Page 2 - Punjab Government

30 ft statue of Bhagat Singh to come up at Chandigarh airport on Sep 28

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will dedicate a 30-foot tall statue of Bhagat Singh at the international airport here on September 28, the birth anniversary of the freedom fighter, according to an official statement. Presiding over a meeting here on Thursday, Mann said the aesthetically designed statue has been made of gunmetal. He expressed hope that this statue will go a long way to inspire the younger generations to serve the country zealously. Mann also said the statue, which is 30 feet high, will be a befitting tribute to the legendary martyr by the state government and will act as a catalyst to perpetuate the glorious legacy of this valiant son of soil, according to the release. Due to strenuous efforts of the state government, the international airport has already been named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The chief minister further said naming the airports, universities and other institutions in the name of iconic martyrs is important to perpetuate their glorious legacy an

Provided nearly 45,000 jobs to youths in 30-month tenure: Punjab CM Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said his government has given nearly 45,000 jobs to youths till now and they are making strenuous efforts to restore the pristine glory of the state. Mann stated this during an event to hand over 293 appointment letters to youth in various departments. With this, the state government has 44,974 jobs in merely 30 months of its tenure, he said. "It is a historical juncture that will transform the destiny of youths. This venue witnessed a number of such events in which youths got jobs in various government departments. This reflects the commitment of the state government to ensure their well-being and opening new avenues of employment for them," he said. On filling vacant posts in departments, Mann said a foolproof mechanism has been adopted for the entire recruitment process due to which not even a single appointment out of more than 44,000 have been challenged so far in any court. It is a proud moment for the government of Punjab that

Punjab govt raises fuel VAT, ends power subsidy to tackle fiscal crisis

The Punjab government increased VAT increase on petrol and diesel, raising the tax by 61 paise per litre for petrol and 92 paise per litre for diesel

Punjab Cabinet withdraws previous Cong govt's decision of subsidised power

The Punjab Cabinet on Thursday rolled back the previous Congress government's decision to reduce power tariff by Rs 3 per unit for consumers, a move which will yield Rs 1,500-1,800 crore per annum to the state exchequer. However, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said 300 units of free electricity per month for the domestic category will continue. In November 2021, the then Charanjit Singh Channi government slashed the power tariff by Rs 3 per unit for domestic consumers, having a connected load of up to 7 kW (kilowatt). The decision to withdraw the previous government's decision was taken in the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann here. Addressing the media after the cabinet meeting, Cheema said the previous government had reduced the power rates by Rs 3 per unit for domestic consumers, having up to 7 kW load. "We withdrew that decision today," he said. But 300 units of free electricity, started by the AAP government, will continue, he added. Asked

Crime rate, rising debt likely to dominate 3-day Punjab Assembly session

The three-day session of the Punjab Assembly slated to begin from Monday is going to be anything but calm with the opposition parties set to seek accountability from the AAP-led government on law and order and rising state debt. The session of the Vidhan Sabha will start with obituary references and wind up on September 4. Congress leader and MLA Aruna Chaudhary said her party will raise the issue of deteriorating law and order in the state. "Deteriorating law and order is one of the biggest issues. Everyday incidents related to snatching, theft and extortion are taking place in the state," alleged the Dinanagar MLA. Chaudhary also accused the government of failing to fulfil its promise of giving Rs 1,000 per month to every woman. "The AAP government deceived women in Punjab." Congress MLA Sukhwinder Singh Kotli said, "The AAP government had promised to set up 18 colleges in the state. Two and half years of the AAP regime have passed but they could not procure land for setting up

Govt will give special grants to villages with drug-free status: Punjab CM

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Wednesday said his government will give special grants to the villages that attain the drug-free status, as he inaugurated a new office for the state's apex anti-drug unit. Speaking after inaugurating the new office of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) in Mohali, the chief minister said his government is committed to make Punjab a drug-free state. "The state government will give special grants to the drug-free villages across Punjab," he said. These grants will be used for the promotion of sports and sporting infrastructure in villages, helping channelise the unbounded energy of the youth in a positive direction, he said. Already players from Punjab have brought laurels for the country in events like the Olympics, he said, adding youths from the state will bag more medals. On the occasion, he also launched anti-drug Helpline and WhatsApp Chatbot (9779100200), according to an official statement. Speaking after inspecting the newly constructed

