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.

IEP Mohali, December 30

The district police has beefed up security arrangements in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar district for the New Year celebrations.

      Divulging the details, Dr Sandeep Kumar Garg, Senior Superintendent of Police, District Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar said that 06 sub-divisions of the district have been divided into 06 circles, besides Six SP level and 12 DSP level officers have been deputed to monitor the security arrangements in these circles. Apart from that, special Nakas have been laid at pre-identified 57 points in the district and an equal number of patrolling parties have been formed. Similarly, about 985 police personnel along with 22 SHOs have been deployed in security arrangements.

     He said that in the wake of the New Year celebrations in the district from December 29, special police/patrolling teams have been already deputed in crowded places and markets. The main objective of the Naka/Patrol Party is to maintain a peaceful atmosphere during New Year celebrations and to control the mischievous elements/hooliganism. Special arrangements have been made for videography, alcometer, e-challan machines etc. at the gates.

    He further said that strict action as per law will be taken against those who drive under the influence of alcohol and create a ruckus so that the residents do not face any kind of trouble and ensure no disruption in the peaceful celebrations. Apart from that, police personnel were instructed to use reflector jackets in foggy weather, so that no untoward incident can happen.

    He has also appealed to the general public that the district administration has fixed the time for the closure of hotels, clubs, shopping malls, markets etc. till 01.00 am on intermediate night of 31.12.2023/01.01.2024. Therefore, the public has been urged to cooperate with the police in ensuring its compliance, following traffic rules, maintaining law and order and keeping the New Year celebrations peaceful.

IEP CHANDIGARH

Under the vision of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann for road safety, Punjab has witnessed a decline of 0.24 per cent in road accident fatalities during the year 2022, in comparison to the previous year 2021, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Friday. In 2022, Punjab had registered 4,578 road accident fatalities.

This significant decline in road fatalities in the state is against the countrywide trend, which has witnessed an increase of 9.4 per cent in road fatalities in 2022, resulting in a total of 1,68,491 road accident fatalities in India.

DGP Gaurav Yadav, while launching the Annual Report on Punjab Road Crashes and Traffic-2022, said that this declining trend is likely to be accelerated with the launch of the first-of-its-kind Sadak Surkhiya Force (SSF), a special police team dedicated towards road safety and effectively chasing criminals.

“The SSF— a brainchild of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, is expected to hit the roads soon, which will not only help in saving precious lives by reducing mishaps but will also streamline the traffic movement in the state,” he said.

The DGP, while expressing his appreciation for the hard work put in by the teams of Punjab Police, Punjab Road Safety and Traffic Research Centre, urged the public to follow road safety rules and regulations to make the roads of Punjab safer.

Divulging more details, ADGP Traffic AS Rai said that this Annual Report on Punjab Road Crashes and Traffic-2022 is an initiative taken by the Punjab Police and Punjab Road Safety and Traffic Research Centre. It comprises an in-depth analysis of road accidents, traffic violations, and road safety measures in Punjab, he added.

He said that the report is expected to be a valuable resource for traffic and law enforcement personnel to understand and address traffic-related issues in the state, besides, it will also serve as an important reference material for scholars and academicians working in the field of road safety.

Sharing key findings of the report, Director of Punjab Road Safety and Traffic Research Centre Dr Navdeep Asija said that in the year 2022, a total of 5,55,429 Motor vehicles were registered in Punjab accounting for an annual increasing growth rate of 7.44%. The total cumulative registered vehicles in Punjab till August 2023 was 1.33 Crore vehicles (1,32,87,350), he added.

He said that a decline in road fatalities was observed in February, July, September, October, November and December, whilst an increase in road accident fatalities in all the other months was observed as compared with the previous year 2021. Over Speeding and Animals remained a leading cause of road accident deaths in Punjab, he said, while adding that in the year 2022, a total of 2085 people died in road accidents due to over speeding followed by 421 due to the involvement of animals.

Meanwhile, a maximum number of road accident fatalities, accounting for 26 per cent of the total accident fatalities in the state were reported between 6pm to 9pm in 2022, while, at least 75 per cent of the road accident fatalities occurred in rural areas of the State. As per the socio-economic cost analysis, in Punjab, Road accidents accounted for a loss of Rs 21,517 crores in 2022.

IEP Ludhiana

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday announced to give a complete facelift to Ludhiana by completing/starting new projects worth crores of rupees.

 The Chief Minister, who reviewed the ongoing development projects in the city during a high level meeting here today, said that the state government is committed for giving fillip to the overall development of this industrial city. He said that 46 projects of plantation to provide green lungs to city have been conceived at a cost of Rs 28.91 crore out of which 19 works worth Rs 14.18 crore have already been completed and rest will be accomplished in coming days. Likewise, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that under Smart city scheme 72 projects worth Rs. 930 crore were started out of which projects worth Rs. 219 crore have been already completed and the work on projects worth Rs. 549.10 crore is going on and tenders for projects worth Rs 161.90 crore have been allotted.

