IEP Chandigarh, July 1      

    A 1993 -batch IAS officer, Mr. Anurag Verma, on Saturday took charge as 42nd Chief Secretary of the state in the presence of outgoing Chief Secretary Mr Vijay Kumar Janjua and other senior civil officers.          Born in a family of academicians from Patiala, Mr. Verma will also be the Principal Secretary Personnel and Vigilance in addition to his present assignment as Chief Secretary.          On the occasion senior civil officers DK Tiwari, Kumar Rahul, Malwinder Singh Jaggi, Vipul Ujwal, Ramvir, Sonali Giri, Isha Kalia, Gauri Parasher Joshi, Puneet Goyal,  Bhupinder Singh,  Neeru Katyal Gupta, Sukhjeet Pal Singh were also present.          After assuring the charge as Chief Secretary, Mr. Verma said that under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann he will accord top priority to clean, efficient, responsive and transparent administration besides giving major thrust on Health and Education sectors along with all round development of the state. The Chief Secretary said that he will discharge his duty with due diligence and devotion to ensure well being of every section of society.          Mr. Verma said that Punjab, being a border state and food bowl of the country, assumes lot of significance for the entire country adding that with the support of all civil and police officers besides government employees, will make Punjab a front ranking state in the country.          The Chief Secretary said that major thrust will also be laid on implementing the state government’s citizen centric and development oriented policies with feedback from the ground level. He said that every effort will be made to percolate the benefits of the pro-people policies of the state government at the ground level.  He further said that a viable mechanism will be evolved for further resolving the grievances of general public on priority basis and in a prompt manner.          Notably, Mr Verma’s native village is Chalela in Patiala district and he is a Gold Medalist from the Thapar College, Patiala in Electronics and Communication Engineering. He bagged overall 7th rank in the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 1993.          Earlier, Mr. Verma was holding the charge of Additional Chief Secretary Home, Industries & Commerce, Legal and Legislative Affairs, Information Technology and Investment Promotion. He had also served the state in various capacities including in Rural Development and Panchayats, Excise and Taxation, Revenue. He took extraordinary step of computerizing revenue land records and establishing Fard Kendras in the state while serving as Special Secretary of Revenue. While serving as Excise and Taxation Commissioner, he made it simple and transparent for people to pay their taxes, which was one of his greatest accomplishments. As a result of his effectiveness and work ethic, he also significantly increased the revenue.          In his capacity as the Finance Commissioner for Rural Development and Panchayat, he successfully carried out the MGNREGA scheme’s ground-level implementation. By obtaining the construction of playgrounds and sports parks in more than 1000 villages throughout the state, he continued to create a healthy sporting environment.          During his field posting as the Deputy Commissioner for the districts of Bathinda, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar, he provided excellent and effective services. He then performed admirably in a variety of positions at the Head Office.

IEP Chandigarh, July 1

Terming the media as the fourth pillar of democracy, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government has created an environment where journalists can work freely and carry out their responsibilities without interference.  “It also keeps a check on the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary to uphold the values of democracy,” he said.The Health Minister, who was the chief guest at 24th State Annual Meet Of Chandigarh-Punjab Union ofJournalists (CPUJ) organised at MGSIPA here, also released a souvenir. The CPUJ is affiliated to the Indian Journalists Union.After inaugurating the 24th State Annual Meet of Chandigarh-Punjab Union of Journalists, he said that journalism can play a pivotal role to eliminate drugs menace and other social ills in the society. Media acts like a mirror which shows the actual image of society, besides holding governments accountable and promoting transparency. It’s the duty of all Journalists to uphold truth, fairness, and integrity in their work.Urging the media to show the positive side of initiatives and policies of the government, he said that with the advent of social media challenges like misinformation and fake news have also emerged. He categorically said that Chief Minister S Bhagwant Mann led Government is fully committed to provide the best possible health care facilities to the people of the Punjab and as many as 580 Aam Aadmi Clinics have already been functioning in the state and out of these around 75% clinics have been opened in rural areas. He further said that Facilitation Centres will also be opened in state hospitals.Extending his best wishes to the doctor fraternity on the National Doctors day, the Health Minister proudly said that he was a doctor, is a doctor and will always be a doctor.In today’s digital age, media literacy is more important than ever and by holding such Annual Meets of media fraternity helps to fight misinformation and maintain a healthy democratic dialogue, he said, while adding that, this meet will instil a sense of pride within the media fraternity and inspire more people to pursue careers in journalism.Underlining the facilities being provided by Punjab Government to journalists, Dr Balbir Singh informed that Health Insurance cover worth Rs 5 lakhs is being given to the Yellow Card Holders and Accredited Journalists and their families. Premium is being paid by the Government of Punjab.  In case of the death in an accident, an Accidental Insurance cover of Rs 5 lakhs is being given to the family of the journalist. The government also exempted journalists from paying tolls at all the toll plazas of Punjab State Highways.On the occasion, Founder Indian Journalists Union Suresh Akhouri, President Indian Journalists Union and CPUJ Vinod Kohli, Secretary General Indian Journalists Union Saba Nayakan, General Secretary CPUJ Naveen Sharma and Senior Vice President Anirudh Gupta were present.

