Category Archives: Chandigarh

Chandigarh, Haryana

Haryana Chief Secretary Initiates Action for Suitable Land Identification for Garbage Disposal of Panchkula and Kalka

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IEP Chandigarh, July 26

Haryana Chief Secretary, Mr. Sanjeev Kaushal has taken a significant stride towards resolving environmental concerns by emphasizing the need for prompt identification of suitable land site for disposal of garbage of Panchkula and Kalka. He directed the officer Municipal Corporation, Panchkula and Municipal Council, Kalka to submit the report within 15 days in this regard.Presiding over a meeting with officers of Environment and Urban Local Bodies departments, the Chief Secretary conducted a comprehensive review of the present waste disposal status in the region. In the meeting, he further directed the officers to actively explore alternative locations for the establishment of a modern waste processing plant, fostering efficient and sustainable waste management.The Chief Secretary directed the officers to set a timeline for the processing of legacy waste and appoint an Executive Engineer on a permanent basis by the Municipal Corporation, Panchkula. He set a timeline of 3 to 4 months for the Executive Engineer to achieve significant progress in waste management.In the meeting, it was apprised that two machines are currently being installed to biologically treat the legacy waste in Sector 23, Panchkula, with the project set to be completed by March 2024. The initiative aims to dispose of 3 lakh MT of waste, with approximately 60 thousand MT treated biologically each month.Regarding the Jhuriwala site, it was disclosed that one machine has already been installed for the biological treatment of waste, which is expected to conclude by December 2023. The site will manage the disposal of approximately 90,000 MT of waste.Mr. Kaushal urged the officers to expedite the selection of an appropriate site for waste dumping and processing.The Chief Secretary reiterated the government’s unwavering commitment to fostering a cleaner and greener environment for the citizens of Haryana. He highlighted the significance of responsible waste management and its positive impact on public health and the ecosystem.Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Environment, Mr. Vineet Garg, Commissioner and Secretary, Urban Local Bodies, Vikas Gupta, Municipal Commissioner, Panchkula, Mr. Sachin Gupta, and other senior officers were also present during the meeting. 

Chandigarh, Haryana

Haryana has become the first state in the country to come up with a creche policy

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IEP Chandigarh, July 26

 The Haryana Government has notified the Haryana State Creche Policy-2022.The Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Smt. Kamlesh Dhanda said that this policy has been prepared for the convenience of the working women. A child from 6 months to 6 years will be admitted to the crèche. The crèches will be set up to accommodate the child for 8 to 10 hours. Skilled and trained staff through Haryana Kaushal Rojgar Nigam limited (HKRNL) will be deployed in the crèche. While Rs 15000 will be given to the crèche worker, helper will get Rs 7500.Additional Chief Secretary, Women and Child Development Department, Smt. Sumita Misra said that it will be mandatory for all institutions with strength of more than 50 employees to open crèches. The crèche will have provisions for children’s play materials and toys, nutritious food, regular health check-up and vaccination, sleeping arrangements, education and physical and social-emotional development.Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal, has already issued directions to open 500 crèches in the State. So far, 165 crèches have been started in 16 districts of the state. They will be upgraded under the new policy. The Women and Child Development Department has signed an MoU with the Mobile Creche Organisation to set up creches equipped with good quality and modern facilities.The crèche will be open 26 days a month. ID cards of parents and staff will also be made for the safety of children. No child will be left alone in the crèche. Breakfast, lunch and evening snacks will be provided to the children in the crèche, all expenses of which will be borne by the government. One thousand rupees will be spent every month for cleanliness and sanitation. The crèche will also have a sleeping and feeding room for children.The maximum distance from the office to crèche for working women has been fixed at 500 metres. For families with an annual income below one lakh rupees, a charge of Rs. 50 per child will be applicable. For income between one lakh and 1.80 lakh, the charge is Rs. 100, between 1.80 lakh and three lakh, Rs. 250, between three lakh and five lakh, Rs. 350, and for income exceeding five lakh, the charge is Rs. 500 per month. 

