DailyWorld News - The First International Newspaper From India https://dailyworld.in/ Thu, 23 Oct 2025 01:16:39 +0530 en https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/mann-meets-joshi-seeks-release-of-pending-rdf-market-fee-arrears-626672.html DW BUREAU New DelhiChandigarhPunjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday sought the intervention of Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi for the release of states pending share of over Rs 9000 crore related to the Rural Development Fund RDF and market fees During a meeting at Joshis residence here the chief minister also requested for quick movement of rice grains from the state to enable space for the current seasonMann raised the issue of nonallowance of RDF since Kharif Marketing Season KMS 202122 and insufficient allowance of market fees since Rabi Marketing Season RMS 202223He emphasized that the purpose of RDF is to promote agriculture and rural infrastructure including the development of rural roads marketing infrastructure storage facilities in mandis and automation and mechanization of mandis The chief minister said that despite amending the Punjab Rural Development Act 1987 in accordance with the Department of Food Public Distribution guidelines the Punjabs share in RDF has not been released since KMS 202122Mann stated that Rs 773727 crore under RDF and Rs 183662 crore under market fees are yet to be released by the Centre a Punjab governments statement saidThe chief minister noted that this nonreimbursement has severely impacted the development and maintenance of rural infrastructure and the rural economy in the state He also highlighted the persistent shortage of covered storage space in the state over the past two yearsDuring KMS 202324 he said that the shortage of space led to the extension of the delivery period for milled rice up to September 30 2024Mann said that this caused concern among millers during the last Kharif season making them initially reluctant to lift and store paddy adding that the issue was later resolved with the cooperation of central governmentThe chief minister said that for KMS 202425 out of 117 lakh metric tonnes LMT of rice to be delivered to the Food Corporation of India FCI only around 107 LMT had been delivered by June 30 2025editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/mann-meets-joshi-seeks-release-of-pending-rdf-market-fee-arrears-626672.html Thu, 17 Jul 2025 01:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/tarunpreet-sondh-visits-fire-affected-fields-in-nabha-613218.html DW BUREAU PatialaChandigarhAam Aadmi Party AAP Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sondh visited the site of a fire that broke out in approximately 25 acres of wheat crop field near the village of Kaidupur in Nabha on Sunday He interacted with local farmers and assured them of government supportMinister Sondh assured the farmers that the Punjab Government would provide adequate compensation for the financial losses suffered due to the fire He also inquired about the health of a farm labourer who was injured during the fire and promised that the Punjab Government would bear all the expenses for his treatment He added that Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh personally spoke to PGI doctors to ensure the labourer receives the best medical careSondh stated that the AAP Government is committed to the welfare of Punjabs farmers He mentioned that the areas MLA and Cabinet Minister Dr Balbir Singh could not visit due to his commitments in Amritsar However as soon as Dr Balbir learned of the incident he immediately called Sondh and asked him to visit the site Dr Balbir will personally visit the affected area and victim farmers upon his return from AmritsarSondh highlighted that sudden weather changes sparking from electrical wires or carelessly discarded lit cigarettes can often cause fires in fields during this season He assured the farmers that the Punjab Government stands with them and will ensure they do not suffer any lossesThe minister instructed the concerned administrative officials to survey the damage prepare a list of affected farmers and expedite the compensation process He also emphasized the need for awareness campaigns in rural areas to prevent such incidents These campaigns would ensure people remain alert and proactive safety measures are in place to address natural disastersHe further stated that the Aam Aadmi Partys government is a farmerfriendly government Its goal is not just to provide relief but also to prevent such incidents in the future Sondh directed the administration to conduct regular inspections of electrical wires and prioritize the installation of fire alert systems in areas lacking fire safety arrangementsThe Punjab Government is determined to stand by its farmers ensuring their safety and security while working to mitigate the impact of unforeseen disasters Sondh concludededitordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/tarunpreet-sondh-visits-fire-affected-fields-in-nabha-613218.html Mon, 28 Apr 2025 01:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/kang-demands-direct-train-from-anandpur-sahib-to-hazur-sahib-606898.html DW BUREAU New DelhiChandigarhIn a address during the discussion on Demands for Grants under the Ministry of Railways in the Lok Sabha Aam Aadmi Party AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang representing the sacred constituency of Shri Anandpur Sahib raised critical demands to address the Railway related developmental needs of his regionMP Malvinder Singh Kang emphasized the historical and spiritual significance of Shri Anandpur Sahib the birthplace of the Khalsa and Hazur Sahib Nanded where Guru Gobind Singh Ji attained eternal rest He pointed out the demand for a direct train service between these two sacred sites Although the Sachkhand Express currently connects Amritsar to Hazur Sahib Nanded Kang argued that a dedicated train from Shri Anandpur Sahib is essential to accommodate the lakhs of devotees who visit Hazur Sahib annually He urged the Railway Minister to fulfill this longstanding demand which would benefit not only the Doaba region but also the Puadh area of PunjabHighlighting the Punjab Governments exemplary work in expanding canal irrigation under Chief Minister Bhagwant Manns leadership Kang expressed concern over a major irrigation project in Rupnagar Ropar District that remains stalled due to a pending No Objection Certificate NOC from the Ministry of Railways He requested the Ministers intervention to expedite the NOC issuance enabling greater water distribution to farmlands in the regioneditordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/kang-demands-direct-train-from-anandpur-sahib-to-hazur-sahib-606898.html Tue, 18 Mar 2025 00:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-farmers-neglected-in-union-budget-meet-hayer-600688.html DW BUREAU New DelhiChandigarhDuring discussion session on Budget Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer AAPs Member of Parliament from Sangrur cornered the Central Government for completely ignoring Punjabs farmers Criticizing the neglect of Punjabs farmers and need for crop diversification he demanded a special package for Sangrurs agriculturebased industriesIn his address Meet Hayer said that Punjab led the nation in the Green Revolution sacrificing its air water and soil Expressing concern over Punjab being completely ignored for crop diversification Hayer demanded a special package for the state He said that it is unfortunate that the justified demands of Punjabs farmers who have been protesting for over three years for the minimum support price MSP have not been acknowledged He specifically sought a special package for the agriculturerelated industries of Sangrur such as the combine harvester industry of HandiayaPresenting statistics on the Central Governments failures in the economic sector Meet Hayer said that the government has miserably failed in areas like per capita income GDP and the depreciating value of the rupee against the dollar He pointed out that India lags significantly in per capita income In India the income of only a handful of people has increased while the general populations income growth has been negligible Highlighting the disparity he said that the condition of the common man is aptly described by the saying Amdani Athani Kharcha RupaiyaMocking the income tax slab he remarked that the vast majority of the countrys population is entirely excluded from its benefits Commenting on the depreciating rupee value Hayer sarcastically noted that BJP leaders used to say 10 years ago that the rupee is in the ICU but now under their rule the rupees condition against the dollar is at its weakestUnderlining the importance of AI Artificial Intelligence Meet Hayer advocated for significant work in this domain He expressed disappointment that only Rs 500 crore has been allocated in the budget for what is the most urgent need of the times He pointed out that while the world is heavily investing in AI leading global institutions like Google Microsoft IBM and the World Bank are headed by Indians and the country is full of young talent this sector has been utterly neglected by the government India has the potential to lead the world in AI but due to the governments policies and intent it is falling behindeditordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-farmers-neglected-in-union-budget-meet-hayer-600688.html Tue, 11 Feb 2025 02:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/anemia-screening-campaign-for-girl-students-launched-600151.html DW BUREAU Tarn TaranChandigarhWith the aim of creating an anemiafree Punjab Social Security Women and Child Development Minister Dr Baljit Kaur today launched an anemia screening campaign for girl students studying in government schools from Sri Guru Arjan Dev Government Senior Secondary School Girls in Tarn Taran On the first day of the campaign around 1152 girl students were tested for anemia by 10 teams On this occasion Deputy Commissioner of Tarn Taran Mr Rahul Additional Deputy Commissioner General Mr Rajdeep Singh Brar Additional Deputy Commissioner Development Mr Sanjeev Kumar SDM Tarn Taran Mr Arvinderpal Singh and Civil Surgeon Dr Gurpreet Singh Rahe were present Addressing the gathering Cabinet Minister Dr Baljit Kaur emphasized the Punjab governments commitment to ensuring the good health of every citizen She stated that keeping this objective in mind the government has initiated an anemia screening campaign for schoolgirls In the initial phase blood tests will be conducted for nearly 30000 girl students studying in classes 6 to 12 in government schools across Tarn Taran district to detect anemia She assured that immediate treatment would be provided to those diagnosed with anemia Dr Baljit Kaur highlighted that a girls physical and mental health is directly linked to her hemoglobin levels She announced that the anemia screening campaign is being launched as a pilot project from the historic city of Tarn Taran and will soon be expanded to all districts to achieve the goal of an anemiafree Punjab She further informed that the Punjab government is using advanced equipment for girl student testing allowing hemoglobin levels and anemia detection without the need for needle pricks Dr Baljit Kaur stressed the importance of maintaining proper hemoglobin levels for a healthy life Encouraging students Dr Baljit Kaur advised them to consume a nutritious diet and completely avoid junk food She urged society to provide equal opportunities for girls to achieve their goals and called on parents to focus on their daughters nutritional needseditordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/anemia-screening-campaign-for-girl-students-launched-600151.html Fri, 07 Feb 2025 01:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-chief-minister-and-aap-leader-bhagwant-mann-during-a-roadshow-in-support-of-party-candidate-from-rajouri-garden-dhanwati-chandela-ahead-of-the-delhi-assembly-elections-in-new-delhi-598392.html DW BUREAU New DelhiChandigarhPunjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann spearheaded vibrant roadshows on Wednesday in Delhis Rajouri Garden Tilak Nagar and Vikaspuri constituencies campaigning for Aam Aadmi Party AAP candidates Dhanwati Chandela Jarnail Singh and Mahinder Yadav respectivelyDrawing massive crowds Mann urged voters to strengthen Delhis legacy of good governance by reelecting Arvind Kejriwal as the Chief Minister for the fourth time The roadshows witnessed enthusiastic participation from the people of Delhi who cheered on AAPs candidates and shared their appreciation for the partys propeople initiativesSpeaking during the roadshows Mann said that AAP remains committed to addressing the needs of the people including education healthcare employment and infrastructure development We talk about real issues and we fulfill our guarantees In Punjab 90 of households receive zero electricity bills we provided 50000 government jobs without favoritism or bribes and revolutionized public sectors Call your relatives in Punjab and ask them how the AAP government has kept its promises said MannHe highlighted AAPs transformative policies in Delhi under Arvind Kejriwals leadership Delhi has witnessed free electricity worldclass education and healthcare and free travel for women in government buses This is governance that works for the people and its time to extend this legacy further Mann added urging voters to choose candidates committed to progress and transparencyMann said that Arvind Kejriwal left his job to serve the people and they Mann and Kejriwal are not in politics for money He said that Kejriwals guarantee is not a jumla like the BJP We deliver what we promise Mann ridiculed the oppositions empty promises citing the example of the BJPs claim to provide Rs 2500 to women Did they fulfill their earlier promise of depositing Rs 15 lakh into everyones bank account he asked He added the people of Punjab also didnt get 15 lacs in their accounts because for the BJP elections are jumla timeMann added This election is about choosing development over divisiveness Vote for AAP candidates and secure a brighter future for Delhi under the visionary leadership of Arvind KejriwalIn Tilak Nagar AAP candidate Jarnail Singh expressed gratitude to the constituencys residents for their unwavering support over the years Addressing the gathering Jarnail Singh said The BJP has no agenda for the people They focus on the politics of polarization and hatred In contrast AAP tirelessly works for the welfare of Delhis citizens Weve delivered results and well continue to do so with your supporteditordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-chief-minister-and-aap-leader-bhagwant-mann-during-a-roadshow-in-support-of-party-candidate-from-rajouri-garden-dhanwati-chandela-ahead-of-the-delhi-assembly-elections-in-new-delhi-598392.html Thu, 30 Jan 2025 01:25:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/broom-will-sweep-across-delhi-on-feb-5-says-cm-bhagwant-mann-596065.html DW BUREAU DelhiChandigarhPunjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann On Friday led a massive roadshow and campaigned for Patel Nagar Aam Aadmi Party AAP candidate Pravesh Ratan The roadshow witnessed an overwhelming turnout showcasing the support of the people of Patel Nagar towards the AAPAddressing the gathering CM Bhagwant Mann expressed his gratitude for the warm reception saying I am deeply thankful for the love and respect you have showered on me Whenever I visit Patel Nagar you greet me with unparalleled enthusiasm This time too I am confident you will break your own record on February 5Bhagwant Mann emphasized his commitment to campaigning for AAPs honest and peoplecentric politics Highlighting the values of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal Mann stated Arvind Kejriwal left a prestigious job as an Income Tax Commissioner to serve the nation through honest politics His integrity is a threat to traditional parties who prioritize their power over peoples welfare Similarly when I was a comedy king they praised me but now they fear me because we challenge their corrupt practicesThe Punjab CM also highlighted AAPs governance model in Punjab as a testament to its promises free electricity for 90 of households in Punjab our government establishment of Mohalla Clinics and we are transforming government schools Mann said that the AAP government in Punjab launched the Road Safety Force named SSF Sadak Surakheya Force which has already saved over 1500 lives in less than a year by responding to accidents within five minutes ensuring immediate medical care in nearby hospitals without financial concerns Mann said Such initiatives reflect our clean intentions We are in politics to serve not to earn moneySlamming opposition parties Mann said Congress will maintain its record of zero seats The BJP is spreading lies but people know the truth On February 5 vote only for AAP to ensure honest and progressive governanceThe Chief Minister concluded with a rallying call for unity stressing the beauty of Indias diversity and urging the people to reject the divisive politics of hate He said AAP believes in the politics of work not hatred Press the AAP button on February 5 and dont even look at other buttonsAAPs Patel Nagar candidate Pravesh Ratan expressed confidence in the peoples support He also thanked CM Bhagwant Mann for campaigning for himeditordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/broom-will-sweep-across-delhi-on-feb-5-says-cm-bhagwant-mann-596065.html Sat, 18 Jan 2025 01:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/meet-hayer-raises-chandigarh-rajpura-rail-link-issue-in-ls-587588.html DW BUREAU New DelhiChandigarhMember Parliament from Sangrur Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer on Wednesday raised the issue of the RajpuraChandigarh rail link in Lok Sabha to connect the entire Malwa region with the state capital Chandigarh through rail Participating in the debate on a railrelated bill in the House today Meet Hayer said that rail is the cheapest easiest and best means of transport which benefits the common man the most Even after 77 years of independence the people of the Malwa region are not directly connected to their capital by rail for which only Rajpura and Chandigarh need to be connected He said that the central government refers to the demand for land acquisition and if land can be acquired for building highways then why not for government rail service Raising another important issue Meet Hayer said that the concession given to senior citizens and sportspersons was stopped during the Covid period These should be resumed and students should also be brought under its ambit Meet Hayer also said that no highspeed rail passes through the BarnalaSangrur area which is why this demand needs to be fulfilled soon Meet Hayer further said that after the countrys independence only 15 thousand more rail lines were laid which is very less Rail is the backbone of India Just as the government is keen on privatizing other government institutions including ports we are of the view that rail should not be sold to private handsHe said that the government had promised cheap air travel under the UDAN scheme which was not completed Therefore rail is the only cheap and convenient means of transportation for the countrymen for which strengthening the railway network is most importanteditordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/meet-hayer-raises-chandigarh-rajpura-rail-link-issue-in-ls-587588.html Thu, 05 Dec 2024 02:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/rs-6-crore-for-sewage-system-in-malout-says-baljit-kaur-586634.html DW BUREAU MaloutChandigarhThe Minister for Social Security Women and Child Development Dr Baljit Kaur has announced the launch of a Rs 6 crore sewage project aimed at improving the sewage system in Malout city Providing further details Cabinet Minister Dr Baljit Kaur stated that the Punjab Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is committed to providing better civic amenities for the residents of the state In this regard several development projects are being implemented across Punjab by the state government Dr Baljit Kaur further explained that continuous efforts are being made to address the longstanding sewage issues in Malout city and to provide better and comprehensive sewage services to the citys residents Necessary funds are being arranged through constant coordination with the relevant department She mentioned that residents of Malout have been suffering from these issues for many years which will now be resolved through this project Cabinet Minister stated that this project is an important step towards eliminating Malout citys old problems and improving the quality of life for its residents In this context work has commenced on laying large pipes for sewage on Main Colony Road in Malout at a cost of Rs 6 crore This project will completely relieve residents of Pink City and Dashmesh Nagar from sewage backflow issues The Minister noted that a 3100meterlong rising main pipe is also being replaced for sewage disposal from Dhana Mandi Disposal to Bhagwanpura in Malout This will resolve the water drainage problems for Puda Colony Star City Colony and 40 of the citys areaeditordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/rs-6-crore-for-sewage-system-in-malout-says-baljit-kaur-586634.html Fri, 29 Nov 2024 02:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/ahead-of-haryana-polls-controversial-godman-ram-rahim-gets-parole-third-this-year-577014.html Chandigarh Oct 1 IANS Ahead of the Assembly polls in Haryana controversial Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh whos serving a 20year jail sentence for raping two of his disciples on Tuesday got 20day parole the third time this year However he has been barred from staying in the state This will be Ram Rahim Singhs 11th parole or furlough in the last four years Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini cleared his parole application and forwarded to the Prisons Department which forwarded it to the Divisional Commissioner of Rohtak He will be released soon after getting the mandatory clearance from the local administration in Uttar Pradeshs Bagpath where he will stay during the parole Ram Rahim was patronised by political leaders and parties in Punjab and Haryana for nearly two decades due to his ability to influence the votes of his followers He had sought parole citing the death anniversary of his father Maghar Singh on October 5 which is observed as Parmarthi Diwas as the reason for the grant of parole It is learnt that the Election Commission