IEP Chandigarh, August 22

Reiterating his firm commitment to further strengthen Cooperative Entities of the state, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday launched Verka Fruit Yogurt, One Litre Packing of Fresh Cream and Extended Shelf Life UHT milk.

          During the launching ceremony here, the Chief Minister said that Milkfed’s core strength lies in procuring best quality milk and production of top quality milk products. He said that in order to ensure quality products, Milkfed has been investing heavily on setting up state of the art milk plants & milk testing equipments, so that the quality of every drop of milk is well checked in the entire value chain and safe products are delivered to consumers. Bhagwant Singh Mann informed that in order to provide safe and quality assured products to consumers, state of art infrastructure is being created at Verka Dairy Mohali with an outlay of Rs. 325 Crore under JICA thereby setting up New Milk Processing Unit of 5LLPD capacity with Value Added Product capacity of 50MTPD for Curd, 4MPTD for Ghee and 10MPTD for Butter.

          Speaking about the expansion of Verka, the Chief Minister said that new products have been added in Verka’s kitty today with the launching of Fruit Yogurt in 100gm packing with three real fruit varieties namely Mango, Strawberry & Blueberry in 100 gm Cup, Fresh Cream in One Litre Pack with 120 days’ shelf life and Extended Shelf Life UHT milk with 90 days’ shelf life. He lauded the performance of Milkfed during the financial year 2022-23 & assured the dairy producers and consumers that Milkfed is committed to provide quality extension services to dairy farmers and delivery of quality milk and milk producers to consumers. He also assured full support to Milkfed Punjab in achieving its mission and vision. Bhagwant Singh Mann urged farmers to provide maximum quantity of Milk to Verka so that the entity cound be able to expand its base, besides offering lucrative rates to the milk producers.

The Chief Minister assured Milkfed of timely disbursement of budgetary provision of 100 crore financial assistance from Govt of Punjab so as to improve the procurement of milk and making the business dynamics at par with other states. Bhagwant Singh Mann appreciated the implementation of new BIS SNF formula by Milkfed, which is going to benefit the dairy farmers of Punjab in a long way and shall help them in competing with major dairy players of India.

The Chief Minister said that keeping in view of the demand of the market, Milkfed has been launching new milk products from time to time, which have been getting overwhelming response. He said that Milkfed is in the process of widening its reach on PAN India basis and launched fresh milk and milk products in Delhi & NCR markets. Apart from this, Milkfed is in the process of consolidating its presence in Delhi & NCR market by way of opening 30 Verka Milk Booths at various stations of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and 100 Milk Booths at prominent points on MCD Delhi’s land. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that stupendous efforts will also be made by Milkfed in reviving its old consolidated markets like Ahmadabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Jaipur.

Exuding confidence about the overwhelming response to Verka’s products, the Chief Minister said that Milkfed has recorded an annual increase of 9% in Packaged Milk, 32% in Curd, 30% in Lassi. 23% in Paneer and 21% in Kheer as compared to Financial Year 2021-22 during the Financial Year 2022-23.

On this occasion Chairman Milkfed Narinder Singh Shergill was also present.

IEP Chandigarh

PGIMER is going to start an exclusive Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Service at Nehru Hospital of the Institute.  Six beds have been approved exclusively for Pediatrics.  These 6 beds will be under Prof Amita Trehan, Incharge Paediatrics Hematology and Oncology, Department of Paediatrics.  

 The tender for the construction of Pediatric BMT services in the Nehru Building has been issued.  This is in line with the commitment of Govt. of India to provide affordable and quality transplant services in Government Institutions.

 Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Services under Prof. Pankaj Malhotra and Prof. Alka Khadwal will handhold the Paediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Services in Nehru Hospital.

IEP Chandigarh, August 22

In a significant step towards modernizing the Indian legal framework, Union Law and Justice Minister Mr. Arjun Ram Meghwal informed that the Central Government is vigorously undertaking the revision of key colonial-era legislations, including the Indian Penal Code 1860, Criminal Procedure Code 1898, and Indian Evidence Act 1872.

