Bhagwant Mann

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Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday announced new office timings for all the state government offices ahead of the summer season

Concerned by the deployment of heavy security here, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh Friday asked the Punjab government to not try to create panic ahead of Baisakhi. The Jathedar called a special gathering at Takht Damdama Sahib on Friday to discuss the role of Sikh and Punjabi journalism, Sikh media contribution, and challenges the state is facing at present. The gathering comes at a time when concerns about the rise of secessionist forces in the border state are being expressed, especially in the wake of a major law and order breach in Ajnala Police Station attack led by radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who has been declared a fugitive by police. Addressing the gathering, the Jathedar of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, said because of the security strictness, only a fraction of the usual number of devotees has come here this time ahead of Baisakhi. "Every year, we see a big gathering which starts from April 5 (for Baisakhi). But (at present), the number of

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Friday said the state has cleared its entire electricity subsidy bill of Rs 20,200 crore for the last financial year and has witnessed a jump in excise and GST revenue. Mann, addressing the media here, said the state has registered a revenue of Rs 8,841 crore for the financial year 2022-23, up by 41.41 per cent when compared to 2021-22. He claimed that Punjab's financial position was on the right track. Mann spelled out various initiatives taken by his over-a-year-old government in various spheres including health, education and power. "What we have achieved in one year, other governments were not able to do so in 15 years," he said. He also said his government has fulfilled several poll promises in the first year itself, "which other governments are not able to do even in the fifth year". He said his government has set a target of 10,000 crore in excise revenue for the current fiscal, as he criticised the previous governments for allowing "liq

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Friday said the state has cleared its entire electricity subsidy bill of Rs 20,200 crore for the last financial year and has witnessed a jump in excise and GST revenue. Mann, addressing the media here, said the state has registered a revenue of Rs 8,841 crore for the financial year 2022-23, up by 41.41 per cent as against revenue of 2021-22. He said his government has set a target of 10,000 crore in excise revenue for the current fiscal, as he criticised the previous governments for allowing "liquor mafia" in the state. Mann said that the state has registered a 16.6 per cent jump in the Goods & Services Tax collection, earning Rs 18,126 crore in revenue for the year 2022-23. "We are now among the top states in terms of GST collection," he said. Mann said the state has registered a rise of 78 per cent in stamp duty and fee collection in the month of March. The government had earlier announced an exemption of 2.25 per cent on stamp duty and fees .

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has overruled decision of his own minister and ordered the closure of the Rs 40 crore Bhagtupura land scam inquiry

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday blamed the Centre for the suspension of free yoga classes under the AAP government's 'Dilli Ki Yogshala' initiative but expressed hope that it will restart again, saying good things cannot be stopped. He was speaking during the launch of 'CM di Yogshala' programme in Punjab. The initiative was initially launched for four cities -- Patiala, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Phagwara by Kejriwal along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. A 'CM di yogshala' portal was also launched on the occasion. Kejriwal was referring the AAP government's 'Dilli ki Yogshala' programme that offered free yoga classes and was launched in the national capital in 2021. The programme, however, was stopped last year amid a tussle between the city government and Lt Governor VK Saxena. Under the Punjab government's initiative, people could give a missed call on a helpline number 7669400500 to seek a free yoga teacher from the state government. Sixty people have

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said his government will provide full support to the youth in starting new business ventures, stressing that they should become job providers instead of job seekers. In a video message, the chief minister said his government will also hold 'naujawan sabha' (youth meeting) twice a month during which youths will be able to share their business ideas and seek necessary help. Mann also pointed out the low enrolment in technical institutes. "(I) don't know why we are going away from studies," he said. The enrolment in Punjab Technical University is just 34-35 per cent. There are over 40,000 students in Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar but only 5,200-5,500 of them are from Punjab, he said. "Today's time is for technical education and we are not taking admissions," he added. Mann said youths of Punjab have the talent and potential to excel in their lives but somehow they do not get enough opportunities. "The Punjab government

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will launch 'CM di Yogshala' programme in Punjab on Wednesday, the party said in a statement here. The statement came a day after Mann said his government will initially start 'CM di Yogshala' initiative in four cities -- Amritsar, Ludhiana, Phagwara and Patiala. Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Tuesday said they have launched a helpline 7669400500 where people can give a missed call to seek a free yoga teacher from the state government. People will be able to get all kinds of information about diet and yoga exercise, he said. "Today, so many people are suffering from diseases related to the respiratory system, blood pressure, sugar levels and heart issues. Therapeutic yoga can help all these patients a great deal," Singh said. He said 60 people have been trained at Guru Ravidas University to teach yoga under the 'CM di Yogshala' initiative. "With 'CM di Yogshala', people will lead a healthier life, they wi

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday asked officials to expedite the process of special 'girdawari' (revenue survey) to assess crop damage due to inclement weather and ensure that farmers receive compensation before Baisakhi. Baisakhi will be celebrated on April 14. Untimely rains, hailstorm and high-velocity winds have damaged wheat and other crops in many areas of Punjab. The state government has announced a 25 per cent hike in compensation for crop loss due to the vagaries of weather. In a statement issued here, Mann asked all the MLAs to meet the affected farmers. "The MLAs should meet the farmers and listen to their grievances. Likewise, the officers should make sure that the special 'girdawari' is completed soon so that we can disburse compensation before Baisakhi," Mann said in a statement here. Expressing solidarity with the farmers who lost their crops due to rain and hailstorm, Mann said his government is with the food growers in this hour of crisis. He said th