on Monday approved the parole petition with three conditions He is prohibited from entering Haryana during this period he cannot engage in any political activity and he must refrain from participating in electionrelated activities even through social media After the Election Commission permitted the state government to consider Ram Rahims plea the state Home Department forwarded the permission to caretaker Chief Minister Saini for approval Objecting to the grant of parole Anshul Chhatrapati son of slain journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati for whose murder Ram Rahim is serving a life sentence in a communication to the Election Commission had said on six occasions out of 10 paroles and furloughs Ram Rahim was released just before an election For the first time he got 21 days of furlough in February 2022 before the Punjab Assembly elections Then he got 30 days of parole in June 2022 before the Haryana municipal corporation elections After that in October 2022 he again got 40 days of parole before the Adampur Assembly byelection in Haryana He got 30 days of parole in July 2023 before the Haryana panchayat elections Then he got 29 days of parole in November 2023 before the Rajasthan Assembly elections Anshul had said Interestingly the Dera head returned to the prison on September 2 after a 21day furlough granted on August 13 Ram Rahim is currently lodged at the highsecurity Sunaria jail in Rohtak 250 km from the state capital Chandigarh Earlier the high court had rejected Ram Rahims parole plea for attending the wedding ceremony of his foster daughters The selfstyled godman was sentenced to 20 years in jail in August 2017 for raping two women A special CBI court in Panchkula in 2019 also sentenced him and three others to life imprisonment for the murder of a journalist over 16 years ago His conviction on August 25 2017 led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa leaving 41 people dead and over 260 injured IANS https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/ahead-of-haryana-polls-controversial-godman-ram-rahim-gets-parole-third-this-year-577014.html Tue, 01 Oct 2024 23:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haath-badlega-haalaat-congs-manifesto-promises-to-set-up-special-task-force-to-make-haryana-drug-free-576383.html Chandigarh Sep 28 IANS Saying the election manifesto has been prepared keeping in mind fiscal aspects the Congress has promised to set up a special task force to make Haryana free of drugs in its manifesto that was released here on Saturday for the Assembly polls besides promising a slew of welfare measures for farmers women employees and the youth Apart from the seven promises released by the party earlier the Congress also promised to provide jobs to retired Agniveers and restart the Padak LaoPad Pao scheme for sportspersons The Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee released the manifesto Haath Badlega Haalaat at the party office Along with the seven guarantees announced earlier the manifesto includes beneficial schemes for every section Senior observer of elections and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Hooda State President Chaudhary Udaibhan and Geeta Bhukkal among others were present on the occasion at the manifesto release function The party has announced 2 lakh permanent recruitments by following the due hiring process and a policy will be made to accommodate the employees of Kaushal Nigam by increasing their salary The promise of giving the highest honorarium of Rs 2 crore and a government job to the family of a martyred soldier in the country is also included in the manifesto It has also promised that retired Agniveers will be given jobs in Haryana To save the youth from drug addiction a drugfree commission and a special task force will be formed The party promised that temporary sanitation workers will be made permanent and employees engaged in sewer cleaning will get an additional payment of Rs 5000 along with insurance of Rs 30 lakh A total of 21 welfare boards including welfare boards for the Brahmin Punjabi and Sunar communities will be formed and reorganised for the betterment of various sections Unnecessary online portals like Parivar Pehchan Patra Meri Fasal Mera Byora will be closed and the services of other portals will be improved so that the public can get convenience in online work the Congress manifesto mentioned Manifesto committee chairperson Geeta Bhukkal said the BJP has released a jumla patra a joke document whereas the Congress has prepared its manifesto after discussing all financial aspects after a deep study and brainstorming with experts She said Haryana is a welfare state and there will be no compromise on social security promises like pension of Rs 6000 She said the Congress would fulfill its promise at all costs Haryana will go to the polls on October 5 The ballots will be counted on October 8 IANS https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haath-badlega-haalaat-congs-manifesto-promises-to-set-up-special-task-force-to-make-haryana-drug-free-576383.html Sat, 28 Sep 2024 19:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/harjot-bains-exchanges-mou-with-finnish-envoy-for-teachers-training-576237.html DW BUREAU New DelhiChandigarhPunjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Friday exchanged memorandum of understanding MoU with the Finnish Ambassador in New Delhi to provide internationallevel training for government primary school teachers of the state of Punjab He was accompanied by former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish SisodiaSpeaking on the occasion Harjot Singh Bains expressed his enthusiasm stating I am delighted to announce the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding with Finland This collaboration will not only enhance the primary education framework in Punjab but also foster cultural exchange between India and FinlandIt is noteworthy that following Delhis lead Punjab has become the second state in India to establish an agreement for providing advanced training to primary school teachers in FinlandElaborating on the agreement Harjot Singh Bains said Punjabs government primary school teachers will receive advanced training at the University of Turku in Finland adding that while five Finnish universities had expressed interest in providing this training the University of Turku was ultimately selectedThe Education Minister highlighted Finlands global reputation in early childhood education praising its innovative approach that emphasizes play exploration and daily experiential learning He said that the Finnish education system prioritizes early childhood education and care as the cornerstone for lifelong learning and developmentThe Cabinet Minister also spotlighted Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab governments ongoing efforts to enhance educator skills Since February 2023 under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Manns leadership 202 principals and education administrators have undergone training in Singapore Besides this 102 headmasters have completed courses in Leadership School Management and Education Department at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management IIM Ahmedabad he addedTeachers interested in participating in the Finnish training program can submit their applications through the designated website up till the evening of September 27 2024editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/harjot-bains-exchanges-mou-with-finnish-envoy-for-teachers-training-576237.html Sat, 28 Sep 2024 02:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/pwd-minister-harbhajan-lays-stone-of-four-lane-railway-over-bridge-575151.html DW BUREAU Tarn TaranChandigarhIn a significant move to alleviate the growing traffic woes on the Tarn TaranAmritsar old road Punjab Public Works and Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO laid the foundation stone for a fourlane over bridge at the A25 railway line crossing Kakka Kandyala railway crossing today in the presence of MLA Dr Kashmir Singh SohalInteracting with media on this occasion the PWD Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO highlighted the increasing traffic problems in the historical city of Tarn Taran which attracts lakhs of pilgrims visiting Sri Darbar Sahib Tarn Taran He said that the construction of the fourlane railway over bridge valued at approximately Rs 70 crore will span 770 meters in length and 55 meters in width He said that the project would be completed within one and a half years bringing muchneeded relief to commutersMinister ETO also praised MLA Dr Kashmir Singh Sohals development initiatives in his constituency Meanwhile Dr Sohal expressed gratitude to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO for fulfilling the longstanding demand for a railway over bridge The MLA emphasized that thousands of pilgrims visiting Sri Darbar Sahib faced difficulties due to traffic congestionIn addition to the overbridge project Dr Sohal announced plans for city beautification including new parks LED light installations and removing the garbage dump on Sachkhand Road He also mentioned that the government has been approached to construct a railway over bridge on the Jandiala Road railway line He expressed confidence that this demand would also be fulfilled soonIn his concluding remarks the PWD Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO said that this infrastructure upgrade has been aimed to enhance connectivity reducing congestion and improve the overall experience for pilgrims and residents of the regioneditordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/pwd-minister-harbhajan-lays-stone-of-four-lane-railway-over-bridge-575151.html Mon, 23 Sep 2024 00:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/govt-committed-to-completing-nhai-projects-pwd-minister-568390.html DW BUREAU MogaChandigarhCabinet Minister for Public Works and Power Punjab Harbhajan Singh has stated that the Punjab Government is committed to completing the National Highways Authority of India NHAI projects For this Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has held meetings at his level also and all issues will be resolved soon He dismissed the notion that there is a problem with land acquisition in the state He assured that the relevant lands will be acquired and handed over to NHAI soonToday he made a surprise visit to Government Senior Secondary Smart School Janer Government Primary School Patti Roopa and Government Primary School Moga1 He had a Mid Day Meal with school students On this occasion MLA Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora MLA Amritpal Singh Sukhanand MLA Manjeet Singh Bilaspur MLA Davinderjit Singh Laddi Dhos Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal and others were presentWhile talking to journalists Harbhajan Singh said that the Punjab Governments top priority is to bring reforms in the education sector Emphasis is being laid on strengthening the basic infrastructure of education for the better future of the state He said that three new schools have been built in Moga city alone These schools were in a very poor condition earlier But due to the farsighted thinking of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann an effort is being made to revamp every school He said that the Punjab Government wants the teachers of the states schools to provide better education to the children which is why the principals of government schools are being sent for training in other countries If the school heads are good then the school results will also be good He said that education is being made employmentoriented Children are being encouraged towards technical education Thats why Schools of Eminence are being opened in the state In these schools the interests of bright children are being explored and they are being provided with suitable education so that they can choose their field profession according to their interestHe said that the purpose of his visit is to know the needs of the school and to make efforts to fulfill them He expressed satisfaction with the performance of the schoolseditordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/govt-committed-to-completing-nhai-projects-pwd-minister-568390.html Sat, 24 Aug 2024 00:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/india-bloc-should-prepare-to-sit-in-oppn-in-2029-too-amit-shah-in-chandigarh-563903.html Chandigarh Aug 4 IANS Taking a jibe at the Opposition Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said INDIA bloc should prepare itself to sit in the Opposition in 2029 as well I assure you that let the Opposition do whatever it wants to do in 2029 NDA will come Modiji will come he said while addressing a gathering here after inaugurating the 24x7 water supply project for Manimajra under the Smart City Mission They Opposition do not know that the BJP has won more seats in this election than the number of seats the Congress got in three elections These people who want to spread instability repeatedly say that this government is not going to last I have come to assure them that not only will the government complete its term but the next government will be of the NDA and be ready to sit in the Opposition Shah inaugurated a roundtheclock water supply project for Chandigarh the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana under the Smart City Mission in Manimajra to benefit over 1 lakh residents He also launched newly developed national apps eSakshya Nyay Setu Nyay Shruti and eSummon marking a significant step in enhancing digital governance and justice accessibility Water is very important we cannot exist without it When it is not clear we get a lot of diseases For this whole area a 24x7 supply of filtercleaned water will be provided through this for the people in the area It will stand to the test of time he said He reached the Chandigarh airport and was received by Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria The Home Minister headed directly to Manimajra to launch the project constructed at the cost of Rs 75 crore and will benefit over 1 lakh residents in Manimajra including those living in Modern Housing Complex Shivalik Enclave Indira Colony and Shastri Nagar The project is aimed at avoiding the wastage of water by minimising its storage by the public through a 24x7 highpressure supply Other features of the project include water resource augmentation through leakage reduction smart metering limited dependence on groundwater and monitoring of energy consumption A total of 22 km of water supply pipeline has been laid for this project Two underground water reservoirs each having a capacity of two million gallons per day have been set up Nearly 270 km of the citys water supply network which is not conducive for the supply of highpressure water will also be replaced later The project will be implemented phasewise for which the city has been divided into 55 district metering areas The first district metering area will receive a roundtheclock water supply by 2024 with the entire city expected to be covered by 2028 IANS https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/india-bloc-should-prepare-to-sit-in-oppn-in-2029-too-amit-shah-in-chandigarh-563903.html Sun, 04 Aug 2024 18:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/bittu-expresses-concern-over-mann-absence-from-niti-aayog-meeting-562547.html DW BUREAU SangrurChandigarhHow will the state of Punjab get some package when the Chief Minister of Punjab S Bhagwant Mann and his entire cabinet keeps sitting in Chandigarh and doesnt meet any Union Minister in Delhi Raising sharp questions on the absence of Chief minister of Punjab from the meeting of Niti Aayog in Delhi S Ravneet Singh Bittu Minister of state for Railways and Food Processing industries said that this has happened for the second time in row The Chief Minister should have attended the meeting of Niti Aayog which was chaired by the Prime Minister of India and Should have raised his concerns in the meeting The allegations of the state Govt that the union Govt is releasing their share of grants in different schemes are totally false and politically motivated The Punjab Govt has misused the funds meant for specific schemes and even in some cases diverted them now they are not giving the utilization certificates of the funds how will the centre release the next installment Ravneet Singh Bittu was addressing the media in the BJP in Sangrur today He also said that the claims of the Chief Minister about making the Malwa Nahar are false and they just looking at the Gidderbaha Bye election The state which dont have single penny to give even salaries to their employees how will they make nahar of 2000 Crores all Lieseditordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/bittu-expresses-concern-over-mann-absence-from-niti-aayog-meeting-562547.html Mon, 29 Jul 2024 01:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/meet-hayer-raises-key-issues-about-nhs-with-nitin-gadkari-562443.html DW BUREAU New DelhiChandigarhMember Parliament from Sangrur Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer has raised three important issues related to National Highways passing through his constituency with the Union Transport and Highways Minister Mr Nitin Gadkari In a positive response the union Minister assured to give consideration to the issues personally raised by the Member ParliamentMr Hayer demaned for construction of flyover over National Highway 703 at CheemaJodhpur crossing as for the residents of both Cheema and Jodhpur villages it is troublesome to cross the road near Bus stand and in absence of the flyover it has always carried the danger of happening of accidents Hayer said that similarly there is an urgent need for the construction of a flyover on BarnalaSangrur National Highway 64 near Badbar From this road point a seperate road goes to LongowalSunam due to which this stretch witnesses huge traffic jams That is why there is a need for the construction of a flyover on priority basisRaising the third issue the MP demanded for widening of two roads connected to the city bypass on highways going towards BarnalaMoga Sangrur and Bathinda One road is 75 km long which streches from Barnala Jail to Handiaya Chowk crossing through ITI Chow of Barnala city The second road is from ITI Chow to Handhiaya with a length of three and a half kilometres The Member Parliament demanded the widening of these two roads for smooth flow of trafficIn a positive gesture the Union Minister assured Mr Hayer that these issues will be resolvededitordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/meet-hayer-raises-key-issues-about-nhs-with-nitin-gadkari-562443.html Sun, 28 Jul 2024 01:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/in-one-sided-contest-aap-wins-punjabs-jalandhar-west-assembly-bypoll-558713.html Chandigarh July 13 IANS In a facesaving for the AAP government in Punjab led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann its nominee Mohinder Bhagat on Saturday won the Jalandhar West Assembly bypoll by 37325 votes defeating nearest rival and BJP candidate Sheetal Angural whose defection from AAP necessitated the bypoll Bhagats win was onesided as he was leading from the initial round of counting The polling was held on July 10 Angural polled 17921 votes while Congress candidate Surinder Kaur the former senior Deputy Mayor of Jalandhar finished third with 16757 votes as per the Election Commission of India There were 15 candidates in the fray Celebrations broke out at the AAP office in Chandigarh with the news of partys win The people of Jalandhar West have stamped their approval on the development work of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann by making the AAP candidate Mohinder Bhagat victorious by a huge margin the party wrote on X Bhagat who left BJP and joined the AAP in April 2023 is the son of a threetime MLA from this Assembly constituency of BJP and served as Cabinet Minister from 20072017 By fielding Bhagat AAP was looking to woo 30000 Bhagat community voters The Jalandhar West reserved Assembly constituency a hub of Dalits in the Doaba region witnessed a multicornered contest with Chief Minister Bhagwant Manns mettle at stake Mann who hired a rented house in Jalandhar to establish a direct link with electorates and campaigned aggressively in his campaign indicated the ministers post for the AAP candidate if he wins the Jalandhar West bypoll Attacking the Congress the Akali Dal and the BJP he had said God does everything for the betterment of the people thats why a corrupt person resigned on his own and now Jalandhar will get an honest MLA Mohinder Bhagat is a bhagat by nature too he is an honest and sincere leader the chief minister said Congress during the campaign had targeted the turncoats Bhagat and BJPs Angural In a humiliating defeat to the AAP government two years after its landslide victory in the state Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and partys national convener Arvind Kejriwal had set an ambitious target of winning all 13 Lok Sabha seats and won just three seats with four of five cabinet ministers failing to secure victories However AAP improved its 2019 performance when it managed to win a lone seat By winning the Jalandhar West bypoll AAP has 91 members in the House of 117 while the Congress has 15 Akali Dal three BJP two and others two There are four vacancies in the Assembly after sitting MLAs get elected to the Lok Sabha IANS https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/in-one-sided-contest-aap-wins-punjabs-jalandhar-west-assembly-bypoll-558713.html Sat, 13 Jul 2024 17:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/jalandhar-west-bypoll-557351.html DW BUREAU JalandharChandigarhChief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday campaigned for Aam Aadmi Party AAP candidate Mohinder Bhagat in the Jalandhar West Assembly byelection Mann addressed four consecutive public meetings here and appealed to the people to make AAP candidate Mohinder Bhagat win Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann along with AAP candidate Mohinder Bhagat addressed public meetings in Ward No 32 37 47 and Ward No 77 falling under Jalandhar West Assembly and addressed the people Many other MLAs chairmen and officials including Aam Aadmi Party Punjab incharge Jarnail Singh and MLA Baljinder Kaur were present in the public meeting Addressing the people the Chief Minister promised that you make our candidate win whatever demand of yours Mohinder Bhagat will bring to me I will sign and fulfill all of them He said that if you make Mohinder Bhagat win and climb the ladder of the Assembly I will take him to