IEP Chandigarh, February 2

“Decision regarding the permission of electricity connections in unauthorised Colonies of Punjab will be taken soon.”

Giving this assurance, Punjab Power and Public Works Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO on Thursday called on builders of SAS Nagar in which they demanded the permission of electricity connection in unauthorised colonies.

          He said that there is no policy yet of PSPCL to permit electricity connections in unauthorised colonies. He assured the Divine World Homes Welfare Society and other Builders that the matter to be taken at the earliest and amicable solution to be given.

Chief Engineer of PSPCL, Superintending Engineer Division Mohali, Kharar, Senior Executive Engineer of Zirakpur Mandal and various builders from Zirakpur, Kharar and Banur were present during the meeting.

IEP Chandigarh, February 2

Kultar Singh Sandhawan has decided to sensitize MLAs about mother tongue. Under the campaign launched by the Vidhan Sabha Speaker to sensitize the MLAs on various issues of public importance, S. Sandhwan is organizing a discussion on Punjabi language/ mother tongue on February 7, 2023 at the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat in which MLAs and officials are invited to participate.

According to a spokesperson of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, S. Sandhwan is organizing this discussion in view of the International Mother Language Day being celebrated on February 21 to promote the mother tongue. Along with this, MLAs will also be sensitized regarding the implementation of Punjabi language in the courts of the state.

It is to be noted that the Punjab government has also started a campaign to educate the people about the importance of mother tongue and to implement Punjabi. Under this, the month of November was celebrated as ‘Punjabi month’. During this month, a state-level function was held at Amritsar, in which chief minister Bhagwant Mann directed to put on all boards in Punjabi language across the state till February 21,  2023. Penalties will be imposed for non-compliance with these orders after the International Mother Language Day on February 21. Vidhan Sabha Speaker is mobilizing about the importance of implementing Punjabi language in the courts as well. 

IEP Chandigarh, February 2

Kultar Singh Sandhawan has decided to sensitize MLAs about mother tongue. Under the campaign launched by the Vidhan Sabha Speaker to sensitize the MLAs on various issues of public importance, S. Sandhwan is organizing a discussion on Punjabi language/ mother tongue on February 7, 2023 at the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat in which MLAs and officials are invited to participate.

According to a spokesperson of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, S. Sandhwan is organizing this discussion in view of the International Mother Language Day being celebrated on February 21 to promote the mother tongue. Along with this, MLAs will also be sensitized regarding the implementation of Punjabi language in the courts of the state.

It is to be noted that the Punjab government has also started a campaign to educate the people about the importance of mother tongue and to implement Punjabi. Under this, the month of November was celebrated as ‘Punjabi month’. During this month, a state-level function was held at Amritsar, in which chief minister Bhagwant Mann directed to put on all boards in Punjabi language across the state till February 21,  2023. Penalties will be imposed for non-compliance with these orders after the International Mother Language Day on February 21. Vidhan Sabha Speaker is mobilizing about the importance of implementing Punjabi language in the courts as well. 

