Category Archives: Chandigarh

Chandigarh, Haryana

Four months of decisive war against drugs: Punjab police arrests 1097 big fish among 6997 smugglers; 406.5kg heroin recovered

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IEP Chandigarh, October 31

With the decisive war against drugs waged on the directions of Chief Minister Punjab Bhagwant Mann to root out drugs entered fifth month, Punjab Police have arrested as many as 6997 drug smugglers including 1097 big fish since July 5, 2022. The Police have registered a total of 5346 first information reports (FIRs) of which 580 are related to commercial quantity.Inspector General of Police (IGP) Headquarters Sukhchain Singh Gill, who was addressing his weekly Press Conference here on Monday said that the Police teams have recovered 259.7Kg Heroin from across the state after carrying out cordon and search operations in drug-affected areas besides laying nakas at vulnerable routes across the state. Additionally, 147.5Kg heroin was recovered by the teams of Punjab Police from Seaports of Gujarat and Maharashtra, taking the total effective recovery of heroin to 406.5Kgs in just four months, he said.Apart from seizing big-haul of heroin, the IGP said that Police have also recovered 300Kg opium, 197.2Kg Ganja, 293 quintals of poppy husk, and 27.56 lakhs tablets/capsules/injections/vials of Pharma opioids from across the state. The Police have also recovered Rs 4.49 crores of drug money from the possession of drug smugglers arrested in these four months.Giving fortnightly update, the IGP said that in last two weeks, the police have arrested 508 drug smugglers/suppliers after registering 399 first information reports (FIRs), including 54 commercial, and recovered 26.5Kg Heroin, 17Kg opium, 13.8Kg Ganja, 19 quintals of poppy husk, and 1.20 lakh tablets/capsules/injections/vials of Pharma opioids besides recovering Rs 4.5 lakh drug money from their possession.He said that with seven more Proclaimed Offenders (POs)/Absconders in NDPS cases arrested in the last two weeks, the total number of arrests reached 383 since the special drive to arrest POs/absconders was started on July 5, 2022.Pertinently, Director General of  Police  (DGP), Punjab Gaurav Yadav had given strict instructions to all the CPs/SSPs to investigate backward and forward linkages minutely in each and every case, especially related to drug recoveries, even if they recover a meager amount of drugs. Meanwhile, on the direction of Chief Minister Punjab Bhagwant Mann to make Punjab a drug-free state, extensive anti-drug drives have been launched by the Punjab Police to combat the menace of drugs from the border State. The DGP has also strictly ordered all the CPs/SSPs to identify all hotspots where drugs are prevalent and all top drug smugglers in their jurisdictions. He also directed the Police chiefs to effectively forfeit the property of all the arrested drug smugglers so that their ill-gotten money could be recovered.

Chandigarh, Haryana

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas oath ceremony organized at Haryana Civil Secretariat

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IEP Chandigarh, October 31

On the occasion of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal paid homage to the ‘Iron Man of India’ Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

        The Chief Minister paid floral tributes to the portrait of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and urged the society to follow the path shown by him.

        “The Youth of the Nation should inculcate the spirit of Rashtriya Ekta among themselves as only then the country can move forward on the path of progress,” said Sh. Manohar Lal while speaking at the oath ceremony organized on the occasion of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas held at Haryana Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh on Monday.

        The Chief Minister said that October 31 is celebrated as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas across the country to mark the birthday celebrations of former Home Minister of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

        He said that Sardar Patel played a significant role in the freedom struggle, while after independence also dedicated his life to the Unity and Integrity of the country. 

Sardar Patel played a pivotal role in uniting 562 princely states

Sh. Manohar Lal said that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played an important role in uniting 562 princely states that were left by the British when India became independent. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel took charge of the country’s Deputy Prime Minister as well as Home Minister, and with his wisdom, he united the  562 princely states to create a united India, said the Chief Minister.

Hence in this way he played an important role in strengthening the unity of the nation by facing the challenges after independence, the country will always be indebted to him, added Sh. Manohar Lal.

Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi installed the Statue of Unity

        The Chief Minister said that the under the leadership of Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi first of its kind memorial ‘Statue of Unity’ dedicated in the memory of Sardar Patel has been constructed. The foundation stone of ‘The Statue of Unity’ was laid on October 31, 2013, and later it was inaugurated on October 31, 2018.

Sh. Manohar Lal said that the dream of a united India was realized by the Prime Minister with the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. 

Chief Minister administered Rashtriya Ekta Diwas Oath

        Chief Minister administered the oath of unity and integrity of the nation to his officers and officials, other officers and employees present in the Oath Ceremony.

‘I solemnly pledge that I dedicate myself to preserve the Unity, Integrity and Security of the Nation and also strive hard to spread this message among my fellow countrymen. I take this pledge in the spirit of the unification of my country which was made possible by the vision and actions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. I also solemnly resolve to make my own contribution to ensure the internal security of my country.’

Chandigarh

In the month of October, PGIMER witnessed 4 brave heart families immortalising their dear ones through Organ Donation

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IEP Chandigarh, October 31, 2022

 In the month of October, the magnanimous gesture of organ donation by 4 brave heart families amid their own grim tragedy, kindled new hope in 15 patients including 9 end-stage organ failure patients and 6 corneal blind patients herein PGIMER. Paying a rich tribute to the departed souls, Prof. Vivek Lal, Director PGIMER said, “This noble act of all the four donor families is beyond any words of appreciation. It is really crucial for everyone to understand that even in times of grief, one positive response too can change the lives of multiple strangers and bring a smile to many faces. It was a very courageous decision taken by the donor families, even as they were grieving the sudden demise of their dear ones.” 1) Charan Kaur, 66 years old impacted 2 livesIt was on 18th October when 66-year-old Charan Kaur, a resident of village Khetla, Sangrur, Punjab was brought to PGIMER in an extremely critical condition following a brain hemorrhage. However, despite the best efforts of the attending doctors, Charan Kaur could not be saved and was declared brain dead on 20th October.It was then the transplant coordinator raised the matter of organ donation with Bant Singh, the brave heart husband of the deceased Charan Kaur, who gave his consent for the same, following which both kidneys were retrieved from the deceased and transplanted to two end-stage renal failure patients, thereby giving them a fresh lease of life. The bereaved husband Bant Singh described his deceased wife as a ‘kind and benevolent person who always believed in helping others and doing good for others. “Even in her death, she has done the same what he lived for by helping the lives of two others.”  said an extremely courageous Bant Singh. 2) 28-year-old youth impacted 5 lives A good-natured and ever-energetic 28-year-old youth from Patiala, Punjab was first admitted in a local hospital following a fatal road accident on 10th October and then shifted to PGIMER on 15th October in an extremely precarious condition. But it was destined otherwise as his  condition became irretrievable on 18th October. Assessing this, PGIMER’s internal committee, after meeting twice, found the parameters matching brain death, and eventually, he was declared brain dead on the evening of 18th October itself. In the meantime, transplant coordinators at PGIMER apprised the deceased’s relatives of the prospects of utilizing his organs through donation for transplants to terminally ill organ failure patients. With the deceased’s father consenting to the proposal of Organ Donation, the concerned departments started reaching out to the matching recipients.Finally, the cross-match of several potential recipients led to the identification of matching recipients for liver, kidneys, pancreas, and corneas, which on transplantation gave a second lease of life to three organ failure patients and restored the sight of two corneal blind patients, thereby impacting five lives in all here in PGIMER.  3) Harsh 5-years-old impacted 4 lives Harsh a 5-years-old from Village Mator Distt. Kaithal Haryana was suffering from a rare genetic epilepsy disorder from the past 2 years and was under treatment.  On 28th September he suffered with a high fever and multiple seizures and was admitted to PGI on the same day, his condition was very critical. The doctors tried their best efforts to save him but despite this, he was declared brain dead due to increased intracranial pressure on 09th October. After that, the Transplant Coordinator approached the family with a request for organ donation, and consent was taken. Following the consent of the family of Harsh on 09th October, the process of the retrieval of the organs was initiated. The retrieved Pancreas, kidneys, & Corneas saved the lives of two recipients here in PGIMER and the harvested corneas restored the sight of two more, thereby, enabling four lives in all. “Our son is no more. But at least someone else’s child will survive because of her organs. That’s why we decided to donate,” Manoj Kumar the bereaved father, told the transplant coordinators. We thought about it and decided that he would be alive in other people’s lives and give others a reason to smile.” 4) Banty, 31 years old impacted 4 livesBanty, a 31-year-old male from village Chhaju Majra, Landran, district Mohali, Punjab was mercilessly hit by a speeding vehicle from behind while he was going on his two-wheeler from work near Mohali, causing him fatal head injuries on 28th September and was rushed to PGIMER and however, after four days of the struggle between life and death; Banty was declared brain-dead on 1st October, after following the protocols of THOA.When the transplant coordinators approached the family to consider organ donation, the family consented, braving their own grave tragedy.Following this, the kidneys retrieved from the donor Banty were transplanted to two terminally ill patients suffering from “end-stage debilitating kidney ailment.” The corneas of the donor were also harvested, which on transplantation, restored the eyesight of two other patients, sustaining hope in 4 lives in all.  Detailing about the cadaver donation programme, Prof. Vipin Koushal, Medical Superintendent, PGIMER & Nodal Officer, ROTTO PGIMER stated, “There is a burgeoning need for more such successful transplants in the public health service institutions in our country which can benefit a huge stratum of socio-economically disadvantaged patients from far-flung areas and PGIMER is determined with its efforts to make such transplant a success despite whatever odds.” 

