Category Archives: News

A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart.

Chandigarh, Punjab

PUNJAB VIDHAN SABHA SPEAKER EXPRESSED GRIEF OVER DEMISE OF SAMAJWADI PARTY FOUNDER AND FORMER CHIEF MINISTER MULAYAM SINGH YADAV

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IEP Chandigarh, October 10 

Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Mr. Kultar Singh Sandhwan has expressed deep grief over the demise of Samajwadi Party founder and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav, who passed away in a hospital in Delhi this morning. S. Sandhwan said that Sri Mulayam Singh Yadav was a grassroots leader who played an important role in carrying forward the socialist ideology. He said that Mr. Yadav devoted his entire life to protect the rights and interests of the downtrodden and left a significant mark on the politics of India.Mr. Sandhwan shared his grief with the members of the Mr. Yadav family and prayed to God for the peace of the departed soul.

Chandigarh, Haryana

Haryana Governor releases book titled ‘The Harambee Factor’

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IEP Chandigarh, October 10

Haryana Governor Shri Bandaru Dattatraya on Monday released the book titled ‘The Harambee Factor’ written by former Ambassador Shri Gurjit Singh at Raj Bhavan. On this occasion, Chief Principal Secretary to the dChief Minister, Shri DS Dhesi and Secretary to Governor, Shri Atul Dwivedi, were also present.

        Congratulating Shri Singh, Governor Shri Dattatraya said that ‘The Harambee Factor’ would prove to be important in further strengthening India’s economic and developmental partnership with Africa.

        “The book will also make the readers aware of the development work done by India in Africa. Students with interest in international relations will gain insights into India’s relations with African countries, which will not only increase their knowledge but will also benefit them in preparing for competitive examinations, said Shri Dattatraya.

        Shri Gurjit Singh, who has been India’s Ambassador to many Asian countries including African Union countries, Kenya, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Philippines, Germany, said that in this book economic, social and cultural relations of Africa with India during the last two decades have been described.

        According to Shri Singh, ‘The Harambee Factor’ has been prepared on the basis of India-Africa policy from 2000 to 2020. This will act as a guideline to further strengthen the relations between the two countries, he added.

Chandigarh, Haryana

More than 1200 new buses to be added to Haryana Roadways’ fleet

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IEP Chandigarh, October 10

In a bid to provide better transportation facilities to people in the state,  as many as 1275 new buses will be added to Haryana Roadways’ fleet. These include 1000 non-Ac buses, 153 AC buses and 128 minibuses. Besides this, approval was also given for the purchase of 33 buses to be separately purchased for the police department.

        A decision in this regard was taken in the meeting of the High Powered Purchase Committee (HPPC) and Department High Powered Purchase Committee (DHPPC) chaired by Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal held here today. During the meeting approval for the purchases of goods and items to be procured by various departments worth more than Rs. 2500 crore were approved.

        Transport Minister Sh. Mool Chand Sharma, Power Minister, Sh. Ranjit Chautala, Cooperation Minister, Dr. Banwari Lal, Urban Local Bodies Minister, Sh. Kamal Gupta and Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Sh. Anoop Dhanak also remained present during the meeting.

        Later addressing the media persons, Sh. Manohar Lal said that a total of 31 agendas of 11 Departments namely Transport, Irrigation, Police, PHED, HVPNL, DHVBN, UHBVN, HPGCL and various Government Departments, Boards and Corporations were tabled in the meeting. Out of which 24 agendas were approved. Most of the agendas were related to Power, Transport, and Irrigation departments, he added.

        He further informed that an agenda regarding the use of torrefied biomass pellets in thermal plants was also discussed in the meeting. A decision in this regard will be taken later and the tender will be floated in the coming week.

        Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department, Sh. Anurag Rastogi, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Sh. V Umashankar, Chairman, Power Corporations, Sh. P.K Das and the Administrative Secretaries of the concerned departments were present in the meeting.