the next step Mann was hinting at making Bhagat a ministerMann said that one good thing that happened in this election was that my wish to open an office in Jalandhar was fulfilled I have rented a house in Jalandhar and opened my office for the work of the people of Doaba and Majha region Now people will not have to go to Chandigarh to get their work done The government itself is at your doorstep Mann said that he will keep this house with him even after the elections and will be available for the people here at least two days a weekMann said that I want to change the compulsion of the people to their choice Today it is a compulsion for the people to go to private schools for education and private hospitals for treatment But I am working to remove this compulsion of the people of Punjab We are turning the government schools of Punjab into Schools of Eminence where the children of the poor will get worldclass education Similarly we are opening public clinics at various places and improving government hospitals so that people can get good treatment for free Soon it will be the choice of the people whether they want to go to government schools and hospitals or private onesSeeing the women who came to the public meeting the Chief Minister said that your awareness in politics is a matter of great happiness He said that just as a family cannot run properly without you similarly the country cannot run properly without your participation Therefore do not run away from politics but take part in it activelyMann attacked the Congress party and its candidate Surinder Kaur He said that if she could not get the work of her ward done while being the Deputy Mayor of Jalandhar then how will she get the work of such a big assembly constituency done Mann said that the work of streets drains and sewerage systems etc comes under the Municipal Corporation Currently there is a Congress Mayor in Jalandhar Municipal Corporation he did nothing for this He did not even change the sewerage lid He said that the one who could not get the work of her ward done how will she get the work of the entire assembly doneHe said that voting for Congress means wasting your vote because victory or defeat in this election will not make any difference to the government but if the Aam Aadmi Party candidate wins you will get a share in the government then the work of the people of this area will be done at a faster pace Mohinder Bhagat will solve all the basic problems here including lanes drains roads sewerage electricity and street lights on priority basis Mann said that our candidate Mohinder Bhagat is a very honest and sincere person Bhagat is in his name and his nature is like a Bhagat tooMann also attacked BJP candidate Sheetal Angural and said that he has betrayed the people here He said that he had difficulty in doing illegal work while being in the Aam Aadmi Party so he went to the BJP because the BJP is the first choice of corrupt people these days Mann appealed to the people and said that teach him such a lesson in this election that no MLA can dare to resign like this againMann also attacked Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal He said that the condition of Akali Dal Badal has become so bad that Sukhbir Badal is withdrawing support from his candidate and asking people to vote for the Bahujan Samaj Party He said that Akali Dal has become zero in PunjabMann said that our action against corruption causes a lot of problems to the leaders of the opposition parties so Akali Dal BJP and Congress have come together to defeat me because all three have looted Punjab together He said that earlier all three parties used to rule Punjab in turns for five years each by making an agreement among themselves but now people have got a third and honest option in the form of Aam Aadmi Party so their formula has failededitordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/jalandhar-west-bypoll-557351.html Mon, 08 Jul 2024 01:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cm-mann-lashes-out-at-capt-amarinder-during-patiala-rally-540527.html DW BUREAU PatialaChandigarhChief Minister Bhagwant Mann campaigned for AAP candidate Dr Balbir Singh in Patiala on Wednesday He addressed a huge public rally in Patiala and appealed to the people to help the Aam Aadmi Party win by 130During his speech Chief Minister Mann tore into Captain Amarinder Singh He said that during the Mughal Empire his family was with them Then during British rule they were with the Britishers Then he was with Akali Dal and the Congress according to who was ruling Punjab Now he is with the BJP He alleged that the Patiala state was created by Ahmed Shah Abdali because Captains ancestor Ala Singh had told on the Khalsa group that looted Abdalis convoy He said that some Khalsa groups people used to loot Ahmed Shah Abdalis convoy and distribute his looted things among the poor Captains ancestor Ala Singh had told Abdali the names of those people and Abdali killed them As a reward Abdali gave the Patiala state to Ala Singhs sonMann also attacked Akali leader Bikram Majithia and Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa He said that on the evening of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre General Dyer had dinner at Bikram Majithias house How can we expect loyalty to Punjab from such people At the same time Pratap Singh Bajwa is very restless to become the Chief Minister but the Congress broke his dream of becoming the Chief MinisterAttacking Sukhbir Badal he said that Sukh Vilas Hotel is built with the blood and sweat of the people of Punjab There is a pool next to each room of that hotel He said that we will take Sukh Vilas under the control of the Punjab government and convert it into a school It will be the first school with pools in every classroomMann also lambasted Prime Minister Modi and BJP He said that there are about 6 lakh words in the Hindi dictionary but PM Modi only speaks eight to ten words like HinduMuslim templemosque Pakistan and graveyard He never speaks on problems like inflation unemployment poverty and hungerHe said that it is very shameful that after being the Prime Minister for ten years he is asking for votes in the name of Mangalsutra He said that the BJP does the politics of hatred It wants to take votes from people by scaring them in the name of caste and religion It is also trying to divide Punjab but the people of Punjab never tolerate the politics of hatred Punjab is known for communal harmony People here celebrate Gurpurabs Eid Holi Diwali and Navami together BJPs politics of hatred can never succeed hereMann said that we do the politics of work In the last two years I have given government jobs to 43000 youth opened 830 Mohalla clinics in which about 15 crore people have been treated so far I told the Health Minister that there should not be any hospital in Punjab which does not have an Xray machine testing lab and medicines No patient should have to go out of the hospital for testing and medicines We have given the responsibility of this to the Chief Medical Officer of all the hospitals so that there is no laxityFor the progress of the farmers of Punjab we have provided canal water to 59 percent of the farming land of Punjab When I became the Chief Minister in March 2022 only 21 percent of the fields were getting canal water By October we will provide canal water to 70 percent of the farms after which about 6 lakh tube wells in Punjab will become useless Then the government will save about 5000 to 6000 crore rupees With that money we will give Rs 1000 every month to our mothers and sisters We will fulfill all our guarantees He said that we are also working very hard to bring industry to Punjab So far investments of about Rs 70000 crore have been made in Punjab which has provided employment to about three lakh youth He said that we have already spoken to the tomato sauce manufacturing company Kisan It needs 10000 metric tons of tomatoes of which it imports nine and a half thousand metric tons from outside We got a proposal prepared for it from PAU so that good quality tomatoes can be grown here in Punjab Then the farmers here will benefit from tomato cultivation and crop diversification will also be encouragedApart from this for the convenience of the industry we have freed it from all the paperwork We have issued a green stamp for the industry in which all the paperwork is done together and the businessmen do not have to run around government offices At the same time we have made a red stamp for private colonies so that no illegal colony can be built in futureAddressing the public AAP candidate Dr Balbir Singh thanked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and all the people attending this jan sabha He said that the central government is withholding funds worth about Rs 12000 crore of Punjab After winning we will raise our voice against this in Parliament and get all the withheld funds of Punjab releasededitordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cm-mann-lashes-out-at-capt-amarinder-during-patiala-rally-540527.html Thu, 09 May 2024 01:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sad-president-sukhbir-singh-badal-with-indian-national-lok-dal-inld-secretary-general-abhay-chautala-and-other-leaders-during-a-public-meeting-for-lok-sabha-elections-in-kurukshetra-on-wednesday-538410.html DW BUREAU KurukshetraChandigarhShiromani Akali Dal SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal today said no Prime Minister should talk of one religion alone and asserted that it was unfortunate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home minister Amit Shah were not talking about the farmers or the poor but were inciting members of one religious community to fight against the otherThe SAD president was speaking at a massive Indian National Lok Dal INLD rally here after accompanying INLD secretary general Abhay Chautala when the latter filed his nomination papers for the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha seatSpeaking at the rally Mr Sukhbir Badal said our country belongs to everyone be it Hindu Sikh Christian or Muslim The Prime minister of the country represents everyone and should not take up cudgels on behalf of one religious community alone He also should not represent two to three businessmen but instead should talk about the welfare of crores of farmers and the poorGiving a clarion call to strengthen the INLD which he said was a regional party like the SAD Mr Badal said both these regional parties have always stood up for the interests of farmers He said in stark contrast a national party like the Bharatiya Janata Party had framed the three agricultural laws without consulting farmers or even their ally the SAD This is why we chose to leave the NDA government Bhaisahab Abhey Singh Chautala also resigned as member of the Vidhan Sabha Both of us did this because we understand the pain of the farmer and are committed to safeguarding the interests of the annadataDetailing how the BJP had started a war with the SAD after the latter quit the NDA government Mr Badal said the BJP government in Maharashtra has handed over control of Takht Sri Hazur Sahib to the RSS He said similarly the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee SGPC was broken and a separate gurdwara committee was made in Haryana to give its control to the RSSThe SAD president also warned the people to beware of both the Congress and AAP He said Sikhs could never forgive Indira Gandhi for attacking Sri Darbar Sahib with tanks and mortars besides the Congress sponsored genocide of the community in 1984 He said as far as AAP was concerned the people of Haryana should take feedback from their neighbours in Haryana to assess how AAP had reneged on all promises made to Punjabis A party which won 92 seats in the Vidhan Sabha elections is set to be wiped out in the parliamentary elections in Punjab now Badal addededitordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sad-president-sukhbir-singh-badal-with-indian-national-lok-dal-inld-secretary-general-abhay-chautala-and-other-leaders-during-a-public-meeting-for-lok-sabha-elections-in-kurukshetra-on-wednesday-538410.html Thu, 02 May 2024 00:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/former-president-kovind-launches-8th-edition-of-gita-acharan-a-beginners-perspective-537115.html DW Bureaunbsp nbsp ChandigarhnbspThe eighth edition of the widely acclaimed book Gita Acharan A Beginners Perspective authored by senior IAS officer Shri K Siva Prasad was ceremoniously launched by the esteemed former President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday evening at Punjab Raj Bhawan in the presence ofnbsp Shri Banwari Lal Purohit Governor of Punjab and the Administrator of UT Chandigarh Shri Bandaru Dattatreya Governor of Haryana and Additional Solicitor General of India Shri Satya Pal JainThis edition marks a significant milestone in the journey of Gita Acharan as it is now available in eight Indian languages including English Hindi Punjabi Odia Bengali Marathi Telugu and Gujarati Plans are underway for its publication in Urdu further expanding its accessibility and reach Shri Kovind commended the efforts behind making the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita accessible to a broader audience through translations into multiple languages He highlighted the importance of initiatives like Gita Acharan in fostering a deeper understanding of the timeless wisdom encapsulated in the GitaAuthored by Shri K Siva Prasad Additional Chief Secretary to the Governor of Punjab Gita Acharan A Beginners Perspective presents complex philosophical concepts in a simplified manner through short essays Drawing from over three decades of experience and interdisciplinary studies in western thinking processes and behavioral sciences Prasads work aims to resonate with beginners especially the youth enabling them to navigate lifes challenges with joy and resilienceThe books unique approach blending spirituality with modern scientific understanding has garnered widespread acclaim Prasads weekly column is published in Daily World newspaper besides some other publications The column interprets the Gita in a contemporary scientific context has been published in leading newspapers across India further enriching the discourse on spiritual wisdom Gita Acharan A Practitioners Perspective serves as a comprehensive guide for those seeking to integrate the profound insights of the Gita into their daily lives Its availability in multiple languages reflects a commitment to making this timeless wisdom accessible to diverse audiences worldwideAbout K Siva PrasadK Siva Prasad is an Indian Administrative Service IAS officer of Punjab Cadre currently serving as Additional Chief Secretary to the Governor of Punjab With a background in engineering and behavioral economics Prasads work bridges the gap between spirituality and modern science offering valuable insights into the practical application of ancient wisdom in contemporary lifeAbout Gita AcharanGita Acharan is a series of writings by K Siva Prasad offering a beginners perspective on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita Through simplified essays and interpretations the series aims to make the profound wisdom of the Gita accessible to individuals from all walks of life The book is available in multiple languages catering to diverse readerships across India and beyond https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/former-president-kovind-launches-8th-edition-of-gita-acharan-a-beginners-perspective-537115.html Sat, 27 Apr 2024 16:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/ahead-of-chandigarhs-biggest-marathon-dw-eic-presents-daily-world-mug-to-addl-chief-secy-to-punjab-governor--526719.html Daily World Bureau ChandigarhnbspAhead of the 5th Edition of Daily World Marathon to be held at the Capitol Complex Chandigarh DW EditorinChief Manish Tiwari presented a Daily World Mug to Shri K Siva Prasad Additional Chief Secretary to Punjab Governor at nbspthe Punjab Raj Bhawan here on WednesdaynbspThe Marathon is being organised by the Daily World Newspaper in association with the Chandigarh AdministrationnbsponnbspMarch 31 Thousands of participants from across India and the world are expected to take partnbspinnbspthe biggest Marathon of ChandigarhThe Governor of Punjab and UT Administrator Shri Banwarilal Purohit will be the Chief Guest on the occasion https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/ahead-of-chandigarhs-biggest-marathon-dw-eic-presents-daily-world-mug-to-addl-chief-secy-to-punjab-governor--526719.html Thu, 07 Mar 2024 06:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/ahead-of-chandigarhs-biggest-marathon-dw-eic-presents-daily-world-mug-to-punjab-dgp-524978.html Daily World Bureau ChandigarhnbspAhead of the 5th Edition of Daily World Marathon to be held at the Capitol Complex Chandigarh DW EditorinChief Manish Tiwari presented a Daily World Mug to Punjab DGP Shri Gaurav Yadav at the Punjab Police Headquarters here on ThursdaynbspThe Marathon is being organised by the Daily World Newspaper in association with the Chandigarh AdministrationnbsponnbspMarch 31 Thousands of participants from across India and the world are expected to take partnbspinnbspthe biggest Mararhon of ChandigarhThe Governor of Punjab and UT Administrator Shri Banwarilal Purohit will be the Chief Guest on the occasion while Punjab DGP Shri Yadav will be flagging off one of the runs during the Marathon event https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/ahead-of-chandigarhs-biggest-marathon-dw-eic-presents-daily-world-mug-to-punjab-dgp-524978.html Fri, 01 Mar 2024 02:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-cm-hails-sc-order-to-declare-aap-councillor-as-chandigarh-mayor-522197.html Chandigarh Feb 20 At last the truth prevailed remarked Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday thanking the Supreme Court for its verdict on the Chandigarh mayoral pollsWe welcome the decision of the Supreme Court regarding the Mayor election in ChandigarhCJI declared AAPs Kuldeep Kumar as Mayor upholding the 8 votes rejected by the Presiding Officers wrote Mann on XThey have got a befitting reply to the hooliganism openly committed by BJPMany congratulations to the people of Chandigarh on this big victory of democracy he addedThe BJP won the mayoral polls on January 30 defeating the AAPCongress alliance candidate after the returning officer declared as invalid eight votes of the coalition partners drawing accusations of tampering with ballotsThe Supreme Court on Tuesday declared AAP councillor Kuldeep Kumar as the Mayor of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation during the hearing on the contentious Chandigarh mayoral election case setting aside the election of the BJP candidate as mayor DW https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-cm-hails-sc-order-to-declare-aap-councillor-as-chandigarh-mayor-522197.html Tue, 20 Feb 2024 18:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/death-of-asstt-prof-govt-trying-to-save-minister-says-sunil-jakhar-477500.html category RegionalChandigarh ropar tags RegionalChandigarh ropar DW BUREAU ROPAR CHANDIGARH Squarely blaming the state government s haughtiness for the tragic death of Woman Assistant Professor Balwinder Kaur the Punjab State BJP President Sunil Jakhar on Tuesday urged all Punjabis to come together as one to force this callous regime into submission It s astonishing that they have already named deceased s husband and father in law for abetment to suicide without any proof ostensibly to save the State Education Minister whose name is mentioned in the suicide note and as alleged has mocked and ridiculed the struggle of teachers sitting on dharna Jakhar said here adding that government by manufacturing other reasons behind the suicide is only typically trying to distract and divert attention of people While sharing his condolences with the family of the deceased Professor at their home here the veteran leader assured them of taking their fight for justice for their daughter to the logical end I am here to share your grief anguish and frustration Jakhar said adding that parents do so much for studies of their children to see them stand on their own feet Pointing out that this is a planned conspiracy to delay appointment of government teachers at the behest of AAP s bosses sitting in Delhi Jakhar said these are the same leaders who hoodwinked innocent voters with hollow promises and fake propaganda These are same leaders who had promised Punjab would be dharna free and there would be no farmer suicides Thanks to them Punjab today has dharna in every District and besides farmers our students and teachers are also up in arms against this inept and incompetent government Jakhar pointed out This Dharna today has entered 50th day and the government is deep in slumber Punjabis are known to not tolerate injustice and this government must not test their patience any more Jakhar warned The BJP President was accompanied by State BJP General Secretary Parminder Brar Vice President Subhash Sharma and District President Ajayveer Singh editor dailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/death-of-asstt-prof-govt-trying-to-save-minister-says-sunil-jakhar-477500.html Wed, 25 Oct 2023 02:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/baljit-kaur-appreciates-role-of-anganwadi-workers-in-state-468233.html category RegionalChandigarh fatehgarh sahib tags RegionalChandigarh fatehgarh sahib DW BUREAU Fatehgarh Sahib Chandigarh Anganwadi workers play an important role in creating a healthy society as they are providing nutritious food and disease prevention to the child from birth to adulthood These views were expressed by the Minister of Social Security Women and Child Development Dr Baljit Kaur while addressing the State Level Poshan Maah function organized at Giani Diti Singh Auditorium of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College She said that the Punjab Government is working day and night to strengthen the foundation of society with women empowerment so that women can be given due respect The Cabinet Minister said that in today s society women have come forward in every field She said that the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has laid great emphasis on women empowerment and for the first time in the history of Punjab five thousand Anganwadi workers and helpers were recruited on the merit basis On this occasion Special Principal Secretary of Social Security Women and Child Development Department Raji P Shrivastava informed that the Punjab government has opened Sakhi One Stop Centres in every district for the rights of