IEP Chandigarh February 14:

Aiming to curb the menace of corruption in the state, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested a private person Sandeep Singh Virk, resident of village Naya Gaon, SAS Nagar district red handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs. 15,000.          Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the VB said the above mentioned accused has claimed to the complainant Sabar Khan of Handiya, Barnala district that he has connections in Punjab Chief Minister office (CMO) and would get recruited him as a Personal Officer in CMO under special quota but he has to pay Rs 6 lakhs as bribe/expenses to get this job.          He further added that the complainant has informed to the VB that the accused had already taken Rs 15,000 as an advance money and now demanding Rs 25,000 more to get his file/case signed from the complainant and further to submit it to get its approval from concerned authorities.          After preliminary investigation, a VB team laid a trap and the accused Sandeep Singh was arrested while accepting bribe money of Rs 15,000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses.          During investigation it has came to light that the above said accused Sandeep Singh prepared and get the complainant to sign a forged/fabricated appointment letter and other relevant documents to convince the complainant about his recruitment, he added.          The spokesperson further added that a case FIR No. 8 Dated 13-02-2013 under section 7A of prevention of corruption act has been registered against Sandeep Singh at VB police station, flying squad, Punjab, SAS Nagar. Local court has granted two days police remand of the accused and further investigation was under progress so as to uncover modus operandi of the accused and to know involvement of his accomplices including private/government officials, if any, he added.

IEP CHANDIGARH, February 14     

     Further tightening the noose around gangster-terrorist nexus to make Punjab a crime-free state as per the vision of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Punjab Police on Tuesday conducted raids at suspected hideouts of persons linked with Gangster Jagdeep Singh alias Jaggu Bhagwanpuria. The simultaneous raids were conducted at the residential and other premises linked to the gangster in all the districts across the state.          Notably, this was the fourth such raid conducted at the suspected places of different terrorists and gangsters in less than two months. Earlier, Punjab Police had conducted raids at suspected hideouts of Arsh Dalla, Lakhbir Landa, Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar.          Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav said that as many as 2371 suspected hideouts of anti-social elements linked with Jaggu Bhagwanpuria were raided during a day-long operation carried out by at least 409 parties of Punjab Police involving about 2863 police personnel across the state.          He said that raids were planned after the questioning of several persons in the recently busted modules backed by Bhagwanpuria.          Giving more details about the Operation, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Law and Order Arpit Shukla said that Police teams have conducted thorough searches at the houses and other premises linked with Bhagwanpuria and also collected the data from Electronic devices, which will be sent for forensic examinations. He said that several persons have also been detained for further verification and incriminating material has been seized from their possession, which is being further examined.          He said that the Police teams have also checked arms licences and questioned people about the sourcing of ammunition, besides, gathering travel details of foreign-based family members, bank transactions from abroad, and western union and property details for further examination.          He said that the operation was aimed at disrupting the nexus between terrorists, gangsters, and drug smugglers based in India and abroad. Such raids also help in infusing fear among the anti-social elements, whilst instilling a sense of safety and security among the common people, he added.          Pertinently, Punjab Police has busted 26 terror modules with the arrest of 163 terrorists/radicals after recovering 30 sophisticated Rifles, 201 Revolvers/Pistols, and 25 Drones since March 2022. As far as gangsters are concerned, Punjab Police have succeeded in busting 140 gangster/criminal modules with the arrest of 555 gangsters/criminals and neutralizing two, and recovering 510 weapons and 129 vehicles used in criminal activities from their possession in the same period.