Chandigarh, Haryana

Youth has an instrumental role to play in the development of the Country and State: Haryana Chief Minister

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IEP Chandigarh, October 29

Haryana Chief Minister said that in the last eight years, he has fulfilled his promise of bringing radical change in Haryana by providing honest and transparent governance.

I promise that in future also I will live up to the expectations of the people and set a better example, said Sh. Manohar Lal while directly interacting with the youth of the State during a  Samvad programme held virtually on Saturday. During this, he also answered the questions of some youth.

“Our government has laid special focus on chalking out a three ‘C’ strategy to uproot Corruption, Caste and Crime to provide honest and transparent administration to the people of the State. The government has strictly cracked down on criminals and gangsters.  Along with this, the noose has been tightened around those involved in corrupt practices. Those involved in examination scams have been put behind the bars. So far, 771 such people have been arrested, shared Sh. Manohar Lal. 

The Chief Minister said that corruption in jobs has been completely eradicated.  Today the youth of the state are getting jobs without Parchi Karachi.

The Youth of families who did not have any government jobs are given 5 per cent additional marks when they qualify for the jobs. Today youth are happy, they are getting jobs based on merit and hard work, said Sh. Manohar Lal.

“Following the motto of Haryana Ek – Haryanvi Ek, emphasis has also been given to promoting 5S — Shiksha, Swasthaya, Suraksha, Swabhiman and Swavlambhan to ensure holistic development of Haryana. Besides this we have done the work of ending the infamous culture of ‘pick and choose in transfer in jobs by introducing an online Transfer Policy,” added Sh. Manohar Lal. 

He said that the practice of interviews in Group C and D jobs has ended. Now youth aspiring for jobs have to do registration only one time to appear for government examination for three years.  Common Eligibility Test will be conducted for Group C and D. In this, about 11 lakh youth have applied, shared the Chief Minister.

1.52 lakh new Industries set up in Haryana in last 8 years

The  Chief Minister said that due to the business-friendly policies of the State Government, about 1.52 lakh new industries have been set up in Haryana in the last eight years.

