Page 13 - Punjab

Haryana CM Khattar to meet Bhagwant Mann on Oct 14 over SYL canal issue

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann will meet to discuss the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue on October 14. The discussion between the two chief ministers has been scheduled after the Supreme Court had recently nudged them to meet and try to find an amicable solution. We will definitely try to find a way to resolve the issue, Khattar told reporters here on Tuesday. Last month, he had said water from the SYL was crucial for Haryana. "On one hand, we are not getting this water, while on the other, Delhi is demanding more water from us. Fixing a deadline to resolve this issue at the earliest has become very essential," he had said. In Punjab, opposition parties had recently asked Mann to stand up for the state's cause over the issue. Water sharing from the SYL canal has been a bone of contention between the two states for several decades. Punjab has been demanding a reassessment of the Ravi-Beas river waters' volume while Haryana

Punjab Police busts five terror modules, arrests 17 terrorists in 10 days

Punjab Police has busted five terrorist modules in the state and also arrested 17 terrorists in the last 10 days, according to the police on Monday

Punjab transport dept sees 45% jump in revenue during 2022-23 fiscal

The Punjab transport department on Monday said its revenue in the first six months of this fiscal is 45 per cent more than that of the corresponding period of the last financial year. In a statement issued here, Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar said the three wings of the department -- State Transport Commissioner, Pepsu Road Transport Corporation and Punjab Roadways -- earned Rs 1,957.64 crore from April to September in this fiscal. This is 45.07 per cent higher than the same period of the previous financial year, he said. Revenue of Rs 1,349.43 crore was collected in the corresponding period of the last fiscal. He said the increase in revenue was witnessed because of the concerted efforts of the Bhagwant Mann government to crackdown against tax evaders and operators plying buses without permits.

Punjab farmers shifting to sustainable ways of getting rid of crop residue

A handful of farmers in Punjab have started disposing crop residue -- which is usually burnt and causes air pollution -- in a sustainable manner, either by using it as natural fertiliser or selling it for fuel production. These farmers have not only reduced consumption of fertilisers by mixing crop residue in the soil but have also begun to monetise the practice by managing the stubble of other growers. Bhupinder Singh (59), who cultivates 30 acres of land in Badarpur, the last village of Mohali district, has not been burning paddy stubble since 2018. Instead, he mixes it with soil using an MB plough, a tillage equipment. "After which the land is ready for sowing the next crop wheat." He says that after it is buried, stubble residue gets decomposed within a week. "With the absorption of stubble in soil, the consumption of fertiliser has dropped. Earlier, we used to use potash for wheat crop which we no longer do," he says. "Farmers do not want to burn stubble. When a grower find

Punjab Guv takes exception as Mann skips Murmu's reception; AAP hits back

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit took exception to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann skipping the reception held for President Droupadi Murmu during her maiden visit to Chandigarh on Saturday. While welcoming Murmu at the Raj Bhavan, the governor noted Mann's absence from the event. Purohit said he had invited Mann for the civic reception. "He (Mann) had even accepted it. He may have some compulsions," the governor said. According to Purohit, Mann instead sent a representative. "No matter how occupied one is, I feel it is important to fulfill one's constitutional responsibility," he asserted. Cabinet minister Aman Arora, who attend the event, reacted sharply to Purohit's statements and said it was unfortunate that the governor raised a "political issue" from the Raj Bhavan stage. In a statement, Arora said Mann had a pre-confirmed event and had hence deputed him instead to receive and welcome the President. Arora said five other cabinet ministers and all senior bureaucrats attended

BJP slams AAP govt over stubble burning in Punjab, tweets pictures

BJP on Friday attacked the Aam Aadmi Party tweeting pictures of what it alleged was stubble burning in Punjab and accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of doing little to tackle the issue. The AAP dispensation has in the past accused neighbouring states, including then-Congress ruled Punjab, of being responsible for the high levels of winter pollution in Delhi with unchecked burning of stubble taking place in these states. With reins of Punjab now in AAP's hands, BJP has taken to attacking the Kejriwal-led party. North East Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari accused Kejriwal of having a "casual approach" towards the issue of air pollution. "What is this @ArvindKejriwal? Delhi is suffering because of you and your casual approach towards governance! Every year it is the same story & same excuses, now you have a full fledge (sic) punjab govt under you but still delhi (sic) continues to suffer When will you start working for delhi (sic)?" Tiwari said in a tweet, sharing pictures of ...

