The Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is ready to evaluate the Kandhi Canal (Talwara-Balachaur) Project on technical parameters.
Members of farmers’ organizations today called on Cabniet Minister Mr. Bram Shanker Jimpa regarding some issues related to the construction of Kandi Canal (Talwara-Balachaur) Project to provide irrigation facilities to the Barani area of Kandi.
Assuring that the demand of the farmers would be considered on technical grounds, the Cabinet Minister Mr. Bram Shanker Jimpa, in the presence of MLA Tanda Jasbir Singh Raja Gill, said that it was the priority of the Punjab Government to address the issues related to Punjab keeping in view of public interest. He said that Kandi Canal originating from Mukerian Hydel Channel to Balachaur along with hills. This canal was constructed in two phases to provide irrigation facilities to Barani fields of Kandi area. He said that this canal covers 19867 hectares of 215 villages of Hoshiarpur district and providing irrigation facilities.
The Cabinet Minister said that Kandi Canal Stage-2 stretch is around 60 to 130 km, which has been constructed from Hoshiarpur to Balachaur. The canal irrigates 16270 hectares of Barani Area in 146 villages of Hoshiarpur district and 13257 hectares of Barani Area in 72 villages of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district.
Divulging further, the Minister said that the lining of Kandi Stage-1 had been damaged with the passage of time so the department were decided to laid new concrete lining with HDEP Film replacing the old structure. He said that the work of stage-1 of concrete relining of Kandi canal was completed by R.D.-0 to about 32 kms and remaining work from RD 32 to 47 Km is underway.
Notably, this work has been ceased by the residents of the adjoining villages, they were demanding that concrete lining should not be done on the beds of the canal. They are demanding that the thought of the HDEP Film lining should be dropped as this may cause environmental issues like stoppage of water recharging which will further deplete the ground water graph. They said that the lining would lead to further aggregate the problem of water shortage in the villages.
The Minister said that besides human beings, all sectors, be it agriculture or industry, need water, thus our government would take decisions after considering the new as well as old project at the technical level and will pay special attention towards the needs and interests of the area/regions.
The newly appointed DGP of Punjab Police Mr. Yadav conducted surprise checks at Mataur Police Station and Phase VIII Police Station of Mohali today. Mr. Gurpreet Singh Bhullar DIG Rupnagar Range and Mr. Vivek Sheel Soni SSP SAS Nagar were present at the occasion.
DGP Gaurav Yadav inspected the Malkhans, barracks and canteens of Mataur Police Station and Phase VIII Police Station and inquired about the facilities being provided by the police administration.
Highlighting the motive of his surprise check, the DGP said that he was trying to personally go to the police stations to check the working of the police force and see if there was any shortcoming which could be rectified. He said that it was the priority of the Punjab Police Force to take strong action against drugs and gangsterism and to eradicate from Punjab thus providing better law and order to the people of Punjab. He said that it would be the agenda of the Punjab Police to improve the basic policing of the Punjab Police and to improve the relations of the police with the general public.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday pledged that he will not rest until the perpetrators of sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji are not put behind the bars.
“Desecration of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji on sacred land of Punjab is a blot on us. This inhuman crime is unimaginable and unpardonable, the guilty of which can never be spared” said the Chief Minister during Mission Sunehra Punjab conclave organised by a news channel here today.
The Chief Minister said that it is unfortunate that even after passing of so many years, the guilty of this heinous crime are roaming free. Bhagwant Mann said that this has happened just because the Akalis and Congress have hobnobbed with each other to save the culprits. However, he said that the day is not far when the guilty will be behind the bars for which his government will not leave any stone unturned.
The Chief Minister said that so far the culprits have escaped the punishment with the patronisation of the successive governments. However, he said that this has discontinued after his government has been formed because they are firmly committed to punish the culprits. Bhagwant Mann said that the best officers will pursue further investigation into the case and best lawyers will contest the cases in court to ensure that perpetrators do not escape the gallows.
Describing gangsters as a national problem, the Chief Minister said that all the states will have to join hands for curbing this menace. He said that only joint efforts by all the state can help in eliminating this problem effectively. Bhagwant Mann said that his government has already evolved a foolproof strategy to combat this menace.
The Chief Minister said that there is no ‘credit war’ for elimination of organised gang as every state is sensitive towards it. He also lashed out at Congress and Akalis for promoting gangster culture in the state. Bhagwant Mann said that both these parties have patronised gangster culture for their own vested interests.
The Chief Minister said that though destiny had brought him in politics but he had been firmly committed for serving the poorest of poor. Bhagwant Mann said that he is the Chief Minister of entire state and his only target is to make Punjab a front ranking state in country. He said that strenuous efforts are being made for progress of state and prosperity of Punjabis.
