IEP Chandigarh, January 10

Punjab Transport Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar, on Wednesday, urged all the owners/drivers to affix HSRPs on their vehicles on priority.

In a press communiqué issued here, the Transport Minister said that as per the orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India and notification of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, affixation of High Security Registration Plates (HSRPs) is mandatory for all vehicles. These directives make it necessary for all vehicles registered in the State of Punjab to have High Security Registration Plates.

S. Bhullar mentioned various measures undertaken by the state government such as opening of additional fitment centers and offering the option of house fitment etc. to simplify the process of affixing HSRPs.

The Cabinet Minister informed that in the past, awareness campaigns conducted across various media platforms to sensitize individuals about the necessity of HSRPs, resulting in many complying already. S. Bhullar once again appealed to all the motor vehicle owners and drivers to affix HSRPs on their vehicles, as the violation of the same will lead to heavy penalty.

IEP Chandigarh, January 10

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday announced the formal culmination of the second season of the biggest sporting extravaganza of the state Khedan Watan Punjab Dian.

The Chief Minister said that more than 4.5 lakh players had participated in these games held across the state. He said that cash awards worth Rs 8.30 crore have been digitally transferred in the bank accounts of around 11,000 players who had bagged Gold, Silver and Bronze medals at the state level during games. Bhagwant Singh Mann congratulated all the players for their stupendous success adding he hoped that these players will continue to bring laurels for the state in sporting competition at national and international level.

The Chief Minister said that this year 35 competitions were held in eight age groups adding that for the first time Rugby, Cycling, Horse Riding, Wushu and Shooting Volleyball have been introduced in the games. He said that the competitions were held in the age groups of under 14, under 17, Under 21, 21-30 years, 31-40 years, 41-55 years, 56-65 years and above 65 years age group. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that players were given cash prizes worth Rs 8.30 crore including RS 10,000 for gold, Rs 7000 for silver and Rs 5000 for bronze medal winners.

The Chief Minister further said that these games are a right step towards this direction as they are providing a platform to the players for showcasing their talent. Bhagwant Singh Mann asserted that these games will also help the state government to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the players which will be beneficial for grooming them for the national and international events in future. He further said that the state government is leaving no stone unturned to popularize sports in the state as it can play a key role in progress of the state and prosperity of its people.

IEP Chandigarh, January 10

Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, on Wednesday, said that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government has set a target to bring down the crop residue burning to 50 per cent in the upcoming season.

          He was addressing the one-day state level workshop-cum-training on “space based technology for monitoring stubble burning under Agro-geoinformatics” organized by Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC), Ludhiana here at MGSIPA.

          S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that pollution is a vast issue, and holding only farmers responsible for the same would not change anything on ground as they are also victims of uncontrolled pollution. All should come together and find a solution to save the environment for our future generations, said S. Khudian while adding that the hardworking farmers and laborers of the Punjab, who made the country self-dependent in food security, would contribute their maximum in this move.

          He further said that Punjab Government has not been leaving any stone unturned to tackle the crop residue burning menace as around 23000 Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines are being provided to the state farmers on the subsidy during FY 2023-24. Due to the concerted efforts of the government, the stubble burning incidents have reduced to 36,623 in 2023 from 49,922 fire incidents in 2022, reflecting a positive change of 26 per cent. Earlier, this facility was running under 100% assistance from GoI but at present it is on sharing basis of 60:40 ) Centre- State).

          Meanwhile, Special Chief Secretary (Development) Mr. KAP Sinha said that the state government is mulling to launch the Crop Residue Management (CRM) campaign this year in advance to contain the fire incidents more effectively, besides encouraging the farmers to adopt the crop diversification to wean away them from two crops (wheat-paddy) cycle to address the problem of groundwater depletion. 

          He said, “Punjab is known for Agriculture that’s why the state is called a food bowl of the country. Our prestige attached with agriculture and Punjab will not let it go to any other state”, while adding that the capacity of In-situ and Ex-situ will also be increased in hot-spot areas, besides, involving cooperative societies to support small, marginal and SC farmers.

          Director PRSC Dr. B. Pateriya highlighted the harmful effects of stubble burning on air, soil quality, as well as human health. He called for synergy among the Department of Agriculture, NGOs, academia, industry and farmers to tackle the menace of paddy straw burning.

