to the villages these tractors will be also helpful for the tractorless farmers for agriculture purposes. The Chief Minister said that the state government is laying major thrust on the Education, Health and Employment sector in the state. He said that this is the need of hour to reverse the trend of brain drain by channelizing the unbounded youth of energy in a positive direction. Bhagwant Mann said that the youth of the state have huge potential to excel in every field and every effort is being made to make them active partners in socio-economic development of the country. The Chief Minister further said that Punjabis are blessed with indomitable spirit to face colossal challenges and successfully emerge from them.  Bhagwant Mann said Punjab is a land of saints, seers, prophets and great martyrs adding that Punjabis are sons of soil, who have learned a lot from teachings of great Gurus and sacrifices of our patriots.  He said that the residents of the state have always opposed tyranny, injustice and oppression to uphold the ethos of democracy adding that Punjabis have made enormous contributions in the freedom struggle, safeguarding the borders, making the country self-reliant in food production, upholding its unity, integrity, sovereignty and communal harmony. 

IEP Chandigarh, August 2     

      In order to provide quality Health services at the doirsteps of people, the State Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has established 583 Aam Aadmi Clinics in the state so far and 75 more new Aam Aadmi Clinics will be established soon.          Punjab Chief Secretary Mr. Anurag Verma said this in a press release issued today after a video conferencing meeting with all Deputy Commissioners to review the progress of Aam Aadmi Clinics.          He said that health is the priority of the State Government which has started providing quality health services to the residents of the state in the form of ‘Aam Aadmi Clinics’. In today’s meeting, the Chief Secretary asked the DCs to complete the work of 75 Aam Aadmi Clinics in the next 10 days.          Mr. Anurag Verma directed the DCs to personally visit 10 percent Aam Aadmi Clinics in their district every month and SDMs to visit all the clinics in their respective sub-divisions. They should seek feedback from patients on ground realities, availability of medicines and diagnostic services. Apart from this, they must find out from the patients who have undergone treatment whether they are satisfied with the services or not. In this regard, they must send a report to the Chief Secretary and the Health Department.          The Chief Secretary said that 80 types of medicines and 41 diagnostics tests are provided free of cost to patients in Aam Aadmi Clinics. A Medical Officer, Pharmacist, Clinic Assistant (multipurpose female worker) and Helper cum Sweeper are posted in each Aam Aadmi clinic.          The meeting was attended by Health and Family Welfare Department’s Principal Secretary VP Singh and Secretary Dr. Abhinav Trikha.

IEP Chandigarh, August 2    

       Punjab Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer on Wednesday handed over appointment letters to newly recruited 23 coaches.          Handing over the appointment letters to the coaches recruited for the Khelo India Center in his office at the Punjab Civil Secretariat here today, Meet Hayer said that the state Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has formulated a new Sports policy to make Punjab the number one state in the country in sports.          Meet Hayer said that the responsibility of implementing this sports policy is on the coaches of the department who have to prepare the players for national and international level competitions by preparing a new format. He congratulated the coaches and asked them to work diligently and hard in their allotted centers and bring good results.          Among the coaches who got appointment letters are seven coaches of Athletics, five of Wrestling, four of Football, two of Hockey and one each of Badminton, Boxing, Cycling and Fencing.          On this occasion, Special Chief Secretary of Sports Department Sarvjit Singh, Director Harpreet Singh Sudan, Deputy Director Parminder Singh Sandhu and Assistant Director Ranvir Singh Bhangu were also present. 