Chandigarh, Haryana

Haryana EC announces a revision programme for the voter lists of all 90 assembly constituencies in the state

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IEP Chandigarh, July 26

The Haryana Chief Electoral Officer, Mr. Anurag Agarwal has announced a revision programme for the voter lists of all 90 assembly constituencies in the state. The revision will be based on the qualifying date of January 1, 2024.Divulging into details of the programme, Mr. Agarwal said that the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in their respective polling areas will start door-to-door verification from July 21 to August 21, 2023.  The consolidated draft voter lists will be published on October 17, 2023.During the period from October 17, 2023, to November 30, 2023, individuals can file claims and objections regarding the voter lists. To facilitate this, special campaigns will run on October 21, 22, November 4, and 5, 2023 (Saturdays and Sundays).He also shared information about the various forms for the revision process. For registration, individuals can use Form 6, while Form 6-A is designated for the registration of names of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs). To remove a name from the voter list, Form 7 should be used, and for any rectifications, Form 8 is required. These forms are accessible on the department’s website www.ceoharyana.nic.in and can be downloaded for application. Alternatively, applicants have the option to submit their forms online through the same website.The final publication of the updated voter lists is scheduled for January 5, 2024. 

Chandigarh, Haryana

Banks of rivers should be further strengthened In Hry: Dushyant Chautala

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IEP Chandigarh, July 26

 Haryana Deputy Chief Minister, Sh. Dushyant Chautala has directed the officers to further strengthen the river banks and repair damaged roads at the earliest.The Deputy Chief Minister who was presiding over the meeting of officers of Public Works Department here today also issued directions for further strengthening of both the banks of Ghaggar river going from Ottu village to Jiwan Nagar-Rania road in Sirsa district. He further directed to construct a road by increasing the thickness of these banks.In the meeting, Sh. Dushyant Chautala sought a detailed report from the officers about the damages caused to villages, farms, rivers, roads and government rest houses etc. due to floods recently.He said that due to floods in 12 districts of the State and heavy rains in parts of some other districts, several roads including the highways have been damaged due to high flow of water.Instructing to repair these roads at the earliest, he said that it is our priority to ensure smooth and unhindered movement of the people of the state. He said that there is no dearth of funds with the State Government.While reviewing the condition of various rainwater drains in the state, he directed to carry out cleaning work of all the drains on regular basis. He said that appropriate steps should be taken to resolve the problem of water logging in rural areas and fields immediately by removing the blockages. Protecting the rural population from flood water is our top priority, he added.The Deputy Chief Minister also reviewed the progress of various rest houses of the Public Works Department which are under construction. Sh. Dushyant Chautala also directed that banks of rivers and canals should be further strengthened, wherever required.The Deputy Chief Minister said that the banks of the Ghaggar river, which runs from village Ottu in Sirsa district towards Jiwan Nagar-Ranian road (the road leading to the Rajasthan border), should be widened and strengthened. A road should also be made on these broad sides. With this on one hand, about two dozen villages of the area will be free from the fear of flood, on the other hand the constructed road can also be used for traffic.On this occasion, Additional Chief Secretary of the Public Works Department, Sh. Anurag Rastogi besides other senior officers of the Public Works Department were present. 

Chandigarh, Haryana

Now depot holders to have super-fast 5-G “POS device”: Deputy Chief Minister

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IEP Chandigarh, July 26

Haryana Deputy Chief Minister, Sh. Dushyant Chautala said  that the state government will soon provide 5-G “POS devices” to all the depot-holders in the state so as to ensure smooth and easy distribution of ration to the poor. With the help of this device, people will be able to deposit and withdraw money from the bank account of the depot holder just like a micro-ATM.Sh. Dushyant Chautala gave this information after presiding over the meeting of senior officers of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department here today.In the meeting, the Deputy Chief Minister took detailed information from the officers regarding the beneficiaries who have so far taken the benefit of ration being given to the poor. He further directed the officers to ensure that superior quality of mustard oil and ration are provided to them. For this, random samples should be checked and tested. Sh. Chautala also directed the officers to explore the possibilities of making Harhit Store and Ration Depot a joint model. With this, the depot holder could keep other items like tea packets, salt, etc. also which would help in enhancing his income, he added.The Deputy Chief Minister said that keeping in view the rapid change in technology, all depot holders will be given 5-G “POS devices” with super-fast speed so that they can do their work quickly. He also informed that as this device will be given in the form of micro-ATM, people will be able to deposit their money in their own bank account with biometric and can also withdraw cash, if required. This will directly benefit those villages which do not have bank or ATM facilities.On this occasion, Commissioner and Secretary Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, Sh. Pankaj Agarwal, Director, Sh. Mukul Kumar and other senior officers were also present.

