IEP Chandigarh

          The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state on Wednesday nabbed Hari Ram, Auction Recorder of Market Committee Ludhiana, red handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000.

          Disclosing this here today an official spokesperson of the state VB said the above mentioned official has been arrested on the complaint of Sonu, a resident of Ashok Nagar, Salem Tabri, Ludhiana who is secretary of Gill Cooperative Labour and Construction Society Ludhiana.

          He further added that the complainant has approached the VB and informed that their above said society used to take the cleaning contract of Mandis, Fish Markets etc falling within Ludhiana city. The cleaning contract of Kara-Bara Chowk, Bahadurke Road, near Sabji Mandi Ludhiana has been allotted to the said Society by Market Committee Ludhiana for the period from 01-04-2023 to 31-03-2024.

          He further alleged that the market committee employee Hari Ram has been demanding a bribe of Rs. 30,000 every month in lieu of getting the monthly bills of Society passed from Secretary Market Committee. He managed to record the conversation with the said accused employee while he was demanding the bribe and handed over to the VB as an evidence.

          The spokesperson added that after preliminary investigation of this complaint a VB team from Ludhiana range laid a trap in which the above said accused was arrested while accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses. In this regard a case under prevention of corruption act has been registered against the said accused at VB police station Ludhiana range and the accused would be produced in the competent court tomorrow. Further investigation into this case was under progress and role of other officials would also be probed, he said.

IEP Chandigarh

          With an aim at open new job avenues for the youth of the state by honing their skills, Punjab Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training Minister Mr. Aman Arora, on Wednesday, directed the department officials to ensure optimum utilization of the Multi Skill Development Centres (MSDCs).

          Chairing a high-level meeting here at Punjab Bhawan, he also took inputs from representatives of Sector Skill Councils, Training Partners, Industry Associations and officials of the state departments concerned to bring out the best from these centres.

          Stressing on the need to ensure optimum utilization of all the five MSDCs situated in Bathinda, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur, Mr. Aman Arora said that courses must run in the MSDCs according to requirements of the Industry. Apart from this, there are three Health Skill Development Centres and 198 Rural Skill Centres in the state. He also asked the officials to focus on bridging the gap between industrial requirements and skilled manpower.

          He further informed that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government is all set to introduce state’s own Skill Training Scheme to further enhance youth employability, besides, equipping college, ITI and polytechnic students with the life & soft skills. 

          Principal Secretary Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training Ms Jaspreet Talwar, Director Ms Amrit Singh, Deputy Commissioner Bathinda Jaspreet Singh, officials from the departments of Industry, Technical Education, Medical Education, Higher Education, School Education and representatives of Leather Sector Skill Council, Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council, Electronics Sector Skills Council of India, Water Management & Plumbing Skill Council, Management & Entrepreneurship and Professional Skills Council (MEPSC), Rubber, Chemical & Petrochemical Skill Development Council, Capital Goods & Strategic Skill Council, BFSI Sector Skill Council of India, IT-ITeS Sector Skills Council, Jalandhar Focal Point Extension industrial association, Sports Goods Manufacturers & exporters association, Khel Bharti and Jalandhar MSME association also attended the meeting.

IEP Chandigarh

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday asked the officers to prepare draft of a bill to act sternly against the illegal colonisers for checking the mushrooming up of illegal colonies in the state in future.

Chairing a meeting in wake of recent decision of state government to away with clause of No Objection Certificate (NOC) for registration of land and property, the Chief Minister said that this decision is aimed at facilitating the general public. However, he said that noose around illegal colonisers need to be tightened for which fresh law must be enacted. Bhagwant Singh Mann asked the officers to draft the new bill before the next session of the state assembly so that it can be duly approved in the Vidhan Sabha.

The Chief Minister said that the illegal colonisers dupe the people by showing them green pastures and sell their unapproved colonies to them. He said that the hapless people have to then run pillar to post for getting the basic civic amenities in these colonies. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the colonisers mint the money illegally but people have to bear the hardships due to their misdeeds.

The Chief Minister said that this will not be tolerated at any cost and strict action will be taken against the colonisers who are selling the plots before not getting it duly approved. He said that the state government will not allow the mushrooming up of illegal colonies in the state and severest of severe action will be taken against those indulging in this crime. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that strict law will be framed against the illegal colonisers so that it acts as a deterrent for them to develop any illegal colony in the state.

IEP Chandigarh February 7

          The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state, has registered a corruption case against revenue Patwari Sunny Sharma, posted at revenue halqua Ferozeshah, in Ferozepur district for accepting bribe of Rs 3,000 and demanding Rs 2,000 more money through Paytm app.

          Disclosing this here today an official spokesperson of the state VB said this case has been registered against the said accused on an online complaint lodged by Rachhpal Singh, a resident of village Saidoke, district Faridkot on the Chief Minister anti corruption action line.