malnourished children anemic children women victims of domestic violence so that women can get a safe environment in the society On this occasion Deputy Commissioner Parneet Shergill expressed that various activities were conducted by the Department of Children and Women and Child Development during Poshan Maah in which Anganwadi workers rendered commendable services On this occasion a drama was presented about the facilities provided in the Anganwadi centres and the girls also presented a martial art for selfdefense Dr Baljit Kaur also performed the adoption ceremony of 21 women who became mothers for the first time editor dailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/baljit-kaur-appreciates-role-of-anganwadi-workers-in-state-468233.html Sat, 30 Sep 2023 15:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/have-to-end-junior-ally-syndrome-says-sunil-jakhar-as-he-takes-charge-443407.html category RegionalChandigarh tags RegionalChandigarh DW BUREAU Chandigarh Amid the buzz about a possible BJPSAD reunion before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls newly appointed Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar Tuesday said his party must shed the junior ally syndrome and move ahead As he formally assumed the charge as the BJP state president at an event here Jakhar said Much has been said about the fact that we the BJP used to fight 23 Assembly seats and three LS seats when there was a tie up with the Akalis But it has been a long time That agreement was done in 199697 He said the BJP has to fight its own battle and move ahead We have to protect the interests of the people of PunjabLet us get over this syndrome that we are a junior partner I have one request We will have to give up this chhota bhai wali sonch the mindset of being a junior ally We will have to end this chhota bhai syndrome he said Speaking on the occasion Union Minister Som Prakash said there have been many changes in the BJP since the 2022 state assembly polls with many leaders from other parties joining it When we talk of winning all 13 LS seats For this all the leaders and workers will have to work very hard he said When asked about going back to the BJP before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had said a few days ago it was just a media speculation The BJP also appeared to have scotched the speculation on a likely alliance with its former ally with the party s Punjab affairs incharge Vijay Rupani saying recently that the BJP will fight all 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state alone In September 2020 the SAD had walked out of the National Democratic Alliance NDA over the nowrepealed three farm bills and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal had resigned as a Union minister The event where Jakhar took charge was attended by Rupani and senior party leaders including Avinash Rai Khanna but outgoing Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma was conspicuous by his absence However in a tweet later in Punjabi Sharma said I am sorry I could not attend the programme due to ill healthHope your experience gives new direction to the party The newly appointed state president of Bharatiya Janata Party Punjab Hon sunilkjakhar Hearty congratulations to you on assuming office he saidMeanwhile Jakhar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi BJP chief J P Nadda Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party s senior leadership had shown faith in him Your ideological commitment is the force behind you My first duty is to make you realise your strength Our responsibility is not limited to winning 13 seats or 117 assembly seats Our responsibility is to make Punjab vibrant We have to win hearts of Punjabis he told the gathering on the occasion India is the world s largest secular country and there is no bigger secular state in the country than Punjab he said He said the party has entrusted a big responsibility on him editor dailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/have-to-end-junior-ally-syndrome-says-sunil-jakhar-as-he-takes-charge-443407.html Wed, 12 Jul 2023 02:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/all-efforts-to-be-made-to-realise-dreams-of-bhagat-singh-chief-secy-442073.html category RegionalChandigarh khatkar kalan sbs nagar tags RegionalChandigarh khatkar kalan sbs nagar DW BUREAU Khatkar Kalan SBS Nagar Chandigarh Punjab Chief Secretary Mr Anurag Verma on Sunday said that under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann all out efforts will be made for realising the dreams of ShaheedeAzam Bhagat Singh The Chief Secretary who was here to pay floral tributes to great martyr at his native village said that his every action will be guided by the ideals of ShaheedeAazam Bhagat Singh He said that blessed is this land which has given birth to a great leader like ShaheedeAzam Sardar Bhagat SinghMr Anurag Verma said that he is fortunate to have got a chance to visit this sacred land for paying tributes to the iconic martyr who laid down his life at the altar of the national freedom struggle The Chief Secretary said that he will leave stone unturned for realising dream of ShaheedeAazam Bhagat Singh by ensuring meticulous implementation of propeople and development oriented policies of state government He said that though most of dreams of the great martyr have been fulfilled but still a number of them are remaining which will be realised soon Mr Anurag Verma said that the entire nation will always be indebted to this martyr who sacrificed his life at a young age of 23 years for emancipating the country from the clutches of British imperialism The Chief Secretary said that martyrdom of Shaheed Bhagat Singh at a young age had motivated the youth to join national freedom struggle thereby leading to independence of the country He said that ShaheedeAazam will ever remain a source of inspiration for the millions of youth to render selfless service to the nation Mr Verma also said that the youth of the state should follow the footsteps of Shaheed Bhagat Singh to make India a progressive and prosperous country The Chief Secretary categorically said that though there are numerous challenges before the state but under the leadership of Chief Minister all these will be overcome to make Punjab a front ranking state in the country editor dailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/all-efforts-to-be-made-to-realise-dreams-of-bhagat-singh-chief-secy-442073.html Mon, 03 Jul 2023 00:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/surprise-check-by-power-minister-in-pspcl-office-429798.html category RegionalChandigarh tags RegionalChandigarh DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO on Monday conducted a surprise inspection in Punjab State Power Corporation Limited PSPCL to keep a check on the attendance of employees Many employees who turned up late at the office promptly received a stern warning from the Minister himself Accompanied by MLA Madan Lal Bagga The Minister reached the PSPCL office at 750 am on Ferozepur road and personally checked the attendance registers of employees and called one by one all the employees posted at various branches and checked their physical presence After finishing the checking he said that the purpose of the surprise visit was to ensure that the staff of the department remains present on duty timely He also asked them to wear their identity cards during the duty Mr Harbhajan Singh ETO clearly told the officers that there should not be any kind of mismanagement in the functioning and people must not suffer for getting their work done He motivated them to facilitate the people in getting their daytoday works done easily without causing any inconvenience The Minister asked them to achieve the target of zero percent pendency as this would instill the trust among the people over the government and its functioning The Minister said that the state government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was committed to implementing the propeople and development oriented policies for benefiting the masses He said that the government would ensure eight hours of power supply to the farmers in the upcoming paddy sowing season and there will be no power shortage in the Punjab as adequate arrangements have already been made by PSPCL He further said that Ludhiana being an Industrial hub of the country PSPCL was determined to ensure uninterrupted power supply to them for their industries so that they can continue their operations without any power cut He said that Industry would not be made to face any problem regarding power supply Senior officers of PSPCL were also present on the occasion editor dailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/surprise-check-by-power-minister-in-pspcl-office-429798.html Tue, 23 May 2023 00:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/pgimer-showcases-its-public-health-best-practices-415041.html category RegionalChandigarh tags RegionalChandigarh DW BUREAU Chandigarh During the field visit to PGIMER Chandigarh on 8th Day of 21st International public health management development program organized by PGIMER Chandigarh supported by Indian Technical and Economic cooperation ITEC Ministry of External Affairs Government of India various good practices like ROTTO centre Regional Organ Tissue Transplant Organisation Tele Evidence and Telemedicine centre were demonstrated In sync with its vision of holistic development ROTTO North in collaboration with Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health PGIMER Chandigarh reiterated its commitment for the noble cause of Organ Donation by organising an engaging and impressive sensitisation session for 39 International Delegates from Myanmar Ministry of Health ROTTO was the first organ transplant in the country and has consistently received the best centre since its inception in 20152016 said Saryu Consultant ROTTO PGIMER She also said that ROTTO has helped save 336 lives with 147 cadaver organ donations editor dailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/pgimer-showcases-its-public-health-best-practices-415041.html Tue, 04 Apr 2023 01:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/masks-mandatory-for-health-workers-in-haryana-now-vij-415043.html category RegionalChandigarh tags RegionalChandigarh DW BUREAU Chandigarh Amid an increase in Covid cases in some parts of the state Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Monday said that wearing masks will be made mandatory for all health workers and in areas where a gathering is expected to be above 100 people Separately the Chandigarh administration issued an advisory asking residents to strictly adhere to Covidrelated dos and don ts at public places which include wearing masks in crowded areas and closed settings as well Vij was presiding over a meeting with senior Health Department officials on the arrangements and preparations to be made to check the spread of Covid Vij said Covid test will be mandatory for patients arriving at hospitals with symptoms of cough and cold Apart from this he said that directions have been given to conduct the genome sequencing of patients who tested Covid positive an official statement said here detailing the decision taken in the meeting In its advisory the Chandigarh Administration said there has been a spurt in Covid cases in UT during recent days and it has become imperative to follow Covidappropriate behaviour in crowded places The UT administration has advocated preventive steps in Chandigarh to curtail transmission of the infection An official statement said that residents must strictly adhere to the do s and don ts at public places which include wearing masks in crowded places and closed settings Doctors paramedics and other healthcare workers as well as patients and their attendants have to wear masks within healthcare facilities here and follow Covidappropriate behaviour it said If a person tests Covid positive he she must self isolate for seven days and in case of complication must report to a nearest health facility Last week the Haryana government had issued fresh guidelines and asked all health facilities to examine the travel history of a suspected case who recently visited a a country or an area where the virus has been reported The state had reported 91 Covid cases on Tuesday 57 of them from Gurugram alone Total active cases in the state stood at 307 on Tuesday However on Sunday the state reported 203 infections 99 of them from Gurugram district and 30 from Faridabad while the total active cases in the state rose to 724 Vij said there are 724 active patients in Haryana at present but none of them is in the hospital He informed that 25404 Covid tests were conducted across the state last week The health minister said that following the covidrelated protocols will help curb the spread of infection He advised everyone to follow social distancing and wearing a mask for safety Testing tracing treatment team work tracking and monitoring are being done in the state Apart from this instructions have also been issued to all civil surgeons of the state to double the testing he said editor dailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/masks-mandatory-for-health-workers-in-haryana-now-vij-415043.html Tue, 04 Apr 2023 01:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/govt-model-school-sec-16-felicitates-students-alumni-415044.html category RegionalChandigarh tags RegionalChandigarh DW BUREAU Chandigarh A host of senior bureaucrats Army officers big businessmen and many other eminent personalities from different walks of life came together at their alma mater as Government Model Senior Secondary School Sector 16 organised a grand event to felicitate its students and alumni on Monday Former Chief Minister of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda himself an alumnus of the school was the chief guest on the occasion Education Secretary Purva Garg was the guest of honour Other dignitaries of the Education Department Deputy Director School Education II Ravinder Kaur and Prabhjot Kaur also graced the occasion The programme commenced with the lighting of lamp At the outset Principal of the school Bhavneet Kaur welcomed the guests and read out the Annual Report In her inspirational speech she made everyone present there feel proud of their association with the school This was followed by an extravaganza of dance and music which was set rolling with a welcome song by the students The tiny tots of the school enthralled the audience with their fairy dance while the senior students presented Haryali song highlighting the need to save trees Bedazzling Haryanvi dance was another attraction of the day Dressed in colourful attires the whirling dancers were a sight to watch A solo act on Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Mirza song added different flavours to the function The performers displayed amazing exuberance and enthusiasm The cultural bonanza was followed by the felicitation ceremony wherein the toppers of the 202122 batch and the notable alumni of the school were honoured Applauding the young achievers the chief guest Bhupinder Singh Hooda urged them to keep up the good work and take giant leaps in future too Congratulating the alumni he said they were fortunate enough to have got this opportunity to revisit and connect with their alma mater Education Secretary Purva Garg lauded the students for putting up a spectacular show She exhorted the students to stay focused amidst various distractions and allurements and follow the right path She suggested that the school should involve the alumni in the school activities particularly to motivate the students Deputy Director School Education II Ravinder Kaur appreciated the star performers as well as the teachers for putting in hard work to make the show successful The afternoon progressed witnessing the school s journey through a marvellous photo exhibition put up on the tastefullydecorated premises editor dailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/govt-model-school-sec-16-felicitates-students-alumni-415044.html Tue, 04 Apr 2023 01:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cs-seeks-list-of-officers-working-on-sensitive-posts-for-3-years-415045.html category RegionalChandigarh tags RegionalChandigarh DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal directed the Administrative Secretaries to compile a list of officers and employees working on sensitive posts for more than three years The list should be submitted to the Chief Secretary s office within 10 days he added The Chief Secretary held an important meeting with Administrative Secretaries and District Deputy Commissioners in this regard through video conferencing today Kaushal said that instructions have been issued by the government to all administrative secretaries and heads of departments to provide information on sensitive posts of departments boards and corporations under them and the information of officers and employees posted on them for more than three years in the prescribed proforma He said that many departments boards and corporations have not yet made this information available to the CS office He further stated that the said information should be made available at the earliest The Chief Secretary directed to provide categorywise details of the approved and vacant posts of Group A B C and D Apart from this he directed all the Administrative Secretaries to provide details of those employees who completed 20 years of qualifying service or who were dismissed removed prematurely retired from service at the age of 50 and 55 in the last 20 years Kaushal also instructed all administrative secretaries to provide information regarding the charge sheets issued to officers and employees under Rule7 and 8 in the last 5 years Apart from this he also directed to upload the information of disciplinary action cases on the HRMS portal The Chief Secretary said that information regarding police verification of Common Cadre GroupD employees should be uploaded on the HRMS portal with corrected demographic data So far information about police verification has been given by 48 departments Giving strict instructions to the officers of the rest of the department he directed them to make the above information available He said that orders have been given to NIC officers to make mandatory provisions related to police verification on the HRMS portal editor dailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cs-seeks-list-of-officers-working-on-sensitive-posts-for-3-years-415045.html Tue, 04 Apr 2023 01:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/hayer-for-uniform-ban-on-plastic-bags-in-all-states-362614.html DW BUREAU Ekta Nagar GujaratChandigarh For the maintenance and cleanliness of the environment the Punjab government has imposed a complete ban on plastic carry bags the rules of this ban must be strictly enforced so that such a ban is uniformly imposed across the country Therefore the union government should take the initiative to make such a common policy because taking care of the environment is a common responsibility of all of us It was stated by Punjab Environment Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer during his address today on the first day of the twoday national conference of State ministers of Environment Forest and Climate Change Meet Hayer said that on the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann the Environment and Punjab Pollution Control Board is making continuous efforts to maintain the environment He also said that the state government has once imposed a complete ban on the manufacture purchase sale and use of plastic carry bags The Environment Minister said that there is a ban on plastic bags by the Punjab government whether it is 75 micron or 100 micron but as there is no ban on such bags in other states the industries of Punjab complain that such a ban is not imposed by other states and the Centre Meet Hayer put a demand before the Union government that if there is to be a ban on plastic carry bags then the complete ban should be consolidated because keeping the environment clean is the joint responsibility of all the states Like Punjab the task of imposing a ban in all states is under the jurisdiction of the central government editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/hayer-for-uniform-ban-on-plastic-bags-in-all-states-362614.html Sat, 24 Sep 2022 01:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/200-posts-of-coaches-to-be-filled-up-soon-meet-hayer-362170.html DW BUREAU Dhudike MogaChandigarh Sports and Higher Education Minister Punjab Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer on wednesday said that in order to make Punjab a leading state in the field of sports the state government will soon start process to fill 220 coaches in state besides strengthening the sports infrastructure The Minister while interacting with the media after inaugurating a hockey astroturf laid at the cost of five crore rupees said that the previous governments did not make any effort for the promotion of sports and sportspersons in the state However he said that after assuming Punjab government led by Mr Bhagwant Singh Mann is making allout efforts to promote sports culture in the state He said that besides filling up existing 220 vacancies new posts for coaches will also be created The Minister said that under the Hockey Olympian Balbir Singh Senior Scholarship Scheme a stipend of Rs 8000 and Rs 6000 per month will be given to the senior and junior players respectively who will secure the first three positions at the national level He said that this scheme will encourage the players to participate in sports He said that ironically earlier governments never released funds to buy sports equipment for the players on time The Minister said that for the first time in history of state the AAP government has kept a special budget to buy sports equipment He promised that the sports budget would be increased every year He also said that under the new sports policy the state government will prepare a separate cadre for sports so that as many sportsmen can be given government jobs While paying obeisance at the birth place of Lala Lajpat Rai he said that we can breathe in free air today only because of the freedom fighters He said that the Punjab government is trying to create the dream state of martyrs editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/200-posts-of-coaches-to-be-filled-up-soon-meet-hayer-362170.html Thu, 22 Sep 2022 01:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/law-on-anvil-to-check-sale-of-duplicate-seeds-pesticides-358835.html DW BUREAU