“Thousands of youth got employment because of this. At the same time, 90,000  youth got government jobs on a merit basis. The government has collected the data of such families through Parivar Pehchan Patra, whose income is less than Rs 1 lakh. Now efforts would be made to increase their income at least upto 2 lakhs. Special Antyodaya Melas have been organised under the Mukhyamantri Antyodaya Parivar Utthan yojana,” shared the Chief Minister.

He further shared that counselling of all such families is being done and simultaneously loans are being made available to them for their business. 17 departments are engaged in this work. So far, 30,000  families have been given loan sanction letters, shared Sh. Manohar Lal.

In the last six months, 49,000 have got Pension benefits through PPP

The Chief Minister said that through the State Government’s ambitious PPP scheme, an automatic pension disbursement system has been developed. Under this new revolutionary system about 49,000 have got pension benefits through PPP in the last six months, he informed.

In this new digital system, the beneficiary does not have to make rounds to the government offices to receive his due benefit, rather now the beneficiary has to just sign the acceptance form, added Sh. Manohar Lal. 

Educational reforms brought in Haryana

The Chief Minister said that radical changes have been brought in the field of education. 

The government has opened Sanskriti Model Schools.  Along with this, the KG-to-PG programme has been started in the University under the New Education Policy. A college has been constructed within a radius of 20 km for the convenience of girl students, said Sh. Manohar Lal.

He said that the demand of opening one medical college in every district has been fulfilled. There are 5 such districts left in the state, in which the work of the medical college is soon to start.

In 2014, MBBS seats in medical colleges across the State were 750, which has now increased to 1700.  After the construction of medical colleges in every district, the number of these seats will increase to 3,000, shared the Chief Minister.

Haryana has made a unique identity in the field of sports

The Chief Minister said that today Haryana has made a unique identity in the sports field.  The contribution of States players in the country’s medal tally is 60 percent.

The government has set a target to open a maximum number of sports nurseries across the state. 500 sports nurseries have been opened so far, informed Sh. Manohar Lal.

He further shared that new coaches are being recruited. Jobs are given to the medal-winning players. Haryana is being praised for the constant commendable  work being done in the field of sports, said the Chief Minister.

Continuous work being done to promote the agriculture sector

The Chief Minister said that continuous work is being done in the agriculture sector. The government has set a target to resolve the waterlogging problem on about 1 lakh acres of land.  In Haryana, 13 crops are being purchased at MSP.  Along with this, many crops of farmers are being compensated under Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojana, informed Sh. Manohar Lal.

The Chief Minister said that dedicated efforts have been made to promote cultivation of shrimp in Sirsa district, beekeeping in Kurukshetra, mushrooms in Sonipat, flowers in Gurugram and Faridabad, potatoes in Karnal and Yamunanagar.

Farmers in these areas are earning profit by doing this cultivation. Today Haryana has done a good job on stubble management.  About 4 lakh tonnes of stubble is being used, shared Sh. Manohar Lal.

In his concluding remarks, the Chief Minister said that ensuring the welfare of every section of society is among the topmost priorities of the State Government.

“The present pace of Haryana’s development will accelerate in future as well. I wish and aim to take my Haryana and the people of the state atop in terms of the development and delivery of citizen-centric services,” said Sh. Manohar Lal.

Chandigarh, Haryana

Haryana is set to become the first state to set up district-wise helipad facilities to tackle emergency like situations

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IEP Chandigarh, October 29

Haryana is all set to become the first state in the country to set up district-wise helipad facilities to tackle war and emergency-like situations. Inclusive arrangements will also be made so as to ensure proper night-landing facilities on these helipads. The State Government has started making efforts in this direction.

This was stated by Deputy Chief Minister, Sh. Dushyant Chautala while chairing a meeting with the officials of the Civil Aviation Department. During the meeting, he gave necessary directions to the officers concerned.

Sh. Dushyant Chautala said that the possibility of setting up a helipad in the district police lines should be worked out for ensuring a safe landing facility. With the development of this type of infrastructure, helicopter landings can be done in war and emergency-like situations.

Besides this, setting up of helipads in the police lines, all arrangements will also be made for the security of these helipads. The information system of the police is very strong, so these helipads can be accurately used in case of any emergency, said the Deputy Chief Minister.