          He further added that the complainant has alleged in his complaint that the above said Patwari has demanded bribe of Rs 5,000 to make amendments in the revenue records regarding ownership of agricultural land belonging to his brother-in-law which was fraudulently altered by his predecessor. He further alleged that the said Patwari had already obtained Rs 3,000 as a bribe from him and asking to pay the second instalment of Rs 2,000 on his Paytm account. The complainant has also made recordings of demand raised by the said Patwari to take bribe and submitted to the VB as an evidence.

          In this regard the VB range Ferozepur has investigated the complaint and found the allegations as true and correct. On the basis of this report, a case under Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the above said accused at VB police station Ferozepur range. Further investigation into this case was under progress, he added.

IEP CHANDIGARH, February 7

          Amidst the ongoing drive to eradicate organised crime from the state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of Punjab Police has arrested three associates of a terrorists Harwinder Singh alias Rinda and Lakhbir Singh alias Landa Harike, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday.

          Those arrested have been identified as Jobanjit Singh alias Joban, Bikramjit Singh alias Bikka and Kulwinder Singh alias Kala. Police teams have also recovered two .32 caliber pistols along with 10 live cartridges, besides, impounding their Maruti Swift car, in which they were travelling.

          DGP Gaurav Yadav said that acting on reliable intel-inputs, Police teams from the AGTF Punjab headed by ADGP Promod Ban under the supervision of AIG Sandeep Goel and led by DSP AGTF Border Range Harminder Singh tracked their location, and nabbed them at T-Pont Near village Safipur Tarn-Taran road in Amritsar.

          He said that both the accused persons have criminal history as Joban was wanted in Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), attempt to murder case, Arms Act, NDPS Act and IT Act offences and remained absconding for long. While other accused Bikka was also wanted in two criminal cases pertaining to attempt to murder, he added.

          “Preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused were carrying out criminal activities on the directions of their foreign handlers to disturb the hard-earned peace and harmony of the border state,” said the DGP.

          Sharing more details, AIG AGTF Sandeep Goel said that further investigations are on and more arrests are expected in coming days.

          A case FIR No. 11 dated 05-02-2024 has been registered under sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act at Police Station SSOC Amritsar.

IEP Chandigarh, February 7

          Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government is all set to inoculate as many as 25 lakhs bovines as a preventive measure against the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), disclosed Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries, Punjab, while informing that the vaccination drive will be commenced from February 25.

          S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, along with Additional Chief Secretary Animal Husbandry Mr. Vikas Pratap, was reviewing ongoing projects and functioning of the department here at Punjab Bhawan.

          The Cabinet Minister said that now, the Goat Pox vaccine is being repeated for the third time as a booster dose to a preventive measure against the disease. Notably, following the outbreak of LSD across the country in last year, the vaccination drive against LSD was carried out for cattle in the state. He also asked the officials to ensure the smooth transportation of the vaccination, besides, maintaining cold chain efficiently.

          Emphasising on the need to make a foolproof mechanism to save livestock from diseases, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian directed the department officials to make a comprehensive vaccination action plan within a month. He also directed the field staff of the department to sensitise the livestock farmers about the benefits of the different immunisation drives and involve the district administration and panchayats in this noble cause to prevent the livestock from different diseases.

          ACS Mr. Vikas Pratap apprised the cabinet minister that deworming drive is being carried out across the state at a cost of around Rs 6.37 crore. The drive will conclude on February 10. Apart from this, medicines worth Rs 1.56 crore have already been sent to Veterinary Hospitals and Dispensaries of the state. He also informed that the department has recently completed the mass immunisation drive against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).

          Director Animal Husbandry Dr. Gursharanjit Singh Bedi, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University’s Director of Clinics Dr. S. S Randhawa, HOD Veterinary Medicine

          Dr Ashwani Kumar, Principal Scientist & Incharge Animal Diseases Research Centre Dr. M. S. Bal, Principal Scientist, Animal Diseases Research Centre Dr. Vishal Mahajan, Director Centre for One Health Dr. J S Bedi and districts officials of Animal Husbandry department were also present in the meeting.

IEP Chandigarh, February 6

          With an aim to enhance the investigating capabilities of the police officials dealing in Cyber Crimes as desired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Cyber Crime Division of the Punjab Police in association with NGO Prajwala organised a one-day offline/online workshop on Cyber-Enabled Human Trafficking at office of Punjab State Cyber Crime Division in Mohali. The Workshop was organised on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav.

          NGO Prajwala, a pioneering Anti-Trafficking organization working on the issue of sex trafficking and sex crimes, has assisted the police in rescuing over 27,500 women and girls from sex slavery in the last 27 years and facilitated their journey for recovery.

          The three-hours session on the topic Cyber-Enabled Human Trafficking was physically attended by 50 officials working in Cyber Crime Units of Punjab, while over 100 officials of Punjab Police joined this workshop via Video Conference.

