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.

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.

IEP Chandigarh, October 28

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau during its ongoing campaign against corruption on Saturday registered a bribery case against Head Constable (HC) Harmanjeet Singh (No. 1310/Sangrur) posted at Police Post, Kalajhar, under police station Bhwanigarh, Sangrur district for demanding bribe Rs 1,00,000.          Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau (VB) said HC Harmanjeet Singh was booked on the basis of an online complaint lodged by complainant Pappu Singh resident of Bagrian, Malerkotla district. He has complained to the VB that the above said police official was demanded bribe to help him in a police case.         The spokesperson further informed that after verification of the facts and the material evidence a bribery case under section 7 of prevention of corruption act has been registered against the accused police cop at VB police station, Patiala and further investigation is under progress.

IEP SAS Nagar, October 26

Punjab Government led by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann is striving hard to promote industry in the state for generating more employment opportunities for the youth of the state, said Housing & Urban Development and Information & Public Relations Minister Mr Aman Arora, who laid a foundation stone of Udyog Seva Kendra at Dera Bassi Today.

Mr. Aman Arora, while addressing the members of Dera Bassi Industries Association, said that the industrialists of this region will get great benefits with this Udyog Seva Kendra. He said that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann was pushing to promote Ease of Doing Business and establishing new industry in the state, which is the backbone of the economy as in the progress of any country or state, industry plays a major role.

He said that he has been hearing about the difficulties faced by the Dera Bassi industrialists. The industry of this area was neglected by the previous governments. Now, the state government led by S. Bhagwant Mann was not leaving any stone left unturned in providing the required facilities to the industry. 

He informed that the Housing and Urban Development department has delegated powers for approval of Building Plans and grant of Completion Certificate of standalone industries including compounding of standalone industries, outside MC Limit, to Director of Factories so that the industrialist need not to apply at two separate departments for getting the Building Plans of their factories approved.

Many other significant decisions have been made regarding setting up industries in the state, with which Punjab was emerging as a preferred destination for industries across the country. On this occasion, he also lent sympathetic ear to problems being faced by industrialists and assured them to resolve their problems at the earliest.  

Earlier, MLA Mr. Kuljit Singh Randhawa felicitated the Cabinet Minister and apprised him the difficulties faced by the industry of Dera Bassi. On this occasion, SDM Dera Bassi Mr. Himanshu Gupta, President of Dera Bassi Industries Association Mr Vijay Mittal, Secretary Rakesh R. Agarwal and other office bearers and industrialists were also present.