Page 5 - Punjab Government

Punjab govt buys Goindwal Sahib thermal power plant for Rs 1,080 crore

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday said the state government has bought a 540-megawatt private thermal power plant at Goindwal Sahib. "It is for the first time that a private power plant is being bought by the government," Mann said at a news conference here. "We have purchased it for Rs 1,080 crore, which works out to a cost of Rs 2 crore per megawatt," Mann said. Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in July last year filed a bid to take over the 540 MegaWatt private thermal power plant at Goindwal Sahib. The 540 MW thermal power plant is an independent power plant and is spread over 1,100 acres of land in Goindwal Sahib in Tarn Taran.

AAP vs BJP after Delhi, Punjab tableaux rejected for Republic Day parade

Delhi Art, Culture and Languages Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday said the BJP-led central government rejected the tableaux of Delhi and Punjab for the Republic Day parade to "exact revenge on the AAP", which governs the national capital and the border state. Addressing a press conference, Bharadwaj said the Centre has rejected Delhi's tableaux for three consecutive years now. The last time Delhi's tableau featured in the Republic Day parade was in 2021. It showcased the Shahjahanabad redevelopment project, according to officials. Bharadwaj said Delhi's tableau this year would have showcased schools in the city and the mohalla clinic model. "The tableau of Delhi, which is the capital of the country, was rejected by the Centre. Its tableau was rejected for the 2022 parade and then for the 2023 parade and now it has been rejected again for the 2024 parade," the minister said. The theme of the Republic Day parade was "Nari Shakti" in 2023 and "Viksit Bharat" for 2024, he said. "

Thick fog blankets large parts of Punjab, Haryana; visibility compromised

A thick blanket of fog enveloped most parts of Punjab and Haryana on Friday morning, reducing visibility, meteorological department officials said. Fog also impacted visibility in Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states. Minimum temperatures hovered close to normal limits at most places in Punjab and Haryana. In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a minimum temperature of 9.9 degrees Celsius, Ludhiana 9 degrees Celsius and Patiala 9.5 degrees Celsius. Pathankot recorded a low of 8.8 degrees Celsius and Faridkot 8.6 degrees Celsius. In Haryana, the mercury settled at a low of 9.8 degrees Celsius in Ambala and at 8.2 degrees Celsius in Hisar. Karnal recorded a minimum temperature of 9.4 degrees Celsius, Rohtak 9.6 degrees Celsius and Sirsa 9.8 degrees Celsius. Chandigarh recorded a minimum temperature of 8 degrees Celsius.

BSF, Punjab Police recover made-in-China drone from Tarn Taran district

Earlier on Tuesday, BSF recovered four packets of a narcotic substance suspected to be heroin from a farmhouse in Fazilka district

HC directs Punjab DGP to register 2 FIRs in gangster Bishnoi interview case

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Punjab police chief to immediately register two FIRs in connection with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's two interviews aired by a private news channel in March. A division bench of justices Anupinder Singh Grewal and Kirti Singh also asked the Punjab Police special investigation team headed by Prabodh Kumar, Director General, Human Rights Commission, to carry out investigations in the FIRs. The other members of the SIT are IPS officers S Rahul and Nilambari Vijay Jagadale. In its Friday order which was released on Saturday, the high court also said the head of the SIT would be at liberty to seek assistance of any other officer or of any other kind after making such a request to the director general of police. The SIT has been asked to conclude the investigation expeditiously and file a status report before this court within a period of two months, according to the order. The division bench passed these directions while hearing a suo m