IEP Chandigarh, July 1 

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday dared Leader of opposition and senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa to clarify the stand of his party on the claim of Himachal Pradesh government over Chandigarh. In a statement, the Chief Minister said that stoic silence of Partap Singh “Bhajpa” (Bajwa) over the issue is surprising. He said that Bajwa must clear the stand of his party over the false claim made by Congress government in Himachal. Bhagwant Mann also quipped that Bajwa, who is also hand in glove with BJP (Bhajpa) must also clarify the stand of saffron party over the issue. The Chief Minister further said that it is shameful that these leaders change their stance over the interests of the state for their political benefits in other states. He unequivocally said that Chandigarh is, Chandigarh was and Chandigarh will always be an integral part of the state. Bhagwant Mann categorically said that the state government is firmly committed to safeguard the interests of the state and its people.

IEP Chandigarh, June 29

Punjab has secured third position in Pedigree Selection Scheme of Nili Ravi Breed across the country, said Punjab Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Minister Mr Gurmeet Singh Khuddian while informing that the state has undertook the Nili Ravi Pedigree Selection project to promote and preserve indigenous Nili Ravi breed in the state.          It is a matter of great pride as Punjab has secured 3rd position in Nili Ravi Pedigree Selection Scheme of buffalo, said Mr. Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, while adding that the state has also clinched 5th position in the Progeny testing Scheme in Murrah breed of buffalo and the 6th position in the Progeny Testing Scheme of Sahiwal Cows.          He further informed that Punjab has already accomplished the target in Murrah Progeny testing Scheme, which was supposed to be completed in 2024.          The main motive of these  projects is procurement of High Genetic Merit Bulls of these three breeds on the basis of the capacity of milk production of their mothers, he added.          Reiterating the commitment of Chief Minister S Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government to the welfare of the dairy farmers,  Mr Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said that the state government chalked out an action plan to keep the spread of deadly lumpy skin disease under check and so far a total of 25 lakh doses of goat pox vaccine have been administered to the cattle in the state.          Apart from this, in order to protect the livestock from Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS), the vaccine is being administered under a state-level campaign and a special drive will be launched soon to administer a vaccine to prevent Foot and Mouth disease in the state, the Cabinet Minister said.          He further informed that the state has also procured 75,000 sexed semen doses to produce female calves, which have already been made available at affordable rates in all veterinary hospitals/dispensaries of the state, to increase the income of farmers and reduce the expenses incurred on maintenance of male calves and will also assist farmers in tackling the problem of stray cattle in the future.          Principal Secretary Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries department Mr. Vikas Pratap informed that under these three projects – Progeny Testing Murrah, Progeny Testing Sahiwal and Pedigree Selection Nili Ravi- being run by the department, the Semen Stations (Ropar and Nabha) of the state have been provided with high genetic merit Bulls of cows and buffaloes which will help in improving the genetic potential of these breeds in the state. So far 536 calves have been supplied to the semen stations of the state and across India. The purchase of male calves of farmers from 6 months to 2 years of age is done at the rate of Rs 6500 to Rs 65,000 per male calf.

IEP Chandigarh, June 29 

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said that the state government has started the process of confiscating the land owned by Pearl group to compensate the people by selling them. Divulging the details, the Chief Minister said that the state government will recover every single penny plundered from the people of the state. He said that the properties of the pearl group have already been identified in various districts and legal process has been initiated to acquire these properties. Bhagwant Mann said that Red Entries have been made in the Revenue records so that no one is able to sell or purchase this property. The Chief Minister said that the group had done a huge fraud with the people of the state for which it will be made accountable. He said that the revenue records have already been checked at the grass root level to ensure complete transparency in the process. Bhagwant Mann said that top most priority has been accorded to this work so that this property is confiscated by the government. The Chief Minister said that he has directed the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to personally supervise this work for its smooth execution in a time bound manner. Bhagwant Mann said that this property will be sold and every penny of the public will be returned back to them. He said that the state government is committed for ensuring that the money of people is returned back them and exemplary action against the company acts as a deterrent for other fraudster companies. 

