IEP Chandigarh

          In a bid to bolster water conservation and management efforts, the Punjab Government today inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kuantum Papers Ltd. The agreement, signed between the Department of Soil and Water Conservation, Punjab and the Hoshiarpur-based paper company, took place in the presence of S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra Minister for Soil and Water Conservation, Punjab.

          Highlighting the commitment of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led government to preserving natural resources, the Cabinet Minister said that this groundbreaking partnership with a private sector entity is the first of its kind. This collaboration will facilitate the company’s support and financing for the state’s water conservation and management initiatives.

          S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra remarked that this unique initiative will bolster the private sector’s involvement in the state’s water conservation for the first time.

          While welcoming the partnership, the Cabinet Minister stated, “it will significantly boost the government’s water conservation programs and lay the groundwork for future public-private collaborations.”

          The Soil and Water Conservation Minister outlined that under this MoU, the company will provide funding for both new and ongoing projects related to water resource conservation and management through the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds or specifically allocated funds. The initiatives earmarked for funding include the construction of check dams, implementation of efficient irrigation systems, utilization of treated water etc.

          Notably, established in 1979-80, Kuantum Papers Ltd is one of the major paper manufacturing unit based in Village Sailakhurd, District Hoshiarpur. Mr. Drishinder Singh Sandhawalia, the company’s Director, expressed interest in forging a long-term partnership with the Punjab Government, pledging to invest in various government-led water conservation initiatives.

          At the event, Mr. KAP Sinha, Special Chief Secretary, Soil & Water Conservation asked the department to devise more innovative and efficient techniques for water conservation in the agriculture sector.

          S. Mohinder Singh Saini, Chief Conservator of Soils, Punjab extended gratitude to the company representatives for collaborating with the state government in the vital mission to preserve the state’s water resources.

          It is worth mentioning that state is facing a precarious ground water situation with almost 80% of its area under over-exploited category and if immediate remedial steps are not taken, the day is not far when we run out of this precious natural resource.

IEP Chandigarh

          In order to ensure the delivery of quality agri-inputs in the state as desired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Government is all set to establish three bio-fertilizer testing laboratories in three districts including Gurdaspur, SAS Nagar (Mohali) and Bathinda, said Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian here on Wednesday.

          Mr. Khudian along with Special Chief Secretary Development Mr. KAP Sinha, was chairing a meeting to review the functioning of the Chief Agriculture Officers and other officials to further improve the efficiency of the department.

          He asked the Director Agriculture to ensure submission of weekly progress report of field officers and initiate an action against the underperforming district officials, who have failed to accomplish given targets of sampling & testing of seeds, fertilizers and insecticides.

          Director Agriculture Jaswant Singh apprised Mr. Khudian that five teams of flying squad, set up on December 13, 2023 to ensure supply of quality seeds, fertilizers and pesticides for Rabi season, took 134 samples while checking 110 retail/wholesale shops. These teams have stopped sales of 28 dealers and have also lodged an FIR at Nangal.

          The Cabinet Minister was informed that wheat crop has been sown over 35 lakh hectares and minor attack of Pink Stem Borer is under-control. Agriculture Department has formed pest surveillance teams to monitor the attack of any pest on the wheat crop.

          While reviewing the status of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme, Mr. Khudian exhorted state farmers to complete their e-kyc to take optimum benefits of the scheme.

          Reiterating the commitment of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann for the welfare of the state farmers, the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister asked the Chief Agriculture Officers to implement the government’s welfare programs for farmers, besides, ensuring technical guidance and assistance to farmers for cultivation of crops.

          Secretary Punjab Mandi Board Ms. Amrit Kaur Gill and other senior officials of the department were also present in the meeting.

IEP Chandigarh

Senior IAS officer Mr Vijoy Kumar Singh on Monday assumed the charge of Special Chief Secretary to Chief Minister in the presence of senior officers of the state government.

Chairing a meeting after taking the charge of office, the Special Chief Secretary to Chief Minister said that percolation of pro-people and development oriented policies of the state government led by the Chief Minister Mr Bhagwant Singh Mann will be his top priority. He said that along with it major thrust will be laid on providing clean, efficient, effective, responsive and transparent administration to the people. Mr Vijoy Kumar Singh said that no stone will be left unturned for this noble cause adding he asked the officers to make sure that the people are benefitted by the schemes of the state government.

The Special Chief Secretary also said that as per the commitment of the state government thrust will also be laid on key sectors like education, health, employment, industrial development and others. He also underlined the need for ensuring that people get the benefits of the citizen centric services in a stipulated and time bound manner. Mr Vijoy Kumar Singh further said that a perfect coordination between civil, police and other departments will be ensured so that fillip can be given to the border state.

The Special Chief Secretary to CM urged the officers who came to greet him to discharge their duty diligently and meticulously to ensure that people are benefitted from it.

Notably, the Special Chief Secretary, a senior officer of the Indian Administrative service, had served the state and Union government in various capacities. A 1990 batch IAS officer has worked as Joint Secretary in Department of Personnel and Training, Special Secretary in Ministry of Textiles and Secretary in Department of Ex Servicemen Welfare in Ministry of Defence in Government of India. He is known for his proactive and responsive approach towards public service.