IEP Chandigarh, February 14

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday envisioned that the Special Orientation Program being organised for the MLAs of the state will act as benchmark for quality debates and legislative work in the Punjab assembly during the ensuing sessions.The Chief Minister, while addressing the MLAs during the inaugural session of the Orientation program here in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, said that this is a path breaking initiative that will bring qualitative change in the functioning of the assembly. He said that people have elected the MLAs with a whopping mandate and they have high expectations from them. Bhagwant Mann said that these aspirations can be cherished through active participation of the MLAs in debates and law making procedures. The Chief Minister said that the time has come when all the political parties in the state must sink their differences and work in tandem with each other for safeguarding the interests of the state. He said that the political parties in other states unite for the common cause of their state and its people but this feature is missing in the state. Bhagwant Mann said that this is the need of hour to ensure that issues of the state are resolved at the earliest.Citing the example of a faulty decision of the Union government to supply coal to the state from its allotted coal mine via sea route, the Chief Minister said that this arbitrary decision of centre is irrational. He said that the state uses this coal for producing paddy which plays a key role in filling the food bowl of the country. Bhagwant Mann said that Punjab is being made to bear high expense of coal just which is unjustified, intolerable and unwarranted.The Chief Minister said that in democracy people are supreme and the government is run by the people elected by them. However, he quipped that some selected persons of the centre are just peeping their nose into the affairs of state which cannot be tolerated. Bhagwant Mann said that these selected persons should remain in the area of their own jurisdiction rather than locking horns with the elected representatives of people.The Chief Minister said that the Punjabis don’t remain isolated from politics and they take active interests in the political environment concerning them. He said that the Punjabis have inherited the leadership traits which can be judged well from the fact they have carved a niche for themselves even on foreign land. Bhagwant Mann said that Punjabis can be seen dominating the political field in Canada, England, New Zealand and other countries.The Chief Minister said that Punjab is the only state across the globe which has its franchise all over the world as Punjabis dominate the affairs in every other country. He said that the live session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha is seen across the globe with huge enthusiasm due to which the legislatures have a huge responsibility. Bhagwant Mann said that as the entire world is looking at us so we have a huge responsibility to maintain decorum while discussions in the Vidhan Sabha.The Chief Minister said that as the bouquet with flowers of various colors look beautiful and soothing in the same manner in a democratic system the opposition and treasury benches both are important. He said that both the opposition and ruling parties are a catalyst for healthy democracy. Bhagwant Mann said that both opposition and ruling party should play an active role for quality discussions in the house.  The Chief Minister said that homework is very important for quality debates by the MLAs adding that all the legislatures must come prepared for these debates. He said that all the MLAs must remember one basic thing that the chairs on which they are sitting today were once occupied by the great stalwarts who had shaped the destiny of the state. Bhagwant Mann also asked the MLAs to visit the Parliament Museum in New Delhi to get knowledge about the rich legacy of democracy inherited by them.The Chief Minister also batted for starting Members reference service for the MLAs on lines of the Lok Sabha. He said that it will help the MLAs in raising the issues of public far more effectively. Bhagwant Mann also shared his experiences as MP in Lok Sabha with the members.Earlier, Speaker of Punjab Sabha Kultar Singh Sandhwan welcomed all the dignitaries during the special orientation program. He said that the orientation program will help a lot in improving the quality of debates and proceedings of the house. Kultar Sandhwan said that this session will prove to be beneficial for all the MLAs and the people of the state also.Addressing the gathering, Cabinet Minister Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar said that this program will be a boon for the first time as well as other MLAs. He said that this is a path breaking initiative which will have long term benefits for the state. Dr Nijjer urged the MLAs to take maximum mileage out of these sessions in which various experts will put forth their views.In his address, Leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa suggested that a cluster of MLAs be formed and Legislative assistants be associated with them. He said that this will help the MLAs in aptly raising the matters pertaining to their concern. Partap Singh Bajwa also hailed the Speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha for holding this session and advocated constructive functioning of the house.Deputy Speaker of Vidhan Sabha Jai Krishan Singh Rouri proposed vote of thanks on the occasion.On the occasion, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker also felicitated the Chief Minister and other guests. 

IEP Chandigarh, February 14

Speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Tuesday said that the Orientation Program has been chalked out to impart in-depth overview to Legislators about the functioning of Assembly.Addressing the MLAs on the first day of a two-day special orientation program organized at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration here, the Speaker suggested MLAs to make the Vidhan Sabha manual a part of their daily life to have better understanding of the legislative functioning. He envisioned that this orientation program will boost the morale of all the members, especially those who have been elected for the first time.In his address during ‘Interaction on Good Governance and Legislative Oversight’, Rajya Sabha Member Mr. Sanjay Singh described the disruption practices during debates on important issues in Parliament or Vidhan Sabha Sessions as a part of the parliamentary system. Citing an example, he said that if our suggestions (disruptions) regarding not bringing the farm law had been taken into consideration in time; the ruling party would not have had to face the brunt of the farmers’ struggle for a year. Mr. Sanjay Singh said that late Mr. Arun Jaitley and late Mrs. Sushma Swaraj also believed that ‘disruptions’ by the opposition during the Session was also a part of healthy democracy.He said that MLAs should take advantage of Zero Hour and others to raise issues related to their assembly segments. He told the MLAs to equip themselves with deep knowledge about the legislative functioning to ensure better facilities to the people.In his address, former Secretary General of Lok Sabha and Advisor to Delhi Vidhan Sabha Mr. PDT Achary, while speaking on Good Governance, said that Good Governance never means that houses of people are razed through bulldozers. Rather, he said that good governance means efficiently running the government in consonance with the constitution and working of legislative and executive in coordination with each other to ensure the well being of people. He said that the government is duty bound to provide good governance to the people.Mr. Achary highlighted the importance of Legislative/Parliamentary Committees for fixing accountability. Informing about the formation of various committees and functioning of Parliament, he said that the Public Accounts Committee audits every single penny spent by the government so as to ensure the judicious use of public funds.Earlier, Director General MGSIPA Mr. Anirudh Tewari welcomed the MLAs participating in the Orientation Program.  He said that Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha Mr. Kultar Singh Sandhwan has taken this initiative which is highly commendable.Meanwhile, Mr. Ajay Kumar Sood from Lok Sabha Secretariat New Delhi and Former Advisor of Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha and Former Additional Secretary, Haryana Vidhan Sabha Ram Narayan Yadav also expressed their views on Parliamentary Devices-Practices and Procedure (Calling Attention Notices, Resolutions, Zero Hour and Question Hour etc.)