Punjab CM Mann bats for collaboration in academics, tourism with Tajikistan

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday batted for collaboration with Tajikistan in the fields of academics, tourism, and trade and commerce. Interacting with a delegation from Tajikistan that called on him here, the CM said with the world emerging as a global village, there is a need for acquainting students about the emerging trends in the education sector. He said in such a scenario, an academic collaboration between the universities of different countries could do wonders in spreading the light of knowledge in every nook and cranny of the world, besides helping in the overall development of students, according to an official release. Emphasising on the need for frequent student and faculty exchange programmes between Punjab and Tajikistan, Mann said it would be very beneficial for the students. Mann said such initiatives could play a pivotal role in updating the knowledge of students and upskilling teachers. He said Punjab and Tajikistan can initiate measures for star

Will take 4-5 years to resolve stubble burning issue: Punjab pollution body

Crop diversification is not a long-term solution to the problem of stubble burning and it will take four to five years to properly resolve the issue, a senior official of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has said. Crop diversification and using short duration varieties of paddy are among several initiatives proposed by the Centre and experts to resolve the stubble burning issue in Punjab and Haryana. At a workshop organised by the Delhi-based Climate Trends in Chandigarh on Monday, PPCB Member Secretary Krunesh Garg said counting the number of farm fires is an inaccurate measure of ascertaining the scale of stubble burning and that the acreage of land being put on fire is the parameter to be measured. It's not that the problem is not being addressed, we are mapping it down to the block and village level, but it will take four-five years for proper resolution," Garg said. The area under paddy cultivation in Punjab has increased from 29.61 lakh hectares in last year to 31.13

BSF opens fire at Pakistani drone spotted in Punjab's Gurdaspur sector

BSF troops opened fire at a drone from Pakistan along the International Border in Punjab's Gurdaspur sector on Tuesday, officials said. Border Security Force (BSF) troops heard a buzzing sound of the flying object in the early hours and opened fire, officials said. Search operations have been launched in the area to check if any packages were dropped by the drone in Indian territory, they said.

Punjab: Bhagwant Mann govt wins confidence motion; Cong, BJP abstain

The Punjab Assembly on Monday "unanimously" passed the confidence motion moved by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on September 27, even as Congress members staged a walkout. The BJP members have already announced to boycott the assembly session. After a lengthy discussion on the confidence motion, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan put it to vote. He asked MLAs to raise hands who were in support, and then asked those who were against the motion of confidence. Announcing the results, Sandhwan said 91 AAP MLAs supported the motion. He also said one of the three SAD MLAs who was present in the House and a lone BSP MLA did not oppose the motion. No Congress, BJP or lone Independent MLA was present in the House at the time of voting. AAP has 92 MLAs, including the Speaker, in the House. "So, 93 MLAs have supported the motion and none is against it. Thus, the motion is unanimously passed," the Speaker said. In the 117-member Punjab Assembly, the AAP has 92 members, Congress 18, SAD 3, BJP 2,

Punjab CM Mann announces hike in sugarcane price to Rs 380 per quintal

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday announced increasing the price of sugarcane to Rs 380 per quintal from the existing Rs 360 per quintal. He announced a hike in SAP (state agreed price) of sugarcane on the floor of the Punjab Assembly on the concluding day of its brief session. In August 2021, the then Congress government had announced a Rs 50 per quintal hike in SAP of sugarcane to Rs 360 per quintal. Mann said farmers will get an additional Rs 20 per quintal under SAP of sugarcane as compared to last year. With this decision, the state government will spend an additional Rs 200 crore annually to benefit the farmers. Mann said the farmers of the state eagerly want to adopt sugarcane crop under crop diversification, but they are hesitant for it due to lack of adequate price and timely payment of the crop. At present, sugarcane is cultivated on just 1.25 lakh hectares of land in Punjab, while the total crushing capacity of sugar mills was around 2.50 lakh hectares. Thi

2 held after Punjab Police busts ISI-backed drone-based KTF terror module

Punjab Police busted Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) backed drone-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) terror module and apprehended two of its operatives from Chamkaur Sahib area

Deepak Tinu, accused in Moosewala murder case, escapes from custody

Gangster Deepak Tinu, one of the accused in singer Sidhu Moosewala's murder, escaped from police custody in Mansa district, in a major embarrassment for Punjab Police which sacked the officer incharge and arrested him. Tinu escaped from the custody of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) unit of the Mansa Police on Saturday night when he was brought on a production warrant from Goindwal Sahib jail in Tarn Taran district in another case. The Incharge CIA has been dismissed from service under Article 311 of the constitution, Punjab police said. An FIR under IPC sections 222 (Intentional omission to apprehend on the part of public servant bound to apprehend person under sentence or lawfully committed), 224 (Resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension) 225 A (Omission to apprehend, or sufferance of escape, on part of public servant...) and 120-B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) has been registered against errant police officials. Punjab Director General of Poli

