Category Archives: Chandigarh

State-level programme to be held in Gohana today to mark the celebrations of Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti

IEP Chandigarh October 6

On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Maharishi Valmiki, a state-level programme will be organized at Chaudhary Devi Lal Stadium, Gohana on October 7. The Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal will attend the programme as the Chief Guest. The preparations for the programme have been completed. Proper seating arrangements have been made for the people who will be attending the programme. Besides this, elaborate security arrangements have been made.

The Chief Minister said that from time to time many great men have taken birth in the country and guided mankind. Adi Kavi Maharishi Valmiki was also such a great man, whose guiding principles are still relevant to society even today.

By writing Ramayana Maharishi Valmiki has paved the way for the welfare of mankind, said Sh. Manohar Lal. He said that the teachings of saints and sages are an invaluable heritage for the entire humanity. Society should follow the teachings of such great men.

Sometimes in our lives, we face such a situation where we feel confused as to which path to follow, it is then with the teachings of these great men help us to choose the right path. We have to pass on the beliefs and teachings of these great men to the coming generations, said Sh. Manohar Lal.

Maharishi Valmiki is one of the main sages of Sanatan Dharma and Ramayana, the main epic of Hinduism, was written by him. He was born on Purnima (full moon day) of the month of Ashwin according to Hindu mythology. Every year during the Purnima, many religious and social events are organized in different parts of the country.

Notably, through ‘Sant-Mahapurush Samman Vichar Prasar Yojana’, the State Government left no stone unturned for ensuring to preach the messages of great men in society. The Yojana aims to pass on the teachings of such great personalities to the coming generations. The anniversaries of saints and great men like Sant Kabir Das, Guru Ravidas, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji are being celebrated by the government at the state level.

VLDA held taking Rs 18,000 bribe

IEP Chandigarh, October 6

Haryana State Vigilance Bureau has arrested a (Veterinary and Livestock Development Assistant) VLDA of Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department in Hisar district red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 18,000.

Giving this information here today, a spokesperson of the Bureau said that the arrested government official identified as Kuldeep Singh. The accused had demanded the bribe in lieu of sanctioning the animal loan of the complainant.

The complainant, a resident of village Landhari Tehsil Agroha who did not wish to pay a bribe approached the Vigilance Bureau and lodged a complaint against the accused employee in this regard. After verifying the facts, a team conducted a raid and nabbed the accused red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 18,000.

          A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against him and further investigation is underway.

Haryana earmarks land for setting up the world’s largest safari park to be developed in an area of 10,000 acres in Gurugram and Nuh, Manohar Lal

IEP Chandigarh, October 6

Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal said that the State is all set to develop the world’s largest jungle safari park on an area of 10,000 acres in the Aravalli mountain range of Gurugram and Nuh districts. For this, 6000 acres of land have been identified in Gurugram and 4000 acres have been identified in Nuh. This project will be the largest such project in the world, informed Sh. Manohar Lal while addressing a press conference here today. Currently, the largest curated safari park outside Africa is in Sharjah on an area of about 2000 acres. However this  Aravalli Park would be 5 times more this size. This jungle safari park will have 10 zones and it would include a large herbarium, aviary/bird park, four zones for big cats, a large area for herbivores, an area for exotic animal birds, an underwater world, nature trails, visitors, tourism zones, botanical gardens, biomes, equatorial, tropical, coastal, desert, etc.Union Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Sh. Bhupender Yadav, Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal along with the delegation has visited Sharjah Jungle Safari.”The developing of this  Jungle Safari scheme will not only give a major boost to the tourism in the State but it will also provide ample employment opportunities to the local people,” said Sh. Manohar Lal. He further informed that companies with international experience in designing and operating such facilities have been shortlisted. The Chief Minister said that the Central Zoo Authority has done an evaluation study of the area for this and has agreed upon the technical feasibility of setting up such a park.He said that on one hand developing jungle safari would help in preserving this mountain range while on the other a large number of people from Delhi and adjoining areas would come here for tourism, which would create ample employment opportunities for the local people.  Furthermore, villagers in the surrounding villages will be benefited from the Home Stay Policy, said the Chief Minister.”The Aravalli mountain range is a cultural heritage where many species of birds, wild animals, butterflies, etc. are found. In this jungle safari, 180 species of birds, 15 species of mammals, 29 species of aquatic animals and reptiles and 57 species of butterflies that exist in the Aravalli mountain range will be included in this safari, informed Sh. Manohar Lal. Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Sh. D S Dhesi, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Sh. V. Umashankar, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Dr. Amit Agrawal, Principal Secretary, Tourism Department, Sh. M. D. Sinha and other officers also remained present on this occasion.

