IEP Chandigarh, August 2

Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Wednesday nabbed a MHC (Munshi), Hardeep Singh (ASI), posted at Police Station Koom Kalan, for accepting a bribe of Rs. 20,000 from Ekta resident of village Doaba Bhaini in Ludhiana district.          An official spokesperson of the VB said that the complainant Ekta lodged a complaint on Anti-Corruption Action Line on 21-07-2023 that an FIR no 38 Dated 13.4.2023 under sections 323, 341, 506, 148,149 of IPC was registered against her brother Deepak Kumar and others at Police Station Koom kalan. Her brother Deepak had also been injured, therefore, he also got registered cross FIR under sections 326, 323, 341, 506, 148,149 of IPC against Avtar Singh and others.          She alleged that SHO Paramjit Singh (SI) had demanded Rs 1 Lakh and MHC Hardeep Singh fixed the deal at Rs 50,000 to make the arrest of the accused party in cross case. The Complainant also claimed that ASI Randhir Singh took a bribe of Rs 35,000 from her and MHC Hardeep Singh has also taken Rs 20,000 separately. She also produced a call recording with MHC Hardeep Singh. After preliminary investigation of the complaint and call recording, the spokesperson said that a team of VB has arrested the accused MHC Hardeep Singh after registering an FIR no 18 dated 02.08.2023 under section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act at Police Station VB, Ludhiana Range. He will be produced in court tomorrow. The Spokesperson informed that the role of SHO Paramjit Singh and ASI Randhir Singh is also being examined. 

IEP Ludhiana, August 2

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday handed over cheques of financial assistance worth Rs 101 crore to 25,000 eligible beneficiaries (Rs 1.75 lakh to each) for construction of houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) scheme. Addressing the gathering during state level function after handing over cheques of financial assistance worth Rs 101 crore to 25,000 eligible beneficiaries (Rs 1.75 lakh to each) for construction of house under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) scheme, the Chief Minister said that the state government is duty bound to ensure well being of every strata of society especially that of the weaker and underprivileged sections. He said that it is bounden duty of the government to provide Roti (Food), Kapda (Clothes) and Makaan (House) to all the residents of the state. Bhagwant Mann said that in a welfare state, the money for these pro-people initiatives come from the tax collected from masses which is repaid in form of welfare schemes back to them.   The Chief Minister said that while his predecessors made rhetoric that the state exchequer is empty; his government is spending every single penny from the state treasury for public welfare. He said that there was no dearth of funds earlier but the successive state governments lacked the vision and will to use these funds for the well being of people. Bhagwant Mann said that the funds at that time used to go in pockets of the corrupt leaders but his government has checked this pilferage with a heavy hand and now this fund is being used for welfare of masses. The Chief Minister said that due to incompetent and corrupt leaders the people lost faith in the political leadership of the state. However, he said that in the assembly polls held in year 2022 the people of state had reposed huge trust in him for which he will always remain indebted to them. Bhagwant Mann said that his government is making every effort to uphold this confidence of people by ensuring the welfare of every section of society and giving impetus to development of the state. The Chief Minister, while expressing concern over the fatalities due to road accidents in the state, said that in order to save precious lives of people his government has decided to form first of its kind ‘Road Safety Force’ to streamline the movement of traffic on the roads of the state. He said that daily around 14 precious lives are lost in road accidents in Punjab adding that this causality can be checked by manning the roads well for which ‘Road Safety Force’ has been formed. Bhagwant Mann said that this force will be entrusted with the task of checking rash driving, streamlining vehicular movement on roads and others to check the road accidents. The Chief Minister said that he had flagged off 50 tractors for the Municipal Corporation Ludhiana adding that in order to ensure cleanliness and other works in villages the state government will soon embark a scheme to provide tractors to the village panchayats in the state. He said that in the first phase these tractors will be provided in the big villages so that boost can be given to their development. Bhagwant Mann said that besides ensuring works pertaining to the villages these tractors will be also helpful for the tractorless farmers for agriculture purposes. The Chief Minister said that the state government is laying major thrust on the Education, Health and Employment sector in the state. He said that this is the need of hour to reverse the trend of brain drain by channelizing the unbounded youth of energy in a positive direction. Bhagwant Mann said that the youth of the state have huge potential to excel in every field and every effort is being made to make them active partners in socio-economic development of the country. The Chief Minister further said that Punjabis are blessed with indomitable spirit to face colossal challenges and successfully emerge from them.  Bhagwant Mann said Punjab is a land of saints, seers, prophets and great martyrs adding that Punjabis are sons of soil, who have learned a lot from teachings of great Gurus and sacrifices of our patriots.  He said that the residents of the state have always opposed tyranny, injustice and oppression to uphold the ethos of democracy adding that Punjabis have made enormous contributions in the freedom struggle, safeguarding the borders, making the country self-reliant in food production, upholding its unity, integrity, sovereignty and communal harmony. 