Another operative of ISI-backed terror module held in Punjab, says police

The Punjab Police on Saturday said it has arrested another operative of the ISI-backed terror module that was jointly handled by Canada-based gangster Lakhbir Singh alias Landa and Pakistan-based gangster Harvinder Singh Rinda. Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, Gaurav Yadav said the accused has been identified as Harpreet Singh alias Har Sarpanch of village Jogewal in Ferozepur. The arrest came eight days after the Counter Intelligence team led by Assistant Inspector General (Counter Intelligence) Jalandhar Navjot Singh Mahal had busted the module with the arrest of its two operatives - Baljit Singh Malhi and Gurbaksh Singh, both residents of Ferozepur. The police had also recovered one sophisticated AK-56 assault rifle along with two magazines, 90 live cartridges and two bullet shells from a location pinpointed by Gurbaksh Singh in his village. DGP Yadav on Saturday said following the disclosures of accused Baljit Malhi, the police team managed to apprehend Harpreet Singh

Phagwara sugar mill workers hold protest over non-payment of salaries

Phagwara sugar mill workers on Saturday held a demonstration here denouncing the mill management for not paying their salaries for the last three months. Phagwara sugar mill labour union leader Sukhdev Singh also sought the intervention of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in the matter. "We have families. We find it next to impossible to pay the fees of our school going children. The owner of the mill has run abroad. The local mill officials are giving us false assurances, said one of the protesters. The protesters demanded the management to pay at least a month's salary to the workers considering the ongoing festival season, and threatened to intensify their protests if their demand is not met.

Sikh bodies hold protest march in Phagwara over desecration, demands arrest

Activists of some Sikh bodies held a protest march here on Saturday demanding the arrest of those behind the desecration of Sikh religious book 'Gutka Sahib' in August. They also demanded that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) be constituted to probe the case. Pages of 'Gutka Sahib' were found scattered under a tree near the old civil hospital building here on August 31. Police had registered a case under relevant sections, including 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against unidentified people in the matter. The protesters took out a march from the Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Sabzi Mandi to the site near the old civil hospital building where the pages were found. Later, they submitted a memorandum to Phagwara Superintendent of Police (SP) Mukhtiar Rai demanding that an SIT be constituted to probe the case. The memorandum was addressed to the director

Centre concerned over Punjab's preparedness towards air quality management

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Friday expressed concern and dissatisfaction with the Punjab government's preparedness towards air quality management and noted a huge gap in the state's plan for stubble management. At a review meeting, Yadav said the Punjab government has not planned adequately for management of almost 5.75 million tons of stubble in the state which may have an adverse impact on the air quality in Delhi and the national capital region (NCR). He directed the governments of Punjab and NCR states to ensure timely and effective implementation of various components of the detailed plan of actions developed for the management of paddy stubble burning, the ministry said in a statement after the meeting. Yadav held a detailed review meeting on the measures and actions planned towards abatement of air pollution by all stakeholders concerned in the NCR region and adjoining areas in the wake of poor air quality conditions generally prevailing between October and

Amit Shah approves Rs 488 cr to UP, Punjab, Goa for disaster mitigation

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday approved the release of Rs 488 crore to Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Goa as central share of the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) for 2021-22. Based on the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission, the central government has allocated Rs 32,031 crore for the SDMF and Rs 13,693 crore for the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) for 2021-22 to 2025-26, according to an official release. These mitigation funds are to be used for undertaking mitigation activities, involving local level and community-based interventions, which will reduce the risks from disasters and promote environment-friendly settlements and livelihood practices. The home minister has always emphasised that before the 1990s, the central government had a relief-centric approach and there was no scope for saving lives and property and it was not part of the planning process, the statement said. Now as per the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has .

LIVE: PM Modi to inaugurate 36th National Games in Ahmedabad

PM will declare open the 36th National Games at a gala ceremony in the Narendra Modi stadium in Motera area

CM Bhagwant Mann bats for strengthening of ties between Punjab and Canada

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday batted for further strengthening ties between Punjab and Canada, especially with its Saskatchewan province. The chief minister, during a meeting with a delegation of Saskatchewan province which called on him here, advocated strong and cordial ties between Punjab and Canadian province, according to an official release. He said people from Punjab have been playing a vanguard role in the socio-economic progress of Canada. Mann also said it is a matter of great pride and satisfaction that a large number of Punjabis have also carved a niche for themselves in the political arena of Canada. The CM also showcased Punjab as the most preferred industrial destination across the country and invited the delegation from Saskatchewan to encourage the entrepreneurs to invest in the Indian state. Mann said the government has already put the state on a high growth trajectory which will benefit the investors. Calling for further streamlining mechanism to ensur