          The session started with an introduction to the issue of Human Trafficking in India and discussion on section 370 of Indian Penal Code (IPC), followed by a presentation on how various technologies are being exploited by traffickers in recruiting and exploiting victims.

          During the workshop, demonstration of platforms and applications used by Law Enforcement Agencies to counter Cyber Crime and Cyber enabled Human Trafficking was given to the participants. Case studies where technology was used to traffic victims, and some International case studies related to Cyber enabled Human Trafficking were also presented during the workshop. The presentations were followed by Focus Group Discussion with the participants at State Cyber Crime Division, who are already working on these crimes.

          Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Cyber Crime V Neeraja, who joined the workshop virtually, said that the Cyber crime prevention against women & children (CCPWC) working at the  State Cyber Crime Division has been dealing with cases related to cyber crimes against women & children on top priority.

          State Cyber Crime Division will also be enhancing their capacity by setting up Cyber Patrolling Unit to monitor crimes in the cyberspace, especially against women and children, she said, while adding that Cyber Crime & Technical Investigation Units operational in districts were already  dealing with Cyber Crime including Cyber Tiplines.

          The ADGP said that such crimes can be reported anonymously on the portal of National Cyber Crime (NCRP) at www.cybercrime.gov.in.

          Meanwhile, during the workshop, case studies and the legal practices prevalent in other countries were discussed and methods to track human trafficking in Cyber Space were provided with case studies.

IEP Chandigarh, February 5

          The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing investigations into the 2008-09 recruitment scam of Medical Officers (MO) conducted by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), has requested the State Government to take appropriate action against the erring candidates through the Police Department as recommended by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the High Court. Subsequently, on December 19, 2023, the Secretary of Health and Family Welfare has asked the Police to take necessary steps in this case. Meanwhile, the VB, having filed two cases at its Patiala range police station, is actively pursuing further investigations.

          Disclosing this here today an official spokesperson of the state VB said the High Court had appointed a SIT comprising MS Bali, IPS (Retd), Joint Director, CBI and Suresh Arora, the then Chief Director of VB, to examine this scam. The SIT had recommended filing cases under sections 120-B, 420, 468, and 471 of the IPC against candidates who utilized forged certificates for claiming social work weightage in the medical field. The VB, on December 15, 2023, has urged the State Government to initiate cases against such MOs through the Police department.

          Providing additional details, the spokesperson stated that in compliance with the directives received from the Punjab Government on December 14, 2023, the VB registered two cases related to this recruitment scam. An FIR No. 45 dated December 18, 2023, at the VB Police Station, Patiala, has been filed under sections 13(i)(a) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and sections 409 and 120B of IPC against the then members of PPSC for conspiracy and criminal misconduct during the MOs selection process.

          Furthermore, another FIR No. 46 dated December 18, 2023, at the VB Police Station, Patiala, under sections 13(i)(a) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, has been registered against Dr. Satwant Singh Mohi, the then member of PPSC, for accumulating disproportionate assets, as reported by the SIT to the High Court.

          The spokesperson revealed that the SIT, supervised by the Senior Superintendent of Police, VB, Range Patiala, is actively conducting further investigations in both the cases. In FIR No. 45/2023, Dr. Satwant Singh Mohi was arrested by the VB on December 19, 2023. The other three accused in this case, namely D.S. Mahal, Ravinder Kaur, and Anil Sarin, have received interim protection from arrest from the HC, with a directive to join the investigation. Consequently, all the above mentioned accused have complied and joined the ongoing investigation.

IEP Chamrod Pattan (Pathankot), February 3

To launch In order to give further impetus to the tourism sector in the state, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday announced to launch Jet Ski, Motor Paragliding and Hot air Balloon activities at Chamrod Pattan.

The Chief Minister, who witnessed the trial of these activities here today, said that Water spots/ Adventure activities and Speed Boating is already going on at this scenic place. He said that two speed boats are already operating at the place which is major source of attraction for the tourists coming at this picturesque location. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this area has huge potential of tourism for which state government is already exploring this sector.

The Chief Minister further said that trial/Demonstrations of Jet Ski, Motor Paragliding and Hot air Balloon had been done here today and soon it will be formally launched. He said that this area has huge potential for water sports/ Adventure activities adding that the state government has already notified water adventure sports policy to boost tourism in the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that in the coming days all these activities will be operational commercially thereby giving a major boost to tourism sector.

The Chief Minister said that this area is blessed with bounty of natural resources which can attract the tourists from across the globe adding that this is the need of hour for promotion of economic activity in the region thereby transforming the lives of people. He bemoaned that due to negligence of the successive state governments the area has been hitherto ignored in the lace of development. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the untapped potential of tourism in this area will harnessed for attracting the tourists to this land with immense natural beauty.