IEP Chandigarh, February 14

          Aiming to curb the menace of corruption in the state, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Tuesday nabbed a bill clerk, Rohit Sachdeva, posted in the office of Sub Divisional Magistrate, Abohar, Ferozepur district red handed for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs. 10,000.

Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of VB said the above said clerk was arrested on the complaint of Gaurav Nagpal, resident of Fazilka.

Giving more details he informed that the complainant has approached the VB and alleged that the above said clerk was demanding a bribe of Rs. 10,000 for clearance of bills pertaining to his firm. He further added that the accused bill clerk has already taken Rs 10,000 in two instalments for the same.

After verifying this complaint, a VB team from Ferozepur range laid a trap and the accused clerk was caught red handed accepting a bribe of Rs. 10,000 as third instalment and tainted money recovered from him in the presence of two official witnesses.

He informed that a case under prevention of corruption act has been registered against the accused at VB police Ferozepur and further investigation was under progress.

IEP CHANDIGARH, February 14

          Taking yet another step to ensure world-class health systems as per the vision of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Medical Education and Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh, Directorate of Medical Education and Research (MER) is all set to implement the Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) and expanding access to tele-consultations in all districts of the state. This will include a dashboard of inventory and patients for the secretary, while, Minister can monitor instantly.

          To realise this flagship project, Secretary MER Alaknanda Dayal on Tuesday chaired a meeting with representatives of all government medical colleges and attached hospitals and representatives from NIC to discuss implementation of eHospital and Hospital Management Information Systems, besides, improvement of services in state hospitals including medicine and inventory management.

          Divulging details, the Secretary highlighted that HMIS will be proven as one of the major reforms in the health sector of the state, which will significantly improve the standards of health care service in the state and make it more accountable and transparent.

          She directed the implementing agencies to kick start the areas of OPD, Stores and Pharmacy inventory control and the patient feedback mechanism initially in the shortest possible time.

          Secretary Alaknanda Dayal impressed upon the officers that smooth coordination and synergy should be maintained between various stakeholders associated with the project, so that it can be implemented successfully within the stipulated time frame.

          Meanwhile, Additional Secretary MER cum Vice Chancellor GRAU Rahul Gupta,  Deputy Secretary MER Manreet Rana, Director MER cum Vice Chancellor BFUHS Dr Avnish Kumar, Registrar BFUHS Dr Nirmal Ousepachhan, along with principals and medical superintendent of all four Medical Colleges were among prominent who attended the meeting.