IEP Chandigarh, August 2

Marking a significant milestone in efficiency and transparency, Punjab Information and Public Relations Minister S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra on Wednesday launched an online portal, designed to streamline the process of journalists obtaining their accreditation, in his office here at Punjab Civil Secretariat-1. The portal, designed for the Department of Information and Public Relations and developed by the NIC Punjab, promises to revolutionize the process of issuing the identity to media persons.          The Cabinet Minister S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra, while inaugurating the portal, expressed his deep appreciation for the efforts put forth by the DIPR and NIC Punjab in creating this innovative tool. He emphasized Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann led government’s commitment to fostering a conducive environment for journalism and reaffirmed the administration’s unwavering support for a free and responsible press.          He said, this milestone initiative comes as part of government’s commitment to bolstering transparency, accountability and accessibility within the realm of journalism, adding that the portal is poised to revolutionize the accreditation process by harnessing the power of technology and ensuring that journalists can focus on their crucial work without undue administrative burdens.          With the launch of this state-of-the-art portal, S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra said that aspiring and established journalists can navigate the application process with ease and convenience. By utilizing the platform, they can submit their documents, verify their credentials and gain accreditation in an efficient and timely manner.          Mr. Adil Azmi, OSD/Chief Minister (Media) Punjab said that immediately after assuming the charge of his office, Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann had instructed the officials of the Information and Public Relations Department to ensure that all matters related to journalists should be resolved on priority. He added that this initiative of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann government will prove to be a milestone for the journalists.          Secretary IPR Mr. Malwinder Singh Jaggi informed that online accreditation platform will allow journalists to submit their accreditation applications digitally. He said, gone are the days of lengthy paperwork and delays, adding that now, with just a few clicks, journalists can provide their personal information, media organization details and relevant documentation for verification.          Mr. Jaggi said that the new system includes several key features designed to enhance the accreditation process like this pioneering platform will allow journalists to submit their applications from the comfort of their own workplaces, whether at the district or state level. He said that the initiative aims to significantly streamline the accreditation process, minimizing manual intervention and reducing approval times.          Director IPR Mr. Bhupinder Singh said that journalists can now submit their applications directly from their doorsteps, eliminating the need to travel to regional or state offices. This innovative approach will save time and resources for journalists working in diverse regions.          On this occasion, Deputy Director (Press) Mr. Ishwinder Singh Grewal, Deputy Director Mr. Gurmeet Singh Khaira, DDG & SIO Punjab Mr. Vivek Verma, Sr. Director & ASIO (D) Mrs. Usha Rai and Director (IT) Mr. Pankaj Jain were also present.          Once applications are submitted on https://eservices.punjab.gov.in, the system automatically escalates them to the approval authority at the state level. The absence of manual intervention will expedite the process, ensuring quick and efficient accreditation.          Applicants receive SMS and email alerts, keeping them informed about the status of their applications and the expected time for approval. This feature helps journalists plan their coverage schedules with confidence.          In the event of objections to an application, the system enables the process to be conducted online. Applicants can address objections and make necessary adjustments directly, avoiding unnecessary visits to physical offices.          The new system, a result of close collaboration between government authorities, media organizations and NIC, aims to empower journalists with the tools they need to perform their duties effectively. By leveraging digital solutions, the platform enhances transparency, expediency and convenience in the accreditation process. 

IEP Ludhiana, August 2 

In a bid to make Ludhiana city clean, green and pollution free, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday flagged off a super suction cum jetting machine for mechanised cleaning of sewer lines in the city along with 50 Tractors. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the hi-tech Super Suction cum Jetting Machine has been bought at a cost of Rs 1.45 crore. He said that this machine will be instrumental in cleaning of 200 kilometre long main sewerage lines of the city. Bhagwant Mann said that this machine will be helpful in resolving the major issue of the sewerage problem in the city thereby giving major respite to the people. Likewise, the Chief Minister said that 50 tractors have been purchased by the Municipal Corporation Ludhiana (MCL) at a cost of Rs 2.22 crore. He said that these tractors have been bought for the various branches of the civic body including the Building and Roads (B&R), Operation and Maintenance (O&M), Health, Horticulture and others. Bhagwant Mann said that these tractors will be instrumental in lifting the debris, supply of water through tankers, collection of garbage and other operations. The Chief Minister reiterated that the state government is committed to holistic development of the cities for which no stone is being left unturned. He said that there is no dearth of funds with the state government to ensure comprehensive growth of the state and prosperity of the people. Bhagwant Mann said that apart from generous allocation of funds for the all-round development of the cities major thrust is being laid for augmenting the infrastructure required for giving fillip to these developmental works. On the occasion Cabinet Minister Balkar Singh and others were also present.