Page 7 - Punjab Government

Punjab farmers go on 3-day protest over flood compensation, MSP

Police official Balvir S Ghuman said that massive security has been deployed to deal with the situation

Sidhu slams Mann on spending big on sorties, seeks details on aircraft use

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday sought details of expenditure on the use of a helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft by the Bhagwant Mann government, accusing it of spending public money on luxury sorties for AAP campaigns in other states. Sidhu wrote to the secretary of the Punjab Civil Aviation Department, seeking the information under the Right to Information Act. The Congress leader said the Aam Aadmi Party government, in the last one and a half years, used the aircraft for election campaigning in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and other states. "It has come to notice that the Punjab government on various occasions has used the official state chopper and also hired fixed-wing aircraft for campaigns and tours regarding party affairs, I need information on various accounts under RTI," he wrote. As the state government has to pay for the financial burden caused by hiring of fixed-wing aircraft, I request you to kindly inform the following things, the former minister ...

Punjab Vigilance Bureau issues lookout circular against Manpreet Badal

A lookout circular (LOC) has been issued against former Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, who has been booked in connection with alleged irregularities in the purchase of a property in Bathinda, a top official of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau said on Tuesday. The LOC was issued on Monday after teams of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau conducted raids at the residence of Badal, who joined the BJP after quitting the Congress in January, in Muktsar to nab him. The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has registered a case against Badal and five others in connection with alleged irregularities in the purchase of a property in Bathinda. Besides Badal, former Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) chief administrator Bikramjit Shergill, Rajiv Kumar, Amandeep Singh, Vikas Arora and Pankaj have been booked in the matter. Rajiv Kumar, Amandeep Singh and Vikas Arora have already been arrested. The vigilance bureau had launched an investigation into the matter based on former MLA Sarup Chand Singla's

Punjab Police raids 264 suspected hideouts of gangsters' associates

Punjab Police on Monday conducted raids at suspected hideouts of associates of gangsters and anti-national elements, officials said

Punjab vigilance bureau books Manpreet Badal, 5 others in land buying case

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has registered a case against former state finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal and five others in connection with alleged irregularities in the purchase of a property in Bathinda, a top official said on Monday. Apart from Badal, who is now a BJP leader, and former Bathinda municipal corporation commissioner Bikramjit Shergill, the other four booked in the case on Sunday night have been identified as Rajiv Kumar, Amandeep Singh, Vikas Arora and Pankaj, the official said. Rajiv Kumar and Amandeep Singh have been arrested, the officer added. The bureau had launched an investigation into the matter based on former MLA Sarup Chand Singla's 2021 complaint alleging irregularities in the purchase of the property at a prime location in Bathinda. BJP leader Singla, who was earlier with the Shiromani Akali Dal, had alleged that Badal, as a minister in the previous Congress dispensation, had abused his position to convert commercial plots into a residential plot f

Set up helpline for Indian students, NRIs in Canada: Punjab BJP chief

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar on Saturday urged External Affairs minister S Jaishankar for setting up a helpline for Indian students and NRIs in Canada amid a diplomatic row between the two countries. In his letter to the Union Minister, Jakhar while highlighting the concerns of citizens residing in Canada, urged him to release a detailed statement listing out the measures being taken by the Centre for the safety of the country's citizens in Canada until the eventual resolution of this issue. "This, I am sure, would go a long way in assuaging the sense of deep anxiety, panic and indecision prevailing amongst our people living in Canada and especially in students waiting to go abroad for studies. An assurance from your office would certainly lay to rest the doubts and insecurity of our students who are rightfully concerned about their study plans," Jakhar wrote in the letter. He suggested issuing a WhatsApp contact number for Indian students planning to go abroad to get in touch wit

'Will withdraw plea from SC if guv gets pending RDF released by Centre'