Harjot Singh Bains cracks down on jail officials for allowing prisoner to escape

IEP Chandigarh, October 6

On the directions of Punjab Jails Minister Harjot Singh Bains to take strict action in the matter of the escape of a prisoner, the Punjab Prisons department has suspended Deputy Superintendent Security Patiala Jail, Warrant Officer Patiala and two Warders today.

According to the orders issued in this regard, DSP (Security) Varun Sharma posted for prison security, Patiala Jail Assistant Superintendent cum Warrant Officer Harbans Singh, Jail Warder suspended Satpal Singh Ballot No. 707 and Mandeep Singh Ballot No. 562 have been suspended.

Apart from this, a show cause notice has been issued to Jail Superintendent Patiala Manjit Singh Tiwana and Assistant Jail Superintendent Patiala Jagjit Singh.

It is to be mentioned here that Amrik Singh, a resident of Dedna village of Ghagga block of Patiala district, was serving his sentence in Patiala jail from where he was admitted to Rajinder Hospital for treatment on the pretext of treatment. The prisoner escaped from the hospital due to the negligence of these staff members.

During the transfer of the prisoner from Patiala Jail to Rajindra Hospital, the rules set by the state government were also violated.

The Jails Minister categorically warned the officers and employees of the department that any kind of negligence will not be tolerated in such types of cases.

Khedan Watan Punjab Deya; Preparations for state level competitions complete

IEP Chandigarh, October 6

All the preparations have been completed by the Sports Department for the state level tournament which is last phase of the ‘Khedan Watan Punjab Deya-2022’. The competitions of 29 sports will be held from October 11 to 22 in 9 different cities across the state.

Divulging the details, Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said that after the successful organizing of block and district level tournaments, the sports department has completed all the preparations for the state level competition. As part of the firm commitment of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to make the state the number one in sports again, the number of sportsmen participating in these games organized by the sports department has reached around 3 lakh. The winners of the state level tournament will be awarded a total of Rs.  6 Crore. The first, second and third place winners will get a cash prize of Rs. 10,000, Rs. 7,000 and Rs. 5,000 respectively. Apart from this, there will be grading of the players who have got the certificate.

On the instructions of the sports minister, a meeting was held with the Principal Secretary of the department Raj Kamal Chaudhary and the Director Rajesh Dhiman with all district sports officers to take stock of the preparations. During the meeting, Mr. Chaudhary asked all the sports officers to make better arrangements for the transportation, accommodation, food etc. for the players who will participate in the state level competitions. He said that if any player faces any problem, he or she can coordinate with the District Sports Officer of the concerned district.