IEP Chandigarh, August 2     

      In order to provide quality Health services at the doirsteps of people, the State Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has established 583 Aam Aadmi Clinics in the state so far and 75 more new Aam Aadmi Clinics will be established soon.          Punjab Chief Secretary Mr. Anurag Verma said this in a press release issued today after a video conferencing meeting with all Deputy Commissioners to review the progress of Aam Aadmi Clinics.          He said that health is the priority of the State Government which has started providing quality health services to the residents of the state in the form of ‘Aam Aadmi Clinics’. In today’s meeting, the Chief Secretary asked the DCs to complete the work of 75 Aam Aadmi Clinics in the next 10 days.          Mr. Anurag Verma directed the DCs to personally visit 10 percent Aam Aadmi Clinics in their district every month and SDMs to visit all the clinics in their respective sub-divisions. They should seek feedback from patients on ground realities, availability of medicines and diagnostic services. Apart from this, they must find out from the patients who have undergone treatment whether they are satisfied with the services or not. In this regard, they must send a report to the Chief Secretary and the Health Department.          The Chief Secretary said that 80 types of medicines and 41 diagnostics tests are provided free of cost to patients in Aam Aadmi Clinics. A Medical Officer, Pharmacist, Clinic Assistant (multipurpose female worker) and Helper cum Sweeper are posted in each Aam Aadmi clinic.          The meeting was attended by Health and Family Welfare Department’s Principal Secretary VP Singh and Secretary Dr. Abhinav Trikha.

IEP Chandigarh, August 2    

       Punjab Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer on Wednesday handed over appointment letters to newly recruited 23 coaches.          Handing over the appointment letters to the coaches recruited for the Khelo India Center in his office at the Punjab Civil Secretariat here today, Meet Hayer said that the state Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has formulated a new Sports policy to make Punjab the number one state in the country in sports.          Meet Hayer said that the responsibility of implementing this sports policy is on the coaches of the department who have to prepare the players for national and international level competitions by preparing a new format. He congratulated the coaches and asked them to work diligently and hard in their allotted centers and bring good results.          Among the coaches who got appointment letters are seven coaches of Athletics, five of Wrestling, four of Football, two of Hockey and one each of Badminton, Boxing, Cycling and Fencing.          On this occasion, Special Chief Secretary of Sports Department Sarvjit Singh, Director Harpreet Singh Sudan, Deputy Director Parminder Singh Sandhu and Assistant Director Ranvir Singh Bhangu were also present. 