The Chief Minister said that most of his Ministers may be new to political arena but their vision and dedication for state and its people is unmatched. He said that this commitment makes them stand different from the other politicians who have used the power just to plunder wealth of state. Bhagwant Mann said that those who claim to be experienced politicians now were once novice in this field adding that the spirit to serve the needy and underprivileged sections of society makes them distinct from others.
The Chief Minister further said that it is unfortunate that Punjabis are reeling under huge debt but instead of worrying about their well being the opposition leaders are worried about their own salaries. He said that as a fact of matter these politicians are not worried about their salaries but they are more concerned about the corruption in public life that has stopped now. Bhagwant Mann said that as his government has plugged in all the pilferages in public money by checking corruption due to which most of the politicians and bureaucrats now think that their original salaries are too low as compared to the money minted by them through illegal means.
The Chief Minister warned that any person who has looted even a single penny of the public will be made accountable to people. Bhagwant Mann said that he will expose all such plunderers and severest of severe action will be taken against them, as per the law. He said that it is the firm commitment of his government that corrupt leader or officer, howsoever affluent he may be, will be brought to book and made accountable for his sins.
The Chief Minister categorically said that there is no opposition in the state as people have shown them the door for their anti-Punjab stance. Citing an example, he said that people have given massive mandate to his government by giving 92 seats out of which 66 were only from Malwa region. Bhagwant Mann said that people have voted for bringing a positive change in the state by ousting Akalis and Congress.
The Chief Minister said that former Chief Ministers Parkash Singh Badal, Captain Amarinder Singh and Charanjit Singh Channi, one former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and other leaders like Navjot Singh Sidhu and Bikram Singh Majithia have been badly rejected by the people. He said that these leaders have grossly misused the political power for their own vested interests as a result of which they have been shown the door. Bhagwant Mann said that people have expressed faith in them and they will upheld it at all costs.
Lashing out at former Chief Ministers Parkash Singh Badal and Captain Amarinder Singh for their non performance, the Chief Minister said that these two leaders ruled the state for fairly long time but they didn’t construct any good hospital in state, due to which they prefer to go abroad for their treatment. He said that though both Captain and Badal secured quality treatment for them at London and New York respectively but people in state are striving hard for good treatment. Bhagwant Mann said that this is shameful on the part of both these leaders who have failed to perform for state despite of the fact that people had elected them to serve.
The Chief Minister said that he had been a votary of healthy comedy throughout his life adding that he introduced satire in Parliament to raise the public issues and bring change in the system. He lamented that those in power had snatched smile of the common due to which despite of losing first poll he continued in politics. Bhagwant Mann said that he will continue to serve the Punjabis till his last breath.
Sharing an anecdote about the poor performance of Punjab People Party (PPP) in 2012 poll, the Chief Minister said that Manpreet Badal had formed the party after a fight with his uncle Parkash Singh Badal, who was the Chief Minister of state at that time. However, Bhagwant Mann said that the former Finance Minister never uttered a single word against the misdeeds of his uncle or his government. He said that this led to poor performance of PPP in Vidhan Sabha polls after which he joined AAP.
The Punjab government led by the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday appointed Mr Vijay Kumar Janjua as Chief Secretary in place of Mr. Anirudh Tewari.
Notably, Mr. Janjua is a 1989-batch IAS officer and is currently holding the position of the Special Chief Secretary Jails and in addition Special Chief Secretary Elections.
After completing B.Tech in Electronics from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, Mr. Janjua worked for one year at SCL (Semi-Conductor Complex), Mohali, then a Govt. of India enterprise designing computer chips for space agencies. He also worked as an ITS (Indian telecommunication Service) Engineer with Govt. of India for two and half years. Was selected for the IRS (Income Tax) in 1988 and later in IAS in 1989 with All India 12th Rank and was allotted Punjab Cadre. During service, obtained LLB degree from Panjab University and MBA degree with specialisation in Finance from IGNOU, New Delhi. Further did MA in International Development Policies from Duke University, USA.
Mr. Janjua worked in various departments of Punjab including Rural Development, Industries, Labour, Animal Husbandry etc. He also served in Govt. of India for three years as Director Industries in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion. During tenure as Deputy Commissioner of Fatehgarh Sahib district, Mr. Janjua developed a PRISM software with the help of NIC and introduced computerised registration of properties for the first time in Punjab.
He was also instrumental in carrying out several reforms in Labour laws for improving the ease of doing business in Punjab besides improving the investment climate in the state. Likewise, he also initiated several path-breaking initiatives in Revenue department as Financial Commissioner Revenue. About 2.2 crore khasra girdawri entries were digitised within a span of about 15 days in the Revenue department under his stewardship.