IEP Jalandhar, February 2

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday vowed to work tirelessly for ameliorating the woes of weaker and underprivileged sections of society in consonance with teachings of Sri Guru Ravidass ji.          Addressing the gathering before flagging off a train of pilgrims from the city Railway station to Benaras for celebrating upcoming parkash purab of Sri Guru Ravidass ji, the Chief Minister, after taking blessings from head of Dera Ballan Sant Baba Niranjan Dass ji, said that the state government is duty bound to ensure the well being of the poorest of poor. Bhagwant Mann said that with the blessings of Sri Guru Ravidass ji his government has been voted to power with a thumping majority. He said that no stone will be left unturned for ensuring the well being of the poorest of poor strata of society.          The Chief Minister said that Sri Guru Ravidass Ji gave the message of welfare of the entire humanity, equality of all the sections of the society thus creating a society based on egalitarian values. He said that Sri Guru Ravidass Ji laid out the concept of such an ideal society where nobody undergoes suffering of any kind. Bhagwant Mann said that his government is committed to carve out a society based on the teachings and philosophy of Sri Guru Ravidass ji.          The Chief Minister said that the life and teachings of Sri Guru Ravidass ji continue to guide humanity towards carving an egalitarian society. He said that Sri Guru Ravidass ji was a great spiritual ambassador and messiah of the poor and unprivileged sections of the society taught us to lead a virtuous and noble life. Bhagwant Mann said that this ‘Parkash Utsav’ is an occasion to rededicate ourselves to the task of creating a society where every human being leads a life with self respect and dignity regardless of any discrimination.          The Chief Minister also lauded the role being played by Dera Ballan in the social and economic well being of the masses. He said apart from connecting the people with teachings and philosophy of Sri Guru Ravidass Maharaj ji, the Dera has always remained instrumental in imparting quality education and health services to the needy and underprivileged sections of society. Bhagwant Mann also lauded the philanthropic services rendered by the Dera for the well being of the people.          The Chief Minister said that after assuming the charge of his office, he had issued instructions that only the pictures of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Baba Sahib Dr. BR Ambedkar must be installed in all the government offices. He said that this step was as a mark of respect to Shaheed Bhagat Singh- the legendary freedom fighter who freed the country from foreign rule and Baba Sahib Ambedkar- who framed the constitution to secure equal rights for all. Bhagwant Mann said that his government is committed to realize the dreams of both these great national leaders.          The Chief Minister said that as per the ideology of Baba Sahib Ambedkar the state government is empowering the weaker sections of society by imparting quality education to them. He said that ‘Schools of Eminence’ will realize the dreams of Baba Sahib by grooming the poor but bright students for a prosperous future. Bhagwant Mann also urged the pilgrims to pray for the peace, progress and prosperity of the state and the holy city of Benaras adding that with the blessings of Sri Guru Ravidass ji a new, vibrant and progressive Punjab will soon be carved out by the state government.          On the occasion, MLAs Balkar Singh, Raman Arora, Shital Angural and Inderjit Kaur Mann, Deputy Commissioner Jaspreet Singh, Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Chahal, Additional Principal Secretary to CM Himanshu Jain and others were also present

IEP Chandigarh, February 1

          Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday asked the officers to ensure that new Industrial Policy is dedicated to industry soon.

          Chairing a high level review meeting here at his office, the Chief Minister said that Punjab is on the threshold of becoming a front runner industrial state in the country. He said that the new Industrial Policy which is being prepared by the state government will act as a pivot for it. Bhagwant Mann said that for the first time this industry policy has been formulated after taking the views of all the stakeholders especially the industrialists.

          The Chief Minister said that the suggestions of industrial captains of the state have been duly incorporated in this policy. Likewise, Bhagwant Mann said that the opinions received from the industrial tycoons during his recent visits to Hyderabad, Chennai and Mumbai too have been included in it. He said that this new industrial policy will give much needed fillip to industrial growth of the state.

          The Chief Minister asked the officers to ensure that this policy is finalised very soon so that it can be duly implemented in the state. He said that the officers must ensure that this policy is dedicated to the industrialists at the earliest. Bhagwant Mann expressed hope that the policy will put the state on high growth trajectory of industrial growth.

          On the occasion Additional Chief Secretary to CM A Venuprasad, Principal Secretary Industries Dalip Kumar, Dircetor Industries Sibbin C and others were also present.

IEP Chandigarh

 The Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, PGIMER, Chandigarh under aegis of Indian Society for The Study of Pain (ISSP) city branch along with two international distinguished pain physicians and PGI alumini Dr. Sanjeeva Gupta, from Bradford, UK and Dr Joysree Subramanian from Oklahoma, USA organized a Symposium on Neuropathic Pain in LT-1, PGIMER today ie 01-02-2023.

The symposium was inaugurated by Prof. Vivek Lal, Director, PGIMER. Prof Y Narayanan, Head, Deptt of Anaesthesia and intensive care and other senior faculty members and resident doctors from other departments were present on the occasion.Prof. Vipin Kaushal, Head, Deptt of Hospital Administration, Sh. Kumar Gaurav Dhawan,DDA and Sh. Kumar Abhay, Financial Advisor, PGI were also present.