IEP Chandigarh, June 28

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), on Wednesday, arrested a Patwari of Mahilpur subdivision in Hoshiarpur district for taking bribe of Rs. 2,000 for the mutation of property.Ranjit Singh resident of village Sakruli in Hoshiarpur district has lodged a complaint against the Patwari for taking bribe for registration of mutation of 06 Kanal and 05 Marla land on Anti-corruption Line on June 17, 2023. The accused Patwari has been identified as Jaspal Singh of Tehsil Mahilpur district Hoshiarpur, who is a resident of village Karimpur Chahwala Tehsil Balachaur, District SBS Nagar.While divulging details of the case, official spokesperson of Vigilance Bureau informed that during the investigation it was revealed that the complainant Ranjit Singh’s father Gurnam Singh had bought land measuring 06 Kanal and 05 Marla at village Sakruli from another resident Jeet Ram mutabana (adoptee) Budhu s/o Bir Singh and the mutation was also got approved wide no. 3,236 dated July 20, 1998. He said that due to some error, the Revenue department was not able to update the same mutation in the Jamabandis prepared after 2002-03. In 2007, Gurnam Singh died and when the complainant Ranjit Singh applied for registration of the inheritance mutation, Patwari Jaspal Singh accepted a bribe of Rs. 2,000 from him on June 10, 2023.The official spokesman added that during thorough investigation, it was proved that the Patwari has taken a bribe following which an FIR was registered and accused Patwari was arrested.An FIR no. 14 has been registered under Section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act against the accused Patwari and further investigations were underway. The arrested Patwari will be produced in the court on Thursday. 

IEP Chandigarh, June 28

Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Wednesday arrested a private agent for accepting a bribe of Rs 500 in lieu of getting a heavy driving license issued without undergoing mandatory driving test.The accused identified as Gurcharanjeet Singh alias Gopi is running a cafe near an automatic driving test track centre in Jalandhar.The accused agent has been arrested on the complaint of Daljit Singh resident of village Bibri in Kapurthala district.Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson of the VB said that the complainant had lodged a complaint with Police Station VB, Jalandhar Range that the agent had demanded a bribe of Rs.1200 for getting his heavy driving license issued without undergoing any driving test.The spokesperson informed that after a preliminary investigation of this complaint, a VB team laid a trap and arrested the agent while accepting the bribe.In this regard, a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the accused agent and further investigation is under way in this matter.

IEP Chandigarh, June 28     

     In a bid to further improve the grievance redressal in the state, Punjab Governance Reforms and Removal of Grievances Minister Mr. Aman Arora directed the department authorities to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) based system to ensure meticulous monitoring and expeditious clearance of the grievances received on PGRS portal as it would reduce human intervention, save time and bring far more transparency in disposal of complaints.          Chairing a review meeting of the department here at his office, Mr. Aman Arora asked the Principal Secretary Governance Reforms and Public Grievances Mr. Tejveer Singh to ensure regular monitoring of pendency of grievances at State and District Level. He also reviewed the employee wise grievances pendency and directed to convene a review meeting of the departments with highest pendency.          Emphasizing on the need to fix a timeline to clear all pendency, he categorically said that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government came to power to overhaul the system and people should not face any hardship in availing facilities being provided by the state government. Laxity in service delivery will not be tolerated, he reiterated.          Mr. Tejveer Singh apprised the Cabinet Minister that a team is in progress to introduce the Artificial Intelligence based system to monitor and get inferences from the grievances. He also briefed regarding the steps being taken by the Governance Reforms department to clear the pendency.          He also reviewed the pendency of the grievances received on PGRS through CPGRAMS. The meeting was also attended by other officials of the department.

IEP Chandigarh, June 28

Punjab players have played an important role in the best performance of Indian contingent in the recently concluded Special Olympics World Summer Games-2023 in Berlin. Seven players from Punjab won three gold, one silver and four bronze medals in various events.Congratulating the winning players, Punjab Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said that it is a matter of pride for Punjab that the sportsmen of Punjab made the name of the country shine like a star by performing well in the Special Olympics. He said that it is more important that children with special needs are participating in sports with their hard work and perseverance despite many hardships and difficulties and winning medals for the country.The Sports Minister said that in the new sports policy being prepared by the sports department on the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, special priority is being given to Special Olympics/Deaf and Blind Games players along with para sports. He gave credit to the players, their parents and the coaching staff for this proud achievement. He also appreciated the efforts being made under the leadership of Special Olympics Punjab Advisor Dr. Paramjit Sachdeva.Meet Hayer further said that among the medals won by the players of Punjab, in roller skating MD Nisar won a gold medal, Renu two bronze medals and Sita one bronze medal. Jatinder Singh and Harjeet Singh won gold in traditional football, Priya Devi won silver in basketball and Joti Kaur won bronze medal in unified football.As many as 9 members from Punjab including 7 special players, one unified partner and one coach were part of the Indian contingent. Seven of these players won three gold, one silver and four bronze medals in roller skating, unified and traditional football and basketball. Apart from this, two players from Punjab, Navpreet Singh and Anjana, were among the participants.