          Principal Scientist Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi Dr. Vinay Kumar Sehgal made a presentation on the Application of space technology in crop residue burning. Dr. RK Setia, Group Head, demonstrated the role of geospatial technology and its applications with special reference to Punjab. Dr. Hapinder Singh, Group Head, elaborated the process of monitoring satellite based crop residue burning in Punjab.

         Chairman Punjab Pollution Control Board Prof. (Dr.) Adarsh Pal Vig, Deputy Commissioner Fazilka Ms Senu Duggal, Deputy Commissioner Ferozepur Mr. Rajesh Dhiman, Deputy Commissioner Bathinda Mr Showkat Ahmad Parray and other senior officials of civil and police administration also participated in the discussion and gave their feedback to control the stubble burning in coordination with all the stakeholders.

IEP Chandigarh, January 10

On the direction of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the ‘Nal Jal Mitra Scheme’ is set to be launched across all villages in Punjab. The Department of Water Supply and Sanitation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, has devised a comprehensive multi-skilling course for ‘Nal Jal Mitra.’ Beneficiaries undertaking the course will not incur any fees, as the government will bear all costs.

Divulging the further information, Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Bram Shanker Jimpa said that the course’s primary goal is to offer skill-based training to local residents in villages, empowering them to efficiently manage water supply schemes. He said that course participants will gain the ability to perform minor repairs and maintenance, potentially leading to employment opportunities within their villages.

The Cabinet Minister said that the course spans 510 hours and aims to create employment opportunities within approximately 12,000 villages of Punjab through the Nal Jal Mitra program. The Technical Education Department will provide training in plumbing, electrical works, pump operation and more. The government is planning to launch this program by March of this year.

To facilitate the training initiative, gram panchayats in villages would nominate a local individual for maintaining their water supply scheme. Each gram panchayat is expected to have at least one person undergo ‘Nal Jal Mitra’ training.

It is pertinent to mention here that under the Jal Jeevan Mission, efforts are underway to ensure water availability for every rural household. In many Punjab villages, gram panchayats manage water supply schemes through water and sanitation committees (GPWSC). The long-term sustainability of these schemes relies on skilled human resources at the local level, making the implementation of the Nal Jal Mitra scheme crucial across all villages in Punjab.

IEP Chandigarh, January 10

Under mission ‘Canal water to every field’ and to reduce reliance on underground water, Punjab Water Resources and Soil & Water Conservation Minister S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra is actively engaging with local MLAs, district administration and concerned departments to collect essential on-ground information.

During the recent meetings with MLAs of various constituencies at Patiala, Ludhiana, Moga and Amritsar, S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra has issued clear instructions to the officials concerned that canal water to each field should be ensured in a stipulated time frame, as the use of ground water in the state can be reduced only by maximum use of canal water.

S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra infomed that groundwater resources of the state are declining at an alarming rate with 117 out of 150 blocks comprising nearly 80% of state’s geographical area already under over-exploited category, stressing on need to develop alternate surface water-based irrigation water sources and also maximizing canal water usage to arrest declining groundwater resources of the state.

He said that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led government is making continuous efforts to save the underground water for future generations, while the previous dispensations kept avoiding this serious issue, which resulted in near destruction of the entire canal water infrastructure. He asserted that the Mann government will bring the canal structure fully on track, and upcoming Kharif season would witness the restoration of the canal water system, ensuring its availability to tale end and every field.

Stressing on the need to utilize treated water for irrigation purposes, S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra said that the state government, under its efforts aimed at preventing further depletion of underground water and to reduce the agricultural input costs for the farmers, has set target to double the treated water usage to 600 MLD by end of current financial year, thus benefitting 20,000 hectares of agriculture land. The state is at present utilizing 320 MLD for irrigation, he added.

The Water Resources Minister has also instructed the officials to vacate the illegal encroachments on the water courses so that the farmers can get canal water. He also urged the farmers to vacate the illegal encroachments from the water courses on their own, as these water courses will irrigate their fields.

The Cabinet Minister said that the government has acquired ten large machines for the cleaning of the water courses and drains, which resulted in 60 percent cost saving. He said that if the need arises, additional machinery will be purchased to complete the work.

He directed the officials to clean the water courses and drains and complete the ongoing projects in a timely manner, adding that demarcation of every drain should be done immediately after the harvest of the crop.