Chandigarh, Punjab

TRANSPORT MINISTER LALJIT SINGH BHULLAR CONDUCTS SURPRISE CHECK AT SRI ANANDPUR SAHIB AND NANGAL BUS STANDS

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IEP Chandigarh, October 9

Punjab Transport Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar, on Sunday, conducted a surprise check at the bus stands of Sri Anandpur Sahib and Nangal City and Nangal Bus Depot.          At Sri Anandpur Sahib Bus Stand, the Transport Minister directed the depot officials to immediately start the public bus service between Sri Anandpur Sahib and Amritsar, the two centers of Sikhism, from tomorrow i.e. October 10. He inquired about the details regarding non-operation of buses on this route at the General Manager’s office and instructed the General Manager Paramvir Singh that there is anger among public due to non-operation of buses, so it should be ensured that buses continuously ply on this important route in future.          Reviewing the cleanliness at the bus stand, shops and toilets, the Transport Minister directed the General Manager to pay more attention towards cleanliness of the bus stand. S. Bhullar, while interacting with the passengers and listening to their problems, said that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann is paying much attention for making the public bus service more reliable and comfortable.          The Transport Minister also paid obeisance at Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib. He was bestowed the siropao by the management.          While visiting the bus stand and bus depot at Nangal city, Transport Minister S. Bhullar enquired about the income deficit of the depot and reason for the stationary buses. The Minister was apprised that due to the construction of a RoB over the railway crossing on the Una highway, many routes are closed and around 18 buses have been shifted to Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana, due to which the income has decreased. The Cabinet Minister, while taking stock of the stationary buses in the Depot, instructed the General Manager Gursewak Singh Rajpal to immediately making arrangement for passing of the buses so that these can be operationalized and the loss of income of the depot could be met. He also instructed the GM to ensure that there should be no shortage of buses’ spare parts in the depot.          On the demand of the depot employees, the Transport Minister assured that the concrete bus washing dug will be constructed soon. He also said that he will visit the bus stands across the state in coming days and take every possible step to make the public bus service meet the aspirations of the people.

Chandigarh, Haryana

Haryana Gurdwara Management Committee elections will be held in 18 months: Chief Minister

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IEP Chandigarh, October 9

Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal today attended the bhog (concluding ceremony) of Akhand Path Sahib held at Gurdwara Sri Nada Sahib in Panchkula. During this, he participated in Gurbani Kirtan and offered prayers to seek the blessings of the Almighty.

Later addressing the Sangat present in large numbers, Sh. Manohar Lal said that the State Government while respecting the Sikh sentiments had strongly defended the formation of a separate Gurdwara Management Committee for Haryana in the Supreme Court.

“As a result of which the Supreme Court announced its verdict in favour of the Sikh Sangat of Haryana by upholding the validity of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara (Management) Act, 2014. The verdict will certainly further strengthen the unity of the sect,” added the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister said that Sri Akal Takht is still the highest Authority. But local committees are needed for the Gurdwaras built at different places. The separation of the management system of Gurdwara is certainly not going to affect the unity of the sect, said Manohar Lal.

“When separate Gurdwara Management Committees can be formed for Patna Sahib, Takht Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib, Nanded and Delhi, then why the same cannot be done in Haryana. The formation of the Gurdwara Management Committee has been done only for making the governance and management system of the Gurdwaras smoother. The religious system is supreme, there is no interference of the government in it,” said Sh. Manohar Lal.

The Chief Minister said that as per the order of the Supreme Court, the election of the Gurdwara Management Committee will be held in 18 months, till then the Adhoc Committee will look after the functioning of the Gurdwaras. 

In the elections, whosoever wins will get the command of the Committee. There will be no interference from the government. After the completion of the election process, the adhoc Committee would hand over all its functioning to the newly elected Committee, added Sh. Manohar Lal.

He said that talks are going for giving the HSIIDC plot in Panchkula to Gurdwara Sri Nada. A final decision in this regard will be taken soon, informed the Chief Minister.

Sh. Manohar Lal said that the verdict given by Supreme Court will be used to serve society in a better way and to ensure the welfare of all the sections of society without any discrimination.

“I am hopeful that the entire Sikh Sangat will now work in the spirit of harmony and brotherhood and will do its best for the interest of society,” added Sh. Manohar Lal.

The Chief Minister assured that the Sikh society would get full support from the state government and together they would do the welfare of the society.