Pain is marked as the fifth vital sign and affects each person differently. Around 80% of patients coming to Pain Clinic, PGIMER, Chandigarh suffers from Neuropathic Pain of various types ranging from head to toes such as radicular pain, diabetic painful neuropathy, Trigeminal neuralgia, post herpetic neuralgia, cancer pain, nerve pressure or nerve damage after surgery or trauma, post viral infections, alcoholism, multiple sclerosis etc etc. Management of Neuropathic Pain is quite challenging as it is very difficulty to treat and involves multifactorial assessment and multidisciplinary involvement of many approaches like physical therapy, medicines, minimally invasive interventions, advance interventions, spinal cord stimulation, and psychosocial interventions.

In view of this, the Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, PGIMER, Chandigarh has organized an symposium on “Neuropathic Pain” in collaboration with Visiting Professor, Dr Sanjeeva Gupta (Consultant in Pain Medicine and Anaesthesia, Bradford Hospital NHS Trust, Bradford, UK) and Dr Joysree Subramaniam (Consultant, Oklahoma University of Health Sciences Centre, Oklahoma, USA) under the aegis of Indian Society of Study of Pain, Chandigarh. The symposium was organised today,ie 1st February 2023 (Wednesday) in Lecture Theatre-1 from 3.00 PM- 7.00 PM.

Dr Sanjeeva Gupta, an PGI alumni and a renowned pain physician, discussed about evidence based management of Neuropathic Pain. He has expertise in assessing and managing pain originating from the spine, chronic postoperative pain and neuropathic pain. He is also expert in precision pain diagnosis and management, which has enhanced the knowledge of delegates in the interest of patient care. Dr Joysree Subramaniam another PGI alumni, is an American Board of Anaesthesiology certified Pain specialist. Her areas of interest include advance techniques and stem cell therapies for pain management. She has discussed recent advances in management of patients with refractory neuropathic pain.

A MoU has been signed between PRF (pain relief foundation) – Liverpool UK and Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care PGIMER Chandigarh for collaboration in four domains – academic, clinical, research and quality improvementPhoto- 

Prof. Vivek Lal,Director, PGIMER ( 3rd from left) inaugurated the  symposium with Lamp lighting ceremony

photo- A MoU  for collaboration in  Academic, Clinical,Research & Quality improvement   was signed between PRF (pain relief foundation) – Liverpool,UK and Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care PGIMER, Chandigarh

IEP Chandigarh

Cold weather conditions prevailed in most places of Punjab and Haryana on Wednesday as minimum temperatures dropped by a few notches. Parts of south Punjab, south, south-western and north Haryana were enveloped in fog. Ferozepur in Punjab recorded a minimum temperature of 4.4 degrees Celsius, Amritsar 5.3 degrees Celsius and Pathankot 6.4 degrees Celsius according to the meteorological department. Piercing chill prevailed in Gurdaspur, Faridkot and Patiala, which recorded minimum temperatures of 5.5 degrees Celsius, 5.4 degrees Celsius and 7.8 degrees Celsius respectively. Ludhiana’s minimum temperature settled at 9 degrees Celsius. In Haryana, Sirsa reeled under severe chill, recording a low of 5.4 degrees Celsius. Karnal recorded a minimum temperature of 7.2 degrees Celsius while Hisar registered a low of 7.9 degrees Celsius.

Bhiwani’s minimum temperature settled at 8.7 degrees Celsius while in Ambala it was 9.4 degrees Celsius. Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a low of 9 degrees Celsius. 

IEP Chandigarh

DST-Centre for Policy Research (CPR) at Panjab University, Chandigarh organized a 3-day online training program on “Science, Technology & Innovation (STI) role in DRR policies and strategies” from 30 Jan. 2023 to 01 Feb. 23. The program was organized with the support of National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. The training program aimed to bring together the domain experts, members of academia and key stakeholders on a common platform for understanding the role of science in enhancing Disaster Resilience by exploring the penetration of STI in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).Various dignitaries from national and international level graced the event and enriched the participants with their thoughts.