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Saturday said the state government will withdraw its petition in the Supreme Court on the pending rural development fund (RDF) if the governor gets it released from the Centre. Cheema was responding to Governor Banwarilal Purohit's letter to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday in which he had stated it would be appropriate to wait for the decision of the Supreme Court on the state government's plea. Chief Minister Mann, in a letter on Thursday, had asked the governor to take up the issue of the pending RDF worth Rs 5,637.40 crore with the president and the prime minister. The state government had moved the Supreme Court in July on the RDF issue. On the governor's statement that the state's debt rose by Rs 50,000 crore under the AAP dispensation, Cheema asked him not to talk about debt as it was inherited from previous governments. Responding to the governor's response on the RDF issue, the finance minister said the Punjab governmen

Punjab govt has provided over 36,000 jobs in past 18 months: CM Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said his government has given 36,524 appointment letters of government jobs to the youth in the past 18 months of being in the office. Addressing a gathering during a function to hand over appointment letters to 427 recruits in power, education, forest and other departments, Mann said it is a rare feat as none of the previous governments have achieved this milestone in such a short span of its tenure. He said in the last 25 days, the state government has given appointment letters to 7,660 youth in the state. A foolproof mechanism has been adopted for the entire recruitment process due to which not even a single appointment out of these 36,524 have been challenged so far in the court, an official statement quoting Mann said. These youths have been given government jobs completely on the basis of merit, he claimed, adding that the sole aim is to ensure that Punjab's youth become active partners in the social and economic growth of the .

PRTC, Pepsu contract employees call off strike after govt assurance

After the meeting, Bhullar said that an agreement was made to implement a 5% salary hike, and orders were issued to reinstate the dismissed employees in 15 days

Punjab to host three-day tourism summit from September 11, says CM Mann

The state government will organise the Punjab Tourism Summit on September 11-13, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said on Sunday. The summit in Mohali will witness detailed deliberations on boosting the state's tourism sector, Mann said in an official statement. Deliberations will be held on topics such as Amritsar as a tourism destination, heritage tourism, eco and farm or homestay tourism, food and culinary tourism, wellness tourism and media and entertainment tourism, he said. The event will showcase the indomitable spirit of bravery, sacrifice, revolution, hard work and hospitality inherited by the Punjabis in front of the world, the AAP leader said. The chief minister added that Punjab is renowned all over the world for its warm hospitality and no stone will be left unturned to welcome the guests during these events. The state government has made elaborate arrangements for a hassle-free summit, he said.

CM Mann hands over Rs 1 cr cheque to kin of army jawan killed in Ladakh

The Chief Minister also announced suitable jobs for the kin of the jawans on compassionate grounds according to the policy

Sanyukt Samaj Morcha blames Punjab govt of delayed action to control floods

"The condition of Punjab is bad due to frequent floods. We think it is man-made, not natural. The government did not control it on time," Balbir Singh Rajewal said

Punjab schools closed till August 26 amid rains and flood-like situation

According to the state education minister, CM Bhagwant Mann has instructed to shut down the schools amid the flood-like situation in the state after intense downpour

Punjab CM Mann to inaugurate 76 'Aam Aadmi Clinics' in Sangrur on Aug 14

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will inaugurate 76 'Aam Aadmi Clinics' in Sangrur district on August 14, Health Minister Balbir Singh said here on Saturday. At present, 583 'Aam Aadmi Clinics', including 403 in villages and 180 in cities, are operational in the state, he said. More than 44 lakh people have availed the free services of these clinics and over 20 lakh medical tests have been conducted so far. The AAP government had rolled out these clinics last year. Singh further said the state government will also upgrade 40 government medical facilities -- 19 district hospitals, six subdivision hospitals and 15 community health centres -- in the state.