CHANDIGARH Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said here today that in order to save agriculture and stop malpractices the Punjab government will bring a law to prevent the sale of duplicate and substandard pesticides fertilizers and seeds It will be mandatory for the shopkeepers to issue a bill on purchase to the farmers and if anyone is found violating strict action will be taken The Agriculture Minister also warned the officers of the department and said that if any officer is found involved in any malpractices then they will not be spared To save future generations of Punjab it is most important to save the agriculture of the state Addressing the representatives of pesticide manufacturers the Punjab Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal lashed out at the previous governments for allowing the sale of fake and nonstandard pesticides fertilizers and seeds in the state and said that due to their negligence there has been a major decline in the quality of agricultural products of Punjab He said that the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will not allow the sale of duplicate and sub standard pesticides fertilizers and seeds at any cost many tough decisions will be taken in the coming days to stop such ill practices Sharing important information Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said that a stateoftheart lab will be established in Jalandhar for testing of pesticides fertilizers and seeds and the earlier three labs will be modernized On this occasion Additional Chief Secretary of Agriculture Department Sarvjit Singh said that a trace and tracking system will be introduced in Punjab for complete monitoring of pesticides fertilizers and seeds from production to the farmer For this a bar code and efingerprinting system will be introduced HE said that research is being done on these systems and will be implemented after full inspections In the end the minister called for the quality improvement of Punjabs agriculture products to make them best in the world for which he sought the cooperation of pesticide manufacturing companies saying that this can only be possible with the joint efforts of all He also said that the government will encourage those who do quality work honestly and strict action will be taken against those involved in wrong practices editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/law-on-anvil-to-check-sale-of-duplicate-seeds-pesticides-358835.html Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-seeks-central-funding-for-road-infrastructure-358836.html DW BUREAU CHANDIGARH Punjab PWD Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO on Thursday sought adequate availability of Central funds for integrated development of road infrastructure in the states The PWD Minister pointed out that development and maintenance of road networks was a constant process for which increased and adequate funds should be released time to time for completion of projects in stipulated deadlines Punjab is making continuous and concerted efforts to meet the needs related to funds said the Minister adding that almost all the other states accept the fact that adequate funds are never available to fulfil needs of the road sector He also emphasised that a special scheme for this purpose should be introduced While speaking at a national conference on completion of 75 years of independence at Bengaluru under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav on September 8 9 Harbhajan Singh ETO stated that road infrastructure and network plays a pivotal role in a countrys holistic development He pointed out that better road infrastructure was the backbone of industrial as well as growth in other sectors too Describing that Punjab had to pass through a tough time after the independence in developing the State road network and village roads by its own resources Now with schemes such as PMGSY Punjab is further committed towards improving Link roads Elaborating that presently in Punjab Harbhajan Singh ETO said that there were 1300 km Greenfield Expressways and Access Controlled National Highways under progress These new major developments would connect states with ports besides encouraging the activities to make the existing road infrastructure more robust he added Handing over possession of land for greenfield projects is being expedited The works on ground have also been started where the possession of land has been handed over The PWD Minister said that the State had availed funding through various means including PPP and OMT etc to upgrade the road network besides seeking funds from other concerned institutions Similarly performancebased longterm maintenance agreements have been entered into for proper maintenance of the states road network He said that the development of roads in Punjab is highly impacted due to its geostrategic position Development of new links and bridges in border districts requires approvals from defence authorities regarding location specifications and construction schedule He said that the development of a better road network in the border areas would help in meeting the needs of the residents for agriculture in the lands visavis strengthening the defence of our country He also suggested to install CCTV systems on Highwaysroads for improved Security and safety of road users editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-seeks-central-funding-for-road-infrastructure-358836.html Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-wants-amalgamation-of-dccbs-with-pscb-358837.html DW BUREAU CHANDIGARH Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Thursday urged the Centre to impress upon the Reserve Bank of India to approve the states proposal of amalgamation of district cooperative central banks with Punjab State Cooperative Bank He also urged the Union government for reinstating 2 per cent interest subvention to Punjab State Cooperative Bank PSCB reducing rate of interest on refinance of shortterm agriculture loans from NABARD infusing capital in cooperative banks on the pattern of commercial banks reversing Capital to Risk Assets Ratio CRAR norms to 7 per cent according to an official release here The state government also sought reduction in goods and services tax on milk and milk products to minimum tax slab and setting up a national institute for new product development expertise in the state Addressing a conference of state cooperation ministers in Delhi Cheema said for Punjab with 50362 square km of area 20 district cooperative central banks DCCBs were not feasible and this threetier structure if converted to twotier structure by amalgamation of DCCBs with PSCB would bring in efficiency and help in better administrative culture This will also help in a big way to utilise local capital available with some DCCBs with higher CRAR in a more equitable manner for the benefit of people in other geographical areas in the State Cheema added Urging the Union government to convince the RBI for approving the state proposal of amalgamation on priority Cheema said that this would also do away with the requirement of maintaining Statutory Liquidity Ratio SLR at both the levels and to have separate 21 CBS licenses in a small state while adding that the state has already submitted the proposal to RBI by fulfilling all statutory requirements The minister also raised the issue of 2 per cent interest subvention to cooperative banks which was stopped by the Centre with effect from April 1 2022 Welcoming the Union Cabinets decision to reinstate the 15 per cent of this subvention Cheema requested to reinstate it further to 2 per cent Raising a demand for reducing the rate of interest on refinance of shortterm agriculture loans from NABARD Cheema said the rate of interest on refinance of shortterm agriculture loans from NABARD was 25 percent till 200607 which had gradually been increased to 45 percent over the last 15 years The upper limit for extending the loan to farmers is placed at 7 percent This leaves a margin of only 25 percent for three levels PSCB DCCBS and PACS This rate is critical in mitigating losses incurred by a three tierstructure while providing lowcost loans to the farmers said Cheema editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-wants-amalgamation-of-dccbs-with-pscb-358837.html Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/chief-secy-janjua-reviews-land-acquisition-for-nhai-projects-358839.html DW BUREAU CHANDIGARH Punjab Chief Secretary Mr Vijay Kumar Janjua today envisioned that DelhiAmritsarKatra expressway will act as a catalyst for progress and development of the state in coming times Chairing a meeting to review the process of land acquisition of National Highway Authority of India NHAI projects the Chief Secretary said that the state government led by the Chief Minister Mr Bhagwant Mann is committed for completing all projects in a time bound and result oriented manner He asked the Deputy Commissioners Commissioners of Police and Senior Superintendents of Police to expedite the process of land acquisition He said that it is necessary for timely completion of all projects The Chief Secretary while focusing on DelhiAmritsarKatra expressway said that the project will give much needed impetus to the trade and commerce in the region He said that strong road infrastructure attracts investment and helps in enhancing the economic activity in any state He said that this project will help in realizing the dream of Chief Minister to emerge Punjab as front ranking state in industrial development He asked the concerned departments to secure the interests of the farmers while acquiring the land for various projects He said that the farmers should not face any problem while getting the compensation for their land editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/chief-secy-janjua-reviews-land-acquisition-for-nhai-projects-358839.html Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-govt-pays-rs-75-cr-to-cane-growers-clears-all-dues-358840.html DW BUREAU CHANDIGARH Fulfilling its another promise to the cane growers the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday has in an unprecedented way cleared all the pending dues of the sugarcane farmers by depositing last installment of Rs 75 crore in their respective accounts Divulging the details the Chief Minister said that the state Government has released Rs 7500 crores as payment to the sugarcane farmers on Wednesday ie September 7 2022 through Sugarfed Punjab He said that the same has been deposited in the respective accounts of the concerned sugarcane farmers today Thursday September 8 Bhagwant Mann said that with this there is no outstanding dues of Sugarcane growers left against the nine Cooperative Sugar Mills at Ajnala Batala Budhewal Bhogpur Fazilka Gurdaspur Morinda Nakodar and Nawanshahr The Chief Minister further said that this pending payments relates to the crushing season 202122 and for the first time all the dues of the farmers have been cleared He asserted that with this payment of Rs75 crore the Cooperative Sugar Mills in the state have cleared all the pending arrears of cane farmers Bhagwant Mann said that till now Rs61962 crores have been paid to the sugarcane farmers and nothing is left as on date Reiterating firm commitment of the state government to safeguard the interests of farmers the Chief Minister said that the state government is leaving no stone unturned for it He said that strenuous efforts are being made to make agriculture a profitable venture by supplementing the income of farmers through crop diversification Bhagwant Mann said that his Government is making sincere efforts to ensure that in the forthcoming sugarcane season of 202223 no such inordinate delay takes place and farmers get the payment of their produce on time editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-govt-pays-rs-75-cr-to-cane-growers-clears-all-dues-358840.html Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/surprise-check-by-meet-hayer-nijjar-at-mcs-sewa-kendra-358841.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Ludhiana Punjab Governance Reforms Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and Local Bodies Minister Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar on Thursday jointly carried out a surprise check at the Sewa Kendra under Municipal Corporation Ludhiana near local Bus Stand opposite Railway Station here After scrutinizing send back applications regarding citizen centric services due to unnecessary objections by some MC officials the Cabinet Ministers reached Sewa Kendra and quizzed concerned failing which they ordered a probe by a committee under supervision of MC Commissioner Dr Shena Aggarwal to check malafide intentions behind pendency The Ministers said that Ludhiana had 042 percent highest pendency rate of send back files which was matter of concern A total of 539000 applications were received in Ludhiana and 2276 applications were pending before stipulated timeframe as mentioned under Right to Servics Act Following which it was decided to look into this and each file was scanned by Government Reforms department and surprisingly top five officials responsible for scrutinising these files with highest send back pendency were from Ludhiana They said that to ensure transparent services to the people in the Sewa Kendras the specially designed boards displaying the facilitation charges will be installed outside all Sewa Kendras Reiterating commitment of Bhagwant Mann government to facilitate the people by ensuring hasslefree and smooth services Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar pointed out that any kind of harassment to the people will not be tolerated at any cost and added each file is being deeply studied at high level They said that Punjab government was working round the clock to bring major reforms in citizen service delivery system by adopting egovernance in its functioning to facilitate people with ease It is pertinent to mention that while reviewing the working of Sewa Kender it was found that State has 09 average of send back while the average of Ludhiana pertains to 6 Many unnecessary and unclear objections like call the applicant attach mother school certificate copy Last Cremation slip mismatched Clear the objection without mentioning objection were raised by dealing officials which caused lot of harassment to citizens editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/surprise-check-by-meet-hayer-nijjar-at-mcs-sewa-kendra-358841.html Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/police-bust-isi-backed-terror-module-1-358847.html DW BUREAU CHANDIGARHTARN TARAN The Punjab Police on Thursday claimed to have busted a terror module with the arrest of three people including the prime accused in the Kurukshetra improvised explosive device case Police also recovered an IED containing RDX weighing 15 kg along with a detonator two pistols eight live cartridges and a bike from them The arrested include the prime perpetrator of the planting of the IED in the Shahabad area of Haryanas Kurukshetra last month He has been identified as Nachhatar Singh alias Moti of Bhattal Sehja Singh village in Tarn Taran In August the Haryana Police had recovered the IED packed with around 13 kg of RDX from near Shahabad in Kurukshetra district on the AmbalaDelhi national highway The other two arrested have been identified as Sukhdev Singh alias Shera of Gandiwind village and Harpreet Singh alias Happy of Naushera Pannuan village in Tarn Taran said DGP Gaurav Yadav here According to preliminary investigation the DGP said it has been revealed that the trio were in direct contact with Canadabased gangster Lakhbir Singh alias Landa and involved in extortion and crossborder smuggling of arms explosives and drugs at a large scale They are also close aides of Pakistanbased gangster Harvinder Singh Rinda Tarn Taran Senior Superintendent of Police Ranjit Singh Dhillon said following reliable inputs police arrested the three and recovered two pistols Later on the disclosures of Nachhatar Singh police also recovered an IED concealed on the outskirts of Rattoke village in Tarn Taran he said The SSP said the LandaRinda gang has a network of around 4050 people of which police have already identified as many as 25 operatives and a manhunt has been launched to nab them Landa 33 who is native of Tarn Taran and fled to Canada in 2017 had conspired the rocketpropelled grenade RPG attack at the Punjab Police intelligence headquarters in Mohali and also conspired planting an IED under SubInspector Dilbag Singhs car in Amritsar He is considered to be a close aide of Pakistanbased wanted gangster Rinda editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/police-bust-isi-backed-terror-module-1-358847.html Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/rera-summons-rdl-directors-to-appear-in-person-358848.html DW BUREAU CHANDIGARH Following the noncompliance of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority RERA order the authority has ordered the directors of the Raheja Developers Limited RDL to appear in person before the court During the next hearing RDL will have to explain to the bench what actions the promoter so far has initiated to address the pending grievances of the residents living at Raheja Atharva residential group housing society Sector 109 Gurugram Raheja Atharva is a newly built society where 400plus families are currently residing In a very short span of time the buildings construction quality has come into question becoming a serious concern for the residents This comes after the Residents Welfare Association RWA of Raheja Atharva had approached the authority in October 2021 and along with many other grievances the association demanded structural audit of all the towers only for safety purpose After the major roof collapse incident of Chintel society on February 10 this year which created panic situation among the people living in privately built up societies Atharva occupants want structural audit of the building at the earliest On the first date of hearing on October 1 2021 the RERA court had directed the RDL to file its reply and it has been followed by four subsequent hearings since then on February 2 April 21 May 24 and September 2 2022 The court observed continued noncompliance its court order by the respondent RDL Keeping anguish of the association in view the court issued summon to respondent RDL calling its directors to appear in person on the next hearing scheduled to take place on October 4 While issuing the order RERA chairman Dr KK Khandelwal said Every order of the authority is to be implemented as if it is the decree of the civil court This order directing the promoter to appear before the authority on the next date of hearing on October 4 be treated as a decree of civil court and any disobedience of this order will attract civil imprisonment editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/rera-summons-rdl-directors-to-appear-in-person-358848.html Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-chief-minister-bhagwan-mann-347102.html DW BUREAUChandigarh Complimenting the officers ofPunjab Police and Anti Gangster Task Force AGTF for successfully accomplishing an operation against dreaded gangsters on Wednesday the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today said that state will be soon free from gangsters and drug peddlers It is my guarantee to the people of the state that we will not allow nyone to disturb hard earned peace in state and every effort will be made to maintain peace and communal harmony in Punjab by making it free from gangsters and drug smugglers said the Chief Minister in a message to people During a meeting with the Director General of Police DGP Gaurav Yadav and other officers who called on him at his official residence on Thursday the Chief Minister unequivocally said that these gangsters and drug peddlers were patronised by the previous governments He said that under the protection of Akalis and Congress these gangsters and drug peddlers had a free run of the state because their masters used them for their vested political interests However Bhagwant Mann said that after assuming charge of the office his government accorded top priority to free Punjab from gangsters and drug smugglers adding that the day is not far when all of them will be behind the bars The Chief Minister said that the action of Punjab Police on Wednesday was in consonance with the zero tolerance policy of the state government against gangsters and antisocial elements He said that these gangsters were involved in the murder of noted Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala and were at large since the murder Bhagwant Mann said that AGTF had identified these shooters and had detected that they were hiding in a building near border at Amritsar The Chief Minister said that the Punjab Police carried out the operation in a highly professional manner by displaying exemplary courage He said the entire state is indebted to them for their heroic deeds He said that the Punjab Police has upheld its glorious legacy of combating the antisocial and antinational elements head on to safeguard the lives and property of people Bhagwant Mann assured the people that no gangster drug peddler or any antisocial element will be allowed to jeopardise the hard earned peace of the state and severest of severe action will be taken against them The Chief Minister said that the action by Punjab Police has made every Punjabi feel proud Bhagwant Mann assured the Punjabis that the state government is committed to ensure the safety of their lives and property through an efficient and responsive Police mechanism editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-chief-minister-bhagwan-mann-347102.html Fri, 22 Jul 2022 01:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/vote-for-the-better-future-of-punjab-and-your-children-jarnail-singh-195210.html DW BUREAU NawanshahrChandigarh Aam Aadmi Party AAP Punjab affairs incharge Jarnail Singh campaigned in favour of partys candidate Lalit Mohan Pathak alias Ballu Pathak in the assembly constituency of Nawanshahr During this he met shopkeepers in the markets of the area and appealed to form the government of Aam Aadmi Party by winning AAP candidate with huge margin On Wednesday Jarnail Singh addressed the people in Nawanshahr for AAP candidate Ballu Pathak and said that every vote of yours given to Ballu Pathak will go to Bhagwant Mann Meanwhile people not only assured Jarnail Singh to support AAP candidate but also promised to send him to the assembly with a huge victory so that an honest and stable government of AAP can be formed in Punjab Jarnail Singh said that Punjab was ruled by Akali and Congress