Punjab CM holds meeting to review progress in implementation of schemes

Earlier , CM Mann replied to Union Transport Minister Gadkari's letter over alleged attacks on engineers and contractors in Jalandhar, Ludhiana and said that local police have arrested accused

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann denied political clearance to visit Paris

The Centre has denied political clearance to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for his visit to Paris to support the Indian Hockey team at the Olympic Games, an official source said on Saturday. Mann, who holds a diplomatic passport, was scheduled to visit Paris from August 3 to 9 for the Indian hockey team's quarterfinal match on August 4, and had sought political clearance for his visit. The Centre denied him the permission, saying that since Mann is a Z-Plus security protectee, it is not possible to arrange his level of security at a short notice, the source in the state government said. The Chief Minister's Office was informed of the decision Friday evening, the person said. Political clearance for senior political leaders is required from the Ministry of External Affairs for travelling abroad. Mann had on Friday congratulated the Indian hockey contingent for a historic win over Australia in the ongoing Paris Olympic Games. India on Friday beat the formidable team for the fi

Former Raj min, BJP veteran Gulab Chand Kataria sworn in as Punjab governor

BJP veteran Gulab Chand Kataria was on Wednesday sworn in as the Governor of Punjab and Administrator Chandigarh. Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu administered the oath of office to Kataria at a ceremony in Raj Bhavan. Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, former Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore and several Punjab ministers, including Harpal Singh Cheema and Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, were also present. The 79-year-old Kataria took the oath in Hindi. Kataria replaces Banwarilal Purohit, who tendered his resignation in February. Before being appointed as the Punjab governor, Kataria was the governor of Assam. Hailing from Udaipur, Kataria had served as Rajasthan home minister twice -- from 2004 to 2008 and 2015 to 2018--and had also served as Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly. The BJP veteran had also served as education, public works panchayati raj, rural development and disaster management minister. Kataria, a

Jailed MP Amritpal Singh's parents thank Channi for his support in Parl

Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh clarified that his statement does not reflect the position of the Indian National Congress in any way

Channi's views don't reflect Congress' position, says Jairam Ramesh

The Congress on Thursday distanced itself from Lok Sabha member Charanjit Singh Channi's remark on controversial MP Amritpal Singh

Punjab BJP to hold rural outreach, leaders to speak with stakeholders

The BJP will hold a rural outreach under which its leaders and workers will go to villages in Punjab and hold dialogue with various stakeholders, including farmers on various issues. Punjab is a sensitive border state with typical problems and needs to be addressed with the same spirit, state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar on Friday said. Stressing that dialogue is the way forward for effective resolution of all issues being faced by Punjab, Jakhar said the farmers, agricultural scientists and economists must be taken on board to evolve a consensual resolution. Jakhar was speaking to the media this evening after presiding over a day-long meeting of state BJP's extended executive committee meeting here. He said it was felt during the meeting that a false narrative has been built, a myth has been created to project the BJP against farmers. To break that myth, that lies and that perception, which has been built, dialogue at all levels is needed, said Jakhar. The BJP has been working for all

Punjab limits retailers to 1,000 cases of IMFL monthly, manufacturers panic

Punjab's Indian Made Foreign Liquor market typically moves around one million cases, retailers can now only purchase 1,000 cases per month

Punjab CM Mann reviews flood protection work along Ghaggar river in Sangrur

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday visited flood-prone areas along the Ghaggar river to take stock of the preparations for dealing with floods at the ground level ahead of the monsoon. The chief minister, accompanied by top government officials, visited the areas along with the river to check the arrangements being made to avert the floods, a release said. It was a deviation from the earlier times when the head of the state visited the areas once they were flooded, he said in the release. Earlier, leaders used these opportunities shamelessly for photo ops, hardly giving any relief to the people, Mann said. In sharp contrast to that practice, Mann said he visited the areas to assess the ongoing work to avert the floods. This will ensure that the flood-protection work is done effectively and there is no loss of life and property, he added. Interacting with the people, Mann said in order to avert floods in the state, the Punjab government has taken an initiative to desig