IEP Chandigarh/Rupnagar, January 10

Punjab Rural Development and Panchayat Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar, on Wednesday, successfully regained control of around 85 acres of panchayat land in village Harnampur under the Gram Panchayat Hirdapur.

Speaking to the media on site, the Cabinet Minister informed that the land, with orchards of guava and other trees and having value of more than Rs.100 crore, in Harnampura village had been unlawfully occupied by industrialists and local villagers, which has been vacated under the ongoing campaign of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led state government.

He said that the land’s possession has been returned to village Harnampur under Gram Panchayat Hirdapur. It will be subsequently allocated for agricultural purposes through open bidding, and the generated income will be utilized for the village’s development.

The Rural Development Minister categorically instructed the officials not to include individuals, who have illegally occupied the land, in the bidding process.

The Cabinet Minister urged the people of Punjab to collaborate with the state government in eradicating illegal occupations in their villages. He said that this cooperation would significantly enable the panchayats to make significant efforts towards increasing income.

He lamented that previous governments had extended patronage to people for encroached upon the panchayat land and thousands of acres in the state, from which the Punjab government was supposed to collect revenue on a large scale, could not be done. This situation has caused financial losses to the state exchequer.

The Cabinet Minister said, on the other hand Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led government is taking stringent measures against illegal occupations. Through it’s continuous encroachment drive, thousands of acres of land, both commercial and agricultural, have been reclaimed from illegal occupation.” The Minister affirmed that the campaign against illegal encroachment will persist in the future.”

On this occasion, Additional Deputy Commissioner Amardeep Singh Gujral, SDM Rupnagar Harkirat Kaur, DSP  Trilochan Singh, Joint Director of Shamlat Cell Mr.  Jagwinderjit Singh Sandhu and other senior officials were present.

IEP Chandigarh, January 9

In a New Year gift to the youth of the state, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today handed over appointment letters to 520 newly recruited Clerks cum Data Entry Operators in the Punjab State Cooperative Bank.

Addressing the gathering here at Tagore Theatre after handing over the appointment letters, the Chief Minister said that this is not a first function as the state government has handed over job letters to more then 40,000 youth in the state. He said that the state government is making strenuous efforts for restoring the pristine glory of Punjab by making youth a partner in this noble cause. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that Punjab is a blessed land as every second village of the state has footprints of great Gurus and the state has produced valiant sons who had laid their lives for the country.

The Chief Minister said that Punjabis are born entrepreneurs and leaders due to which they have proved their mettle across the globe. He said that the hard work and resilience of the Punjabis is unmatched owing to which they excel in every sphere. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this spirit of Punjabis can be duly used for taking the state ahead adding that the state government is fully committed to it.

The Chief Minister said that the brave and determined Punjabis had made enormous sacrifices to remove the shackles of foreign imperialism. He said that it is on record that more than 90% of the great patriots who laid down their lives or were subjected to British tyranny in one form or another were Punjabis. Bhagwant Singh Mann asserted that even today Punjabis are at forefront to safeguard the borders of the country and make the country self-reliant in food production.

The Chief Minister said that as the head of the state his every action is aimed at ensuring the progress of the state and prosperity of its people. He said that unfortunately his predecessors were never bothered about the state but they were more concerned about their vested political interests. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that in dearth of any tangible issue against him, the rejected leaders of the state are baselessly criticizing him daily without any halt.

The Chief Minister said that the state has created history by purchasing Goindwal power plant owned by a private company GVK Power. He said that for the first time this reverse trend has started that the government has purchased any private power plant whereas in the past the state governments used to sell their assets to the favorite individuals at ‘throw away’ prices. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that as coal from Pachwara coal mine can be used only for government power plants so with purchase of this power plant this coal can be aptly utilized for producing power to provide it to every sector of the state.

The Chief Minister said that now complete transformation is being witnessed in hospitals, schools and new medical colleges are coming up for the well being of the common man.  He said that these decisions are being taken only by those who are aware about the problems of the people at grass root levels. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the traditional political parties have ruined the state and now they are shamelessly making huge talks of morality.

The Chief Minister asserted that due to massive efforts made by the state government, Punjab is witnessing a massive Industrial Revolution in the state. He said that during the last 18 months some of the biggest companies like Tata Steel and others had made a beeline to invest in the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this is a step forward for making Punjab a frontrunner state and carving out Rangla Punjab.

