IEP Chandigarh January 24

          The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested accused Balvir Singh, a resident of village Alampur, District Patiala, who was an accomplice of accused Malwinder Singh Sidhu, AIG, Human Rights, Punjab. He was wanted in a corruption-cum-criminal case registered by the VB as he used to submit complaints against employees in their departments and exhorted money by blackmailing at the behest of above said police officer.

          Disclosing this here today an official spokesperson of the state VB said the Bureau has secured a 5-day police remand of accused Balvir Singh in order to recover the weapon always kept by him on his person as well as to identify and ascertain the involvement of more persons.

          Giving more details the spokesperson informed that in this regard the Bureau, on the basis of a Vigilance Enquiry, has registered a case FIR No. 28, dated 30. 10. 2023 under sections 7, 7-A of Prevention of Corruption Act and 384, 419, 420, 120B, 201 of IPC at police station, Vigilance Bureau, flying squad-1, Punjab at SAS Nagar. The said AIG Sidhu, his accomplice Balvir Singh and other accused were involved in this case. AIG Sidhu was already in judicial custody in the above said case.

          He further added that during the probe it was found that AIG Sidhu misrepresented himself as IGP, Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, along with above said Balvir Singh and other accused, thereby used to initiate complaints against government employees, only to subsequently withdraw these in order to blackmail them and get illicit gains. Mentionably, this police officer had never held positions of AIG or IG within the Vigilance Bureau, Punjab since 2017.

          He informed that it has came to light that AIG Sidhu had misused the government vehicle, Ertiga (PB-65-AD-1905) as fuel and other expenses were being drawn from the government account. However, he never maintained records of vehicle usage (log-book) which amounted to misuse of government property.

          The spokesperson further added that afore mentioned Balvir Singh, at the behest of AIG Sidhu used to submit complaints against employees in different departments who had presumably been recruited under the Scheduled Castes and Freedom Fighters quota in order to pressurize and blackmail them in lieu of bribes, which were shared by him, Malwinder Singh and the other accused.

          Further investigation into this case was under progress and remaining accused would be arrested soon, he added.

IEP CHANDIGARH, January 24

          Taking the first step towards realising the vision of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann of having AI-driven modern policing in the state, Punjab Police inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar for the establishment of first-of-its-kind in-house Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Lab, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday.

          The MoU was signed by ADGP Technical Services Punjab Ram Singh and Director IIT Ropar Professor Rajeev Ahuja in the presence of DGP Punjab Gaurav Yadav. SP Technical Services Punjab Sandeep Kaur Sandhu and Asst. Professor IIT Ropar Dr Santosh Kumar Vipparthi were also present.

          DGP Gaurav Yadav, while thanking CM Bhagwant Singh Mann for complete support to Punjab Police in its modernisation, said that this collaboration will not only pave the way for various technological innovations but will also help in harnessing the cutting-edge technologies for predictive policing, crime pattern recognition & analysis, facial recognition and intelligent decision-making.

          He said that where AI can assist the Police in the detection of criminal activities and fraud by identifying patterns and trends in large volumes of data, on the other side, ML algorithms can help understand criminal behaviour and allocate resources accordingly. The lab will also help in optimising the deployment of manpower based on real-time data, he said.

          Sharing more details, ADGP Ram Singh said that in the present era, the rapid progress in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence holds the potential to transform the operations of law enforcement agencies.

          He said that this initiative, which is driven by the goal to leverage state-of-the-art technologies, will further help enhance law enforcement capabilities, improve public safety, and foster innovation in AI-driven security solutions. This initiative reflects the commitment to exploit the advancements in ML and AI for revolutionizing law enforcement practices and enhancing security measures throughout Punjab, he added.

          Meanwhile, the lab will also play a crucial role in automating the generation of reports and paperwork, saving time of officers and administrative staff. AI-driven dashboards can provide law enforcement agencies with real-time analytics and insights into ongoing operations and events, improving situational awareness.

IEP CHANDIGARH, January 23

In order to ensure peaceful celebrations on the occasion of Republic Day as per the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police have deployed senior Police Officers from the Headquarters in different districts and mobilised a force of over 20000 police personnel to ensure foolproof law and order and security arrangements at all the venues.