IEP Chandigarh, February 13

 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday said that in merely 11 months of assuming charge of office the state government has so far firmed up investment worth Rs 38175 crore which will generate 2.43 lakh jobs in the state. “This is just a pre-monsoon shower and a regular shower of monsoon will be witnessed soon in the state during the invest Punjab summit being held on February 23-24 at Mohali”, said the Chief Minister during an interaction with the media persons here at the Punjab Bhawan. The Chief Minister said that he had gone to Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Germany to invite the industrialists to the summit. He said that the industrial honchos in these metros were surprised to note the vast potential of industrial growth in the state. Bhagwant Mann said that due to strenuous efforts of the state government these industrialists are now ready to invest in Punjab. The Chief Minister said that till now investment worth Rs 38175 crore has been firmed up in the state which will generate 2.43 lakh jobs in the state for the youth. Divulging more details, he said that in Real Estate, Housing and Infrastructure the proposed investment is Rs 11853 crore which will generate 1.22 lakh jobs. Likewise, Bhagwant Mann said that Manufacturing sector has attracted investment worth Rs 5981 crore and created 39952 jobs, Alloy Steel and Steel sector has attracted investment of Rs 3889 crore which will provide 9257 jobs, Textiles, Technical Textile, apparels and Made-Up sector has firmed up investment worth Rs 3305 crore and will create 13753 jobs, Agri, Food Processing and Beverages sector has attracted investment worth Rs 2854 core and will provide 16638 jobs and Healthcare has firmed up investment worth Rs 2157 crore and will provide  4510 jobs. The Chief Minister further said that Tata Steel (Fortune 500) is investing Rs 2600 crore in Secondary Steel sector at Ludhiana, Sanathan Polycot is investing Rs 1600 crore in Man-Made Fiber sector at Fatehgarh Sahib, Nabha Power (L&T) is investing Rs 641 crore in Power sector at Patiala, Toppan (Japan) is investing Rs 548 crore in Packaging sector at SBS Nagar, Nestle (Switzerland) is investing Rs 423 crore in Food Processing sector at Moga, Vardhman Special Steels (Aichi Steel, Japan) is investing Rs 342 crore in Hybrid Steel sector at Ludhiana, Freudenberg (Vibracoustics, Germany) is investing Rs 338 crore in Auto & Auto Components sector at Rupnagar, Bebo Technologies is investing Rs 300 crore in IT sector at SAS Nagar, HUL (UK) is investing Rs 281 crore at Patiala and Cargill India (USA) is investing Rs 160 crore in Animal Feed at Fatehgarh Sahib. Giving district wise details, Bhagwant Mann said that investment worth Rs 9794 crore has been firmed up in SAS Nagar which will offer job to 68061 youth, investment worth Rs 9319 crore has been firmed up in Ludhiana which will offer job to 33172 youth, investment worth Rs 4246 crore has been firmed up in Fatehgarh Sahib which will offer job to 13840 youth, investment worth Rs 4079 crore has been firmed up in Amritsar which will offer job to 85419 youth, investment worth Rs 2821 crore has been firmed up in Patiala which will offer job to 9927 youth and investment worth Rs 1200 crore has been firmed up in Rupnagar which will offer job to 3172 youth. The Chief Minister said that this is just a curtain raiser and more investment will be firmed up during the Invest Punjab Summit slated to be held on February 23-24. He said that the objective of the Summit is to attract potential investment and business opportunities, build relationships, and engage with startups on new ideas and solutions. Bhagwant Mann said that the summit will have participation from global and regional investors, corporate organizations, industrialists, thought leaders and others. The Chief Minister said that during the Summit, Punjab will showcase its overall vision for growth and opportunities for investment for industry. He said that the theme of the Summit is ‘Invest in the Best’ – to showcase Punjab as the most preferred investment destination in India. Bhagwant Mann said that there will be a total of nine sessions organized across key areas including Agri-Food Processing, Textiles, Healthcare, Education, Tourism, IT and Start-ups, Exports, Japan Country Session and UK Country Session. The Chief Minister further said that the state government is making concerted efforts to further strengthen the single window system for facilitating the investors.  Bhagwant Mann pointed out that earlier single window service was merely a sham, devoid of any meaningful purpose, which not only demoralized the potential investors but also hampered the industrial development of the state. However, he said that his government has ensured that the single window system works as a real facilitator to the entrepreneurs interested in investing in the state. Replying to a query, the Chief Minister said that no industrial unit from the state is migrating to Uttar Pradesh or other. He said that the industrial units are getting the best facilities here only due to which no one will ever migrate from the state. Bhagwant Mann said that the industrial units of state will remain here only and the canards regarding their migration are far away from truth. The Chief Minister said that knowing well that power is the catalyst of growth in the engine of the economy, the state has taken a leap forward towards being power surplus after the resuming of coal supply from Pachwara mine. He said that this will ensure that none of the Thermal Power plants will face any sort of coal shortage in the state. Bhagwant Mann said that the state government is duty bound to provide uninterrupted and regular supply of power to the industrialists. The Chief Minister urged the industrialists to make optimum use of this congenial atmosphere backed by excellent infrastructure, power, skilled human resources and best industrial and work culture to spread their business. He said that the state government was always open for new ideas and innovations to boost up the industrial growth in Punjab. Bhagwant Mann said that the day is not far away when Punjab will emerge as the industrial hub of the country with the active support of the entrepreneurs. The Chief Minister envisioned that the Invest Punjab Summit being organized on February 23-24 will prove to be a milestone in giving a major fillip to industrial growth of the state. He said that the state government has already finalized the arrangements for this mega event. Bhagwant Mann said that the main motive behind giving fillip to industrialization in the state is to reverse the trend of brain drain in the state by opening new vistas of employment for the youth. The Chief Minister further said that his government has broken the backbone of the sand mafia by bringing transparency in the sand mining. Bhagwant Mann said that 16 public mines have been dedicated to the masses thereby ensuring pit head price of sand to Rs 5.50 per cubic feet. He categorically said that the sand mafia that had flourished during the previous government regimes will no longer exploit the people. The Chief Minister said that Punjab has the most conducive environment for the growth of industry across the country. He said that a pool of skilled manpower coupled with best road, rail and air connectivity makes Punjab the most preferred investment destination across the country. Bhagwant Mann said that the summit will put the state on a high growth trajectory of economic growth. On the occasion Cabinet Minister Anmol Gagan Mann were also present.