STRICT ACTION TO BE TAKEN AGAINST LENDING FIRMS NOT FOLLOWING RBI FAIR LENDING PRACTICES CODE: CHEEMA

IEP Chandigarh, September 06

Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Thursday warned the lending firms violating the RBI Fair Lending Practices Code that strict action would be taken in case any such case is brought to the government’s notice.The Finance Minister issued this warning while chairing the meeting of the Joint Front of Rural and Farm Labourer Unions. The front apprised the minister that many lending firms including some microfinance firms were resorting to pressure tactics and unfair recovery practices. Taking serious note of this, Cheema directed the Finance Department to report any such incident to RBI  recommending strict action including the cancellation of the pan India license of such institutions.During this high-level meeting which lasted for two hours, the demands of the front were discussed in detail by the finance minister. Senior officials from Police, Social Security, Power, Cooperation, Food and Civil Supplies, Rural Development, and Finance Departments were present at this meeting. The Finance Minister directed these officials to take action on all such demands where immediate action is possible.To fulfill the other legitimate demands of the front, Cheema sought a separate report from the concerned departments regarding the financial and legal implications. He also directed the concerned official to hold the meeting with the representatives of the front when and where needed to resolve their issues at the earliest.The Finance Minister also assured the Joint Front of Rural and Farm Labourer Union that he would soon arrange the front’s meeting with the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to discuss those demands which could be resolved only at the level of the Chief Minister.ADGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla and Special Secretary Finance Yashanjit Singh were also present at this meeting.

Punjab government committed to restoring dignity of Numberdars: Cheema

IEP Chandigarh, 06 October

Describing Numberdars as an important part of the government, Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Thursday said that the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is determined to restore their dignity.During a meeting with the unions of Numberdars here at Vit and Yojana Bhawan, Mr. Harpal Singh Cheema gave a patient hearing to their demands and issued directions to take immediate action on the legitimate demands. Cheema assured the union representatives that the government was considering their demands sympathetically.For the convenience of the Numberdars, the Finance Minister has directed the concerned officers and departments to reserve room for them at Kisan Bhawan (Chandigarh), arrange sitting rooms at district and tehsil complexes besides including them in the grievance redressal committees to be formed at the district level. Apart from this, the Revenue department was asked to ensure the involvement of Namberdars in the land registration process.Replying to the demand made by the Numberdars for increasing the honorarium, the Finance Minister assured the union leaders that he would soon raise the issue with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. He said that the financial implications of this demand would be studied so that an appropriate decision could be taken.Special Secretary Expenditure Mohammad Tayyab was also present at this meeting.

CM VOWS TO PURCHASE EVERY SINGLE GRAIN OF PADDY IN STATE

Punjab Express Bureau

IEP Chandigarh, October 6

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today reiterated the firm commitment of the state government to procure every single grain of the farmers in  the grain markets (Mandis).

The Chief Minister, during a meeting with the farmers here at Punjab Bhawan, said that the state government has already made elaborate arrangements for purchasing the golden harvest of the farmers as soon as it arrives in the Mandis. He said that a viable mechanism has been evolved to ensure on the spot payment to the farmers in their bank accounts. Bhagwant Mann said that smooth and hassle free procurement of grains is being ensured in the market so that farmers don’t face any sort of inconvenience.

The Chief Minister also announced that during the ongoing procurement season the tractors of farmers will be allowed for loading/ transportation of grains. He said that the act will be amended suitably only for the ongoing procurement season. Bhagwant Mann said that the state government is committed for well-being of the farmers.

The Chief Minister further said that the disbursement of financial assistance to encourage the farmers for direct sowing of paddy has also started. He said that payment has been transferred into the bank accounts of 17000 farmers. Bhagwant Mann said that the payment of remaining farmers will also be cleared within a week.

The Chief Minister also assured the farmers that the state government will send a detail list of the cattle wealth that has fallen prey to Lumpy skin to the Government of India. He said that the state government will flag the issue of compensating the farmers who have lost their cattle wealth due to this disease with the union government. Bhagwant Mann said that strenuous efforts are already being made to ensure that centre government declare this disease as pandemic.

Dwelling on another issue, the Chief Minister said that many cases registered during the farmers agitation in Punjab has already been cancelled adding that remaining ones will be cancelled soon. He said that the families of the farmers who have lost their lives during the agitation have already been given assistance worth Rs 5 lakh each. Bhagwant Mann further said that Kin of 326 farmers out of total 624 who had lost their lives in agitation have been given government jobs and remaining ones will be given soon.