Notably, Governor of Punjab Banwarilal Purohit will unfurl the National Flag and take the salute during a state-level Republic Day function to be held in Patiala, while, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann will unfurl the National Flag in Ludhiana.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Headquarters Dr Sukhchain Singh Gill, who was addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, said that Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav has been personally supervising the security arrangements for Republic Day and has also appointed Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla as the nodal officer to ensure meticulous security arrangements at all the venues.

 “Foolproof arrangements are in place and Senior Police officers of the rank of Spl DGP/ADGP/IGP/DIG have been asked to camp in different districts to monitor the security arrangements at their respective venues personally,” he said.

He said that all the Gazetted Officers and Station House Officers (SHOs) have also been asked to remain in the field till the culmination of the Republic Day event, besides this, additional forces have been deployed at the sensitive pockets.

The IGP said that the DGP Punjab has ordered extensive checking of vehicles and suspicious people across the state. Plans to seal all the inter-state, inter-district and inter-city boundaries in the state are being implemented, he added.

He also urged the people of Punjab to remain alert all the time, and immediately report to the police if they find any suspicious. “People can inform the Police on 112 helpline number,” he added.

Meanwhile, CPs/SSPs have also been asked to conduct cordon and search operations (CASO) at and around Railway Stations and Bus Stands and check vulnerable places including markets Government Buildings and Religious places.

IEP CHANDIGARH, January 23

With Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government has been focusing on bringing the people trapped in vicious drug menace back into the mainstream, more drug consumers are coming forward to avail the provision of section 64-A of the NDPS act by pledging to undergo the rehabilitation treatment, said Inspector General of Police (IGP) Headquarters Dr Sukhchain Singh Gill here on Tuesday.

 “In just 20 days, the Hon’ble Court has confirmed 237 cases where the order has been passed under section 64-A NDPS act, and as many as 282 drug consumers have been undergoing the treatment of de-addiction and rehabilitation,” he said.

Pertinently, the state government has enforced a three-pronged strategy— Enforcement, Prevention and Rehabilitation— to eradicate drugs from the state. As part of the strategy, the Punjab Police has been promoting and creating awareness about section 64-A of the NDPS act, which provides an opportunity to a drug consumer—caught with a few grams of heroin or narcotic powder— for rehabilitation.

The IGP, however, said that the crackdown against big drug smugglers is also ongoing, with Punjab Police arresting 141 drug smugglers/suppliers including 31 big fish after registering 109 first information reports (FIRs) in the last week, and recovering 19.4-Kg Heroin, 8.3-Kg opium, 25.23 quintals of poppy husk, and 4201 tablets/capsules/injections/vials of Pharma opioids besides recovering Rs 1.40 lakh drug money from their possession.

He said that with six more Proclaimed Offenders (POs)/Absconders in NDPS cases arrested in the last one week, the total number of arrests reached 1260 since the special drive to arrest POs/absconders was started on July 5, 2022.

Giving details on disposing-off drugs under the NDPS act from January 1, 2024, to January 15, 2024, IGP Sukhchain Gill said that different field and special units of Punjab Police have destroyed over 523Kg heroin, 79.92 quintals of Poppy Husk, 298Kg Ganja and 17.57 lakh narcotic pills/capsules under the supervision of High-Level Drug Disposal Committees of contraband by burning them in a incinerators following proper procedure.

He said that Punjab Police have also forfeited 263 properties worth Rs 111 crores of big smugglers since the formation of the government, while, 9 more proposals to forfeit properties worth Rs 3.60 crores are pending with the competent authority.

Apart from this, IGP Sukhchain Singh Gill said that the Punjab Police have not been leaving any stone unturned to improve the law and order situation in the state.

The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), since its formation on April 6, 2022, has succeeded in busting 312 gangster/criminal modules after arresting 951 gangsters/criminals and neutralising 10, after 963 weapons and 208 vehicles used in criminal activities, he said.

IEP Chandigarh, January 23

Local Government Minister Balkar Singh, conducted review meeting in the presence of MLAs, with Municipal Commissioner Ludhiana, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development) Ludhiana, and EOs of Municipal Corporation/Nagar Panchayats of Jagraon, Khanna, Doraha, Mulanpur Dakhan, Raikot, Sahnewal, Samrala, Machiwara, Payal and Malod.In the review meeting, officials were instructed to promptly utilize unused funds.