IEP Chandigarh, August 2

Marking a significant milestone in efficiency and transparency, Punjab Information and Public Relations Minister S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra on Wednesday launched an online portal, designed to streamline the process of journalists obtaining their accreditation, in his office here at Punjab Civil Secretariat-1. The portal, designed for the Department of Information and Public Relations and developed by the NIC Punjab, promises to revolutionize the process of issuing the identity to media persons.          The Cabinet Minister S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra, while inaugurating the portal, expressed his deep appreciation for the efforts put forth by the DIPR and NIC Punjab in creating this innovative tool. He emphasized Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann led government’s commitment to fostering a conducive environment for journalism and reaffirmed the administration’s unwavering support for a free and responsible press.          He said, this milestone initiative comes as part of government’s commitment to bolstering transparency, accountability and accessibility within the realm of journalism, adding that the portal is poised to revolutionize the accreditation process by harnessing the power of technology and ensuring that journalists can focus on their crucial work without undue administrative burdens.          With the launch of this state-of-the-art portal, S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra said that aspiring and established journalists can navigate the application process with ease and convenience. By utilizing the platform, they can submit their documents, verify their credentials and gain accreditation in an efficient and timely manner.          Mr. Adil Azmi, OSD/Chief Minister (Media) Punjab said that immediately after assuming the charge of his office, Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann had instructed the officials of the Information and Public Relations Department to ensure that all matters related to journalists should be resolved on priority. He added that this initiative of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann government will prove to be a milestone for the journalists.          Secretary IPR Mr. Malwinder Singh Jaggi informed that online accreditation platform will allow journalists to submit their accreditation applications digitally. He said, gone are the days of lengthy paperwork and delays, adding that now, with just a few clicks, journalists can provide their personal information, media organization details and relevant documentation for verification.          Mr. Jaggi said that the new system includes several key features designed to enhance the accreditation process like this pioneering platform will allow journalists to submit their applications from the comfort of their own workplaces, whether at the district or state level. He said that the initiative aims to significantly streamline the accreditation process, minimizing manual intervention and reducing approval times.          Director IPR Mr. Bhupinder Singh said that journalists can now submit their applications directly from their doorsteps, eliminating the need to travel to regional or state offices. This innovative approach will save time and resources for journalists working in diverse regions.          On this occasion, Deputy Director (Press) Mr. Ishwinder Singh Grewal, Deputy Director Mr. Gurmeet Singh Khaira, DDG & SIO Punjab Mr. Vivek Verma, Sr. Director & ASIO (D) Mrs. Usha Rai and Director (IT) Mr. Pankaj Jain were also present.          Once applications are submitted on https://eservices.punjab.gov.in, the system automatically escalates them to the approval authority at the state level. The absence of manual intervention will expedite the process, ensuring quick and efficient accreditation.          Applicants receive SMS and email alerts, keeping them informed about the status of their applications and the expected time for approval. This feature helps journalists plan their coverage schedules with confidence.          In the event of objections to an application, the system enables the process to be conducted online. Applicants can address objections and make necessary adjustments directly, avoiding unnecessary visits to physical offices.          The new system, a result of close collaboration between government authorities, media organizations and NIC, aims to empower journalists with the tools they need to perform their duties effectively. By leveraging digital solutions, the platform enhances transparency, expediency and convenience in the accreditation process. 

IEP Ludhiana, August 2 

In a bid to make Ludhiana city clean, green and pollution free, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday flagged off a super suction cum jetting machine for mechanised cleaning of sewer lines in the city along with 50 Tractors. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the hi-tech Super Suction cum Jetting Machine has been bought at a cost of Rs 1.45 crore. He said that this machine will be instrumental in cleaning of 200 kilometre long main sewerage lines of the city. Bhagwant Mann said that this machine will be helpful in resolving the major issue of the sewerage problem in the city thereby giving major respite to the people. Likewise, the Chief Minister said that 50 tractors have been purchased by the Municipal Corporation Ludhiana (MCL) at a cost of Rs 2.22 crore. He said that these tractors have been bought for the various branches of the civic body including the Building and Roads (B&R), Operation and Maintenance (O&M), Health, Horticulture and others. Bhagwant Mann said that these tractors will be instrumental in lifting the debris, supply of water through tankers, collection of garbage and other operations. The Chief Minister reiterated that the state government is committed to holistic development of the cities for which no stone is being left unturned. He said that there is no dearth of funds with the state government to ensure comprehensive growth of the state and prosperity of the people. Bhagwant Mann said that apart from generous allocation of funds for the all-round development of the cities major thrust is being laid for augmenting the infrastructure required for giving fillip to these developmental works. On the occasion Cabinet Minister Balkar Singh and others were also present.