Haryana will be the first state in the country to set up district-wise helipad facilities

The Deputy Chief Minister informed that recently a Civil Aviation Ministers’ Conference was held. During the conference, the need to build one helipad in every district of each State across the Country was discussed in detail. In this direction, the Haryana Government had expressed its desire to take this first-of-its-kind initiative by setting up district-wise helipad facilities to tackle any emergency-like situation.

Sh. Dushyant Chautala said that Haryana Government has always been at the fore in implementing the schemes and concepts launched by the Central Government in the State. The plan to set up helipads in every district will also be implemented soon. For this, instructions have been given to the Home Department and the Director General of Police to develop infrastructure. Certainly, Haryana will become the first state in which every district will have helipad facilities, he added.

Institute to be set up for imparting airport security training

The Deputy Chief Minister said that an institute would be set up in Haryana for imparting airport security training. He directed the officials to earmark the places in Hisar, Sirsa and Pinjore for this. He said that along with the youth of the state, the youth of other states would also be able to get training from this institute. With the setting up of this institute, Haryana’s position will become more robust in the aviation sector.

By April next year, new flights under the RCS UDAN scheme will start from Hisar

Sh. Dushyant Chautala said that under the regional connectivity scheme -Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN), an action plan is being prepared to tie up with 7 other states to identify new routes from Hisar by April next year to strengthen air connectivity. With the success of this action plan, the citizens of the state will get wide access to air travel, he added.

The Deputy Chief Minister also took feedback from the officials regarding the construction of airstrip at Maharaja Agrasen International Airport, Hisar, and other infrastructure. He directed the officers concerned to expedite the process of making an alternate road for the Hisar-Barwala route. After the completion of this international airport, the development would get a boost in the entire state, he added.

He further said that he would visit Hisar airport on Monday and will take stock of the construction works.

Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Sh. TVSN Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary, Information Technology, Electronics and Communications Department, Sh. Anand Mohan Sharan, Director General of Police, Sh. PK Agarwal and officers of Civil Aviation Department also remained present in the meeting.

Chandigarh, Haryana

Haryana makes procurement payment within 48 hours, Deputy Chief Minister

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IEP Chandigarh, October 29

Haryana Deputy Chief Minister said while reiterating the State Government’s commitment towards ensuring the welfare of the farmers, this time the procurement payment of the farmers has been directly transferred to their accounts within 48 hours only.

Last year, the government had set a target of making payment to the farmers within 72 hours but this time going a step ahead the said payments have been made in just 48 hours. So far a record 52 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been procured in the state and Rs 10,000 crore has been paid to the farmers,” shared, Sh. Dushyant Chautala while chairing a review meeting with the officers of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department held here today.

During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on the arrangements made for the purchase of procurement crops including Paddy and Bajra.

While directing the officers, Sh. Dushyant Chautala said that there should not be any delay in payment to the farmers and all the procurement-related payments should be paid within 48 hours.

He also directed that the payments of the farmers which have been delayed due to technical reasons should be informed through SMS and the pending payments should be cleared immediately after rectifying these technical flaws.

The Deputy Chief Minister further directed the officers to submit the report regarding the compensation of the crops affected by the heavy rains in the past, so that the farmers could get their compensation amount at the earliest.

Sh. Dushyant Chautala said that during this period 46 lakh MT of paddy was procured last year, whereas this time 52, 47,111 metric tonnes of paddy has been procured, which is about 13 percent more as compared to the last year. In Kurukshetra, Karnal and Kaithal districts, there has been more procurement than normal, he shared.

The Deputy Chief Minister also asked for a report related to the lifting of paddy in the Mandis. Notably, 210 Mandis have been opened for the purchase of paddy in the state.