 IEP Chandigarh

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday released the diary and calendar of the Punjab Government for the year 2024 at his residence this morning.

Disclosing this here today a spokesman of the Chief Minister’s Office said that the layout design of the calendar and diary had been conceptualized and prepared by the Information & Public Relations Department and printed by the Controller Printing & Stationery Punjab. 

 Meanwhile, Information and Public Relations Minister Chetan Singh Jouremajra said that after many years the diary and calendar have been released on first day of the year.

 Prominent amongst others present on the occasion included Chief Secretary Anurag Verma, Special Chief Secretary to CM Vijoy Kumar Singh, Secretary Information and Public Relations Malwinder Singh Jaggi, Director Information and Public Relations Bhupinder Singh and others.

 IEP Chandigarh

In a New Year bonanza to the residents of the state, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday said that the state has created history by purchasing Goindwal power plant owned by a private company GVK Power at a cost of Rs 1080 crore.

The Chief Minister 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. He said that the power plant is the cheapest purchase made by any state/private company  as other power plants like Korba West, Jhabua Power and Lanco Amarkantak of capacity 600 MW have been purchased at Rs 1804 crore, Rs 1910 crore and Rs 1818 crore respectively. He said that the 540 MW power plant has been purchased at Rs 2 crore per MW. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this is much less than other power plants whose acquisition has been made at Rs 3 crore per MW. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that will be named as Sri Guru Amardass Thermal Power plant after the third Sikh Guru.

 The Chief Minister said that the available capacity of power plant was 61% whereas it was used only upto 34% but now it will be run to 75-80% thereby augmenting the power generation in the state. He said that with this 33% (1 out of 3 PPA with private thermals) PPAs have been terminated.  Bhagwant Singh Mann quipped that on January 1, 2018 units of Bathinda and Ropar  thermal power plants were closed permanently but today on 1st Jan, the pro-people government has purchased a private power plant to augment power supply of the state.

 The Chief Minister 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 this purchase will help in reduction in overall Tariff by over Rs. 1 per unit adding that it will lead to Savings of Rs. 300- 350 crores on power purchase thereby benefiting the consumers of the state. He said that it will also help in higher (More than Double) power generation due to availability of coal from Pachhwara Coal Mine as Plant Load Factor (PLF) is likely to go up to 75 to 80% against average Plant Load Factor (PLF) 34% so far. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it will also open new Employment opportunities for the youth of the State of Punjab thereby making them an equal partner in the growth and prosperity of the state.

 The Chief Minister further said that 540 (2×270) MW GVK Goindwal Sahib Thermal plant, a MOU route cost plus basis project was envisaged in 1992. He said that initially a PPA for a 500 MW plant was signed in 2000, thereafter a MOU for a 540 MW plant was signed in 2006 followed by an amended PPA for 540 MW in 2009. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the project was commissioned in 2016 but now to purchase it PSPCL along with 11 other contenders ie. Jindal Power, Adani Power, Vedanta Group, Rashmi Metaliks, Sherisha Technologies, Sai Wardha Power, Megha Engineering and Infrastructures, India Coke & Power Pvt. Ltd., RKG Fund (RKG Trust), KLu Resources and Capri Global Holdings & Pvt. Ltd submitted their applications in February 2023 after which PSPCL finally bagged it.

 The Chief Minister further said that between 2016-2023, the state government had purchased 11165 million units of power by paying Rs 7902 crore. He said that ironically the GVK thermal plant was paid Rs 1718 crore fixed cost without even getting power adding that average per unit of Rs 7.08 per unit was paid to the power plants. However, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that estimated per unit cost after acquisition with Pachwara coal will now be Rs 4.50 per unit adding that it will save Rs 300-350 crore per annum which will be judiciously utilized for the well being of people.

 The Chief Minister said that till December 31 all the pending arrears of the PSPCL have already been paid. He said that with the acquisition of this plant there will be three government and two private thermal plants operational in the state now. Bhagwant Singh Mann recalled that he had performed as an artist in 2009 during the event to start this project but he is fortunate that God has now chosen him to purchase this plant for the state to augment its power supply.

 The Chief Minister also announced to review the PPA for the purchase of solar power in the state. He said that the state government has purchased the solar power now at Rs 2.54 paise whereas during the earlier tenures exorbitant amount of even Rs 15 was paid for same purchase. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this will be reviewed by all means and anyone who had minted money by bringing loss to state exchequer will be brought to book.

 Replying to a query, the Chief Minister said that the great martyrs including Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Rajguru, Shaheed Sukhdev, Lala Lajpat Rai, Shaheed Udham Singh, Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha, Mai Bhago, Ghadari Baabe and others cannot be kept in rejected category. 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.

 The Chief Minister said that state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar is completely lying on the issue of tableaus as he is yet to master the art of lying as per wish of his masters. He said that Jakhar had recently joined BJP so he is yet to adapt himself in reading the scripts prepared by their high command. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it is unfortunate that BJP leadership is thinking about tableaus without even bothering to include state in it.