During a review meeting at the Municipal Bhawan in Sector 35, Chandigarh today, Local Government Minister Balkar Singh discussed in detail the sewerage treatment plants and water treatment plants being constructed under the Swachh Bharat Mission and the AMRUT Mission, respectively, along with other development works. He directed authorities to ensure quality and transparency in these development initiatives.

Cabinet Minister Balkar Singh further stated that projects with approved DPRs should commence soon after obtaining tenders, and DPRs for pending projects should be approved expeditiously. He warned of appropriate action against officials if allocated funds are not utilized for development within specified time frames.

Balkar Singh shared comprehensive information about works under various schemes and allocated funds with MLAs, urging officials to ensure transparent communication with MLAs for public-centric development. He emphasized that the overarching goal is to comprehensively develop the state.

Local Government Minister reiterated the Punjab government’s vision, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Maan, to make Rangla Punjab. He stressed the collective responsibility to work diligently and honestly towards achieving this vision.

Cabinet Minister Balkar Singh affirmed that the state government has ample funds for development works. If a regional office requires additional funds, it should submit a complete proposal with an action plan to the head office.

On this occasion, MLAs Madan Lal Bagga, Rajinderpal Kaur Chinna, Daljit Singh Grewal, Ashok Parashar Pappi, Kulwant Singh Sidhu, Sarvjit Kaur Manuke, Jagtar Singh Dayalpura, Hardeep Singh Mundian, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, Manwinder Singh Giaspura, Hakam Singh Thekedar besides Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board CEO Malwinder Singh Jaggi, Local Government Department Director Uma Shankar Gupta, Municipal Commissioner, Ludhiana, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, Senior Officers of Head Office, Constituency In-charge Aam Aadmi Party Mulanpur Dakhan and EOs of Municipal Council/Nagar Panchayats were present in the meeting.

IEP Chandigarh, January 19

          Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Maan, is committed to providing better civic services to the people of the state. To fulfill this objective, the state government is undertaking development projects across Punjab, as expressed by Balkar Singh, Minister for Local Government.

          Today at Municipal Bhawan, Sector-35, Chandigarh, Minister for Local Government Balkar Singh conducted a review meeting with Commissioner Municipal Corporation Jalandhar, Kapurthala, and Phagwara, along with Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development/General), Jalandhar and Kapurthala. The review included Municipal Council/Nagar Panchayat, Nakodar, Adampur, Alawalpur, Bhogpur, Kartarpur, Nurmahal, Phillaur, Gorayan, Lohia Khas, Mehatpur, Shahkot, Bilga, Sultanpur Lodhi, Bhulath, Begowal, Nadala and Dhilwan. During the meeting, officials were informed about the high level of quality in ongoing works and given instructions to maintain it.

          Member of Parliament Mr. Sushil Kumar Rinku, MLAs, and Constituency Incharges of Aam Aadmi Party participated in this review meeting, where the minister shared detailed information about the funds allocated by the government to the constituencies.

          Local Government Minister discussed various projects under Swachh Bharat Mission, Amarut Mission, such as unutilized funds under Swachh Bharat Mission 1 and 2, availability of space for sewage treatment plants under construction, and space for water treatment plants under Amarut 2. Discussing the current status of ongoing development works, the minister emphasized completing them within the stipulated time frame.

          He urged officials to start work promptly after completing the necessary office processes for approved DPRs. Additionally, he stressed initiating the approval process for other works without delay.

          Regarding issues with space for sewage and water treatment plants, the minister urged quick resolution in coordination with the MLA of the concerned constituency and the district administration for a cleaner environment.

          Cabinet Minister Balkar Singh directed officials to spend unused funds under various schemes promptly, warning of strict action against non-compliance with guidelines.

          He emphasized special attention to sanitation, park maintenance, street lights, and proper disposal of heritage waste.  Minister assured adequate funds for development works and requested a detailed action plan if additional funds were required.