Union Minister Meghwal was addressing the Ministers, MLAs, high-ranking officials and legal fraternity while paying a courtesy call on Haryana Chief Minister Mr. Manohar Lal.

Haryana Chief Minister Mr. Manohar Lal warmly welcomed Union Minister at the Sant Kabir Kutir and provided insights into various state government schemes and initiatives. Expressing a long-standing relationship with Mr. Manohar Lal, the Union Minister praised the Chief Minister’s efforts towards the holistic development of Haryana.

The Union Law Minister commended the rapid pace at which the Central Government is working to amend colonial-era laws. He said that the process of removing archaic terminology and concepts deeply entrenched in these statutes was a formidable task. He also highlighted the critical role played by Union Home Minister Sh. Amit Shah in spearheading this transformative legislative effort, aligned with Prime Minister Sh. Narender Modi’s directive. After extensive analysis, it was found that these laws are related to the Irish system and it is necessary to adapt them to today’s situation.

It is worth mentioning that for the first time in 2019, Prime Minister Sh Narender Modi put forward the idea that all the laws made since the time of the British should be reviewed. These laws should be changed keeping in view the need of the hour in the interest of society. In the first year of Azadi ka Amritkal, the central government is rapidly moving forward to eradicate these traces of slavery and soon new reformative laws will be implemented.

The Union Minister also had a direct dialogue with the present high-ranking officials and legal fraternity regarding the amendment in laws.

Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Dushyant Chautala, Urban Local Bodies Minister Dr. Kamal Gupta, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Mr. Jai Prakash Dalal, Women and Child Development Minister Mrs. Kamlesh Dhanda, Minister of State Mr. Sandeep Singh, MLA Mr. Subhash Sudha, Chief Secretary Mr. Sanjeev Kaushal, Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Sh D S Dhesi, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Dr. Amit  Agrawal and other officers were also present.

IEP Chandigarh, August 22

Haryana Chief Secretary, Mr. Sanjeev Kaushal today directed the officers of the Industries and Energy Department to complete all formalities of signing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) preferably within 15 days for setting up of Multi-Modal Logistics Parks (MMLPs) and solar power generation infrastructure under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) Scheme.

The Chief Secretary gave these instructions while presiding over a meeting on the establishment of MMLPs and solar power generation infrastructure under the PM KUSUM Scheme here today. He directed the officers to ensure the setting up of MMLPs and solar power generation infrastructure in a timely manner.

Highlighting the significance of the endeavor, CEO of the National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), Mr. Prakash Gaur said that NHLML, a wholly-owned Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), has been entrusted with a pivotal mandate – to develop Multi-Modal Logistics Parks (MMLPs) at 35 strategically significant locations across the nation. Out of the 35 MMLP sites approved by the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA), Government of India, Haryana is set to host two MMLPs: one in Ambala and another in Hisar. Additionally, a proposed MMLP is earmarked for the Delhi-NCR region. In light of this, NHLML has requested the Haryana government to identify suitable land parcels, ranging between 100 to 150 acres. The ideal land parcels should be strategically situated near rail lines/DFC and national highways. Furthermore, proximity to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, industrial hubs, or production centers is recommended to ensure the MMLPs’ commercial viability. The prospective establishment of MMLPs within Haryana bears immense promise. Beyond bolstering the state’s economy and generating employment opportunities, these parks will contribute to pollution reduction and elevate the efficiency of the logistics sector, he added.

He said that NHLML plans to implement the projects under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) scheme, which aims to promote solar energy in the agriculture sector. Under the PM KUSUM scheme, NHLML will provide vacant land parcels at interchanges along the national highways/expressways to solar developers. The developers will then execute the projects in the RESCO (Renewable Energy Service Company) mode, which is similar to the DBFOT (Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer) model. The developers will provide power to the state Discoms at the bid out price for a period of 25 years. The state Discoms will select the developers under the PM KUSUM scheme and purchase power from them at the bid out price. The Discoms will also pay lease rent to NHLML for the use of the land parcels. The implementation of these pilot projects is a significant step towards realizing the vision of ‘Green and Self-sustainable Highways’. The projects will help to reduce the carbon footprint of the highways and improve their energy efficiency, he added.