for decades Together both the parties looted Punjab and emptied the governments treasury This time we all have to elect the Aam Aadmi Party by pressing the jharoo button to change Punjab Jarnail Singh said that the future of Punjab and the people of Punjab will be decided on February 20th so this time you have to vote very carefully This time vote for yourself and your children editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/vote-for-the-better-future-of-punjab-and-your-children-jarnail-singh-195210.html Thu, 17 Feb 2022 00:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cheema-slams-channi-and-congress-188551.html DW BUREAU chandigarh Aam Aadmi Party AAP Punjab has strongly condemned the Congress party for using the name of SC category in the matter of recovery of crores of rupees from the relatives of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi in the Enforcement Directorate ED raids Senior party leader and Leader of the Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema said that the Congress government and Chief Minister Channi after misleading and taking the votes of SC community had ruthlessly looted the states treasury and resources Now that the illegal minting of billions of rupees have been exposed and piles of notes are being recovered from Channis family He is aiming for the pity of the people by presenting himself as poor and dalit while the poor and dalits of the state have not even seen so much money together That is why Congress and Chief Minister Channi should not mock the poor by using the name of a community He said that the people of Punjab will hold Congress leaders accountable for their heinous deeds In a statement issued on Friday Harpal Singh Cheema alleged Congress party leaders have targeted the poor and SC community This section has always been used for its vote bank but has never been given constitutional and human rights Congress leaders have insulted Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar and other leaders who fought for the rights of this community They only use this community and the names of people like Baba Saheb for their political gain But whenever Congress and Congress leaders are accused of their nefarious activities they suddenly remember SC community Cheema said that Congress party had appointed Charanjit Singh Channi as the Chief Minister of Punjab for a few days to get the votes of SC community They did nothing for the welfare of this section Instead Congress swindled millions of rupees that belonged to the students of SC community He said that the Congress government had not provided bicycles to the school children in last five years had not provided uniforms and books to the students on time discontinued the construction and subsidy of toilets and houses and stopped giving pulses under AttaDal scheme He added that even the educated youth of SC community was not given jobs according to their qualifications The AAP leader alleged that the Congress chief ministers and ministers had looted Punjabs resources through sand transport liquor and cable mafia and pushed the youth towards drugs editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cheema-slams-channi-and-congress-188551.html Sat, 22 Jan 2022 01:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/chranjit-singh-channi-rs-10-lakh-for-sri-guru-ravidass-bhawan-184287.html DW BUREAU chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday laid the foundation stone for initiation of development works worth Rs 16 crore related to Dual Carriage Railway under Bridge in Urban Estate Phase1 and adjoining roads besides announcing Rs 2 crore for the construction of Sant Prem Singh Lubana Welfare Society Bhawan Out of this the cheque worth Rs 51 lakh was handed over to the society on the spot itselfSpeaking on the occasion the Chief Minister lauded the role played by the Lubana community in bringing social awakening and economic prosperity of the country especially Punjab and announced that the 600 square foot land adjoining the Bhawan site would also be given to the society Further CM Channi also announced Rs 10 lakh for the Sri Guru Ravidass Bhawan in Urban Estate CM Channi also paid obeisance at Satguru Ravidass Dham in Boota Mandi and handed over cheques to the tune of Rs 51 lakh each for Shiromani Guru Ravidass Mandir Prabandhak Committee Punjab Phagwara and Guru Ravidass Educational and Charitable Trust Jalandhar I also follow the teachings of Guru Ravidass Ji and it is my sincere endeavour to ensure the welfare of common man especially the poor and needy of the society in line with the ideology of Guru Ravidass Ji said Channi adding the study Centres of Srimadbhagvad Gita and Ramayan would be started soon at Patiala On the occasion the Chief Minister was honoured with the Gold Medal by Satguru Ravidass Dham authoritiesAs many as 12 leaders from Shiromani Akali Dal and BSP joined the Congress party in the presence of CM ChanniAmong others present on the occasion included the MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh Forest Minister Sangat Singh Giljian Social Justice Empowerment and Minorities Minister Dr Raj Kumar Verka Sports and Education Minister Pargat Singh MLA Hardev Singh Laadi Sherowalia besides Principal Secretary to CM Hussan Lal Special Principal Secretary to CM Ravi Bhagat Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori Commissioner Naunihal Singh and Chairman Punjab State Board of Technical editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/chranjit-singh-channi-rs-10-lakh-for-sri-guru-ravidass-bhawan-184287.html Sat, 01 Jan 2022 01:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cabinet-approves-geeta-adhyayan-182372.html DW BUREAU chandigarh The Punjab Cabinet accorded approval for setting up of Geeta Adhyayan and Sanatani Granth Institute at Jagat Guru Nanak Dev Punjab State Open University Patiala to carry out teaching research into wisdom and belief of these faiths According to a spokesperson of Chief Ministers Office this Centre will promote a considerate attitude towards the others spiritual religious ethnic and metaphysical perspectives principles and customs fortifies the societies and helps overcome the social economic and environmental trails the world is facing today With the belief that discord exists at various levels of faith cultural communities and religious institutions the Institute will also work to uproot these challenges The setting up of Geeta Adhyayan and Sanata Granth Institute would require wide range consolidation and also monitoring mechanisms so that the institute can be set up early and also start delivering the desired outcomes Accordingly a foundation would be constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister Further a managing committee for the institute under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary would also be notified separately after obtaining the approval of the Education Minister and the Chief Minister to oversee the implementation of the Institute This foundation shall be fully empowered to decide the name of the Institute its detailed activities recruitment of staff and all other related decisions both relating to capital expenditure operation and maintenance of the Institute To promote art heritage and culture to the outer World as well as connecting to the people through film television and OTT Platform the Cabinet gave its assent for setting up of Film Television Development Council FTDC in the state This Council would be constituted of 11 members having a Chairperson who would be nominated by the State Government and Administrative Secretary of Tourism Cultural Affairs to be its Chairperson This Council will consist of two Artists one Director one Producer one Cinematographer one Line Producer one Film Educationist and one Digital PromoterDistributor editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cabinet-approves-geeta-adhyayan-182372.html Fri, 24 Dec 2021 00:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-arhtiyas-withdraw-strike-wheat-purchase-starts-116016.html DW BUREAU LudhianaChandigarh A few hours after going on a statewide strike against the Centres direction to the state government to transfer the minimum support price of farmers crops directly to their bank accounts arhtiyas in Punjab on Saturday withdrew their strike The arhtiyas or commission agents withdrew their strike after Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh assured them that they would remain an integral part of the procurement system Earlier during the day around 40000 arhtiyas across the state had gone on strike to protest against the direct benefit transfer DBT of the minimum support price MSP to farmers for their crops bypassing them The decision to call off the strike was taken by arhtiyas after their leader Vijay Kalra under the banner of the Federation of Arhtiya Association of Punjab held a meeting with Punjab Food Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu in Ludhiana After the commission agents announced the rollback of the strike wheat procurement kicked off in the state In Chandigarh Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ordered various steps to ensure arhtiyas continued involvement in the process The state Food Department has amended the procurement software so that the arhtiyas will continue to be involved in the process of release of payments to farmers albeit in a modified manner with farmers getting their payments in their bank accounts within 48 hours as mandated by the state government an official statement said A senior Food Department official said the commission agents will come to know how much payment is being released to farmers who are linked to them Declaring his unequivocal commitment to safeguarding the interests of Punjabs arhtiyas the state chief minister said despite the government of Indias directives to exclude them from MSP payments the Arhtiyas shall always be associated with the procurement Till I am there you will be part of the system and your role will always remain he asserted adding he will ensure that the arhtiyas commissions and other charges permitted under the APMC Act shall continue On the Centres refusal to accept the states request for deferment of the Direct Benefit Transfer DBT scheme the CM said We fought hard with the Centre on the issue but they were adamant and even went to the extent of threatening not to procure crops from Punjab if we do not implement the DBT The CM also ordered the Finance Department to immediately release Rs 131 crore due to the ahrtiyas without waiting for it from the Food Corporation of India FCI which had withheld payments after some arhtiyas had failed to upload details These arhtiyas were probably misguided at that time by people who wanted to play politics he said adding even though the money was yet to come from FCI his government would release it immediately without waiting for the same He also assured arhtiyas that his government will take up with the Centre the issue of 30 percent reduction in labour payments made by the FCI Singh also thanked Vijay Kalra for heeding his governments plea to withdraw their strike and lift the grain as he said the farmers otherwise would have suffered editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-arhtiyas-withdraw-strike-wheat-purchase-starts-116016.html Sun, 11 Apr 2021 00:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/3-held-for-conspiring-to-steal-rs-16-cr-from-dormant-account-115129.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Three persons were arrested in Haryanas Jind district for allegedly plotting a fraud worth over Rs 16 crore by using information of a dormant bank account of a private bank police said on Wednesday Director General of Police Manoj Yadava said the cyber gang was busted after a team from Panchkula got inputs that some people were attempting to transfer Rs 16 crore from a dormant account A raid was conducted at Malvi village and the three suspects were arrested Initial probe reveals that they planned to siphon off funds from a Kanpurbased branch of the ICICI bank the DGP said in a statementThey accessed the email linked to it managed to fraudulently update a new mobile number in this account to receive an onetime password The three needed 48 more hours to transfer the fund the officer said A beneficiary account where they planned to transfer the funds has also been identified he said We are looking for who all are involved in it One more accused is yet to be arrested in this connection Those arrested have been identified as Jagbir and Kaptan both residents of Jind district and Imran a native of Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan A case has been registered and a probe is on the officer said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/3-held-for-conspiring-to-steal-rs-16-cr-from-dormant-account-115129.html Thu, 08 Apr 2021 02:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/kejriwal-is-coming-to-punjab-to-shake-the-roots-of-pm-modi-says-bhagwant-mann-108662.html DW BUREAU MansaChandigarh Ahead of the Aam Aadmi Party AAP Kisan Maha Sammelan on March 21 the partys Punjab president and MP Bhagwant Mann held three Jan Sabhas in Ulakh Makha and Kharak Singh Wala villages of Mansa district on Saturday Mann appealed to the people of Punjab to attend AAPs Kisan Maha Sammelan in large numbers at Bagha Purana He said that AAPs national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be coming to Punjab to strengthen the voices of the farmers Mann said that when Arvind Kejriwal comes national media comes along with him and what he says is considered by the entire nation When he speaks about the farmers issue the nation listens But we all need to show that the people of Punjab are standing strong in favour of the farmers We need to show that we are united he added He appealed to the people to come to the Kisan Maha Sammelan and show the nation that the farmer agitation was still strong Mann further said that Arvind Kejriwal had defeated Prime Minister Narendra Modi thrice in his own seat of power in Delhi He said that Arvind Kejriwal has the capacity to shake Modis roots He is coming to Punjab now to shake the roots of Modi along with the protesting farmers and will force him to bow down to the demands of the farmers he added Mann told the people that if they want to shake the roots of Modis rule and make him meet the demands of the farmers then they should show up on March 21 and make the voices of the farmers stronger On the occasion Charanjit Singh Akkawali Gurpreet Singh Bhuchar Gurpreet Singh Banawali Dr Vijay Singla Sukhwinder Singh Bhola Mann Sukhwinder Sukhi Akliya Parminder Kaur Samagh Nem Chand Chaudhary Hardev Singh Ulak Harjit Singh Dandiwal Shingara Khan Jawaharke Ramesh Khyala Sukhwinder Singh Khokhar Amrit Mansa Mintu Mansa Harjinder Singh Diyalpura Najar Singh Gurpreet Singh Jaspal Singh Datewas among other leaders were present editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/kejriwal-is-coming-to-punjab-to-shake-the-roots-of-pm-modi-says-bhagwant-mann-108662.html Sun, 14 Mar 2021 01:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/ed-raids-punjab-mla-khaira-others-in-drugs-money-laundering-case-107724.html DW BUREAU New DelhiChandigarh The ED raided the premises of rebel AAP MLA from Punjab Sukhpal Singh Khaira his family members in Delhi and some jailed convicts on Tuesday in a moneylaundering case linked to the 2015 Fazilka narcotics trafficking case and a fake passport racket officials saidThe MLA president of the Punjab Ekta Party founded by him in 2019 denied any wrongdoing as he briefly spoke to reporters who had gathered outside his bungalow number 6 in Chandigarhs sector 5 The central agency searched a dozen locations Khairas residence nine places in Punjab and two in Delhi including the house of his soninlaw Inderveer Singh Johal The agency alleged that Khaira 56 the MLA from Bholath in Kapurthala district is an associate of the drugs racket convicts and fake passport racketeers Khaira was elected to the state Assembly in 2017 on an Aam Aadmi Party AAP ticket but he later quit the party and launched his own political outfit Wearing a Tshirt and track pants Khaira came out of his residence for a few seconds and told the reporters that he had not done anything wrong adding that the ED sleuths arrived at his house around 730 am Official sources in the Enforcement Directorate ED said the action is being carried out against the Punjab lawmaker and others under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act PMLA and is aimed at gathering more evidence to take forward the probe The case pertains to the probe in the 2015 Fazilka Punjab drugssmuggling case in which 1800 grams of heroin 24 gold biscuits two weapons 26 live cartridges and two Pakistani SIM cards were seized from a gang of international drug smugglers by security agencies The central agency recently filed a PMLA case in connection with the case which was first lodged by the Punjab Police The drugs were smuggled through the IndiaPakistan border and one of the kingpins of the syndicate is in the UK Sukhpal Singh Khaira was actively aiding and supporting the gang of international smugglers and enjoying the proceeds of crime the ED has alleged Some of the convicts of the Fazilka drugs case currently lodged in jail were also searched and questioned the agency said They were identified as Gurdev Singh Manjit Singh Harbans Singh and Subhash Chander all residents of Fazilka district Three people allegedly involved in the fake passport racket Harminder Kaur Jalandhar resident Rajwinder Kaur Kapurthala and Bikker Singh Kapurthala were also searched Incriminating documents and digital devices have been recovered an ED officer said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/ed-raids-punjab-mla-khaira-others-in-drugs-money-laundering-case-107724.html Wed, 10 Mar 2021 01:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cm-asks-pidb-to-expedite-development-works-97025.html DW BUREAU chandigarh Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday directed the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board PIDB to expedite development works in the state The PIDB board at a meeting here gave expostfacto approval to Rs 2716 crore worth of urban environment improvement projects along with development upgradation and maintenance of various historical sites including the Patiala Qila Mubarak according to a government release here The chief minister is likely to virtually launch next week the Rs 858crore project for upgradation operation and maintenance of Qila Mubarak Patiala as heritage hotel on public private partnership mode which is likely to be completed within 18 months He will also launch the PPP project for operational and maintenance of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Memorial Chhappar Chiri at an estimated cost of Rs 254 crore with a concession period of 15 years Singh was informed during the meeting that the construction of the Patiala bus stand had commenced and would be completed by November this year at a cost of Rs 60 crore While discussing the renovation of the Amritsar Circuit House at an estimated cost of Rs 394 crore the chief minister asked Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan to work on a proposal to appoint a protocol officer to manage the large number of dignitaries visiting the holy city Besides giving postfacto approval to the cabinets decision to impose special infrastructure development fee on sale of fuel and immovable property the board meeting formally approved Rs 2716 crore worth of projects including under urban environment improvement programme These projects were earlier cleared by the chief minister in his capacity as the board chairman The PIDB board in its 36th meeting held virtually also gave expostfacto approval to a Rs 125crore project for establishing an exhibition centre in Ludhiana on PPP mode according to the statement Meanwhile Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Razia Sultana today under took the review of projects of Department of Water Supply and Sanitation and directed the officers to complete all the ongoing projects on time for ensuring supply of clean and potable drinking water to the residents of villages Presiding over a review meeting with top officials of Water Supply and Sanitation Department at Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration she also issued instructions to the officials to ensure the quality of water being supplied to residents The Minister said that clean drinking water is connected with the health of people so quality of water should be very high She instructed the officials to coordinate with the Union Government companies and funding agencies especially the World Bank and NABARD for the timely completion of all the ongoing projects across Punjab The Minister said that this is the first review meeting of the year 2021 and she would now hold regular meetings with the officials every month to know the progress of all the projects editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cm-asks-pidb-to-expedite-development-works-97025.html Sat, 23 Jan 2021 01:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-20-deaths-in-77711.html DW BUREAUChandigarh At least 20 people have died in the last three days in four different localities of Sonipat city in Haryana with police suspecting spurious liquor as the cause behind the deaths officials said on Wednesday Around 20 people have died in the last three days the families of the deceased have cremated them However police have sent four bodies for postmortem Sonipat Deputy Superintendent of Police DSP Virender Singh told PTI over phone We are waiting for the viscera report of the four bodies he added We suspect the deaths have taken place due to consumption of spurious liquor he said further The family members are not coming forward to report to the police about the deaths and its possible cause Singh saidThe deaths have taken place in Mayur Vihar Shastri Colony Pragati Colony and Indian Colony the DSP said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-20-deaths-in-77711.html Thu, 05 Nov 2020 01:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/3-560-farm-fire-incidents-on-sunday-76984.html DW BUREAUChandigarh Punjab on Sunday reported 3560 incidents of stubble burning with the highest number of farm fires recorded in Sangrur district at 593 despite the state government banning the practice to curb air pollution The overall count of incidents of stubble burning in the state during this paddy season so far from September 21 till November 1 has reached 33165 which is about 34 per cent more than the farm fire incidents witnessed