          Cabinet Minister Balkar Singh provided detailed information to MLAs about works under various schemes and the allocated funds. He emphasized establishing contact with MLAs for development works and sharing all information to ensure timely and orderly progress.

          He encouraged officials to resolve any difficulties in development work by bringing them to the attention of the concerned MLAs and district administration for immediate resolution.

          Present at the occasion were MLAs Raman Arora, Sheetal Angural, Inderjit Kaur Mann, CEO of Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board Malwinder Singh Jaggi, CEO of PMIDC Deepti Uppal, EOs of Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayats, Aam Aadmi Party constituency in-charge, and other senior officials.

IEP Chandigarh, January 19

          The Punjab Information and Public Relations Department on Friday organized the second religious congregation and Guru Ka Langar to mark the birth anniversary of the Tenth Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The event was held with profound devotion and religious fervour at Gurdwara Sahib, Punjab Civil Secretariat-1 here.

          The head Granthi of Gurdwara Sahib Sector-11 Bhai Tarsem Singh recited Sukhmani Sahib and Hazuri Ragi Bhai Manjinder Singh of Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib performed Shabad Kirtan. Following the spiritual activities, the sangat partook langar, prepared by Gurdwara Sahib Shahpur Sector-38.

          The religious event was attended by Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mr. Balbir Singh, OSD (Media)/Chief Minister Punjab Mr. Adil Azmi, MLA Dr. Inderjit Kaur Mann, Secretary Information and Public Relations Mr. Malwinder Singh Jaggi, Director IPR S. Bhupinder Singh, Additional Director (Admin) Mr. Sandeep Singh Garha, Special DGP (Law & Order) Mr. Arpit Shukla, ADGP (Traffic) Mr. A.S Rai and the staff of the Information and Public Relations Department and Punjab Civil Secretariat.

          A large number of members from the media fraternity, retired officials of DIPR and other staff from various departments and from Punjab Civil Secretariat-1 and 2, CISF and Punjab Vidhan Sabha participated in this event.

IEP Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, January 17 

District Administration has marked Gurpurab of Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji with a distinction in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar district, which has been carved out in the name of the eldest Son of Guru Sahib, Sahibzada Ajit Singh. Divulging details, the Deputy Commissioner Mrs. Aashika Jain who has been the instrumental in making the idea practical on the previous day by visiting multiple Gurdwara Sahiban in the district, said that special camps were held at all the Gurdwara Sahiban to keep the people well aware and enrolled as voter for Gurudwara Board (SGPC) Elections.

She said that the Patwaris in rural areas and Municipal Staff in urban areas were put on duty to set up help desks at all Gurdwara Sahiban to get maximum mileage from the sacred occasion of Gurpurab as the hundreds of people thronged the Gurdwaras on this day to pay obeisance. The Deputy Commissioner said that at most of the places, the people were informed well before organising the camps through announcements from the Gurdwara Sahiban. She said that the idea to capture the eligible voters has worked well and we have got a very good response.

She said that district administration would continue the move till February 29 to benefit the maximum number of people with the right to vote for Gurdwara Board Elections. Mrs Jain said that the Gurdwara Elections made it mandatory to have fresh electoral rolls before the election, so we are registering the voters by approaching them with innovative ideas. The Deputy Commissioner repeatedly appealed to the eligible Sikh voters to come forward and register themselves as Voters for Gurdwara Board Elections. The eligibility criteria for becoming a voter for Gurdwara Board Elections is to be Keshadhari Sikh with minimum age 21 years or above, non-drinker, non-smoker and non-trimmer, as mentioned in Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925, Section 49, she added.

IEP Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, January 17

Punjab scripted a history with launching its’ first Human Milk Bank (Comprehensive Lactation Mangement Centre), at Dr B R Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), Mohali with the support of Rotary Club of Chandigarh.  

     The World President of Rotary International Dr. Gorden R. McInally inaugurated the State’s first Human Milk Bank, at Mohali.

     Dr. Gordon R. McInally commended Rotary’s endeavors in establishing this Center which also supports Rotary’s commitment to empower women, improving their health, and well-being, by protecting their children. 