Dr. Parminderjit Kaur, Senior Policy Fellow at Centre for Policy Research, IISc, Bangalorehighlighted the STI contribution in DRR. She gave the way forward that Science influences actions and choices, individual as well as collectively. She stressed that together we can create new insights and methods, solve old problems, and establish higher standards and better evidence-based policies.

Dr.Suryesh K Namdeo, consultant from United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs put forward there commendation to develop a national biosecurity strategy and stressed on the need of a dedicated agency for biological emergencies.

Ms. Namrata Sarmah, Museum Professional at State Museum Guwahati highlighted the various case studies where ample contribution has been paid to preserve the artifacts from the ancient Indian history. Around 150 participants took part in the on-line training program, including faculty members, researchers, and students from various institutions from Chandigarh region and PAN India.

IEP Chandigarh, February 1

          Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday slammed the Union government for presenting an anti-Punjab, anti-people, anti-farmers and directionless union budget.

          “It is shameful that going by its myopic mindset the Union government has completely ignored the state thereby bringing a huge disrespect to countless sacrifices made by the brave and hard working Punjabis in pre and post independent era”, said the Chief Minister in a statement issued here today.

          The Chief Minister said that he is peeved to learn that all the genuine demands of Punjab have been blatantly ignored and state has figured nowhere in the Union budget. He said that after Republic Day, during which state’s tableau was kept out of parade, this is second deliberate attempt of the BJP led centre government to undermine contribution of Punjab. Bhagwant Mann said that he fails to understand why the BJP is meting out such step motherly treatment with Punjab.

          The Chief Minister said that being a border state they had demanded Rs

1000 crore for modernisation of BSF and state Police from centre. He said that this fund necessary to combat the smuggling of drugs and weapons from across the border especially through the hi-tech drones. However, Bhagwant Mann said that Union government gave cold shoulder to this demand by not allocating budget for it thereby completely jeopardising security in border state.

          Likewise, the Chief Minister said that during pre-budget meetings they had flagged off necessity to start Vande Mataram trains from Amritsar and Bathinda to Delhi for facilitating the people. But, he said that this demand has been completely ignored along with the idea of connecting all the five Takhts of Sikhs through Rail route. Bhagwant Mann said that this religious circuit would have given boost to tourism in state besides facilitating the commuters.

          The Chief Minister also lamented that the budget has exposed the anti-farmers stance of the Modi government. He said that this is the last budget of incumbent Modi government but despite of fall claims nothing has been done to double the income of the farmers. Bhagwant Mann said that even the government has ran away from giving remunerative MSP on crops to farmers which is very unfortunate.

          The Chief Minister said that they had been pursuing case of Rs 1500 financial assistance by centre to farmers along with matching grant by state for solving the problem of paddy menace. However, he said that nothing has been done in this regard by the Union government. Bhagwant Mann said that though the Union Finance Minister has vaguely announced that new nursing colleges will be opened but for it also no timeline has been fixed.

          The Chief Minister said that though Schedule Tribes have been offered various facilities in budgets but the Schedule Caste and Backward class brethren have been completely ignored. He said that it is totally a scripted paper budget which is both directionless and retrogressive. Bhagwant Mann said that the budget lacks vision for the common man which is very unfortunate.

          The Chief Minister cautioned the Union government to stop playing with fire by ignoring the state on key issues. He said that India cannot be imagined without Punjab and BJP led Union government’s attempt to ignore the contribution of Punjab and Punjabis will not be tolerated. Bhagwant Mann said that Punjab had been sword arm and food bowl of the country and it’s role can never be eliminated by such tantrums.

IEP Chandigarh

Punjab Police, in collaboration with its Community Affairs Division (CAD), has launched a first-of-its-kind initiative, Saanjh-DILASA, to promote peace in society. Aligning with the vision of the Punjab Government’s recent scheme Khushaal Punjab, this initiative has been rolled out under the kind guidance of Sh. Gaurav Yadav, DGP, Punjab. DILASA, which is an acronym for Dispute Intervention & Legal Awareness through Social Alliance, will encourage

complainants to resolve their complaints through mutual understanding. The pilot project of the initiative has been launched in the Moga district. The initiative will strengthen and broaden the scope of the Punjab Police’s Community Policing Programme, Saanjh. Under this initiative, services, including outreaching, counselling, dispute resolution, and legal awareness, will be provided to the citizens.