 The Chief Minister said that major projects like Integrated Command and Control Centre, All weather indoor swimming pool, LED street lights, surface water supply for Ludhiana, rejuvenation of Buddha Dariya, solid waste management and others will give major facelift to city. Likewise, he said that work on Construction of Community Club, Senior Citizen Club and Sewing Centre, Sector 32, Ludhiana, Construction of Health Centre (Sports Centre), Sector 32-A, Ludhiana, Construction of Swimming Pool & Pump Chamber in Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 32, Ludhiana and Construction of 200’-00” wide road from phase-3 urban estate to Jain Mandir Dugri, Ludhiana are also going on in full swing. Bhagwant Singh Mann further said that the work for construction of ROB and approaches on Ludhiana- Dhuri Railway Line at a cost Rs. 25.69 crores has also been allotted.

 Providing major relief to residents of Ludhiana, Chief Minister announced that the re-carpeting of the 16km stretch of Rahon Road from Khawajke village to Mattewara, pending from past 15 years, will commence in coming days as the tenders have already been allotted. He said that the completion of this project, the long pending demand of Ludhiana residents will be fulfilled. Bhagwant Singh Mann asserted that he will personally monitor all the works so that the projects of the city will be completed in time bound manner.

 The Chief Minister also announced to install 1500 Street Lights, CCTV Cameras in each and every Legislative Constituency of Ludhiana to instil sense of security among the people. He informed that the tenders have already been floated and the work will allotted soon. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the issue of Budha Nullah will also be resolved soon and construction work on the bridge on the Nullah to link the Jalandhar road will be started.

 The Chief Minister said that NRIs Affairs Department will be strengthened further and the work related to bring the dead bodies of Punjabis back from abroad and power to take action against Fraud Travel Agents to be extended to the department.  He informed that the Punjab Help Desk being started at IGI Airport Delhi to help the people in their journey. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that NRI meetings or milnis will be held from Feb 3 to resolve their pending issues.

The Chief Minister said that the flights from Halwara terminal will be started from February 15, which will further bolster the economical and industrial activities in the region. He said that no stone is being left unturned for ensuring comprehensive development of the state and prosperity of its people. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that due to strenuous efforts of the state government the day is not far when Punjab will emerge as front runner in every sphere.

 After the meeting, the Chief Minister during interaction with media persons, dared BJP leader Sunil Jakhar to prove his allegations about Punjab Government’s Tableau, in which he said that AAP Government was adamant to display photos of Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Singh Mann on the tableau that’s why the concerned committee rejected the same. Describing this as another lie by Jakhar, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that if these allegations substantiated then he will quit the politics. He said that Jakhar has recently joined BJP so he is yet to master the art of speaking lie flawlessly as other seasoned BJP leaders.

 The Chief Minister said that BJP leaders always get ready made scripts from their high command to hide the real facts. He said that the state government will include these tableaus in all the functions to be held across Punjab on January 26 and perpetuate the rich legacy of the state amongst the masses. Bhagwant Singh Mann also informed to showcase these tableaus in Punjab Bhawan at National Capital from January 20 to display the rich cultural legacy of the state as well as the contribution of our Martyrs to attain the independence.

IEP Ludhiana

In a major initiative to make Ludhiana clean, green and pollution free, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday dedicated machinery worth Rs 19 crore for the Municipal Corporation Ludhiana (MCL).

Flagging off the machinery, the Chief Minister described it as a red letter day for the Ludhiana city as this machinery will go a long way in ensuring cleanliness of the Ludhiana city. He said that this is the need of the hour to make sure that city is made clean, green and pollution free. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state government is making every effort to give facelift to the city and no stone is being left unturned for it.

The Chief Minister said that the machinery that had been flagged off include eight jetting machines  worth 4.75 crore,  one pocklaine machine worth 0.6 crore, two Infra red pot hole repair machines worth 4 crore, one Turn Table Ladder for fire brigade worth 9 crore and others. He said that these machines will be instrumental in sprucing up the industrial city by streamlining the functioning of the Municipal corporation. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state government is not having any dearth of funds for the development of the cities and no stone will be left unturned for this.

The Chief Minister said that if the civic body needs more funds for infrastructure structure then the state government will give top priority to it. He said that state government is committed for providing ultra modren civic amenities to people and every effort will be made for it. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this is the new year bonanza for the Ludhiana residents and more such gifts will be given to entire Punjab in coming days.