IEP Chandigarh, February 13    

       Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday categorically told the Governor that he is answerable only to the people of state and not any person appointed by the centre.           In a statement issued here today, the Chief Minister apprised the Governor that he has came to know about his letter through the media. He said that all the issues raised by Governor are the issues related to jurisdiction of the state. Bhagwant Mann said that for these issues he is accountable to the 3 crore Punjabis who have elected him with a whopping mandate.           The Chief Minister unequivocally said that the state government is not at all responsible to any person appointed by the centre government. He categorically said that this was his answer to all the questions raised by the Governor. Bhagwant Mann said that rather than giving sermons to him the Governor must focus on smooth discharge of his duties as enshrined in the constitution.

IEP Chandigarh, February 13

          Emphasizing upon transparency factor which is the hallmark of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government, the Chairman, Punjab State Food Commission D.P. Reddy today directed the installation of CCTVs in the godowns storing foodgrains which would lead to curbing the malpractices.

          Chairing a meeting of the Commission in the presence of the Director Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Ghanshyam Thori, the Chairman also said that the storage of wheat in the godowns must be ensured in a scientific manner besides the carrying out the physical verification (P.V.) at regular intervals.

          Further, the Chairman also batted for the ePoS machines to be made available at every Fair Price Shop (FPS) in order to ensure more accountability in the distribution process of foodgrains. “A mechanism should be developed to enable the lodging of complaints or to forward suggestions in both Punjabi and Hindi languages regarding the working of the fair price shop owners besides updation of the notice boards to display helpline numbers and website address of the commission”, said Mr. Reddy.

          Exhorting the officers to be in sync with the changing technology in today’s era, Mr. Reddy said that the social media handles of the commission should be followed by the Fair Price Shop dealers so as to create more awareness with regard to the activities of the commission.

          The Chairman on the occasion was apprised that instructions have been issued to all the District Controllers in Punjab for issuing directions to the field functionaries as well as to Fair Price Shop owners to distribute foodgrains to the beneficiaries at the time of the biometric authentication and generation of slips.

          Among others present on the occasion included Preety Chawla, Smt. Indra Gupta, Vijay Dutt, Chetan Prakash Dhaliwal, Members, Member Secretary of the Commission T.K. Goyal and Director, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Ghanshyam Thori.

IEP Chandigarh, February 13

          Punjab Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar has said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led government will give priority to horse rearing as agriculture subsidiary occupation.

          Addressing the gathering during prize distribution ceremony of the 2nd Empire Horse Cup-2023 at village Jandiali, Ludhiana, the Cabinet Minister said that there are immense employment opportunities in this sector and the government will consider to bring horse rearing within the ambit of common farmers.

          Accompanying Agriculture Minister S. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and Water Supply & Sanitation Minister Bram Shanker Jimpa as the chief guests, S. Laljit Singh Bhullar said that efforts will also be made to promote Punjab horse breed “Nukra” in other states. On this occasion, S. Hardeep Singh Mundian MLA Sahnewal, S. Diljit Singh Grewal MLA Ludhiana East and Ashok Prashar Pappi were present.

          About 500 horses from Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra participated in this horse cup. Of which about 120 horses were awarded the prizes.

          The Cabinet Ministers awarded first prize in stallion category to horse “Dulla” from Punjab and Meera from Rajasthan in mares’ category. The first prize was Rs.71,000 and a trophy, while the second prize was Rs.51,000. Similarly, 10 horses were given prizes ranging from Rs.21000 to 5,000 each.

          Earlier in the day, Animal Husbandry & Dairy Development Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar along with Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer inspected the exhibition of the Dairy Development Department at fair ground, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. The Cabinet Ministers also inspected mobile vans for consumer awareness. S. Bhullar instructed the officials to create more awareness among the dairy farmers in remote villages through milk producer awareness camps.

          Meanwhile, the exhibition and consultation stall set up with the objective to promote dairying as a subsidiary occupation remained the centre of attraction for the farmers, where they shared their problems and filled suggestion forms. Director Dairy Development Department Mr. Kuldeep Singh and other officials were present on this occasion.