Musical chairs, gen-next politicians look to shake up Punjab's poll fray

The churn in Punjab politics has been the biggest among the states ahead of the Lok Sabha polls

Channi's remark on Poonch terror attack in violates MCC, says Punjab CEO

Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C on Tuesday said that Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi terming the Poonch terror attack, in which an IAF soldier was killed, a "poll stunt" violated the model code of conduct. The Punjab chief electoral officer (CEO) has written to the Election Commission of India for further action on the matter. "According to a report of the Jalandhar District Election Officer, it (Channi's remark) is the violation of MCC (model code of conduct)," Punjab CEO Sibin C told PTI on Tuesday. One soldier was killed and four were injured as terrorists ambushed an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on May 4. Replying to reporters' questions on the attack on the IAF convoy, Channi had said, "These are all stunts, not attacks ('Yeh stuntbaazi ho rahi hai, hamle nahi ho rahe' ). Whenever elections are near, such stunts are performed to make the BJP win. There is no truth in it." "The BJP knows how to play with people's lives and

Delhi CM Kejriwal, his wife Sunita offer prayers at Delhi's Hanuman temple

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal along with his wife Sunita and Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann offered prayers at the Hanuman temple in central Delhi's Connaught Place. A day after getting released from Tihar jail on interim bail, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Kejriwal reached the historic temple to pay his obeisance. Kejriwal was accompanied by AAP leaders including Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj. On Friday, the chief minister thanked Lord Hanuman as he stepped out of Tihar Jail on interim bail and sought people's support in his "fight against dictatorship". Kejriwal will address a press conference at AAP office at 1 pm and will hold two roadshows in south Delhi and east Delhi parliamentary constituencies.

LS polls: Former Punjab MLA from Congress Dalvir Singh Goldy joins AAP

A day after quitting the Congress, former MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy on Wednesday joined the AAP in the presence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann here. Goldy resigned from the Congress days after he expressed his "displeasure" over denial of party ticket from the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat. While welcoming Goldy into the party fold, Mann described him as a a hardworking youth. "We welcome him along with his supporters," he said. In his resignation letter to the Congress' Punjab chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Goldy had said that he was "upset" by the state leadership and resigning from the party's primary membership. Former MLA from the Dhuri assembly seat, Goldy was a ticket aspirant from the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat for the coming Lok Sabha elections. However, the Congress named three-time MLA Sukhpal Khaira from the Sangrur parliamentary seat. On April 16, Goldy had expressed his "displeasure" over denial of party ticket from the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat and had urged the party

LS elections 2024: Two Punjab Cong leaders including national secy join BJP

Two Punjab Congress leaders, including its national secretary Tajinder Pal Singh Bittu, joined the BJP here on Saturday as the ruling party at the Centre bolsters its ranks in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha polls there. Bittu announced his resignation from the Congress hours before joining the BJP. He and Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary, the wife of late Congress veteran Santokh Singh Chaudhary, joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and its national general secretary Vinod Tawde. Chaudhary had last year unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha bypoll in Jalandhar following the death of her husband, who was the sitting MP. At a press conference, Tawde said their induction into the BJP will boost the party, especially in Punjab where the polls are scheduled for June 1. Bittu told reporters that he had been feeling "suffocated" in the Congress after being with the party for over 35 years. "Three-four power centres work in the Congress and all of them seek to func

Baisakhi celebration: Devotees in Punjab Haryana offer prayers in Gurdwaras

Devotees across Punjab and Haryana offered prayers at gurdwaras on the occasion of the Baisakhi festival on Saturday. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann greeted people on the occasion of 'Sajna Divas' of the 'Khalsa Panth' and 'Baisakhi'. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini also greeted people on the occasion of Baisakhi. Devotees thronged the gurdwaras, including Amritsar's Sri Harmandir Sahib also known as the Golden Temple, Sri Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib, Damdama Sahib in Bathinda and Nada Sahib in Haryana's Panchkula and paid obeisance. Baisakhi festival marks the foundation day of the 'Khalsa Panth' (Sikh order) by the tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh. On this auspicious day in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh created the 'Order of Khalsa' at the holy city of Sri Anandpur Sahib by baptising 'Panj Pyare' (beloved ones) belonging to different castes. Baisakhi also marks the onset of harvest season.