Chandigarh, Punjab

PUNJAB VIGILANCE BUREAU RECOMMENDS SLEW OF STEPS TO UPHOLD SANCTITY OF DOPE TEST

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IEP Chandigarh, July 26

A day after finding irregularities in conducting dope test for issuance and renewal of Arms Licenses in the state, Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Tuesday recommended slew of steps to ensure no arms license should be issued to any in-eligible person or substance user in order to prevent misuse of weapons.An official spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau said that the teams of VB, during the statewide surprise checking of government hospitals on Tuesday, found some irregularities and loopholes including photograph of the candidate was not found affixed on the DOPE tests register and paging of the DOPE tests register was not done. Even, the DOPE test report was given manually, which should not be given to the person concerned manually.After finding these malpractices in the process, he said that the Punjab Vigilance Bureau will write to the higher authorities to make the dope test mechanism more robust so that sanctity for the same is upheld. The VB suggested that a copy of DOPE test report must be kept in record of the concerned hospital, and doctors and technicians should be deployed on rotation for DOPE testing so that there is no intervention of any agent.The VB also suggested that the Register regarding daily DOPE tests should be checked and countersigned by senior officials on a regular basis. Frisking should be done outside the toilet before sending the person for a urine sample and the frisking process should be videographed. The process of DOPE testing should be made online. Bathrooms for collection of samples should also be close to the laboratory. Separate registers should be maintained for DOPE tests for arms licenses, new recruitments and jail inmates. Only regular government employees should be deputed to maintain DOPE test registers so that responsibility can be fixed in case of negligence.

Chandigarh

Flood fury: 42 people lost their lives, 19 injured in Punjab so far

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IEP Chandigarh, July 26

   In order to save precious human lives and property as per the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the State Government machinery has been working round the clock to mitigate the situation created by floods in the state.     To speed up the relief operations and as per the directions of CM Bhagwant Mann, 27286 persons have been evacuated and taken to safe places. In Patiala 14296, Rupnagar 2200, Moga 250, Ludhiana 300, SAS Nagar 1400, SBS Nagar 200, Fatehgarh Sahib 600, Tarn Taran 241, Jalandhar 670, Kapurthala 380, Ferozpur 5400, Sangrur 263, Fazilka 17 and 1069 persons have been evacuated to safe places in Mansa District.          A spokesperson informed that 1472 villages have been affected by the flood till 8 am on July 26. A total of 159 relief camps are running in the state in which 1478 people are staying.         Currently, 19 districts are affected by floods including Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Kapurthala, Patiala, Moga, Ludhiana, SAS Nagar, Jalandhar, Sangrur, SBS Nagar, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Mansa, Pathankot and Bathinda.        According to the report received by the revenue department from different districts, a total of 42 people have lost their lives due to floods in the state, which includes 3 in Rupnagar, 2 each in Fathegarh Sahib, Hoshiarpur & SBS Nagar, 8 in SAS Nagar, 3 each in Fardikot & Jalandhar, 10 in Patiala, 4 in Sangrur, 1 each in Ferozpur, Moga, Fazilka, Bathinda and Ludhiana. Similarly, 19 persons have been injured due to floods.           According to the information received from different districts, 377 houses have been fully/severally damaged due to floods while 770 houses have been partially damaged.           As per the information received from the animal husbandry department, on July 25, a total of 1450 animals treated in the state while the number of vaccinated animals is 1210.           On the other hand, the teams of the health department are working in the flood-affected areas with full attention. According to the spokesperson, 425 Rapid Response Teams (RRT) have been working at flood affected areas. The health department has set up 194 medical camps in the affected areas.           He further informed that dry food packets are being continuously distributed in the flood affected areas.