Likewise, the Chief Minister said that due to concerted efforts of the state government Punjab has emerged as the most preferred investment destination in the country. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that Punjab has so far attracted Investment of more than Rs 55000 crore which will create 2.95 lakh jobs for youngsters.  He said that more investments will be roped in during the coming days to give a boost to economic activity in the state.

The Chief Minister said that while in the last 75 years the youth were yearning for even a single job now they have got even three jobs within a year. He said that the earlier rulers had never bothered about the welfare of the state or its progress but the incumbent government is leaving no stone unturned for it. Bhagwant Singh Mann in the last 25 years only two people had ruled the state and exploited its resources for their vested personal interests.

Quoting verse ‘Pawan Guru, Paani Pitaah, Mata Dharat Mahat’ from Gurbani, the Chief Minister said that the great Gurus have equated air (pawan) with teacher, water (paani) with father and land (dharat) with mother. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that now the time has come when we must imbibe the teachings of Gurbani in our lives for restoring the pristine glory of the state by resolving to save the environment of the state. He said that the state government will leave no stone unturned for this noble cause but for it the youth must play an important role.

The Chief Minister urged the youth not to feel proud of their achievement but to stay humble and work hard for more success. He said that confidence and a positive approach should be basic traits of everyone’s personality but there should be no pride in it. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this is the key to success for charting the success in every field adding that this should be implemented in right earnest.

The Chief Minister said that this spree of giving jobs will not stop and on January 18, more job letters to 590 youth will be given. He said that the motive is to make youth an equal partner in the social and economic progress of the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state government is committed for the well being of the youth of the state along with other sections of the society.

The Chief Minister exhorted the new recruits to judiciously use their post for the welfare of the people and securing justice for them rather than harassing them. He said that the state government is committed for ensuring the well being of the people for which stupendous efforts are being made. Reiterating the firm commitment of his government to ensure welfare of the state, Bhagwant Singh Mann no stone will be left unturned for this noble cause.

Quipping on the remark made by state BJP Chief regarding tableau of state, the Chief Minister said that misinformed leaders like Sunil Jakhar are becoming a stumbling block in the progress of the state. He said these leaders have ruined two generations of the state due to which they didn’t even turn up for the debate on November 1, last year. However, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the wise people of the state have ousted these leaders from the political arena and sent them to oblivion.

The Chief Minister said that the traditional parties are envious of him because he hails from a common family and is working tirelessly to ensure welfare of people. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that these leaders had always believed that they have divine right to rule the state due to which they are not able to digest that a common man is running the state efficiently. He said that these leaders have befooled the people for a long time but now people are not getting swayed by their misleading propaganda.

The Chief Minister said that gone are the days when the head of the state was confined to big rooms of their palaces whereas now he is always amongst the people. He said that all the promises made with the people by his government are being fulfilled in the right earnest to give boost to development of the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that he is easily accessible to all due to which every issue of the state is now resolved promptly to the satisfaction of people.

The Chief Minister said that the Union government has insulted the great martyrs including Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Rajguru, Shaheed Sukhdev, Lala Lajpat Rai, Shaheed Udham Singh, Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha, Mai Bhago, Ghadri Baabe and others by rejecting the tableau of the state. He said that the union government is trying to belittle their contribution and sacrifice of these heroes by not including their tableaus in the Republic Day parade. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this cannot be tolerated as it is the grave insult of these great patriots and national leaders adding that these leaders don’t need certificate nationalism from the BJP led Union government.

Earlier, Special Chief Secretary to CM VK Singh welcomed the Chief Minister and exhorted the newly inducted clerks to perform their duty meticulously for the well being of common man. He said that there is a huge potential of the bank in giving a major push to the industrial development of the state for which these clerks can play a pivotal role. VK Singh said that the youth of the state can act as a catalyst in strengthening the cooperative sector in the state.

IEP Chandigarh, January 9

Swift action is being taken to complete the backlog of divyang persons. This was expressed by Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister, Dr. Baljit Kaur, during a meeting with representatives of the Divyang persons today.

The Cabinet Minister stated that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, is committed to capacitate Divyang persons in the state. Today under the same initiative, Minister Discussions took place with to complete the backlog of divyang persons vacancies Special Chief Secretary of Social Security, Women and Child Development Mrs. Raji P. Srivastava and Deputy Director Amarjit Singh Bhullar.