in the corresponding period of last year according to data of the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre The state had recorded 24722 stubble or crop residue burning incidents in the corresponding period of last year Sangrur Ferozepur and Bathinda districts reported 593 375 and 373 incidents of farm fire in a single day the data stated adding that among other districts Muktsar Ludhiana Patiala and Mansa reported 276 267 254 and 247 straw burning incidents respectively Small farmers are of the view that it is economically unviable for them to buy farm machinery like happy seeders rotavators super straw management systems on combine harvesters to manage crop residue Farmers are demanding Rs 200 per quintal of bonus on paddy and Rs 6000 per acre for stubble management The Punjab government has been seeking from the Centre Rs 100 per quintal as compensation to enable farmers to manage paddy straw without burning it Every year Punjab and Haryana are blamed for rising air pollution and smog due to crop residue burning by farmers Punjab alone generates 20 million tonnes of paddy stubble annually The Punjab government on Sunday claimed that the states air quality index AQI fared a lot better than that of neighbouring Haryana and Delhi The pollution in Delhi especially in the months of October till December has been increasingly blamed on the fires put to the paddy residues in the fields of north Indian states specifically Punjab said a government release here However comparison of data collected by the air quality monitoring stations revealed that in months of August and September 20182020 the average AQI of Punjab remained within 50 to 87 whereas in Delhi the average AQI during the same period remained from 63 to 118 the release claimed In Haryana stations near Delhi 20192020 and Faridabad for the same period in 2020 the average AQI ranged from 67 to 115 it said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/3-560-farm-fire-incidents-on-sunday-76984.html Mon, 02 Nov 2020 00:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/meeting-between-punjab-farmers-union-state-gom-remains-inconclusive-73999.html DW BUREAUChandigarh A meeting between a group of Punjab Cabinet ministers and a farmers union here on Monday remained inconclusive with the peasant body claiming that they did not get concrete assurance from the government on many issues Bhartiya Kisna Unions EktaUgrahan president Joginder Singh Ugrahan said the state government had invited the union for talks on various issues concerning farmers including the ongoing peasants agitation against the Centres new farm laws We cannot say that meeting failed nor can we say it was successful It remained inconclusive he told reporters after the meeting at Punjab Bhavan here The ministerial panel that met farmers comprised Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa The farmers union leaders were led by Ugrahan About the ongoing farmers stir Ugrahan said it would continue until the farmers see what action the state government takes to counter the Centres new farm laws Meanwhile a twoday special session of the state assembly to enact a law to counter the Centres farm legislation began here on Monday We also raised the issue of stubble burning as farmers are penalised even when they do not have any viable solution to the problem We also reminded the government about various promises they had made to the farmers before the polls he said We also told the ministers that the Congress government should withdraw the amendments made by the state government in 2017 to the APMC Act he said adding on many issues they did not get any concrete assurance Meanwhile amid the meeting between farmers and the ministerial panel inside Punjab Bhavan a high drama unfolded at its gate when SAD members who wanted to address the media were stopped from entering the premises SAD MLAs including former minister Bikram Singh Majithia Manpreet Singh Ayali Pawan Kumar Tinu and N K Sharma had reached the venue to address the media after the state Assembly was adjourned for the day The policemen deployed at the entry gate however prevented them from entering the Punjab Bhavan saying they do not have the permission to allow them in Notably while media persons were not allowed to enter the Vidhan Sabha because of COVID19 situation the Speaker had declared Punjab Bhavan as an extension of the assembly complex to enable them to cover the House proceedings from the TV screens installed there which uploaded live visuals Is this Punjab Bhavan or Congress Bhavan This is a government building not a private property or a party office Majithia shouted at the security personnel at the entry gate upon being denied the entry We have come to brief the media on certain important issues concerning the farmers but they are not allowing us inside Is the state government trying to impose censorship Why as MLAs we cannot come inside to speak to the media exclaimed Majithia When the ministers can hold a meeting inside why are we being denied entry he asked Though three SAD MLAs scaled the gate and forced their entry inside they later came out and the SAD MLAs raised slogans against the state government and sat on a dharna for some time outside the Punjab Bhavans entry gate editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/meeting-between-punjab-farmers-union-state-gom-remains-inconclusive-73999.html Tue, 20 Oct 2020 00:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/750-rural-stadiums-playgrounds-in-pb-69879.html DW BUREAUChandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday digitally flagged off a fleet of ambulances and construction of 750 rural stadiumsplaygrounds besides witnessing the signing of an MoU for conferring ownership rights on economically weaker sections thus paving the way for further development and progress of the stateThe MoU was signed between the Local Government Department and Centre for Policy Research while the ambulances were flagged off in Patiala Jalandhar and Ludhiana The 750 stadiums being taken up for development at a cost of Rs 105 crore in rural areas will help channelize the energy of the youth in a constructive manner under the state governments rural transformation strategy and Tandarust Punjab Mission said the Chief Minister The government has set a target of minimum five stadiums per block to be completed in 202021 Captain Amarinder said the new stadiums villages should be named after eminent sportspersons so as to inspire youth to excel in sports at national and international levels Sports and Youth Affairs Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi said the stadiums would help strengthen the states sports infrastructure The initiative is part of the Smart Village Campaign launched in 2019 under which 19132 works with a total cost of Rs 835 crores were taken up for 201920 Phase 1 The projects under the campaign include Renovation of Ponds Street lights Parks Gymnasiums Community Halls Drinking Water Supply Model Anganwadi Centers Smart Schools and Solid Waste Management are the integral part the campaign The Chief Minister further pointed out that to commemorate the 550th Prakash Purb of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji 550 plants per village with as many as 72 lakh saplings were planted across the state thereby increasing the overall green cover of the State Around 24000 Van Mitras have been appointed The second phase has been launched at a total outlay of Rs 2500 crore for 202022 under which a total of 48910 works have been taken up While digitally flagging off four ambulances each for Ludhiana Patiala and Jalandhar the Chief Minister thanked the Zee Entertainment Group for donating these ambulances which would augment the health infrastructure of the State especially amid Covid19 pandemic Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said these ambulances would help augment the existing fleet editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/750-rural-stadiums-playgrounds-in-pb-69879.html Sat, 03 Oct 2020 02:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-to-step-up-local-production-of-medical-oxygen-as-covid-cases-rise-65195.html DW BUREAU chandigarh Amid rising COVID19 cases in Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday directed the Health department to step up local production of medical oxygen to supplement the current supplies The move was taken to ensure that there is no shortage of oxygen to tackle any future crisis officials said hereTill now Punjab was procuring all its medical oxygen supplies from other states which include Uttarakhand Himachal Pradesh and Haryana However as cases continue to spike and several parts of the country report shortage of oxygen the chief minister said there is a need to generate additional supplies through internal manufacturing In line with this decision the Health department has so far issued licence to an industrial oxygen supplier in Punjab to produce medical oxygen while six packaging units have been allowed to pack oxygen for medical use an official statement said here The state now has an internal capacity to produce 800 medical oxygen cylinders and package 2000 units per day and the government hopes that with the supplies already being procured from other states this would help cope with any further escalation in demand in the coming weeks it said The state government has also appointed a nodal officer to monitor the supply and demand of medical oxygen amid spiralling cases of COVID19 and the chief minister has asked the Health department to ensure that indigenous production and packaging is further scaled up to meet any eventuality the statement said During a virtual meeting to assess the situation arising out of the pandemic the chief minister directed the department to ensure that there is no shortage of oxygen for treatment of COVID patients in the state it added Singh was informed that the state currently has adequate supplies of oxygen to meet the demand triggered by an increasing number of COVID cases the statement said He was told that of the 6653 COVID19 patients admitted to government medical colleges in the state 5269 have recovered and been discharged and 550 still under treatment Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan apprised the meeting that Punjab is following the 10day discharge policy as per ICMR Indian Council of Medical Research guidelines Further to manage the increasing number of cases it has been decided to add 50 level3 beds at the Faridkot Medical College she said A special invitee to the meeting Ambuj Roy professor of cardiology AIIMS who has been studying the mortality figures in Punjab said the possibility of mutation of the virus was being looking into Roy said the majority of the COVID19 deaths in Punjab took place after August 6 At 296 per cent the Case Fatality Rate CFR in Punjab was higher than the national average of 165 per cent as was the deaths per million at 785 national average 583 he noted He said Punjabs positivity rate of 572 per cent was much better than the national average of 847 per cent editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-to-step-up-local-production-of-medical-oxygen-as-covid-cases-rise-65195.html Tue, 15 Sep 2020 01:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/take-stock-of-situation-64440.html DW BUREAUchandigarh Shiromani Akali Dal SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday said the Congress government had failed miserably in handling the COVID19 pandemic with Punjab recording the highest fatality rate in the country even as he asked Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to take stock of the situation on the ground instead of trying to control it through remote from the comfort of his farmhouseStating that it was condemnable that Punjab had surpassed Maharashtra and Gujarat by recording a fatality rate of 295 per cent with 2150 casualties the SAD President said senior leaders in other States were camping in worst affected areas to grapple with the crisis Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh however only believes in rattling off statistics about coming deaths instead of coming out with solutions to forestall them It is this attitude which also witnessed crores being spent on a selfproclamatory Mission Fateh propaganda exercise which has spelled doom for Punjab and Punjabis Sukhbir Badal said the Congress governments strategy to counter COVID had been criticized by its own Health Advisor Dr K K Talwar who had indicted the government for not conducting contact tracing of COVID positive cases in July and for failure to manage microcontainment zones It is because of these failures that more than one thousand persons died due to COVID in August and now ten districts of the State are recording cases in three figures The situation is now getting out of control with the pandemic claiming eighty to hundred persons every day Stating that the Congress government was yet to learn any lessons from its failures Badal said the government was now engaging in propaganda about supply of oxymeters to people instead of ensuring supply of oxygen in both government and private hospitals Hospitals are facing a huge shortage of liquid oxygen with the demand going up to 100 metric tonnes against a supply of only 15 metric tonnes Instead of raising this supply and ensuring oxygen supply to hospitals is put on the priority list Capt Amarinder Singh is indulging in theatrics about distribution of oxymeters The SAD President also castigated Health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu He said it was shameful that the Health minister was attributing the high mortality rate in Punjab to lifestyle of Punjabis instead of admitting his failure to control the situation Such a Health minister who is in the habit of defaming Punjabis does not deserve to sit in his chair for even one minute Asking the chief minister to take the bull by the horns and start working even now Mr Badal said all critical care centres need to be upgraded immediately Simultaneously free treatment should be provided for all poor persons along with free ambulance services to encourage them to report for treatment The government should also step up testing and plasma treatment facilities to win back the trust of the people who are shunning government medical institutions entirely Badal said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/take-stock-of-situation-64440.html Sat, 12 Sep 2020 00:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/rs-50-lakh-ex-gratia-for-martyrs-family-61406.html DW BUREAUCHANDIGARH Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday announced an exgratia of Rs 50 lakh along with a government job to a family member of Naib Subedar Rajwinder Singh of 1 Sikh Light Infantry unit The soldier was seriously injured as a result of the unprovoked firing by Pakistan Army in Nowshera sector in District Rajouri JK and succumbed to his injuries Paying homage to the martyr and extending his sympathy to the bereaved family the Chief Minister said that Naib Subedar Rajwinder Singh was a brave and highly motivated soldier The nation will always remain indebted to him for his supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty Naib Subedar Rajwinder Singh whose father late Havildar Jagir Singh also served in the army hailed from village Goindwal Tehsil Khadoor Sahib of Tarn Taran district and is survived by his mother wife Manpreet Kaur son Jobanjeet Singh aged 16 years and daughter Pawanpreet aged 15 years editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/rs-50-lakh-ex-gratia-for-martyrs-family-61406.html Mon, 31 Aug 2020 01:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/8-ips-officers-reshuffled-61188.html DW BUREAUCHANDIGARH Haryana government has issued posting and transfer orders of 8 IPS and one HPS officer with immediate effect Alok Kumar Roy ADGP Modernization and Police Welfare has been given additional charge of ADGP prisons Kala Ramachandran awaiting posting orders on return from central deputation has been posted as ADGP Head Quarters with an additional charge of CAW Charu Bali ADGP CAW has been posted as ADGPIRB Bhondsi with Additional charge of State Crime Branch Gurugram said a spokesperson of Haryana Police Department Shashank Anand awaiting posting orders on return from deputation to Chandigarh Administration has been posted as DIG CID Naazneen Bhasin SP Rewari has been posted as SP RTC Bhondsi Sulochana Kumari SP Mahendragarh has been posted as Commandant IV BTN IRB Manesar Abhishek Jorwal SP Ambala has been posted as SP Rewari Chandramohan DCP East Gurugram with Additional Charge of DCP Traffic and CEO Mobility GMDA has been posted as SP Mahendragarh One HPS officer Rajesh Kalia SP CID has been posted as SP Ambala added the spokesperson editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/8-ips-officers-reshuffled-61188.html Sun, 30 Aug 2020 01:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sad-asks-government-to-improve-health-services-59664.html DW BUREAUchandigarh The Shiromani Akali Dal SAD on Saturday asked the Congress government to improve health services instead of indulging in coercive shut downs which were having a devastative effect on small shop keepers tradesmen and skilled workers Stating that the Congress government was taking unilateral decisions to hide its failures and prevent large scale protests against its misrule former minister Dr Daljit Singh Cheema asked the government to strike a balance between lives and livelihood The government should improve ambulance services and hospital infrastructure increase bed strength and recruit more doctors and nurses It is not doing this at all and instead is forcing close downs without any scientific basis The shut downs will only result in more crowding in markets when they reopen leading to a further spike in COVID19 cases They are simultaneously leading to hardship for shop keepers and tradesmen If the government is so keen to enforce such shut downs it should simultaneously come out with a financial package to support the affected persons Stating that besides shopkeepers and tradesmen lakhs of other people had been robbed of their daily earnings Dr Cheema said Punjabis expected the government to boost economic activity but it was closing down all businesses to hide its failures in dealing with the pandemic The SAD leader said it seemed the government was also afraid that the angst of the people would come down to the streets and this was another reason for the shut down He said people wanted to ask the government why it was allowing open sale of spurious liquor which had already claimed 135 lives besides leading to an excise revenue loss of Rs 5600 crore He said the government was beset with scams be it the liquor scam sand mining scam into which a CBI inquiry had been ordered by the high court the seed scam or the recent MGNREGA scam The government has earlier run away from discussing these issues by deciding to hold a two hour monsoon session and has now put restrictions on the people to ensure they do not come on the roads to expose the government Dr Cheema also asked chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to concentrate on the paralysis in government functioning with employees striking work to protest against discrimination being meted out to them He said it was unfortunate that there was an administrative collapse in Punjab during a time of pandemic and instead of resolving this the government was going in for arbitrary and illogical shut downs editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sad-asks-government-to-improve-health-services-59664.html Sun, 23 Aug 2020 01:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-dgp-dinkar-gupta-54227.html DW BUREAUCHANDIGARH Responding to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singhs appeal 40 Punjab Police personnel who recently recovered from Covid19 have offered to donate their blood plasma to save the lives of others infected with the deadly virus officials said on Tuesday A majority of them are from Jalandhar Rural with Senior Superintendent of Police SSP Navjot Singh Mahal himself leading the way after recovering from the infection said Director General of Police DGP Dinkar Gupta who has personally reached out to his convalescent officers and men to donate plasma after their mandatory twoweek recovery period ends Gupta said within 24 hours of the SSP Jalandhar Rural coming forward to commit to plasma donation 40 other police personnel had also volunteered followed by more The blood plasma of two cops Ram Lal and Lakhwinder Singh  has already been taken All the 33 personnel recovered from Covid19 in Jalandhar Rural had committed to plasma donation said the DGP adding that an increasing number of plasma donors were also coming in from the police department in other districts too In Batala too both the cops who have recovered have volunteered to donate plasma while in Gurdaspur of the two personnel infected one has recovered and has offered to give his plasmaKapurthala has seen 10 of the 14 infected cops recovered and three of them are listed as volunteers while the remaining seven had to be excluded as they were found to have comorbid conditions Jalandhar Rural currently has seven active cases and Batala has four A special link has been created by Punjab Police for volunteers to donate plasma to help out other patients who were struggling with the disease said Gupta He said a special campaign had been launched to create awareness among the cured police personnel to come out for this noble cause With most of the volunteers asymptomatic their inherent immunity was higher according to experts The DGP said with many other cops still under treatment for Covid19 he expected to see more donors coming forward over the next few days As of Tuesday 831 Punjab Police personnel had tested Covid positive of whom 336 had recoveredOf these 303 had recovered till about two weeks ago indicating that the number of plasma donors could go up significantly in the next few days editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-dgp-dinkar-gupta-54227.html Wed, 29 Jul 2020 02:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/17-more-covid-deaths-in-haryana-total-cases-25-547-51651.html DW BUREAUCHANDIGARH Haryana reported seventeen more deaths due to COVID19 on Saturday the states second highest death toll in a day even as another big spike of 750 fresh cases took the infection tally to 25547 according to Health departments daily bulletin Hardesthit Faridabad and Gurgaon districts which fall in the National Capital Region reported five and two fatalities respectively the bulletin said Two deaths each were reported from