IEP Chandigarh, August 30

Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema On Wednesday said that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government has adopted a policy of zero tolerance against corruption, and accordingly the Assistant Controller (Finance and Accounts) posted at General Manager Punjab Roadways Ludhiana has been suspended in a corruption case.Revealing this in a press statement issued here, Harpal Singh Cheema said that the suspended Assistant Controller (Finance and Accounts) Seema Gupta was posted at General Manager Punjab Roadways Ludhiana and also had the additional charge of Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana. He said that the Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana had informed through a letter that this officer was asking bribes from the employees of the university in exchange for clearing their probation.Cheema said that Principal Secretary Finance Mr. Ajoy Kumar Sinha and Director (Treasury and Accounts) Mr. Muhammad Tayyab investigated the matter. He said that video clips and news published in various newspapers were received as evidence in this case. He said that after investigation, the said officer has been suspended with immediate effect.Referring to the campaign launched by the Punjab Government to root out corruption, Mr. Cheema said that the anti-corruption action line was started as soon as our government assumed power. He said that under this campaign, action has been taken against more than 400 corrupt persons during the year and a half, and none including any corrupt politician or official was spared.

IEP Chandigarh, August 30

Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) arrested three persons including two ex-army personnel, who impersonated as Vigilance officials and took cheques of Rs 25 lakhs from a resident of Bhaini Salu village in Ludhiana district.The arrested accused persons have been identified as Manjeet Singh resident of village Bhaini Salu, Paramjeet Singh of village Mehlon (Ludhiana) and Parminder Singh resident of Akash Colony, Hoshiarpur. Manjeet Singh and Parminder Singh are ex-army personnel. Parminder Singh is Incharge of World Human Rights Corporation of Punjab.Revealing the details here today, an official spokesperson of the VB said that Palwinder Singh resident of village Bhaini Salu lodged a complaint that he had sold 18 acres of his ancestral land a few months ago. Thereafter, he received a Government notice regarding selling a Panchayat land, following which, three unknown persons came to his house on August 12, 2023 and introduced themselves as officials from Vigilance Department at Sector-17, Chandigarh.The complainant alleged that they demanded Rs 50 Lakh from him to sort out the matter of selling panchayat land as they cited that the inquiry is pending at Chandigarh office and a case will be registered against him in this regard. In fear, the complainant agreed to pay Rs 25 Lakh and the accused persons convinced him to sign two cheques— Rs 15 Lakh and 10 Lakh— with a guarantee to return them back once receiving the amount of Rs 25 Lakh in cash. One of the accused persons also took Rs 27000 from his pocket and went away after getting his phone number.Thereafter, the complainant has been receiving threat calls on WhatsApp for registration of a criminal case against him in case the former fails to give promised Rs 25 Lakh cash.The spokesperson said that following the complaint, an FIR 20 dated 28.8.2023 under sections 7, 7-A of Prevention of Corruption Act and 384,120-B of IPC has been registered against Manjeet Singh of village Bhaini Salu and three unknown persons at Police Station VB, Ludhiana Range. Accused Manjeet Singh and Paramjeet Singh of village Mehlon were arrested on Monday, and now they both are on police remand till August 31. Parminder Singh, a resident of Akash Colony Hoshiarpur was also arrested on Tuesday. The VB has also nominated four more persons in the case and a manhunt has been launched to arrest the remaining accused.Notably, accused Manjeet Singh and Paramjit Singh had made recce of the house of complainant and Parminder Singh is one of those three accused persons who went to the house of complainant on August 12.

IEP Chandigarh, August 29

Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Tuesday arrested a Lecturer, Umesh Kumar Munjal, posted at Government Senior Secondary School, Lalru in SAS Nagar district, for taking a bribe of Rs 1.16 lakh from P. Ranjan resident of Nanak Nagri Abohar (Fazilka).

Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson of VB said that P. Ranjan lodged a complaint that his wife Priya Miglani, who is a government teacher, was posted at Government Senior Secondary School, Kussowal in Ferozepur district. This school is around 180KMs away from their residence. Umesh Kumar contacted him to get his wife transferred near home. He (the Complainant) met him at Sri Muktsar Sahib on 26-10-2021 and the Lecturer demanded Rs 2 lakh for the same. The accused Lecturer had taken Rs 1.16 lakh as a bribe from the complainant on different dates and then started demanding the remaining amount of the bribe but the transfer was not done as the complainant did not pay the remaining amount of the bribe to the accused.

The complainant said that Punjab Education Department had opened the portal for online transfers on 10-06-2022 and on the application, Priya Miglani was transferred to Government Senior Secondary School, Bhitiwala in tehsil Malout of Sri Muktsar Sahib district and she joined the duty on new posting on 16-06-2022. But the accused was harassing them by demanding the remaining amount of bribe.

The spokesperson said that a team of VB unit Fazilka has arrested the Lecturer Umesh Kumar Munjal today after registering an FIR no. 21 dated 29-08-2023 under section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act against him at Police Station VB, Ferozepur Range. 

IEP Chandigarh, August 28

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday said that decks are all clear for resumption of domestic flights from Adampur airport in Jalandhar and soon flights will be started from the hub of Doaba region to the other states of the country.

Chairing a meeting of the Civil Aviation department here at his office in Punjab Civil Secretariat- I, the Chief Minister said that this will facilitate the NRI brethren to stay connected with their homes in the motherland. He said that besides saving time, money and energy of the NRIs and other sections of society, this airport will also act as a catalyst in giving further fillip to the economic activity in the region. Bhagwant Singh Mann envisioned that this airport will prove a milestone in the journey of restoring the pristine glory of the state.

 Dwelling on another agenda, the Chief Minister directed the officers to complete the ongoing work for construction of civil air terminal at Halwara at the earliest. He said that the state government has already released Rs 50 crore for early completion of the work at the state of the art civil air terminal. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the timely completion of the project is the need of hour to give impetus to the economic growth of the state.

 Reviewing the ongoing work at Adampur, Halwara, Bathinda and Pathankot airports, the Chief Minister said that the starting of flights from these airports will provide direct air connectivity to the people of the state with the rest of the globe. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that massive efforts are also afoot for starting domestic flights from Adampur, Halwara and Bhisiana airports to facilitate the industry and other sectors in the state. He asked the officers to ensure that the entire process is completed in a time bound manner for the progress of the state and prosperity of its people.

IEP Chandigarh August 27

Punjab School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains has congratulated the teacher of the state who has been selected for the National Teachers Award-2023.

          Applauding the teacher, Mr. Bains said that he has brought laurels for the state and his selection for the prestigious awards will uplift the morale and inspire the other teachers of the government schools to work harder.

          Notably, the list of National Teachers Awards, to be given on the Teachers’ Day-2023 by the Ministry of Education, has been released today, wherein Amritpal Singh of Government Senior Secondary School Chhapar Pakhowal (district Ludhiana) was selected to receive this coveted award.

IEP Chandigarh, August 27

On the direction of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Mining department has tightened noose around the people involved in illegal mining by lodging FIRs against them.

          Divulging the details, Mining and Geology Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said that the department has adopted a  zero tolerance policy for illegal mining. He said that in a raid conducted in Village Dhanansu Ludhiana, illegal sand miming was detected. He said that the material extracted was being stacked  in Jamalpur area of Ludhiana.

          The Minister said that acting swiftly the department has requested the Police department to register an FiR in the matter. Similarly, he said that in Ropar District  FIRs have been lodged in last two days for three incidents of illegal mining. He said that these FIRs have been registered at kalwan chowki  and Nangal police stations and pertain to illegal mining by poclain machines and tippers at Swara/Ailgran village and Khera Village.

          He said that at kalwan chowki in FIR  119 of 26/08/23  has been registered against one poclain machine at Swara/Ailgran village. Likewise, he said that at Nangal police station FIR 129 of 27/08/23 has been lodged against two poclain machines and four tippers in village Khera. Likewise, he said that FIR 130 of 27/08/23 has been registered in Nangal police station against one poclain machine in village Khera.

          All the machines involved in incidents of illegal mining have been impounded and are in police custody