IEP Chandigarh, August 2     

      Social Justice, Empowerment, and Minorities Minister, Dr. Baljit Kaur, has issued instructions to all Deputy Commissioners of the state to provide income and asset certificates to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) for availing the benefits of reservation in Government civil posts and services, as well as admission to Central Educational Institutions.          Dr. Baljit Kaur stated that it has come to her attention that income and property certificates are being obtained by many individuals in violation of the conditions set by the state government. She emphasized that the Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government, takes the issuance of income and asset certificates by ineligible persons very seriously. The state government has decided that income and asset certificates should be issued by the certificate issuing authority only after a thorough preliminary investigation, in accordance with the provisions of the instructions dated 14-5-2019 and 15-7-2019. If any such case comes to their notice in the future, departmental/criminal action will be taken against the employee/person responsible for verifying the facts while issuing income and asset certificates. Moreover, criminal action will also be initiated against individuals who have obtained income and asset certificates based on false information.          Cabinet Minister, Dr. Baljit Kaur, mentioned that detailed instructions have been issued regarding the issuance of income and asset certificates to avail the 10 percent reservation in civil posts and services for the economically weaker sections. These instructions are mentioned in the Social Justice, Empowerment, and Minorities Department letter No: 1/16/2019-RC 1/116, dated 14-5-2019, and No: 1/16/2019-RC1/1523189/1, dated 15-7-2019.          The Cabinet Minister has instructed all Deputy Commissioners of the state to ensure that the instructions regarding income and asset certificates are brought to the attention of the general public. She reiterated the state government’s commitment to the welfare of economically weaker sections. 

IEP Chandigarh, August 2     

      Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led State Government stands with its people in the difficult times caused by floods and is committed to fully compensate them for the loss of the people of the state. It was disclosed by Punjab Chief Secretary Mr. Anurag Verma in a press communiqué after a video conferencing meeting with all the Deputy Commissioners along with the top officials.          The Chief Secretary instructed all the Deputy Commissioners to complete this work on time by following the orders given by the Chief Minister of Special Girdawari by August 15. He said that the work of Girdawari in the field should be done with complete fairness and transparency. The Deputy Commissioners should also ensure that according to the instructions of the Chief Minister, the work of Girdawari should be done on the spot.          The Chief Secretary also instructed the Deputy Commissioners and SDMs to personally visit the spot. Apart from this, compensation for loss of life and property should be given immediately. He asked the Deputy Commissioners to immediately dispose of the pending compensation cases while taking the district wise report of the compensation and Girdawari work.          Mr. Anurag Verma said that the farmers whose paddy crops were damaged due to floods are being given free paddy saplings by the State Government. He told the DCs that wherever there is a problem in the availability of paddy sapling, they should immediately contact the Agriculture Department. In this regard, Secretary Agriculture Arshdeep Singh Thind is the nodal officer. He asked all the districts to send progress reports of Girdawari, compensation and damages to the headquarters on daily basis.          The meeting was attended by Special Chief Secretary Revenue KAP Sinha, Principal Secretary Water Supply and Sanitation DK Tiwari, Principal Secretary Health and Family Welfare VP Singh, Principal Secretary Water Resources Krishan Kumar, Secretary PWD Nilkanth S Avhad, Secretary Information and Public Relations Malwinder Singh Jaggi, Secretary Agriculture Arshdeep Singh Thind, Director General School Education Vinay Bublani, CMD PSPCL Baldev Singh Sran.

IEP Chandigarh, July 31

Amidst its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state, Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Sunday nabbed a PSPCL Junior Engineer (JE), Jasmel Singh, posted at Sidhwan Bet in Ludhiana district for accepting a bribe of Rs 70,000.The PSPCL official has been arrested on the complaint of Surinder Singh resident of village Khurshedpur in Jagraon tehsil.Disclosing the details here today, an official spokesperson of the VB said that Surinder Singh has lodged a complaint that the JE took a bribe of Rs 70,000 from him in lieu of installating a separate transformer for his house.After investigation of the complaint, an FIR 09 dated 30-07-2023 under section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the accused JE Jasmel Singh at Police Station the Economic Offences Wing (EoW) of VB, Ludhiana, the spokesperson added.        