Additional Chief Secretary, Finance, Mr. Anurag Rastogi, Additional Chief Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Mr. Anand Mohan Sharan and senior officers of NHLML including Col. Anil Sen, Zonal Officer, Northern Region, Mr. Ankit Sangrai, SE, Zonal Office, Chandigarh, Mr. Narender Kumar, SE, Zonal Office, Chandigarh were also present in the meeting.

IEP Chandigarh, August 22

In a significant development, Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal while chairing a key meeting with the officers of Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN) today virtually gave job offer letters for various posts to as many as 746 candidates, showcasing the government’s commitment to transparent and efficient recruitment processes. The candidates who received job offers will have a 15-day window to confirm their acceptance of the positions offered to them.

In the meeting, the functioning of the Nigam was also discussed in detail. The HKRN has been working towards providing contract-based employment opportunities to the youth, fostering skill development and honest job placements.

The Chief Minister clarified that some people are spreading rumours that people are giving various kinds of inducements to get job opportunities through HKRN. He clarified that such allegations are baseless and untrue and urged the citizens not to be misled by such rumours. He reaffirmed Nigam’s commitment to a streamlined and transparent employment process, ensuring fairness and equality for all candidates.

He has further clarified that this employment is only for one year, if the candidate wants to rejoin the service again after one year, he/she has to apply again on the HKRN portal one month before the expiry of the contract period.

The candidates who were shortlisted today include posts from Level-1 to Level-3. Among these posts, 227 Assistant Lineman, 55 Driver (ERV), 47 Fireman/Fire Driver, 46 Data Entry Operator, 42 Block Cluster Coordinator, 40 Driver, 31 JE (Civil), 30 Sweeper, 20 Ayush Yoga Assistant, 15 Clerk, 11 Legal Assistant, 7 Accounts Clerk etc.

Chief Executive Officer, HRNL, Sh. K. Makrand Pandurang said that the initiative taken by the Chief Minister to constitute  Nigam is aimed to provide ample job opportunities to the youth and this step underscores the commitment of the government to address concerns of the contractual employees through transparent and credible means.

 “Till now several employment opportunities have been made available to many youths through the Nigam, as they have been selected in a transparent and robust manner,” he said.

IEP CHANDIGARH/FEROZEPUR, August 21

The ongoing war against drugs waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann dealt yet another major blow to the Pakistan-controlled trans-border drug trafficking network after Punjab Police in a joint operation with Border Security Force (BSF) arrested two Pakistani Nationals and recovered 26 packets of heroin— weighing 29.2Kg, from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Monday.

          Those arrested have been identified as Muhammad Ajmal Riyan of village Kanganpur in district Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan and Sivna of village Alipur in district Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan.

          Pertinently, this is the eighth major heroin consignment recovered by the Punjab Police in this month, taking the total recovery of heroin to 142kg in just 20 days.

          DGP Gaurav Yadav said that in an intelligence-led operation, Counter Intelligence (CI)  Ludhiana and CI Ferozepur along with BSF launched a joint operation in the area of village Ghazni wala in Ferozepur and arrested both Pakistani Nationals.

          One Pakistani National suffered a bullet injury in his right arm in a brief exchange fire with security forces, he said, while adding that the injured was taken to Mamdot BSF Hospital for treatment.

          Special DGP Internal Security RN Dhoke said that the Internal Security wing has recovered 193 Kg heroin since January 1, 2023.

          Sharing more details, AIG CI Ludhiana Simratpal Singh Dhindsa said that following the reliable inputs about the influx of large quantity of heroin from across the border, the police party arrested two Pakistani drug smugglers after recovering 29.2Kg heroin from their possession. More arrests are expected, he said.