Punjab's GST collection rises 16.5%, excise revenue up 21% in FY24

Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday said the state has registered an increase of 16.5 per cent and 20.87 per cent in revenue from Goods and Services Tax (GST) and excise, respectively during the first four months of the financial year 2023-24. The state's GST collection stood at Rs 6,810.76 crore, and the mop-up from excise was Rs 3,033.78 crore during the April-July period of the current fiscal. Besides, it collected Rs 2,348.55 crore from Value Added Tax (VAT), Rs 76.91 crore from CST (central sales tax) and Rs 52.71 crore from Punjab State Development Tax (PSDT) during the first four months of this financial year, Cheema said in a statement issued here. He said the total revenue of Rs 11,037.17 crore was collected from these sources till the end of July 2022. In the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, the state had received a revenue of Rs 5,846.31 crore from GST, Rs 2,772.08 crore from excise, Rs 2,286.32 crore from VAT, Rs 80.84 crore from CST and Rs

As tomato prices soar, Punjab guv orders halting consumption in Raj Bhavan

Amid an alarming surge in tomato prices, Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit issued an order on Thursday temporarily halting its consumption in his household as "a gesture of solidarity with the citizens facing the impact of rising food prices". Tomato is currently selling at a rate of more than Rs 200 a kilo and its prices are likely to touch Rs 300 per kilogram in the coming days, according to wholesale traders. "Over the past few weeks, the people of State and UT have been grappling with an unprecedented escalation in the cost of tomatoes, a staple in many households across the state," according to an official release. The price surge has been attributed to various factors, including supply chain disruptions, climatic conditions and other market dynamics, it said. Recognising the burden this situation places on ordinary citizens, the governor, who is also the administrator of the Union Territory (UT) of Chandigarh, has expressed his concern and empathy for the difficulties faced

Elections to 39 municipal councils, nagar panchayats of Punjab in November

Elections to 39 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Punjab will be held between November 1 and 15, according to a government notification. By-elections to 27 wards of some municipal councils and nagar panchayats and certain wards of three municipal corporations of Bathinda, Batala and Hoshiarpur will also be held in the first fortnight of November this year. "...the general elections to elect the members of municipal councils/nagar panchayats and bye-elections of certain wards of various municipal councils/nagar panchayats (will) be held within the first fortnight of November 2023," the notification issued by the local government department read.

Girdawari to assess flood damage in Punjab, Govt pegs loss at Rs 1,500 cr

The Punjab Cabinet on Saturday gave its nod for conducting a special 'girdawari' (field inspection) by August 15 to assess the damage caused by the recent floods even as the state government pegged the estimated loss at Rs 1,500 crore. The decision was taken by the council of ministers in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann here, according to an official statement. Several districts of Punjab and Haryana were battered by a heavy downpour that left normal life paralysed and flooded vast tracts of residential and agricultural land. After the cabinet meeting, Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said the floods caused the estimated loss of worth Rs 1,500 crore to the state, though the exact amount was yet to be assessed. A total of 1,495 villages in 19 districts of Punjab were affected by the heavy rain and floods whit at least 44 people losing their lives and 22 sustaining injuries, said an official release. As many as 391 houses were fully damaged and 87

Punjab top beneficiary list under Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana

Launched in October 2020, ABRY aimed to incentivise employers for the creation of new jobs and the reinstatement of retrenched workers during Covid

Punjab suffered losses of nearly Rs 1,000 crore due to floods: CM Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Sunday that the state suffered estimated losses of nearly Rs 1,000 crore due to recent floods. A detailed report on the losses will be sent to the Union government and a relief package will be sought, he said. An on-ground assessment of the losses will be done and people will be provided compensation, he said. Several districts of Punjab and Haryana were battered by heavy rains this month that left normal life paralysed and flooded vast tracts of agricultural land and residential areas. Mann said the water level at the Bhakra dam was below the danger mark and the state government was keeping a strict vigil on the entire situation. The chief minister was here to assess the situation in the wake of incessant rains and held discussions with officers of the Bhakra Beas Management Board and other officials, according to an official release. It is a matter of great relief that the water level at Bhakra dam was still below the danger mark so t