Representatives of divyang persons raised demands about filling backlog posts, increasing travel allowance, providing free education facilities, hostel accommodations for college-going girls in Jamalpur, arranging free writer, increasing pensions, divyang sportspersons and reserve seats in government buses.

Dr. Baljit Kaur assured the representatives that their legitimate demands would be addressed soon. She mentioned that the Punjab government is diligently working to fill the backlog of posts reserved for the Divyang persons in various departments. The Minister instructed officials of Social Security, Women and Child Development Department to coordinate with the Department of Employment Generation and Training to organize a special job fair, so that expediting the process related to the backlog of divyang posts.

She directed officials to conduct regular meetings with all departments and take actions regarding the backlog.

IEP Chandigarh, January 9

The cabinet sub-committee comprising Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema and NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Tuesday assured the transporters of the state that the State Government would share their concerns regarding provision contained in the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) prescribing punishment for causing death in a hit and run cases with the Union Government.

During a meeting with the representatives of truck and taxi unions of the state here at Punjab Bhavan, the Cabinet Sub-Committee discussed in detail the provision of punishment under Section 106 (2) of BNS for causing death due to rash and negligent driving, and escaping without reporting it to a police officer or a Magistrate soon after the incident. The main concern of the representatives of the transport unions was the manhandling of the driver of the commercial vehicle and damaging the vehicle by the mob after the accident.

The Cabinet Sub-Committee assured the unions that while sharing their concerns with the Union Government regarding this law, the Punjab government would pressurize to make necessary arrangements to ensure the safety of the driver in such cases. He also directed the state police department to ensure that action should taken against the culprits in the cases of beating up a driver by the mob after the accidents.

Regarding the demand made by the Union to take strict action against the commercial use of illegal vehicles involved in commercial activities, the Cabinet Sub-Committee directed the transport and the police department to take strict action against such vehicles immediately. Apart from this, the cabinet sub-committee also asked the transport department to give its suggestions after studying the demand of the representatives of the taxi unions regarding bringing change in the tax system according to the sitting capacity of the vehicle.

Secretary (Transport) Dilraj Singh, State Transport Commissioner Monish Kumar, ADGP (Intelligence) Jaskaran Singh, other senior officials of Transport and Police Department, and representatives of various transport and taxi unions of the state were present in the meeting.

IEP CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, January 8

          Following a vigorous follow-up investigation in a 19-kg heroin recovery case carried out as part of the decisive war against drugs launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police on Monday arrested three more members of Mannu Mahawa cartel and recovered an additional chunk 3.5kg heroin, taking the total recovery to 22.5 kg in this case.

          Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav has identified the arrested persons as Balraj Singh alias Kaka of village Lahorimal in Amritsar, Anmol Singh alias Laalu and Sarabjit Singh, both residents of Ranjhe di Haveli in Amritsar. With the arrest of these three more accused persons in this case, the total arrests have reached 10, he added.

          He said that apart from recovering heroin, Police teams have also recovered 10 live cartridges of .30 Bore and 9 live cartridges of 9 MM along with one car Safari from their possession.

          The development came a little over a week after the Commissionerate Police Amritsar had busted a cross-border drug and arms smuggling racket being operated by USA-based smuggler Manpreet alias Mannu Mahawa with the arrest of its two key persons and recovered 19kg heroin, Rs 23 lakh drug money, 7 pistols including one 9mm Glock and drone parts.

          Sharing more details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that following reliable inputs that wanted accused Anmol Singh alias Laalu along with his accomplices were spotted in area of Sultanwind, Police teams of CIA Staff-3 under supervision of DCP Harpreet Singh Mandher, ADCP CITY-3 Abhimanyu Rana, ACP Sarabjit Singh Bajwa conducted a special nakabandi and arrested three accused persons.

          He said that as per preliminary investigations, the accused were directly in touch with Pakistan-based smuggler Shah and USA-based Manu Mahawa, and were supplying Drugs and Arms-Ammunition across the state after smuggling from Pakistan via Drones. This consignment was also sent by Pak-based smugglers, he added.

          CP Bhullar said that further investigations are being conducted to probe the backward linkages and unearth the whole network of drug suppliers, dealers and their buyers.

          An FIR No 298 dated 31/12/2023 had already been registered under sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act and section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station Islamabad.