          AIG CI Fazilka Lakhbir Singh said that FIR No 29 dated 21/08/2023 has been registered under sections 21C, 29 and 30 of the NDPS Act, sections 3/34/20 of the Indian Passport Act and section 14 of Foreign Act at Police Station SSOC Fazilka. Investigations are on to establish backward and forward linkages, he added.

Jalandhar Rural Police arrested a drug smuggler identified as Joga Singh of village Rajapur in Ludhiana after recovering 8kg heroin from his possession

          August 11: CI Amritsar busted a cross-border drug smuggling racket with the arrest of a drug smuggler identified as Harpal Singh alias Bhala, a resident of village Lakhna in District Tarn Tarn after recovering 5Kg heroin from his possession

          August 10: Amritsar Rural Police busted a cross-border drug smuggling racket with the arrest of three drug smugglers after recovering 12Kg heroin from their possession

          August 6: Counter Intelligence Ferozepur busted two separate cross-border drug smuggling rackets with the arrest of four drug traffickers after recovering 77.8Kg heroin (41.8Kg+36Kg) and three pistols from their possession

          August 5: SSOC Amritsar recovered 4kg heroin concealed beneath the road in the village Bute Dian Chhana in Mehatpur

          August 3: SSOC Amritsar busted a cross-border drug smuggling racket with the arrest of drug smuggler identified as Shinder Singh after recovering 6Kg heroin and Rs 1.5 lakh drug money from his possession

IEP Chandigarh, August 21

Punjab Defense Services Welfare Minister S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra, on Monday, directed the officials of the department to expedite process for the repair and maintenance of Sainik School Kapurthala, reiterating that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led government was committed to preserving the honour of this prestigious Sainik School.

          S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra, while presiding over a meeting with officials of concerned departments and the management of the Sainik School, in his office at Punjab Civil Secretariat-1, said that Sainik School Kapurthala, spread over around 192 acres of land, is a world-renowned heritage building of Punjab, where around 580 students are currently undergoing training to join the army. He emphasized that this Sainik School has contributed significantly to the security of the nation with many senior officers who have sacrificed for the unity, integrity and security of the country.

          The Cabinet Minister directed officials that a comprehensive plan should be outlined immediately for the extensive restoration of this valuable heritage building, stressing that no shortage of funds should hinder this work. S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra mentioned that he would soon meet the Finance Minister regarding the allocation of funds required for the repair and maintenance of the Sainik School.

          S. Jauramajra instructed the officials of Cultural and Tourism department that since the building holds significant heritage value, hence a special team of the department should be dispatched for inspection at Sainik School before preparing a plan for renovation, and the report of the team should be submitted to his office.

          Notably, S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra visited the Sainik School last month and took stock of the maintenance of the school building and the heritage artefacts. He also interacted with the students and heard their difficulties during his visit.

          Mr. J.M. Balamurugan, Principal Secretary, Defense Services Welfare, Mr. Neelkanth Avadh, Principal Secretary, Public Works Department Group Captain Mrs. Madhu Sengar, Principal, Sainik School Kapurthala and other officials of various concerned departments, were present during the meeting.

IEP Chandigarh, August 21

Under the effective leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government is continuously working for the welfare of every section of the state. Taking a step forward in the same direction, Social Security, Women, and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur held a meeting of the Raj Parishad constituted under Senior Citizens Rules 2012, Rule 24 of the Care and Welfare of Parents and Elderly today at Punjab Civil Secretariat-1, Sector-1 in Chandigarh.

          Speaking about this, Cabinet Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur said that a detailed discussion was held with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Department of Information and Public Relations, and Department of Home Affairs and Justice regarding various demands of senior citizens. The Minister stated that the main demands of the senior citizens are to increase the old-age pension for senior citizens, considering inflation, to open old-age homes in every district of the state of Punjab, to provide free health services for the elderly in government health institutions, to ensure the welfare of parents and the elderly and to fully implement The Care 2007 Act in the state of Punjab. Additionally, the implementation of the Protection of Life and Property Act, spreading awareness about Government rules for elderly care among Government offices, society and families, creating a separate directorate for senior citizens, and addressing the demands for formulating a state policy for elderly welfare and establishing a helpline number (14567) for senior citizens were discussed.