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said his government was exploring the possibility of moving court to seek the Rural Development Fund dues of Rs 3,000 crore from the Centre. He stated this after announcing the closure of a toll plaza on the Kiratpur Sahib-Nangal-Una road, according to an official release. Mann said the state government was exploring the possibility of moving court to seek the dues from the Centre. He alleged that the Union government was "unnecessarily harassing" the state by stalling the release of Rs 3,000 crore dues under the Rural Development Fund (RDF). Mann said the state government had completed all the formalities but the Centre was deliberately stalling the release of the amount. Last month, the chief minister had raised the issue of the release of RDF dues with Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.

The Punjab government has informed the Akal Takht that 348 of the 360 people taken into preventive custody during a police crackdown against radical preacher Amritpal Singh have now been freed. The Akal Takht Jathedar's personal secretary Jaspal Singh on Thursday said a message was received from the state government that the rest would also be released soon. Earlier this week, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh had given an ultimatum to the state government to release all Sikh youths held during the police crackdown against Amritpal Singh and his aides. The Jathedar had also condemned the state government for invoking the National Security Act against a few people during the police crackdown. A few days prior to the Jathedar's ultimatum, the Punjab Police had said that out of those detained, nearly 30 were hardcore criminals. The rest would be released after verification, a senior police official had said. Meanwhile, police have stepped up security in and around Amritsar and

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said 27,042 government jobs have been given to the youth during past one year. "Idle hands (mind) are devil's workshop. So we are trying our best to ensure that maximum youth get jobs so that they do not fall prey to the social menaces," said the chief minister as he handed over job letters here during a function here. A state government statement said Mann handed over job letters to 219 clerks and 26 youngsters on compassionate grounds. The chief minister said unemployment is the root cause of several social problems due to which the state government is focussing on eradicating this malady. He said so far 27,042 government jobs have been given to the youth within one year of his party coming to power. Mann said the state government is laying major thrust on providing jobs to the youth. He said the newly recruited youth should ensure maximum welfare of the public so that every section of society is benefited from it. The chief min

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday directed officers to ensure smooth and hassle-free procurement of wheat. He also said that payment to the farmers for their produce must be ensured from the very first day of procurement -- April 1. Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cleared a sum of Rs 29,000 crore towards Cash Credit Limit (CCL) for the procurement of wheat in Punjab for the Rabi Marketing Season. Mann expressed satisfaction that the Union government has already released Rs 25,445 crore as CCL for the coming season. According to an official statement, the chief minister said that with this, the bulk of the CCL sought by the state government for the purchase of wheat for this season has been released by the central bank. Expressing gratitude to the Centre for the timely release of CCL, he said that it will go a long way in ensuring seamless procurement of wheat during the current marketing season. The chief minister, while chairing a meeting of the Foo

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday flagged the issue of proposed water cess on hydropower plants with his Himachal Pradesh counterpart Sukhvinder Sukhu

FCI stops wheat sale through open market operations as procurement draws near

With the harvesting of wheat about to start, standing wheat crop was damaged after unseasonal rains accompanying strong winds lashed Punjab and Haryana last week

At least 12 people were injured and 30 houses damaged after a tornado hit the Bakenwala village in this Punjab district, officials said on Saturday. The tornado also damaged standing crops in the fields and kinnow orchards, they said. Bakenwala resident Gurmukh Singh said, "Villagers saw the tornado around 4 pm on Friday." It caused damage in a 2-2.5-km area, he said. Deputy Commissioner Senu Duggal, who visited the affected village, said the administration shifted those villagers whose houses were damaged to the local government school. "The administration will also begin the process to assess the loss of property and crop that will be compensated by the government," Duggal said. A video of the tornado wreaking havoc was widely circulated on social media. The injured have been admitted to the civil hospital in Fazilka.

An alert has been issued in Dehradun, Haridwar, and Udhamsinghnagar districts of the Uttarakhand as a precaution in view of the possibility of pro-Khalisthan Amritpal Singh entering the state

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann here on Thursday paid rich tributes to 'Shaheed-e-Azam' Bhagat Singh who was hanged by the British on this day along with Sukhdev and Rajguru in 1931 in what was known as the Lahore conspiracy case. Mann said that the state government is doing all it can to fulfil the dreams of the freedom fighters and the day is not far when Punjab will emerge as a front-runner state across the country. The Chief Minister floral tributes to Bhagat Singh here in his native village saying that the day must remind us of the freedom fighter, who sacrificed his life at a young age for the emancipation of the country. He also announced the construction of a heritage street in Bhagat Singh's native village to showcase the glorious contribution of Punjab in the country's freedom struggle. The 850-metre-long heritage street will connect the existing museum to Bhagat Singh's ancestral house in the village. According to an official statement, Mann said that the martyrdom