Following the instructions of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann for providing employment opportunities to the youth of the state in various fields especially in the Indian Army, the state government is focusing on promoting job-oriented National Cadet Corps (NCC) in schools and colleges of the border state.
Considering the NCC as launchpad for career in armed forces and toy magnify the interest of the youth to pursue a career in the Armed Forces, whereas the state government has earmarked Rs.5 crore in recent budget for improving infrastructure and creation of new facilities in NCC units and NCC training centers, it has also approached the Indian Army to boost the NCC activities amongst the youth.
Complying with the instructions of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Punjab Education Minister Mr. Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer today called on Lt. Gen. Gurbirpal Singh (AVSM, VSM), DG, NCC Directorate, New Delhi and Major General Rajiv Chhibber (Sena Medal), ADG, NCC Directorate (Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh).
The Minister, while assuring the Army officials for all possible assistance, said that the state government is tirelessly working to improve the infrastructure of NCC units and training centers situated in the State. “In recent budget session, the government has allocated Rs.5 crore for this purpose”, informed the Minister while discussing other technical aspect related to the NCC with the Army officials.
Beware of that super friendly woman you meet on Istagram or Facebook or What’s app. She could be a member of a gang targeting people into explicit sexual situations and then demanding money not to expose them on public platforms.
One of the victims on the condition of anonymity said that he got a call from unverified numbers and callers posing as Sub-inspector in Delhi Police, asking him to shatter the issue by paying money otherwise compromising pictures or videos will be put on social media platforms.
As per the statistics, sextortion, or extortion using sexual methods, tops the charts in the cybercrime cell of Chandigarh region. In all such cases, stories have emerged of individuals being “lured into recording themselves performing sexual acts” before being blackmailed. The cyber crime investigation cell (CCIC) of Chandigarh Police has advised the people to be careful about video calls from unknown numbers. Sources in the CCIC Chandigarh Police said that the number of sextortion (extortion cases using nude pictures) are increasing. There have been a number of incidents and the victims’ list is increasing. But due to shame or social stigma, the victims often do not report the crimes to police, they added.
When contacted, Mohali based cyber expert said that people who often get connected with strangers through social media or even gaming apps are targets of these crimes. It begins with offers of friendship but soon leads to sharing of compromising pictures or videos that are used for blackmail. The victims of such crimes belong to all age groups. Victims of such crimes are unwilling to come forward and report them to the police for fear of embarrassment or disrepute it might bring. However, the best and surest way of bringing such cases under control is to report them to the authorities, he added.
He further said, “The modus operandi of the gangs is to create fake accounts posing as girls on social media platforms and lure men, most of whom were rich with high-profile backgrounds. While posing as girls on social media, the accused took the victims into confidence and insist on starting obscene video chats, which they would then record. Then they blackmail the victims with the recorded videos and extort money from them. The person behind the profile is actually a criminal whose main motive is to extort money from the victim. These fake profiles are deliberately made to look very attractive so that people fall prey to this scam easily, he added.
Constable Rajnish, who posted at Panchkula cybercrime cell, said that the cases of cheating people into indulging in virtual sex and recording them to extort money from them have seen a spike during the last one year. Over dozen such cases have been reported in Panchkula district. “We have detected a few such cases and found the culprits to be from Rajasthan and the northern belt. Recently, Panchkula police Station, Sector 20 have arrested the person, native of Alwar, Rajasthan involved in sextortion. “We have urged people to report any cybercrime cases at the earliest in order to ease the detection process. Victim can register compliant at local police station or through on toll free number 1930 or website cybercrime.gov.in,” he added.
Director General of Police (DGP). He was currently serving as the Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Yadav’s appointment comes as the incumbent VK Bhawra has proceeded on a two-month leave, seeking the central deputation. It has been learnt that the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab Government, facing severe criticism over deteriorating law and order situation, is not happy with Bhawra’s functioning.
As Bhawra’s appointment has been made by the union public service commission for a tenure of two years, the government cannot replace him, but only make a temporary appointment.
Notably, Bhawra has been in line of fire over the killing of renowned Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, whose security was withdrawn a day before the incident. Besides, the police faced several embarrassing moments in the investigation of the case and prevention of crimes. He had to clarify his statement on Moosewala’s killing, linking it to a gang war.
Interestingly, Yadav had cleared his Civil Services Examination in 1992, along with Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal. While Yadav got selected in the Indian Police Service (IPS), Kejriwal went for the Indian Revenue Service (IRS).