Rambagh Gate, Ramparts in Punjab win Unesco's Asia-Pacific Awards

The resilient urban revitalisation of Rambagh Gate and Ramparts in Punjab, and heritage conservation projects related to Haryana's Church of Epiphany and Delhi's Bikaner House won UNESCO awards on Thursday. Twelve projects from China, India, and Nepal were acknowledged by the awards jury in this year's UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. "With people, heritage and creativity at its core, the resilient urban revitalisation of the Rambagh Gate and Ramparts in Punjab, India, has garnered the highest honour, 'Award of Excellence,'" UNESCO Bangkok said in a statement. The project was lauded by the jury for ensuring the continuity of the site's existing uses, while enhancing inclusivity and access to the broader community, it said. Three projects -- the Fanling Golf Course in Hong Kong SAR, China; Dongguan Garden Residences in Yangzhou, China; and Karnikara Mandapam at Kunnamangalam Bhagawati Temple, Kerala, India -- garnered an 'Award of Distinction' each. An

Drug tablets being sold inside jails: Navjot Sidhu slams Bhagwant Mann

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has recently sought a status report from the Punjab and Haryana governments on the steps taken after the BSF gave a list of 75 individuals

Delhi HC refuses to quash charges in 2017 Haryana judicial paper leak case

The Delhi High Court has refused to quash charges framed against a former Punjab and Haryana High Court official in a case relating to the alleged leak of the 2017 Haryana Civil Services (judicial) preliminary examination paper. The HC said that in cases where digital or electronic evidence is available, the prosecution's case cannot be thrown at the initial stage. The record indicated that petitioner-accused Dr Balwinder Kumar Sharma, who was then the registrar (recruitment) of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, was in possession of the question paper immediately before the alleged leakage. "The case is of a very sensitive nature and the evidence which is required to be led for the purpose of proving the case is either digital or documentary in nature," Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma said. The high court further said the jurisdiction of the court while entertaining the revision petition is also very limited, and it can interfere in the challenged order only if there is any serious ..

ED searches in Delhi-NCR, Punjab against Chandigarh-based Parabolic Drugs

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted fresh searches at about a dozen locations in the Delhi-NCR and Punjab as part of a money laundering investigation against a Chandigarh-based pharmaceutical company and its promoters linked to an alleged bank fraud, official sources said. The first round of searches in this case against the company -- Parabolic Drugs-- were carried out in October. The central agency had earlier arrested Parabolic Drugs promoters Vineet Gupta (54) and Pranav Gupta (56), who are also the co-founders of the Sonepat-based Ashoka University, and CA Surjeet Kumar Bansal (74) under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The Guptas stepped down from their posts at Ashoka University in 2022 after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case against them and the company in 2021 for their alleged involvement in a bank loan fraud of Rs 1,626 crore. The ED filed a money laundering case against them in January last year. The

Over 70 students fall ill after eating at Punjab school mess, two arrested

As many as 18 students of a government school in Punjab's Sangrur district were rushed to a hospital as they complained of stomach ache and vomiting after having a meal in the hostel mess, officials said on Saturday. Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the food contractor has been arrested and an inquiry by the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) has been ordered in the matter. Eighteen school students of the government meritorious school at Ghabdan were rushed to the civil hospital on Friday evening after they complained of stomach ache and vomiting, an official said. Officials suspect it is a case of food poisoning. Sangrur Deputy Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal on Saturday said 18 students were brought to the civil hospital, of which 14 have been discharged. Four still remain admitted, Jorwal said while speaking to reporters in Sangrur. He further said 36 more students were brought to the civil hospital on Saturday and all of them were stable. They did not report any loose mot

Punjab CM Mann hikes sugarcane price by Rs 11 per quintal to Rs 391

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday hiked the sugarcane price by Rs 11 per quintal, saying the new rate of Rs 391 a quintal is the highest in the country. However, farmers said the appreciation in cane price is "too meagre" and termed the state government's move as "betrayal". The price hike came days after the chief minister assured farmers of "good news" in the coming days. "With an increase of Rs 11, the new rate will be Rs 391 per quintal, which will be the highest in the country," Mann said in a post on social media platform X. According to an official statement issued later, Mann said in Punjab Rs 11 is considered as a 'shubh shagun' (good omen) so his government has given this gift to the farmers. Mann further said that he has fulfilled the promise he had made during his recent meeting with the farmers. Earlier, farmers held protests demanding an increase in sugarcane price from Rs 380 per quintal to Rs 450 per quintal. After the CM's announcement, farmers' ...