Chandigarh, Haryana

Haryana Agriculture Minister visits Rungis wholesale market in Paris, France

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IEP Chandigarh, October 8, 2022

– In a bid to have a hands-on understanding of modern infrastructure systems, operational modalities and support mechanisms, Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Sh. J.P Dalal visited Rungis Market International in Paris. 

Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department,  Dr Sumita Misra and other officers of the delegation, also accompanied the Minister. 

The delegation led by the Minister held a meeting with Sh. Stephen Liyani Chairman and CEO, Semmaris International, Sh. Ambroise, Director and, Incharge International Relations of Rungis International.  The company is partly owned by the Public and partly by the private sector and providing support in the development of wholesale markets in more than 40 countries.

During the meeting Sh. J.P Dalal expressed concern about farmers’ support system and successful operations of the market. 

“Haryana is swiftly moving to establish International Horticulture Market (IIHM) at Ganaur and has set a target to operationalise it by the end of 2024,” said Sh. J.P Dalal. 

Chairman Rungis suggested that based on experience the world over, IIHM Ganaur should focus on linking small markets of the catchment area, early bird Incentives to traders, restrictions on retail operations, strong regulations of operation and management, provide performance link incentives to employees, and develop Ganaur Green Transit Hub for distribution of different commodities. 

During the visit, the delegation also met with Sh. Javed Ashraf, Ambassador of India in France.

Meanwhile, Sh. Liyani is also Chairman of the World Union of Wholesale Markets( WUWM), he urged Sh. J.P Dalal to visit the Abu Dhabi Food Distribution Hub and participate in the WUWM conference in the last week of October. 

The  Minister invited the Chairman Rungis/ WUWM to Haryana and discuss further modalities of collaboration and cooperation in future for the success of IIHM, Ganaur. 

IIHM being developed at Ganaur

Notably, Haryana State is also developing the India International Horticulture Market (IIHM) at Ganaur near the National capital Delhi in an area of 540 acres on the pattern of Rungis Market. During the discussion, it was brought out that IIHM will be based on the Rungis market with some need-based facilities keeping in view Indian conditions.

This market will cater for the requirement of the 55 million population living in NCR including Delhi for fresh fruit, vegetables, etc. 

Rungis Market International is spread over an area of more than 700 acres

        Rungis Market International is spread over an area of more than 700 acres and was established in the year 1969. In this market trading of 16 lakh MT of fruits, and vegetables including that fish, meat and dairy products happens annually.

Chandigarh, Punjab

SPORTS MINISTER MEET HAYER HAILS HARMANPREET SINGH ON BEING SELECTED AS THE BEST HOCKEY PLAYER IN THE WORLD

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IEP Chandigarh, October 8:     

      Punjab Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer has congratulated Indian Hockey team vice-captain Harmanpreet Singh for being selected as the best hockey player in the world for the year 2021-22 by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). Indian hockey team defender and ace drag flicker Harmanpreet Singh have been chosen FIH Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.          Meet Hayer personally congratulated Harmanpreet Singh and said that it is a matter of pride for Punjab that our player has been selected as the best player in the world for the second year in a row. Harmanpreet Singh got this honour last year too.          Harmanpreet Singh, a resident of Timmowal village in Amritsar district, scored 6 goals in Tokyo Olympic Games last year and 9 goals in Birmingham Commonwealth Games this year. India won the bronze medal after 41 years at the Olympics while winning the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games. Harmanpreet Singh has played 155 international matches for India so far and has scored a total of 115 goals.          The Sports Minister said that it is a matter of pride for India that apart from Harmanpreet Singh, Indian men’s team goalkeeper P.  Sreejesh and women’s team goalkeeper Savita Punia have also been chosen FIH Goal Keeper of the Year in men’s and women’s categories respectively. Meet Hayer said that with this proud achievement of the Indian players, budding hockey players in the country will be inspired. 

Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab

PRESIDENT OF INDIA IN CHANDIGARH; GRACES THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS OF INDIAN AIR FORCE; ATTENDS CIVIC RECEPTION AT PUNJAB RAJ BHAVAN

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IEP Chandigarh October 9, 2022

The President of India Droupadi Murmu, graced the 90th anniversary celebrations of the Indian Air Force at Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh today (October 8, 2022).
Later in the evening, the President attended a civic reception, hosted in her honour, at Punjab Raj Bhavan.