          Dr. Baljit Kaur emphasized that the elderly are our valuable capital, and it is our moral responsibility to take care of them. The Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, is continuously working for their welfare.

          During the meeting, the minister assured the association’s representatives that their legitimate demands would be addressed by corresponding with the concerned departments.

          On this Occasion, Special Chief Secretary of Social Security, Women and Child Development, Mrs. Raji P. Shrivastava, Director of Social Security, Women and Child Development Department, Mrs. Madhvi Kataria, Director of Information and Public Relations Department, S. Bhupinder Singh, Additional Director of Social Security, Women and Child Development Department, S. Charanjit Singh and Deputy Director of Health and Family Welfare Department, Dr. Daljit Singh were present.

IEP Chandigarh, August 21

 In a major decision for holistic development of the villages, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday announced special grant of Rs. 5 lakh to unanimously elected panchayats under ‘Mukh Mantri Pind Ekta Sanman.

 Stressing on to maintain brotherhood and bonhomie in Panchayat Elections, the Chief Minister said that these elections are critically important for the development of the villages, thereby the state government has anounced to extend the special grant to the villages which will elect Sarpanch and Panches unanimously.  He said that this decision will set the trend to elect their representative unanimously across the state and root out the political acrimony from grass root level.

 The Chief Minister said that Panchayat Elections are mainly concerned on the development of villages and these elections shouldn’t be used as the tool to score the political grudge against the opponents as the people of the villages sharing sorrow and joy of each other since time immortal. He said that the Sarpanch is the real leader of the entire village not for one particular section so they should act as the leader of the village. Bhagwant Singh Mann urged the people to put aside their political differences and elect their Panchayat representatives unanimously in the coming elections so that the ethos of brotherhood and harmony could be further strengthened.

 The Chief Minister exuded confidence that maximum number of villages will exploit this monetary assistance opportunity with the implementation of this decision to elect their Panchayat representatives instead of their political affiliations and put their villages on high growth trajectory.

 The Chief Minister also announced that every possible effort will be made to keep these elections free from political spheres.  He said that the purpose of this decision is to create congenial atmosphere during Panchayat elections and ensure overall development of every nook and corner of the villages. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the successive governments used these elections as the tool to create factionalism among villagers to gain political mileage but at the end the villages have to bear the consequences

IEP Chandigarh, August 21

To make Punjab the leading state of the country in sports and to create sporting culture, under the direction of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, after the success of the first season of ‘Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan’ launched, it has been decided to start torch relay for the first time to create awareness about sports before the start of season-2 this year.

          Punjab Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer disclosed here today that according to the tradition of the Games, this time the torch relay will start tomorrow on August 22 from Ludhiana before the opening ceremony of the season-2 of the Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan and will be taken to every district headquarters in Punjab for a week. He said that last year the first season of ‘Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan’ had ended in Ludhiana, due to which the torch will be started from Ludhiana and after marching all over Punjab, the torch will reach Bathinda on August 29, where the second season of the Games will be inaugurated. The torch relay at each district headquarters will be attended by local eminent sportspersons, sports department personnel, local representatives and district administration officials.

          Divulging the details of the torch relay, the Sports Minister further said that it will go from Ludhiana to Moga on August 22, Ferozepur, Tarn Taran and Amritsar on August 23, Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Hoshiarpur on August 24, Jalandhar, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar and Rupnagar on August 25, SAS Nagar, Sri Fatehgarh Sahib and Malerkotla on August 27, Patiala, Sangrur and Mansa on August 28, Barnala, Faridkot and Fazilka on August 28 and at Sri Muktsar Sahib and Bathinda on August 29.