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.

IEP Chandigarh, August 21

          Punjab Horticulture Minister S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra, today directed that records of land related to the horticulture department in the state will be digitized soon.

          Addressing a meeting of the department’s head office and district officials in his office here, S. Jauramajra said that officers should submit district-wise lists and images of departmental land within 15 days so that complete data can be uploaded online. He said that with this, the possibility of encroachment on the land owned by the department will be zeroed, on the other hand the department will be able to generate more income resources by planting saplings on the vacant land. He said that the purpose of making the department’s data online is to ensure more transparency in the functioning.

          The Cabinet Minister  also directed the Principal Secretary Mr. KAP Sinha to immediately issue letters to district horticulture officers to expedite action in this regard.

          Issuing directions to ensure registeration of private nurseries with the department, S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra said that the officials will also ensure the plantation of state-specific saplings for the commercial purposes.

          In addition to these matters, NHM employees’ demands were also discussed. Cabinet Minister S.  Chetan Singh Jauramajra said that these employees are an integral part of the department. And, the demands of the NHM staff will be considered sympathetically. He asked to submit detailed report in this regard. He said that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann’s government is committed to creating maximum employment in the state and no activity to end the services of the any employee will be tolerated.

          The Cabinet Minister asked Director Mrs. Shailender Kaur to visit all the offices of the state and submit a report regarding the staff and equipments.

          During the meeting, emphasis was also laid on adopting crop diversification to increase the income of farmers. He said that the horticulture department should make an important contribution in crop diversification to make agriculture a profitable occupation and should sensitize more and more farmers about the schemes of the department. Reviewing the progress of the district offices, S. Jauramajra directed the officials to provide technical information about horticulture schemes to farmers through camps so that they can earn more income than the conventional crops.

          Apart from this, the issues of promotion in the department, the proposal regarding the recruitment of grade-4 employees and the latest situation regarding the rules of sub-inspectors, malis and beldars were also discussed in the meeting.

IEP Chandigarh, August 21

          Punjab Public Works and Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO on Monday laid the foundation stones for special repair and reconstruction of two important road projects worth Rs 11.93 crore falling in Samrala constituency of Ludhiana district.

          Divulging the details, the PWD Minister said that the projects including plan road Samrala-Jhar Sahib road (12.47-KM) at Rs 6.78 crore and plan road Guru Gobind Singh Marg, Machiwara Sahib (9.35 km) at Rs. 5.15 crore. These works will be completed within six months as the thickness for both the roads would be 18 inch so as to make them most durable.

          The Minister said that 12.47-km stretch connects Ludhiana-Chandigarh highway with Ropar-Chamkaur Sahib- Neelon-Doraha Road. He said that historic Gurudwara Sri Jhar Sahib is situated on this road adding that a large number of devotees use this road to visit this holy place. However, this road was in bad shape due to which devotees were harried a lot, he said. Likewise, the 9.35 KM long stretch in Samrala constituency connects Ropar-Chamkaur Sahib- Neelon-Doraha Road with Machiwara Sahib-Chak Lohat Road, which is also a part of Guru Gobind Singh Marg. The minister further said that historic Gurudwara Sri Charan Kanwal Sahib is situated on this road due to which this road have influx of devotees. However, condition of this road was quite bad, thereby immediate repairing was need of the hour, he added.

          The minister said that the dilapidated condition of these roads had become a nightmare for commuters. He mentioned that the earlier governments had failed to pay heed on the demands of the people to construct these roads. Notably, both the roads were last time repaired in 2009, and 2015.

          The Minister said that the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was committed to making Punjab a progressive state as it is evident from the developmental projects being effectively carried out in every field. He said that the road infrastructure would be developed at par with standards in Punjab.

          ETO asserted that Punjab government has taken several path-breaking initiatives during its regiem in last one and a half year to put state on a high-growth trajectory. He further pointed out that the government has taken all preventive measures to tackle floods in the state and soon assessment of losses used by this calamity would be completed so that proper compensation could be provided to affected people.

          On this occasion, MLAs Jagtar Singh Dyalpura thanked the Minister for starting the projects.

          Earlier, the minister paid obeisance at both the historic Gurudwara Shri Charan Kanwal Sahib in Sri Machiwara Sahib and Sri Jhar Sahib.