81,000 MT Bajra procured at MSP

Sh. Dushyant Chautala said that so far 81,313.70 metric tonnes of Bajra have been procured by HAFED at the Minimum Support Price. The highest purchase of 22,223.90 metric tonnes was done in Bhiwani. Similarly, 15,710.45 MT has been procured in Jhajjar and 14,757 MT in Mahendragarh. So far, more than Rs 160 crore has been paid to the farmers.

He said that about 80000 metric tonnes of Bajra have been procured and sold by the farmers in the open market. Thus, around 1.61 lakh metric tonnes of Bajra have been procured so far.  The State Government has made a provision of Rs 280 crore to pay the farmers under the Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojana on the Bajra sold in the open market, said the Deputy Chief Minister.

Groundnut procurement will begin on November 1.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that the procurement of groundnut would start in the state on November 1. For this, 7 Mandis have been set up in Fatehabad, Hisar and Sirsa districts. He said that groundnut would be procured at MSP and this time Rs 5850 per quintal MSP has been fixed for groundnut.

Commissioner and Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department Sh. Pankaj Agarwal, Director-General, Agriculture Department, Sh. Hardeep Singh, Deputy Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Sh. K.  Makarand Pandurang and other officers of FCI remained present in the meeting.

Chandigarh

CM directs Health department to intensify anti dengue activities

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IEP Chandigarh, October 29

In consonance with directions of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Health and family welfare Minister Chetan Singh Jauramajra has directed all the civil surgeons to make coordinated efforts  and stressed on awareness among  community regarding dengue prevention.

Minister asked civil surgeons to make arrangements of special dengue wards, step up fogging in rural as well urban areas and to enhance manpower for larvae checking. He said that Bhagwant mann led Punjab government has taken concrete steps against rising cases of dengue. He said that though dengue case load is very low as compared to last year but still there should be no laxity in terms of efforts being put in to control dengue.

Health Minister stated that Punjab  government is making all-out efforts to control dengue and trying its best to provide a safe environment to its citizens. He appealed the people to keep their houses and surroundings clean to avoid spread of dengue virus. He said the health department is coordinating with other line departments such as school education, rural development,local body department  to control the dengue virus.

The minister explained that dengue fever remained a worldwide and regional danger, imposing a significant public health burden on all communities despite the advancement in the field of medical sciences, however, awareness is a key to control the disease. He asked all the stakeholders to continue their efforts against dengue, he said, and stressed for the need for continuing media awareness on dengue. He urged that the youngsters should play their role in this campaign through social media as youth were receptive in nature and hold the maximum percentage in population.

The minister also appealed people to join hands against dengue and assured that the district administration and departments were taking steps on war footing for the success of dengue control campaign.

Chandigarh

PADDY PROCUREMENT CROSSES 100 LAKH MT: KATARUCHAK

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IEP Chandigarh, October 29

The paddy arrivals in the mandies of the State have reached their peak. In merely four weeks of onset of procurement season, more than 105 LMT paddy has arrived in the mandies till today out of which nearly 104 LMT paddy has already been procured. Disclosing this today,  Lal Chand Kataruchak, Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister, stated that timely purchase, payment and lifting is going on in each mandi where any farmer has brought his produce from the day one of the procurement. All arrangements of Bardana, Mandi labour and transportation are adequate across the state, he said. He also said that he has toured mandies of almost every district in the last four weeks and all stakeholders have expressed satisfaction over the procurement arrangements during his visits.

As of now, the State mandies are witnessing arrivals of nearly 7.5 Lakh MT of paddy in a day, and almost all paddy arriving in a day gets purchased by the end of that day itself. As on today, less than one lakh MT has remained unpurchased across the State, which he said, clearly shows that in many Mandis paddy is being cleaned and purchased on the date of arrival itself.

Giving details of the MSP payments he said that nearly Rs.15400 crore had already been released directly into the accounts of the farmers and another Rs.2000 crore has been approved for payment and would be released once the Banks open on Monday. He reaffirmed the commitment of the State Government to purchase every single grain produced with the sweat and toil of the farmer.

Principal Secretary Food and Civil Supplies, Rahul Bhandari said that he was personally keeping a close eye on the procurement activities and all the Managing Directors of the Procurement Agencies had been touring the Mandis from the onset of procurement  onwards.

