IEP Chandigarh, November 1

Under the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Punjab Government has initiated a drive to wipe out tobacco usage to save children and youth across the State. Punjab is the first State in the country who celebrated a state specific “Punjab State No Tobacco Day” on 1st November. The theme of Punjab State No Tobacco Day 2022 campaign is “Tobacco Free Health Institutions”. The motive of this campaign is to make all the institutions Tobacco free and to protect non-users from involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke.

Divulging about the strenuous efforts of Punjab Government to eradicate tobacco usage in adolescent groups and youth, Punjab Health Minister Mr. Chetan Singh Jauramajra stated that a special week long campaign has been launched w.e.f 1st November to 7th November 2022 for declaring all the Government health institutions as Tobacco Free and for the strict implementation of Anti-Tobacco laws. At district level, all the Govt. health institutions will be declared as Tobacco Free.

According to the National Family Health Survey 2020-21 (NFHS-5) conducted under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the tobacco use among men in Punjab state declined from 19.2% (NFHS-4) to 12.9% (NFHS-5) during last 5 years, which is lowest among all the states of the country.

Speaking more about this ongoing initiative, Mr. Jauramajra said that the Health department of Punjab has taken up tobacco control as a flagship program. Total 14065 (2021–22) & 10,708 (April–Sept 22) Challans have been issued against the violators under Cigarette and other Tobacco products Act, 2003 (COTPA, 2003). Tobacco Cessation centers (TCCs) have been established in all the districts. Free counseling services and cessation medicines like Tab Bupropion, Nicotine gums and patches are being provided in these centers. Total 19932 (2021- 22) & 5142 (April–Sept 2022) tobacco users have availed services at TCCs. More than 700 Villages in the state have been declared as Tobacco Free.

Mr. Jauramajra urged that everyone of us should pledge to make Punjab a tobacco free state as tobacco use is associated with a range of communicable and non-communicable diseases and mental health disorders, wreaking a high social cost. He said that Punjab is a pioneer state to focus on youth by timely ban on E cigarettes, hookah bars and by declaring schools as Tobacco Free. State will continue making efforts to curb this menace of Tobacco usage as this will go a long way in deterring young children & youth from initiation & also motivate current users to quit.

IEP Chandigarh, November 01

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau during its campaign against corruption today nabbed a revenue Patwari Mandeep Singh, posted at Dhandari Kalan, district Ludhiana and a private person Soni, red handed accepting a bribe of Rs. 5,000.

Disclosing this here today an official spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau (VB) said Patwari Mandeep Singh was arrested on the complaint of Daljit Singh resident of Kabir Nagar, Ludhiana city. He informed that the complainant has approached the VB and alleged that the above said Patwari and his middleman were demanding Rs. 5,000 to provide the record of a plot registered in the name his mother. He further said that he had already paid a bribe of Rs. 1000 as a first installment to the accused middleman.

After verifying his information, a VB team laid a trap and the accused Patwari and his middleman were arrested on the spot while accepting a bribe of Rs. 5,000 as second installment from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses.

The spokesperson informed that a case under Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the accused at VB, Economic Offences Wing, police station Ludhiana and further investigation was under progress.

IEP Phagwara, November 1

 Reiterating the firm commitment of the Aam Aadmi government to ensure well being of people, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said that the state government is according top priority to impart quality healthcare services to the people.

 The Chief Minister, who dedicated the Mother and Child care hospital here at the local Sub Divisional hospital, envisioned that this newly constructed hospital will act as a catalyst to impart quality health care to the pregnant women and newly born child. He said that the move is aimed to ensure that people get quality health services in these hospitals. Bhagwant Mann said that more such hospitals will be constructed across the state in coming days.

 The Chief Minister further said that strenuous efforts are being made to equip the government hospitals with the ultramodern facilities. Likewise, he said that a massive recruitment drive has been embarked to fill all the vacant lying government posts in the health department. Bhagwant Mann said that the sole purpose is to ensure that people get the best healthcare facilities in the state.

 The Chief Minister asked the medical and para-medical staff present on the occasion to discharge their duty with utmost dedication and sincerity. He said that it is the need of hour to ensure that people get quality healthcare services in the government hospitals. Bhagwant Mann also said that the state government will leave no stone unturned to spruce up government healthcare infrastructure across the state for providing state of the art medical treatment and diagnostic services to people.

 The Chief Minister also inspected the operation theatre, immunisation ward, OPD and others to take stock of the health facilities. He also inspected various wards of the hospital and interacted with the patients to take their feedback about the state of affairs in the hospital. Bhagwant Mann also had detailed interaction with the Doctors and para medical staff about the facilities at the hospital.

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.