Chandigarh, Punjab

Punjab to implement scheme of giving reward of Rs.5K to Good Samaritans for saving lives of road accident victims

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IEP Chandigarh, July 26

 Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann led government has decided to implement a new scheme of giving a reward of Rs.5000 to those Good Samaritans who help in saving the lives of victims of road accidents. Transport Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar and Health & Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh took this decision during Punjab State Road Safety Council meeting, held here at Punjab Bhawan. Under this scheme, the individual, who saved the life of a road accident victim, will be given a “Good Samaritan certificate” by the doctors or police, which will enable him to claim the amount though the Deputy Commissioner office. Punjab State Road Safety Council Chairman S. Laljit Singh Bhullar said that this scheme will motivate people to actively help road accident victims. The basic aim of the scheme is to motivate the general public through cash awards and certificates in order to help road accident victims in emergency situations and to boost their morale and to save lives of road accident victims, he added. During the meeting, the “Traffic Management Plan” worth Rs.2.56 crores was approved for Amritsar, the second largest tourist attraction in the country. With this amount, procurement of ambulances and recovery vans and other related facilities would be done besides the setting up of “Road Safety and Accident Response Units”. Cabinet ministers highlighted that with the implementation of this project, the traffic congestion problem in Amritsar city will be alleviated and the city will become more beautiful on a global map. S. Laljit Singh Bhullar informed that Rs.4 crore has been allocated to the Deputy Commissioners of the state under the first phase for the “District Road Safety Committees.” He said that larger districts will get Rs.20 lakh each, while the smaller districts will get Rs.15 lakh each for implementing road safety and traffic management measures. This amount will be utilized by the Deputy Commissioners for undertaking various road safety and traffic management measures and also for awareness campaigns. Health & Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh informed that five trauma care centers in the state will be equipped with new machines to provide prompt medical care to the road accident victims as the gap analysis of the equipment has already been done. He mentioned that three out of ten lives can be saved with dedicated institutions and modern emergency facilities, hence the five trauma care centers at Khanna, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Ferozepur and Fazilka would be strengthened. He said that recruitment process for dedicated staff in these centers is under process. Both the ministers instructed the officials of the transport department to ensure First Aid Kit in government vehicles, besides first aid training to the government drivers for providing timely assistance to the people in need during emergency situations. They also asked to keep a dedicated lane at toll plazas for ambulance passage during traffic congestion. Cabinet Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar further revealed that 500 e-challaning machines have been provided to the Traffic Police for speeding up the process of issuing challans and 2500 more such machines will be given soon. He informed that challaning through CCTV cameras in Mohali will begin from this December. He said that all the black spots identified during the year 2019-22, have been removed, while the work of rectification of new 277 black spots is going on a war footing.Prominent amongst those who were present in the meeting included Secretary Transport S. Dilraj Singh Sandhawalia, Director General Lead Agency Mr. R. Venkat Ratnam, ADGP (Traffic) Mr. A.S. Rai, Secretary Expenditure Mr. Mohammad Tayyab, Punjab Health Systems Corporation MD Mr. Pardeep Aggarwal, State Health Agency CEO Ms. Babita and officials of NHAI, PWD, Health and Family Welfare and Punjab Mandi Board. 