Amid the growing popularity of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platforms & services in India, Saanjh-DILASA will provide the complainants with an end-to-end ODR Platform annexed to police stations for their justice needs. This ODR Platform has been designed & developed by a homegrown company, Jupitice, headquartered in Chandigarh. The platform has been exclusively customised for Saanjh-DILASA. Under this initiative, if the case filed by the complainant has an element of

settlement, Punjab Police can suggest complainants refer their dispute to the

end-to-end ODR platform annexed to their police station for it. To file their

case or gather more information on Saanjh-DILASA, citizens of Moga can call

the toll-free helpline, 1800-309-8666, or visit www.saanjh.jupitice.com.

Additionally, the beneficiaries can also visit/call their nearest police station in

Moga to learn more about the initiative or get connected to the Saanjh-DILASA

representatives.

Aligning with the concept of Community Mediation, suggested in Clause 44 of

the Mediation Bill, 2021, Saanjh-DILASA provides mediation, with prior

mutual consent of parties, for resolving disputes which are likely to affect

peace amongst the residents or families of any area or locality.

While hailing the initiative, Smt Gurpreet Kaur Deo, IPS, DGP-Community

Affairs Division (CAD), Punjab Police said, “Saanjh-DILASA is a value addition

to Punjab Police’s Saanjh initiative, which will provide a smart way and

conducive environment for resolving disputes and differences among

individuals and organisations. We, at the Community Affairs Division, Punjab, have always been committed to finding solutions for resolving disputes which affect peace, harmony, and tranquillity in society. We would like to thank Jupitice for introducing the concept of ODR and partnering with us to figure out ways on how the police can play a crucial role in the mitigation of disputes.”

From matrimonial cases to labour disputes, Saanjh-DILASA is designed and developed to address a wide range of disputes that people may face in their daily lives. From understanding disputes to helping parties reach a mutual settlement, Saanjh-DILASA will guide the disputing parties throughout their dispute resolution journey on the ODR Platform. Furthermore, the settlement made on Saanjh-DILASA can be court-enforceable via Punjab State Legal Services Authority. Applauding the initiative, SSP Moga, Sh. Gulneet Singh Khurana, IPS, said, “With Saanjh-DILASA, Punjab Police has taken a revolutionary step to

strengthen the police-public partnership by empowering the citizens with the

help of the police. Since Moga will be the first district to introduce Saanjh-

DILASA, the Moga Police will ensure to provide all the citizens with the

necessary awareness. Moga Police would also like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Jupitice for introducing such an advanced technology that will revolutionise the role of police in serving the public”. Speaking on the launch of Saanjh-DILASA, Sh. Raman Aggarwal, Founder & CEO of Jupitice Justice Technologies, said, “The Government of Punjab has taken a reformative initiative in collaboration with Punjab Police to expand access to justice through participatory justice system. This initiative would be instrumental in developing and promoting the community justice system and further using technology to deliver justice to the doorstep of individuals.

Furthermore, the initiative would also enhance access to justice for the

women and other marginalised communities”.

About Saanjh-DILASA

Saanjh-DILASA is a joint initiative by Punjab Police Saanjh and Jupitice to promote peace in society. DILASA is an acronym for Dispute Intervention &Legal Awareness through Social Alliance. The initiative is a reformative step towards encouraging complainants to amicably resolve disputes outside of courts. The presence of the option to settle disputes is crucial for cases to be referred to the end-to-end ODR platform annexed to the police stations upon the consent of the parties involved. The disputing parties will have to pay only Rs 100/- each to file their case with Saanjh-DILASA.

Services Offered at Saanjh-DILASA

● Outreaching & Counselling Services

● Dispute Resolution Services

● Legal Awareness Services