      Dr Avnish, Director Research and Medical Education Punjab endorsed and appreciated the efforts of Rotarians for expediting the setting up of the plant by financial support of nearly Rs 38 lakh to buy vital equipment for the plant which would help the women provide best possible nutrition to their new born through this human milk bank. It is an example of a Public Private Partnership. S. Kuljit Singh MLA Dera Bassi also attended the function and appreciated the efforts made.

    AIMS Director-Principal Dr. Bhavneet Bharti informed that at the initiative of the Past President Rotary International Mr Rajender Saboo, President Rtn Anil Chadda and  Rtn. Abha Sharma, Director Special Projects and who shall also be the club President in 2025-26, an MoU was signed in July last year  with the Rotary Club of Chandigarh for setting up this unique facility in Punjab. 

     Also called as Comprehensive Lactation Management Centre (CLMC), Human Milk Bank is a vital health facility that offers lactation support and management for all mothers within the hospital, said Dr. Bharti.  She said that the Centre has facilities for collection, screening, processing, storage and dispensing of donated human milk for babies without access to their own mother’s milk and expression and storage of  mother’s own breast milk for consumption of her baby. 

    Former World President of Rotary International Rajendra K. Saboo was also present on the occasion who said that this project symbolizes the Rotary’s theme given by Dr. McInally, Create Hope in the World. 

A senior Rotarian and past district governor Subhash Garg, owner of Ruchira Papers Limited of Yamunanagar, was felicitated for providing Rs.31 lakh from CSR funds to make this project possible. 

    Dr. Bhavneet Bharti informed that this is the first milk bank to be operationalised in Punjab. AIMS Mohali is proud to be at the forefront of a groundbreaking initiative – the establishment of the First Human Milk Bank in our city.

    There is a dire need for human milk especially for the preterm babies (born before 37 weeks of gestation) and their estimated global prevalence  is 9.9 percent  which  translates to 13·4 million preterm live births in the world .

    In this region, we too have similar requirements because as per a study, 10 to 20 percent of the babies who are in the NICU [neonatal intensive care unit]  may require donor human milk, Dr. Bharti said. The milk is obtained from lactating mothers voluntarily, which will be stored and preserved, pasteurized, and preserved, she said. It was emphasized that this would be accomplished with the state-of-the-art facility including firsthand knowledge of the advanced technology and stringent protocols in place to guarantee the highest standards of safety and quality

       Mrs Abha, Director, Special Projects and President Rotary Club Chandigarh 2025-26 also acknowledged the setting up of the first Human Milk Bank as a momentous occasion, and said it will play a vital role in amplifying awareness about the importance of human milk donation and its transformative impact on infant healthcare.

        Mrs Aashika Jain DC Mohali lauded this landmark initiative that underscores our commitment to advancing maternal and infant healthcare in the state of Punjab.

    Prof ON Bhakoo, former Head of the department of Pediatrics and Neonatology also known as father of neonatology  appreciated the efforts made in setting up a Comprehensive Lactation Management Center in true spirit. The function was attended by many senior officials, SMO DH Mohali Dr HS Cheema, Senior Rotarians, President of Human Milk Banking Association Mr Rajender Gulati, President IAP Chandigarh Chapter, Sahibzada Academy of Pediatrics Mohali. Senior Pediatricians and other dignitaries.

    Rotary Club of Chandigarh is in 65 years of its existence in the city and has to its credit setting up of Rotary PGI Serai, state-of-the-art blood bank in Sector 37, a Rotary Vocational Training Centre in Sector 18, international dolls museum in Sector 23, besides having done over 700 free heart surgeries of children, informed Rtn President Anil Chadha.

IEP Chandigarh, January 17

Expressing profound grief and sorrow over the death of three cops in a road accident near Hoshiarpur, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday announced Rs 2 crore as financial assistance to their families.

In a statement, the Chief Minister said that it is unfortunate that these cops had lost their lives in a road mishap adding that this is a huge loss for the state in general and for the aggrieved families of the cops in particular. He said that out of this Rs 2 crore, Rs 1 crore will be given as ex-gratia by the state government whereas another payment of insurance cover worth Rs 1 crore will be made by the HDFC bank. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that financial assistance to family of cops is in consonance with the commitment of the state government to ensure the well being of the soldiers (from Armed forces, paramilitary and Police) and their families.