Addressing the gathering the President said that from social and religious reforms to freedom struggle, from agricultural revolution to industrial development, this region of Punjab and Haryana has played a very important role. The states of which Chandigarh is the capital have made a leading contribution in the development of Indian agriculture. In the 1960s, when our country was going through a food crisis, the farmers of Punjab and Haryana made the Green Revolution a success. The Green Revolution ensured the food security of the country.

The President said that Chandigarh has special significance for both Punjab – the state of five rivers, and Haryana – the cradle of Shrimad Bhagavad-Gita. It has the distinction of being the capital of both the states. People from both the states come to Chandigarh for education, employment, medical and many other reasons. Therefore, Chandigarh occupies a very important place in the lives of people of Punjab and Haryana.
The President said that every year, during the winter season, the issue related to the Air Quality Index gets discussed all over the country, especially in this region. Everyone suffers from the ill-effects of pollution. She said that the fundamental basis of the Indian way of life has been the harmony of humans with nature. The well-being of mankind lies in the art of living with nature.
The President said that along with the UT of Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana have been endowed with many unique gifts by nature. It is our duty to cherish them. We should leave all those ways, which are not in accordance with nature, and through which pollution spreads. This applies to all of us. We should also take the help of science and technology in creating harmony with nature.

Speaking about women empowerment, the President said that in Indian culture we worship divinity in the form of Durga, Laxmi, Kaali and Chandi. We pray Gramdevi before entering our villages. She said that men and women are two equal stakeholders of our country. They should be given equal opportunities to move ahead. She noted that today women are marching forward in all areas with determination and hard work. In villages also nowadays girls are being given more opportunities to study and make their careers. From serving in border areas to being fighter plane pilots the women are today present everywhere. She said that it is the responsibility of society to encourage both girls and boys to move forward in life so that our country can march ahead.

Chandigarh, Haryana

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

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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.

Chandigarh, Punjab

PUNJAB POLICE BUSTS DRONE-BASED ARMS SMUGGLING MODULE; PRISONER AMONG TWO HELD

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IEP CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, October 5

The decisive war against anti-social elements waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has delivered yet another victory after Punjab Police on Wednesday busted a drone-based arms/ammunition smuggling module with the arrest of its two members including a prisoner.

Those arrested have been identified as Jaskaran Singh of Bhikhiwind in Tarn Taran, currently lodged at Sub Jail Goindwal Sahib, and Rattanbir Singh of Khemkaran in Tarn Taran, out on bail. The Police have also recovered 10 foreign-made pistols including five .30 bore (made in China) and five 9mm (made in USA Beretta) along with 8 spare magazines from both of them, besides a mobile phone concealed by Jaskaran in his barrack.

AIG Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar Amarjit Singh Bajwa said that accused Jaskaran Singh was brought on a production warrant in a case pertaining to NDPS act, which was registered at SSOC Amritsar in August 2022.

During questioning, Accused Jaskaran confessed that he was using a mobile phone in jail to contact Pak-based smugglers through WhatsApp for smuggling of narcotics and arms/ammunition from Pakistan via drones.

The AIG said that for this purpose the accused was taking the help of Rattanbir, who used to retrieve the consignments dropped via drones from different border areas. Pertinently, Rattanbir is also a co-accused in various NDPS cases with Jaskaran Singh.

He said that one consignment of five .30 bore pistols along with four spare magazines was recovered from the pinpointed location revealed by accused Jaskaran at Village Pidhi on Taran Taran-Ferozepur Road, which was concealed by Rattanbir on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, 2022.

AIG Amarjit Singh Bajwa said that acting on Jaskaran’s inputs, the Police teams of Counter Intelligence Amritsar have also managed to arrest Rattanbir from Khemkaran and on his disclosure five more Pistols of 9 MM were recovered along with four spare magazines, which were concealed by him near drain at village Machhike in Khemkaran.

Meanwhile, a case FIR No. 30 dated 04.10.2022 has been registered under section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station SSOC Amritsar.