Chandigarh, Punjab

PUNJAB POLICE TEAMS ALSO RECOVERED RS 68,500 DRUG MONEY, 128-GMs HEROIN, 115-KG POPPY HUSK AND 2560 INTOXICANT TABLETS: SPL DGP ARPIT SHUKLA

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IEP CHANDIGARH/SRI MUKTSAR SAHIB, July 26        

    The ongoing fight against drugs launched by the Punjab Police on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has started yielding results as residents of two notorious areas in district Sri Muktsar Sahib including village Midda and Mohalla Chhajghar of Malout took a pledge to stay away from drugs. Both areas were infamous for smuggling and use of various types of narcotics including heroin, intoxicant tablets, etc.The development came amidst the series of Cordon and Search Operations (CASO) focused on drug trafficking, anti-social elements and criminals being conducted by the Punjab Police to make Punjab a drug-free and crime-free state.On Day-3, the CASO was conducted in all three districts of Faridkot Range including Faridkot, Sri Muktsar Sahib and Moga on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav.The Muktsar Police conducted the CASO early in the morning from 5 am to 12 noon, on the other side, Faridkot and Moga Police carried out raids in the daytime. The entire operation was conducted under the overall supervision of DIG Faridkot Range Ajay Maluja and SSPs were directed to plan this operation amid the massive deployment of the Police Force.Divulging details, Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla said that the Police teams have arrested 79 anti-social elements after registering 66 first information reports (FIRs) during the operation. The Police teams have also recovered Rs 68,500 of drug money, 128 grams of heroin, 115 kg poppy husk, 2560 intoxicant tablets and a huge quantity of illicit liquor and Lahan (Raw material used to make liquor) from their possession, he added.He said that, apart from this, the Police teams have also arrested three Proclaimed offenders (POs) and rounded up 293 suspicious persons for questioning.The Special DGP said that the strong force of 1100+ Police personnel under the supervision of SSP Faridkot Harjit Singh, SSP Sri Muktsar Sahib Harmanbir Singh Gill and SSP Moga J Elanchezian carried out CASO in drug hotspots identified in their respective districts.Meanwhile, Punjab Police will continue such operations in the coming days to completely root out the menace of drugs from the state to transform it into the ‘Rangla Punjab’.

Chandigarh, Punjab

PUNJAB GOVERNMENT EXPOSES FAKE SCHEDULED CASTE CERTIFICATE: TWO MORE CERTIFICATES CANCELLED: DR. BALJIT KAUR

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IEP Chandigarh, July 26

The Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is continuously working to protect the interests of the Scheduled Castes in the state. Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur stated that the fake Scheduled Caste certificates of Mr. Balwinder Kumar, son of Mr. Chaman Lal, resident of Mamdot, District Ferozepur and Mrs. Jasvir Kaur daughter of Mr. Kehar Singh, Hindi Mistress, Government Middle School Jandpur District SAS Nagar had been rejected by the State Level Scrutiny Committee constituted by the Government level.          Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur said that Mr. Jasbir Singh Pamali Member Core Committee of Sri Guru Ravidass Federation, Village Pamali, District Ludhiana had lodged a complaint with the Punjab State Scheduled Caste Commission, alleging that Balwinder Kumar a resident of District Ferozepur Mamdot had forged a fake Scheduled Caste certificate. Based on this, he secured a B.Sc (Agriculture) degree and secured  job at Guru Angad Dev University of Veterinary Sciences, Ludhiana.          Additionally, Balvir Singh, son of Mr. Nirmal Singh, Village Alampur, PO Kauli, Tehsil and District Patiala, had lodged a complaint with the Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission. The complaint stated that Mrs. Jasvir Kaur, the Hindi Mistress of Government Middle School, Village Jandpur, District SAS Nagar, had obtained a Scheduled Caste certificate despite belonging to the Jat Sikh caste.          The Minister further informed that the Punjab State Scheduled Caste Commission had forwarded these complaints to the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment for investigation. She said that after considering the report from the Vigilance Cell by the State Level Scrutiny Committee, it has been confirmed that the Scheduled Caste certificates of Mr. Balwinder Kumar and Mrs. Jasvir Kaur was indeed fake, and they have decided to cancel them.          The Minister stated that the department has written to the Deputy Commissioner of Ferozepur, regarding the Scheduled Caste Certificate No. 471 dated 14.01.1993 of Mr. Balwinder Kumar and the Deputy Commissioner of SAS Nagar, regarding the Scheduled Caste Certificate No. 151 of Mrs. Jasvir Kaur dated 20.07.1990 and called for cancellation and confiscation of their certificates.