The Chief Minister said that the state government will work on constructing memorial in name of the farmers, who attained martyrdom during the agitation.  He said that compensation for the Moongi crop too has been delivered to the farmers. Bhagwant Mann said that in future elaborate arrangements will be made for purchase of Moongi crop.

The Chief Minister also assured the farmers that he will flag the issue of FIRs with Railways too. He also said that the state government is committed for giving boost to food processing industry to benefit the farmers.  Bhagwant Mann also said that the cattle fairs will recommence in state from October 15.

Meanwhile, taking part in deliberations the farmers expressed gratitude towards the Chief Minister for enhancing SAP of sugarcane adding they urged the Chief Minister to intervene for payment of pending arrears from private mills. It was also decided that crushing season will start from November 5 in Sugar Mills prior to which meeting will be held on October 11 for reviewing the preparations.

The chief minister told the farmers that the state government is making all out effort for paddy straw management. He said that the farmers should support the state government for this noble cause. Bhagwant Mann said that it was the need of the hour for protecting the environment of the state.

Vigilance arrests AIG Aashish Kapoor for taking bribe Rs one crore

IEP Chandigarh October 6

The Vigilance Bureau Punjab on Thursday arrested Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Ashish Kapoor, PPS, now posted as Commandant, 4th IRB, Pathankot for taking bribe of Rs. one crore through different cheques. In this case DSP Intelligence Pawan Kumar and ASI Harjinder Singh has also been nominated as accused.

          Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau (VB) said in this regard the Bureau has registered a case under sections 7, 7-A Prevention of Corruption Act and 420, 120-B of IPC against the above mentioned accused. Further investigation in this case is under progress.

          Giving more details he informed that during posting as Superintendent Jail at Central Jail, Amritsar in 2016, he had got acquainted with a lady named Poonam Rajan of sector 30, Kurukshetra, Haryana who was under judicial remand in the Jail in some case. When Poonam Rajan, along with her mother Prem Lata, brother Kuldeep Singh and sister-in-law Preeti, was in police remand in a case FIR No. 151/2018 registered under section 420/120-B of IPC at police station Zirakpur, Ashish Kapoor went to the police station and fraudulently convinced Poonam Rajan’s mother Prem Lata to help her getting  bail and acquittal from the court.

          Adding further he revealed that after this Ashish Kapoor, in connivance with Pawan Kumar, the then SHO, police station Zirakpur and ASI Harjinder Singh, (No. 459/SGR), got Preeti, sister-in-law of Poonam Rajan declared innocent in the case. In lieu of that favour, Ashish Kapoor obtained signatures of Prem Lata on different cheques amounting to Rs. 1,00,00,000 and deposited them under the names of his known ones and got them encashed through ASI Harjinder Singh.

          The spokesperson said by doing so, the accused Ashish Kapoor, Pawan Kumar and Harjinder Singh have committed offence under Prevention of Corruption Act and 420, 120-B of IPC and have been nominated as accused the present case.

Health Minister approves purchase of SPECT-CT & PET-CT at a cost of Rs. 15 crore

IEP Chandigarh, October 6

In consonance with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government’s commitment to create world class health care infrastructure in state, Health Minister Chetan Singh Jauramajra has approved the  purchase of new Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT-CT) & Positron Emission Tomography (PET-CT) for the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital, in Sangrur at cost of Rs. 15 crore.

Disclosing this here, the Health Minister said that the state government is firm in its resolve  to create and provide state-of-the-art Health Care and Diagnostic facilities across Punjab. He said that 100 Aam Aadmi Clinics were also dedicated to the people of the state, where one can get heath services free of cost within the vicinity of their houses. He also added that more such clinics will come up soon in other parts of the state.

Mr. Jauramajra informed that approval has also been sanctioned to buy AMC/CMC for Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital, Sangrur with an additional cost of Rs. 7.50 crore. “Apart from this, budget plan for Rs. 60 crore has been approved against the Cess Collection,” he said while adding that Rs. 48.75 crore has been withdrawn from the State Treasury till date.