IEP Chandigarh

The Punjab Government has decided to change the opening time of Anganwadi Centre’s from January 1st, 2024, at 10 AM, considering the winter weather in the state’s Anganwadi Centre’s.

Providing information on this matter, Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur stated that all Anganwadi Centre’s in Punjab will commence operations at 10 am on January 1st, 2024 and conclude at 1 pm. These revised operating hours will remain in effect until January 14, 2024.

IEP CHANDIGARH, December 30:

On the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav, Director Bureau of Investigation (BOI) LK Yadav on Saturday constituted a four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate offences of human trafficking involved in the Nicaragua Human Trafficking case.

The SIT is headed by Superintendent of Police (SP) Investigation Ferozepur Randhir Kumar, while, three members include ACP Civil Lines Ludhiana Jasroop Kaur Baath, DSP Investigation Ferozepur Balkar Singh Sandhu and DSP Headquarters Patiala Dalbir Singh Sidhu.

The SIT has been asked to submit the final report to the competent court at the earliest. The SIT can also co-opt any other officer/official for assistance in the investigation of the case.

Meanwhile, a Nicaragua human trafficking case has been reported in various newspapers where 303 passengers from India, mostly belonging to Punjab and Gujrat, have been detained by French Authorities.

IEP Chandigarh

Central Civil Services Cultural and Board are organizing the All India Services Volleyball (Men & Women) tournament from 18th to 22nd February 2024 at Gandhinagar (Gujarat) and Table Tennis (Men & Women) tournament from 30th January to 3rd February 2024 at Pune (Maharashtra).

          Trials for the selection of Volleyball will be held at Multipurpose Stadium, Sector 78, SAS Nagar (Mohali) on 3rd January at 10 am and Table Tennis teams will be held at Hans Raj Stadium Jalandhar on 3rd January at 10 am.

          The spokesman of the sports department further informed that in these trials security services personnel/para-security organizations/central police organizations/police/RPF/CISF/BSF/ITBP and NSG etc., autonomous parties/undertakings/public sector Banks including central ministry run banks, excluding casual/daily workers, temporary office workers, newly recruited employees who have been in regular services for less than 6 months, Government employees (regular), government officials (regular) of different departments can participate only after receiving NoC from their departments. The cost of travel, accommodation and food in this tournament will be paid by the player personally.

IEP Chandigarh

In a commendable initiative by the Punjab government, more than 4500 class 11 students from the state’s School of Eminence participated in exposure visits organized across 23 districts. Punjab School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Saturday shared this information, emphasizing the government’s commitment to broadening students’ horizons.

The educational minister said that these exposure tours aimed to familiarize students with various professions and government activities. During these tours, students visited district administrative complexes, courts, hospitals, defence academies, sports facilities, and engineering colleges, gaining valuable insights into different fields.

Notably, the students engaged with key figures such as Deputy Commissioners and police officers, learning about their journeys in civil services and the multifaceted aspects of family and office responsibilities. Officials also briefed students on regulatory powers and initiatives promoting public welfare, including law and order maintenance, health services, educational initiatives, and road infrastructure development.

Apart from this, officials shed light on the administrative structure working under the leadership of the Deputy Commissioner including Sub Divisional Magistrate, Additional Deputy Commissioner at the district level.

During the tours, students also visited sewa kendras, where they learned about citizen-oriented service delivery and the home delivery of 43 services under the ‘Bhagwant Mann Sarkar Tuhade Dwar’ initiative by dialing 1076.

Minister Bains emphasized that these efforts align with Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s vision to make the state’s school education system more contemporary. The overarching goal of these exposure visits is to assist students in setting life goals and understanding the path to achieving them.

Reiterating the firm commitment to uplift the standards of the education system in Punjab, the Minister said that the School Education Department is dedicated to ensuring students are well-prepared for the challenges of the future.

IEP Chandigarh

As the winter has set in, the Punjab Fisheries department has issued an advisory to sensitise fish farmers of the state on how to handle the cold-blooded aquatic animals that require special care during this season.

Keeping in the view of drop in temperature during the winter season, Punjab Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said, the state’s fish farmers are advised to maintain the water level in ponds at 6-7 feet so as to provide enough space to the fish for hibernating in the warmer bottom zone.

Additionally, farmers have also been advised to adjust fish feed based on the temperature, reduce or discontinue the use of organic feed as excess feed remains unconsumed and starts accumulating at the bottom of the pond leading to deterioration of the water quality. It recommended to add fresh water or use aerators in ponds to address oxygen deficiency in the morning, besides, ensuring regular monitoring of the water pH level in the pond.

The Cabinet Minister emphasized the necessity for fish farmers to keep the oxygen tablets or powder at their farms. Furthermore, it also recommended the use of 400 ml per acre of CIFAX in ponds to protect fish exposed to a higher risk of parasitic diseases like fin rot, gill rot, EUS and argulosis during the winter season. 

Algal blooms, which appear due to the presence of excess nutrients in the water, can be controlled by application of potassium permanganate (KMn04) at the rate of 1-2KG / acre, according to the advisory.