Expansion of BSF jurisdiction doesn't take away power of Punjab Police: SC

The Supreme Court on Friday orally observed that the power of the Punjab Police has not been taken away by the Centre's decision to expand the BSF's jurisdiction to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a larger 50-km stretch from the International Border as compared to the earlier 15 km limit. The bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, hearing the 2021 lawsuit of the Punjab government, said the issues for adjudication by this court have to be settled. It asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, lawyer Shadan Farasat, representing the Punjab government, to sit together and jointly decide on issues to be decided by the bench. The parties shall exchange issues so that they can be settled before the next date of listing, the bench said, adding the advocate general of Punjab can also take part in the meeting of parties. After perusing the records, the CJI prima facie observed that there were concurrent pow

Punjab CM Mann hikes sugarcane price by Rs 11 per quintal to Rs 391

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday announced a hike of Rs 11 per quintal in sugarcane price, saying the new rate of Rs 391 a quintal is the highest in the country. The announcement came days after the chief minister assured farmers of "good news" in the coming days. "With an increase of Rs 11, the new rate will be Rs 391 per quintal, which will be the highest in the country," Mann said in a post on social media platform X. Earlier, farmers held protests demanding an increase in sugarcane price from Rs 380 per quintal to Rs 450 per quintal. On Friday last week, farmers held a demonstration on a national highway in Jalandhar but decided to end their stir after Mann's assurance. "As far as increasing the rate of sugarcane goes, Punjab has always been ahead," Mann had said last week. Protestors under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha had blocked the Jalandhar-Phagwara section of the Jalandhar-New Delhi National Highway near Dhanowali village. The strike ended on the four

Punjab farmers end protest, warn of 'bigger agitation' if promises not met

Farmers who had gathered at Mohali and Panchkula along Chandigarh's borders on Tuesday ended their three-day protest after their meetings with Punjab and Haryana governors, but warned the Centre of a "bigger agitation" if it does not show "seriousness" towards their pending demands. "This was a trailer," said farmer leader from Punjab, Harinder Singh Lakhowal, on the three-day protest. "A bigger agitation will be held if the government does not show seriousness towards our demands," Lakhowal told PTI. He said there are some demands which pertain to the state government which they have separately taken up with it and a meeting in this regard with the chief minister will be held on December 19. Separately, a delegation of farmers from Haryana met Governor Bandaru Dattatreya here concerning various demands. After the meeting, farmer leader Suresh Koth told reporters that they "want to give a clear warning to the government that we have and we can fight for our rights." "If the gover

2-day Punjab Assembly session begins tomorrow, likely to be a stormy affair

The two-day Punjab Assembly session, which begins on Tuesday, is likely to be a stormy affair with the opposition parties trying to corner the AAP government over several issues, including law and order, illegal sand mining and the state's debt. During the session, the Bhagwant Mann government will table three Money Bills - the Punjab Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Indian Stamp (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2023. Another Bill, the Punjab Canal and Drainage Bill, 2023, is also likely to be tabled in the House. The Bill aims to regulate and manage canals and drainage in the state. The session will start with obituary references on Tuesday, said officials. Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit had summoned the two-day session of the state Assembly. The opposition parties have slammed the AAP government for holding the session for a short duration. When the last session ended abruptly, the