IEP Sas Nagar (Mohali), July 30

 In another path breaking initiative aimed at spearheading revolution in the education sector, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday flagged off the first batch of the Headmasters for expert training at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad. Interacting with the media after flagging off the batch of headmasters, the Chief Minister said that today is a red letter day in the history of the state. He said that while delegations of Principals are coming back after receiving training at Singapore, this batch is going to Ahmedabad for upscaling of their expertise. Bhagwant Mann said that the single motive is to ensure that students of the government schools in the state get quality education so that they can compete with their convent educated peers across the globe.   The Chief Minister said that as good coaches produce excellent players similarly an updated teacher will help in grooming able students for the coming future. He said that there is no dearth of funds with the state government for the education sector and every effort will be made to ensure that students get quality education. Bhagwant Mann envisioned that due to the strenuous efforts of the state government, the day is not far away when Punjab will emerge as a hub of quality education across the country. Taking pot shots over his predecessors, the Chief Minister said that the earlier rulers didn’t like to move amongst the people after their elevation. However, Bhagwant Mann said that he is daily attending one or other event to ensure the well being of every section of the society. He said that his government is duty bound to ensure the welfare of every section of society and no stone will be left unturned for this noble cause.   The Chief Minister said that after assuming the charge of office he had laid thrust on regularizing the services of 12710 teachers by overcoming all the legal and administrative hiccups. Bhagwant Mann said that the motive was to ensure the secure future of teachers as he firmly believes that if the future of teachers is protected then only they can transform the destiny of the students. He said that the genuine problem of every employee will be solved for which the state government is already making all out efforts. Slamming the opposition for misleading the people by making irrational and unjustified comments, the Chief Minister said that it is on record that from now onwards the word contractual will be forever eliminated from before the nomenclature of these teachers. He said that every year a 5% increment will be given to these teachers along with other benefits including holidays. Bhagwant Mann said that the opposition had since long befooled these teachers by playing with their sentiments during their tenures so they have no moral right to say anything over the issue. Replying to another query, the Chief Minister said that in order to restore the pristine glory of the state in fields of sports and to further give boost to sporting activity in the state, the Cabinet also gave nod to the new Sports Policy-2023 focusing on jobs, training, incentives and robust infrastructure for players from village level. He said that sports culture will be reintroduced in the government schools by recruiting the physical education teachers so that students can excel in sports. Bhagwant Mann said that apart from providing robust infrastructure, coaching and facilities to the players, the new sports policy will also lay thrust on providing financial assistance to them for bringing medals in national and international sports events. The Chief Minister said that the state government has already introduced Industrial Policy, Electric Vehicle Policy, Agriculture policy and now the Sports Policy. He said that the single point motive is to ensure that the state scripts a new success story in every arena so that a ‘Rangla Punjab’ can be carved out. Bhagwant Mann said that the policies are being framed for every section of society so as to ensure holistic development of the state and prosperity of the people. Expressing concern over the damage caused due to floods in the state, the Chief Minister said that the state government will compensate people for the loss of every single penny. Bhagwant Mann said that he had already ordered a special girdawari to ascertain the loss of crops, houses, cattle and others due to heavy rainfall in the state. He said that the officers have been asked to complete the special Girdawari by August 15 so as to fully compensate the people for their loss, if any. The Chief Minister said that for the first time in the history of the state a policy has been formulated for providing relief to the farm labours due loss of crops in case of natural calamity. He said that as amount is released to Deputy Commissioners for the relief of crop damage due to natural calamity so as per the policy additional 10 percent of the above relief amount will be provided to them out of the state budget to compensate the farm labourers. Bhagwant Mann said that this policy will be effective from May 1, 2023 and all the farm labourers’ families who have no land (except residential plot) or those who have less than one acre of leased/ rented/ cultivated land will be eligible for it.