Yadav had led the Punjab Police’’s 2014 international operation to apprehend one of the most wanted terrorists, Jagtar Singh Tara. Son-in-law of Punjab’s former DGP PC Dogra, Yadav has held a number of key positions, including acting as head of the Intelligence wing under the SAD-BJP government in 2016.
He was also SSP in Punjab for 10 years and Commissioner of Police for four years. He served as the Chandigarh SSP from 2002 to 2004.
The Punjab Governor and Administrator, UT, Chandigarh, Banwari Lal Purohit on Monday administered the oath of office and secrecy to five new Cabinet Ministers of the state in a brief but impressive ceremony here at Punjab Raj Bhawan in the presence of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Disclosing this here today, a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said that Chief Secretary Anirudh Tewari conducted the proceedings of the ceremony with the permission of the Governor.
The Cabinet Ministers, who were sworn in the Guru Nanak Dev auditorium within the complex of Punjab Raj Bhawan, included Aman Arora (MLA Sunam), Inderbir Singh Nijjar (MLA Amritsar South), Fauja Singh (MLA Guru Har Sahai), Chetan Singh Joramajra (MLA Samana) and Anmol Gagan Mann (MLA Kharar) were administered the oath by the Governor during the ceremony. After being sworn in the new Ministers signed the oath, which was counter signed by the Governor.
The prominent dignitaries who attended swearing in ceremony included Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Deputy Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha Jai Kishan Rauri, Cabinet Ministers Harpal Singh Cheema, Dr. Baljit Kaur, Harbhajan Singh ETO, Lal Chand, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Laljit Singh Bhullar, Bram Shanker Jimpa and Harjot Singh Bains.
Apart from these, AAP MLAs, senior party leaders, workers and volunteers from Punjab and dignitaries from different walks of life also graced the occasion. The function was attended by the senior officers of State Civil and Police Administration besides family members, relatives and friends of the newly sworn in Cabinet Ministers.
Following the strenuous efforts made by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government, Punjab Police on Monday got transit remand of four persons including two shooters in Sidhu Moosewala murder case from Patiala House Court in Delhi. Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead by some unidentified persons on May 29, 2022.
The Police have got transit remand of accused persons identified as Priyabarat alias Fauzi (Main Shooter), Kashish alias Kuldeep (Shooter), Deepak alias Tinu (Close aide of Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and was brought by Delhi Police on Production Warrant) and Keshav Kumar (Provided vehicle and helped in escaping shooters).
Pertinently, an application has been filed by the Special Prosecutor to grant the transit remand to the accused persons, formally arrested by the IO in FIR no. 103/2022 PS City One Mansa, Punjab.
The Hon’ble Court observed that as persons arrested have been accused of committing cognizable offence, thus, the transit remand of accused persons for one day is granted to produce them before the concerned court as early as possible.
The order further stated that the Medical examination of the accused persons be conducted as per rules and guidelines laid down by Hon’ble Apex Court. If accused persons need any medical facility, IO is directed to ensure that the accused persons get the same within time, it further reads.
Meanwhile, original order along with record is handed over to the Police. Jail Superintendents of Tihar and Rohini are also directed to hand over the custody of the above said accused to IO SP Dharamvir Singh/DSP Gobinder Singh.
The Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today hailed the verdict of Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissing a bunch of petitions seeking the quashing of FIR and Investigation conducted into the Behbal Kalan firing.
The Chief Minister said that the verdict has paved way for the Government to seek strict punishment against the policeman accused of firing on innocent protestors at Behbal Kalan. Lashing out at his opponents, Bhagwant Mann said both Akalis and Congress have connived with each other to save the guilty of this case. He that while desecration of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji and firing on innocent protestors took place during the Akali regime, the Congress actively shielded the perpetrators of the crime by ineffectively defending the investigation conducted into the incidents of sacrilege in Kotkapura.
The Chief Minister said that as a result of this the challan presented in the case against political leaders and senior officials was quashed by the High Court. Bhagwant Mann further said that the Akali-Congress, nexus that was shielding the accused hitherto, has been broken with the AAP Government coming into power. He said that the verdict was a result of the firm commitment of the AAP Government to bring the guilty to book as the State Government effectively defended the investigation conducted into the Behbal Kalan firing case, whereas the Congress had failed to defend the investigation into the Kotkapura desecration incidents.
Pertinently, in a significant judgement the Punjab and Haryana High Court today dismissed a bunch of petitions filed by the accused policemen in the Behbal Kalan firing case seeking quashing of the challan presented against them in the trial court. Accepting the contention of the Advocate General (AG), the court held that the charges could be framed even on strong suspicion. The court further directed a Special Investigation Team headed by Inspector General of Police Naunihal Singh, to conduct further investigation and submit their report under Section 173 Cr.P.C before the trial Court.