PEDA signs pact with Gail to set up 10 compressed biogas projects in Punjab

State-owned Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) has signed an agreement with GAIL (India) Limited to set up 10 compressed biogas projects and other new and renewable energy projects in the state. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by PEDA CEO Amarpal Singh and GAIL (India) Executive Director RK Singhal, an official release said. Punjab New and Renewable Energy Sources (NRES) Minister Aman Arora said the pact will help the state to manage five lakh tonnes of paddy straw per annum and generate clean energy out of it. Punjab is an agrarian state, and it has immense potential for crop residue-based CBG plants, he said, adding that the Punjab government's business-friendly policies are helping in facilitating companies to set up their industries in the state. NRES Secretary Ravi Bhagat said that with the implementation of these 10 projects, paddy straw in around 1.25 lakh acres is expected to be prevented from being burnt. These projects will also create around 50 rur

Punjab Guv gives approval to table 3rd money Bill; prorogues Budget session

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit Thursday gave his approval to a money Bill, one of the three proposed legislations withholding consent to which created a row, to table it in the assembly, and also prorogued the Budget session that was convened in March. The governor's approval is mandatory to table a money bill in the Vidhan Sabha. Official sources said on Thursday the governor has approved the Punjab Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023. Earlier, he had approved two other money Bills: the Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Indian Stamp (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2023. The governor, meanwhile, also prorogued the Budget session, a day after the Punjab Assembly secretariat wrote to Purohit for it. "The fourth (Budget) session of Sixteenth Punjab Vidhan Sabha, which was adjourned sine-die at the conclusion of its sitting held on the 20th October, 2023 has been prorogued by an order of the Governor of Punjab, dated 15th November

Punjab records over 1,700 farm fires, 'very poor' AQI in parts of Haryana

Punjab on Tuesday reported 1,776 stubble-burning incidents, taking the total number of farm fires to 28,117 while air quality indices in Haryana and the border state were in 'poor' and 'very poor' categories. The fresh figure indicated that the crop residue burning cases in the state have started rising again. The state had reported 639 such cases on November 9, six on November 10, 104 on November 11, 987 on November 12 and 1,624 on November 13. Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is considered one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in Delhi in October and November. Of the total farm fires reported on Tuesday, Bathinda saw maximum such cases at 258, followed by 253 in Barnala, 188 in Sangrur, 181 in Moga, 176 in Ferozepur and 149 each in Fazilka and Faridkot, according to Ludhiana-based Punjab Remote Sensing Centre data. On the same day in 2021 and 2022, the state had seen 2,541 and four fires respectively. Out of a total 28,117 farm fires reco

Govt to send flying squads to monitor farm fires in Haryana, Punjab: Report

The Centre will dispatch flying squads to Punjab and Haryana to monitor stubble burning incidents and submit daily reports, government sources said on Thursday. This decision was made at a meeting chaired by the cabinet secretary on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by chief secretaries and other senior officials from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi, as well as the Commission on Air Quality Management (CAQM) and secretaries from the ministries of environment, agriculture, housing and urban affairs, and power. During the meeting, the Cabinet Secretary directed the Punjab administration to take effective actions to prevent further stubble burning in the remaining days of this harvest season, the sources said. District magistrates, senior superintendents of police, and station house officers have been instructed to ensure there is no further stubble burning. The CAQM has been tasked with deploying flying squads to Punjab and Haryana and submitting daily reports

Punjab farm fires drop to 639 after crackdown against stubble burning

Punjab Thursday saw a sharp drop in the number of stubble burning incidents as it recorded 639 farm fires while police and civil administration launched a crackdown against erring farmers to prevent crop residue burning. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court had issued directions to ensure stopping of crop residue burning "forthwith", amid a spike in pollution levels in Delhi-NCR. The SC bench had also made the local station house officer (SHO) concerned, under the overall supervision of the chief secretary, responsible for stopping crop residue burning. Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is considered one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November. Punjab Thursday reported 639 stubble burning incidents. The state had seen the number of farm fires 3,230, 2,060, 1,515 and 2,003 on November 5, 6, 7 and 8 respectively. Following the SC directions, the Punjab Police chief on Wednesday had asked police officers to wor