Chandigarh, Punjab

Govt honours enterprising farmers of Punjab who do not burn stubble

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IEP Chandigarh/ SAS Nagar October 29

Punjab Government and the Punjab Pollution Control Board today honoured 150 progressive farmers from across the state who did not set fire to stubble for the last five years in an impressive function organised at Kisan Vikas Chamber, SAS Nagar here today.

Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha Mr. Kultar Singh Sandhawan said that when people come forward to stop any bad practice then the result comes out.  He said that the farmer heroes who came to the event proved that farming can be done even following the teachings of Baba Nanak. He appealed to the farmers not to set the stubble on fire so that the environment of Punjab can be made clean and pollution free. He informed that burning of crop residue causes damage to other micro-organisms present in the upper layer of the soil as well as its organic quality. Due to the loss of ‘friendly’ pests, the wrath of ‘enemy’ pests has increased and as a result, crops are more prone to disease.

While addressing the event on this occasion, Mr.  Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Cabinet Minister, said that it is a matter of happiness that farmers are giving up stubble burning, accepting the message being given by the Punjab government. He said that due to pollution, not only the lungs are damaged, many other types of health diseases affect the human being.  He also expressed his happiness that the young generation is becoming aware and under the green campaign, they are now participating more in the planting campaign and trees are being planted in large quantities.  He said that due to the campaign of the Punjab government, Mini Forests are being set up at various places in Punjab

In this ceremony, the experts of the Agriculture Department sensitize the public present in function about ill effects of stubble burning, its alternative methods and about the efforts being made by the government to control the same. In this ceremony, a Nukad Natak was performed by the artists illustrating the effects of pollution caused by the burning of stubble on our health and the environment. During the function, the progressive farmers also shared their experiences with the audience regarding the benefits of not burning the residue to paddy like increased fertility of soil and less requirement of fertilizers etc.  Among them, Gurpreet Singh Chandbaja Surjit Singh Sadhugarh, Ranjit Singh Basi Pathans Ghumandgarh, Kabal Singh Chugawan told the farmers how they did farming without burning the stubble residue and where the fertility of the land was maintained and  their income has also increased significantly.

In this function, Sh. Rahul Tiwari, IAS, Secretary, Department of Science, Technology and Environment, Punjab, Prof. (Dr.) Adarsh Pal Vig, Chairman, Punjab Pollution Control Board, Dr Sukhpal Singh, Farmers’ Commission’s Chairman, Mr. Karunesh Garg, Member Secretary, Punjab Pollution Control Board, Mr. Umendra Dutt, Executive Director of Kheti Virasat Mission,Mrs. Avneet Kaur, Additional Deputy Commissioner, SAS Nagar, Mr. Lavneet Kumar Dubey, Senior Environmental Engineer, Punjab Pollution Control Board, Mr. Gursharan Das Garg, Environmental Engineer, Punjab Pollution Control Board, other officials and employees of the Punjab Pollution Control Board were present to grace the occasion.

Chandigarh, Punjab

Government schools should publish magazines to bring out artistic skills of students, directs Harjot Singh Bains

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IEP Chandigarh, October 29

Punjab State School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains has directed the heads of the all government schools of the state to publish their own magazines to bring out the hidden artistic subtleties and skills of the students.

S. Bains said, during my recent visits to the government schools, I found that the students have distinguish and unique artistic, creative and literary skills, which is required to be given a platform to further promote it, and the magazine will play an important role in this direction. He informed that a letter has already been issued by the Director SCERT to all the schools to publish the magazine.

S. Bains said, all the heads of schools have been directed to prepare school’s own magazine in the handwritten or printed form on the occasion of Children’s Day on November 14 besides holding an event with maximum participation of dignitaries and parents so as to ensure the access of the magazine to the maximum number.

The School Education Minister urged the teachers and principals to participate more actively in this unique initiative and also motivate the students for publishing their creations.