Ambala Rewari and Rohtak districts while one fatality each was from Sonipat Palwal Nuh and Fatehabad it said Gurgaon and Faridabad together account for nearly 14000 coronavirus cases and 223 of the total 344 fatalities in the state according to the bulletinHaryana had on Friday recorded its highest singleday spike of 795 cases it said The districts which reported fresh cases include Faridabad 139 Gurgaon 111 Ambala 96 Rohtak 56 Sonipat 46 Rewari 42 Hisar 40 Jhajjar 39 Panipat 35 Fatehabad 21 and Panchkula 20 according to the bulletin The total active cases in the state are 5885 while 19318 people have so far been discharged after recovery from infection it said The human trial of Bharat Biotechs antiCOVID19 vaccine Covaxin began at Rohtaks PostGraduate Institute of Medical Sciences on Friday Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij said The minister also said the vaccine has been administered to three persons who have shown no adverse effect to it Human trial with Corona vaccine COVAXIN of Bharat Biotech started at PGI Rohtak today tweeted Vij who is also the Home and Science Technology minister Three subjects were enrolled today All have tolerated the vaccine very well There were no adverse effects Vij further said in his tweet The minister later told reporters in Ambala that more vaccine candidates will be enrolled for the trial in coming days Doctors at the Rohtak PGIMS meanwhile told reporters that three volunteers were administered the vaccine as part of the first phase of the clinical trial They said the process might take six months but over the next twothree months the effect of the vaccine would be assessed from the antibodies generated and any adverse reaction caused if any The volunteers are in the age group of 30 to 40 years The vaccine will now be administered to ten persons who like the three would be observed on a regular basis With 34884 people testing positive for coronavirus in the last 24 hours Indias COVID19 caseload surged to 1038716 while 653750 patients have recovered from the disease so far according to data by the Union Health Ministry The death toll due to COVID19 rose to 26273 with 671 fatalities reported in a day the data updated at 8 am on Saturday showed At present there are 358692 active cases in the country while 653750 people have recovered so far and one has migrated Around 6294 per cent of patients have recovered so far an official said The total number of confirmed cases includes foreigners This is the third consecutive day when the number of COVID19 cases increased by more than 30000 According to the Indian Council of Medical Research ICMR a cumulative total of 13433742 samples have been tested for COVID19 up to July 17 with 361024 samples being tested on Friday Of the 671 deaths reported in the last 24 hours 258 are from Maharashtra 115 from Karnataka 79 from Tamil Nadu 42 from Andhra Pradesh 38 from Uttar Pradesh 26 each from West Bengal and Delhi 17 from Gujarat nine each from Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab and eight each from MP editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/17-more-covid-deaths-in-haryana-total-cases-25-547-51651.html Sun, 19 Jul 2020 02:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/chandigarh-only-a-couple-of-months-away-when-our-winged-guests-from-siberia-and-other-countries-will-arrive-in-ropar-wetland-the-tourists-visiting-the-wetland-will-have-a-different-experience-50896.html DW BUREAUCHANDIGARH The Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday approved amendments to various rules across departments for their more efficacious functioning The Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh approved Group A Service Rules of Punjab Commissioners Offices to include the officials drawing grade pay of Rs 5000 and above in Group A service This decision has been taken as per the proposal mooted by the Personnel Department on the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission With the framing of the Commissioners Offices GroupA Service Rules 2020 now the necessary conditions for services of these officials would be implemented The Cabinet also approved amendments proposed in rule 8 Appendix A and Appendix B of Punjab Home Guards and Civil Defence Group A Service Rules 1988 whereby Commandant General Home Guard and Director Civil Defence has been redesignated as Additional Commandant General Punjab Home Guard and Additional Director Civil Defence This decision would enable the departmental officers to rise up to the level of Additional Commandant General in the existing pay scale of Commandant General and the powers of Commandant General shall be exercised by DGP Home Guards and Director Civil Defence The Council of Ministers further cleared the amendment of Rule 14 2 of the Punjab Superior Judicial Services Rules 2007 According to the amendment the candidates recruited through direct recruitment from the Bar Council in the Superior Judicial Services of the State would be given the benefits of additional increments while fixing their basic salary on the basis of their practical experience as advocates at the Bar Council In a bid to afford more employment opportunities to sportspersons the Cabinet decided to amend the Rule 2 d a of The Punjab Recruitment of Sportsmen Rules 1988 to update the definition of sportsman With this decision Gold Silver and Bronze medallists in National GamesSenior National Championshipsrecognised International Tournaments would be eligible for recruitment for Class I and II posts Meanwhile in another decision the Cabinet approved the extension of services of Chief Engineer Civil Aviation Kanwardeep Singh for a period of three years from June 10 2020 to June 9 2023 since his present contract has expired on June 9 2020 The extension has been granted to Kanwardeep Singh in view of the continued requirement of safely handling VVIP flying operations and supervision of the maintenance of the Government of Punjab Bell 429 Helicopter The Cabinet also felt the need for introduction of technology oriented skills in the department in the present dynamic environment Further change in water resources management including its regulation has also necessitated restructuring and reorientation of the department To efficiently utilize official machinery the Department of Mines and Geology has already been merged with Water Resources Department as both these departments have largely the same geographical jurisdiction ie rivers and dams The restructuring would also help in achieving optimal utilisation of staff through placement as per ground level needs besides making offices paperless services online and digitalisation of old records and creating Management Information System MIS for efficient working and planning The proposed creation of Central Planning and Design Organisation CPDO for inhouse design purposes editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/chandigarh-only-a-couple-of-months-away-when-our-winged-guests-from-siberia-and-other-countries-will-arrive-in-ropar-wetland-the-tourists-visiting-the-wetland-will-have-a-different-experience-50896.html Thu, 16 Jul 2020 01:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cm-gives-nod-to-form-plasma-bank-covid-count-at-7-140-49331.html DW BUREAUCHANDIGARH Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh here on Thursday gave the nod for formation of a plasma bank to facilitate Covid plasma therapy which is being carried out as an ICMR trial project in states government hospitals Chairing a virtual review meeting of the Covid situation the Chief Minister approved the plasma banks formation under the supervision of Neelam Marwaha former head of the blood bank and transfusion medicine at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research here The plasma bank would serve as a ready inventory source for critically ill patients or those at the risk of severe disease For trial 15 patients have been recruited Of them eight were given plasma and the rest had been placed in control arm as per randomisation by the ICMR Five patients have recovered and will be discharged soon Of the 300 recovered patients 11 have donated plasmaExpressing concern over rising violation of safety norms many by political parties the Chief Minister said he would write to the heads of registered political parties to seek cooperation in checking large gatherings He would also appeal them to avoid any actions that could spread Covid19 Meanwhile Director General of Police DGP Dinkar Gupta said cases had been registered against few political parties for violation of Covid19 safety norms The police would write to political parties against violations Pointing to reporting of 258 Covid19 new cases on Wednesday and 11 Punjab civil services and senior officers including Chief Medical Officer of Sangrur and judges getting infected the Chief Minister stressed the need to raise the guard further Office staff in particular must be very careful he stressed and asked Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan to issue SOPs for government officers meetings visit to other offices etc Spread of infection among critical manpower due to casual attitude was not acceptable he added Home Secretary Satish Chandra apprised the Chief Minister that process of cancellation of FIRs registered against migrant workers for lockdown violation as ruled by the Supreme Court had begun in the state Meanwhile five more people died from the novel coronavirus in Pubjab on Thursday raising the death toll to 183 while 234 fresh cases pushed the states infection tally to 7140 according to a medical bulletin The new fatalities were reported in Amritsar Sangrur Ludhiana  Kapurthala and Gurdaspur the bulletin said A total of 57 fresh cases were reported in Ludhiana followed by 42 in Patiala 34 in Jalandhar 16 in Sangrur 14 in Amritsar 10 in Mohali nine each in Tarn Taran and Ferozepur eight in Fatehgarh Sahib seven in Gurdaspur five in Kapurthala four in SBS Nagar three each in Moga Rupnagar Muktsar Hoshiarpur two each in Pathankot Mansa and Faridkot and one in Bathinda Jalandhar Senior Superintendent of Police Rural and Sub Divisional Magistrate Shahkot also tested positive for the infection Jalandhar Civil Surgeon Gurwinder Kaur Chawla said Eleven PCS Punjab Civil Services and other senior officers including Sangrur Civil Surgeon have already caught the infection a government statement said Chief Minister Amarinder Singh while stressing the need to raise the guard even further on Thursday asked Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan to issue standard operating procedures for the government officers meetings and visit to other offices editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cm-gives-nod-to-form-plasma-bank-covid-count-at-7-140-49331.html Fri, 10 Jul 2020 02:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sad-leaders-commend-leadership-for-stand-on-45977.html DW BUREAU chandigarh Senior Shiromani Akali Dal SAD leaders on Friday commended party president Sukhbir Singh Badal for taking a resolute stand to safeguard the interests of farmers and making it clear that no sacrifice was too big to ensure paddy and wheat continued to be procured under the assured marketing policy as per the minimum support price MSP In a statement here senior party leaders including mp Balwinder Singh Bhundur Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra and Jathedar Tota Singh also took note that the SAD had effectively deflated the false and malicious propaganda unleashed by the Congress party that MSP and assured marketing were set to end The proactive role of the SAD President has led to a clear cut announcement by the union Agriculture minister that there is no move to end MSP on wheat and paddy and has exposed the hoax being played out by the Congress party The senior leaders also commended the SAD president for puncturing the false claims of chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Pradesh Congress president Sunil Jakhar at the All Party meeting held to discuss the central ordinances on Agriculture They said the deceit of the chief minister and the PCC president had been exposed when the SAD president presented evidence that the Congress government had amended its APMC Act in 2017 to implement the provisions contained in the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce ordinance They said these included creation of private yards direct marketing and etrading Simultaneously the SAD President has assured Punjabis that the party will also take an assurance on continuance of MSP and assured marketing when the Ordinances are tabled in parliament With these categorical assertions the lid has been closed on the mischievous propaganda launched by the Congress party to divert attention from its failures editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sad-leaders-commend-leadership-for-stand-on-45977.html Sat, 27 Jun 2020 00:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-police-destroys-quintals-of-illicit-drugs-45978.html DW BUREAU chandigarh IN THE first of its kind statewide drive Punjab Police on Friday destroyed several quintals of illicit drugs at various places across all 24 districts in a symbolic gesture to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking The destruction of the drugs came amid Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singhs assertion that his government would not rest till every single drug smuggler or peddler is behind bars Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta said teams of Punjab Police took over the task of destroying 62140 kg of heroin along with 32652 quintals of poppy husk 12536 kg of charas 490 grams of sulfa 755905 kg of smack 1970 kg of brown sugar and 148 kg of intoxicant powder In addition 41880 kg of opium was deposited in Government Opium and Alkaloid Factory said Gupta reiterated the departments commitment to eliminate drugs from Punjab which has seen a marked increase in the number of drug users joining the state governments deaddiction programme since the imposition of curfew and lockdown in Punjab Around 13 lakh drug users have joined the deaddiction programme since March indicating reduction in the availability of drugs in villages and towns which had a total of 12 lakh harmful or dependent drug users in the state The efforts of Punjab Police including the Special Task Force STF have led to manifold increase in heroin seizure in the state in less than four years from 207 kg in 2016 to 410 kg in 2018 464 kg in 2019 and 504 kg in 2020 Cracking down heavily on the drug mafia and traders on the directives of the Chief Minister Punjab Police have made a single largest ever record heroin seizure of 504 kgs in 2020 said the DGP adding that major successes have been notched this year in recovery of drugs and arrests of top drug ring members including Afghan nationals this yearThis year has also seen the unravelling of some major international narcoterror networks with the arrest of some big fish said the DGP editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-police-destroys-quintals-of-illicit-drugs-45978.html Sat, 27 Jun 2020 00:27:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/vini-mahajan-takes-over-as-punjabs-1st-woman-chief-secretary-45979.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh A 1987batch IAS officer Vini Mahajan on Friday took over as the first woman Chief Secretary of Punjab marking another milestone in an illustrious career which is notable for many landmark achievements Vini has replaced Karan Avtar Singh at the prestigious post where she brings to the table 33 years of experience in a host of key positions in the Central and Punjab governments Her husband Dinkar Gupta is presently the DGP of Punjab Meanwhile Karan Avtar has been posted as the Special Chief Secretary Governance Reforms Singh picked by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in 2017 for the chief secretarys post is due to retire at the end of August He had found himself in the middle of a row with ministers Manpreet Singh Badal and Charanjit Singh Channi complaining about his behaviour at a meeting on May 9 The ministers were upset over his curt remarks at the meeting over liquor licensing and declared they would not attend any meeting in which the bureaucrat participated Vini the only Punjab cadre officer currently in the state who is empaneled to hold position as Secretary Government of India was till now serving as Additional Chief Secretary Investment Promotion Industries Commerce IT and Governance Reforms and Public Grievances She has been playing a crucial role in steering the state governments response to the Covid crisis as Chairman Health Sector Response Procurement Committee An Economics graduate from Lady Shri Ram College Delhi University and a postgraduate from the Indian Institute of Management IIM Calcutta where she was placed on the Roll of Honour and later also received the Distinguished Alumnus Award Vini was pivotal in the states success in attracting over Rs 20000 crore new investment every year during her tenure in Investment Promotion and Industries Commerce In fact it was with her at the helm of the department that Punjab participated for the first time in the World Economic Forum at Davos in 2019 and held a highly successful Investor Summit with focus on MSMEs in December 2019 Under her leadership the department saw massive improvements in infrastructure in the focal points and new mega Industrial Parks were also taken up A Centre of Excellence and several incubators were launched for promoting and mentoring startups and recently as part of governance reforms in the State a completely new Public Grievances Redressal Policy was launched with her pioneering efforts It was during her tenure as ACS Housing Urban Development that the development of a 5000 acres new township near Mohali Airport was initiated Further during her term as Additional Chief Secretary Revenue Punjab became the first state in the country to roll out the National Generic Document Registration System Vini Mahajan served in the office of the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh from 20052012 and handled matters relating to Finance Industry and Commerce Telecom IT etc She was part of the core team of the central government that put together Indias domestic response during and following the global financial meltdown She also participated in the global response through the G20 mechanism Earlier in 200405 as Director in the Department of Economic Affairs Ministry of Finance GoI she was involved with Indias external assistance programme as well as infrastructure issues In Punjab she has served in various capacities including MDPIDB and as the first Director Disinvestment She was appointed as Chief Administrator of the new Anandpur Sahib Development Authority in 1997 and also CEO Anandpur Sahib Foundation for the organisation for the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa held in 1999 She served as the Chairman of the Celebrations Committee for the 550 year celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev ji in 2019 In 1995 she became the first woman officer to be posted as DC in Punjab when she took over as DC Ropar in which capacity she carried out a highly effective Total Literacy Campaign for which Ropar received the National Literacy Award for best performance in the country Vini Mahajan has received numerous academic awards including the National Talent Search Scholarship She was a Hubert Humphrey fellow based at American University in Washington DC in 2000 2001 She could be the only student in the country who got admission to both IIT and AIIMS Delhi in 1982 after she finished her 12th grade from Modern School New Delhi Her father Shri BB Mahajan was also an IAS officer of the Punjab cadre Topper of the 1957 batch and known to be a man of integrity he held important positions including FCR in Punjab before retiring as Secretary Food Govt of India editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/vini-mahajan-takes-over-as-punjabs-1st-woman-chief-secretary-45979.html Sat, 27 Jun 2020 00:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/efforts-being-taken-to-give-relief-to-industry-arora-45980.html DW BUREAU chandigarh The government of Punjab under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has announced big relief to the industrialists of Punjab in the phase of economic recession coupled with the hardship due to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic said Sunder Sham Arora Industries and Commerce Minister The allottee of industrial plots of PSIEC and prominent industrial associations like CII PHD Chambers of Commerce CICU MIA etc had sought relief to allow industrial plot holders extension in time period for commencement of production on their plots Also they had been demanding provision of residential accommodation in industrial plots allotted by the PSIEC Besides industrialists of Punjab have also been raising their voice for giving extension in time period of Amnesty Scheme applicable to the defaulter plot holders of different Focal Points for making payment of Principal amount of enhanced land cost awarded by judicial courts Arora informed that in view of the persistent demand of plot holders and to create congenial atmosphere for the workforce the State government has now permitted allottees of industrial plots up to 15 per cent of the total covered area in the industrial building for the housing purpose of their staff or workers in all the Industrial Focal Points already developed being developed by PSIEC in the State without payment of any conversion fee Arora further stated that the State Government has also extended the validity period of Amnesty Scheme applicable to the recovery of enhanced land cost by three months ie up to 31082020 Under this extension the period beyond 30052020 to 31082020 would be considered as zero period for the purpose of recovering the enhanced land cost Allottees of plots of different Focal points covering Ludhiana Jalandhar Amritsar Mohali Bathinda Pathankot Goindwal Sahib Tanda Mandi Gobindgarh etc would be benefitted from this decision Arora also informed that PSIEC has permitted extension in time period to the defaulter allottees of industrial plots of different focal points for commencement of production He added that defaulter industrial plot holders of different focal points who have already submitted their building plan with the concerned authority upto 31032020 have been allowed an extension in time period for commencement of production upto the period of 30092021 editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/efforts-being-taken-to-give-relief-to-industry-arora-45980.html Sat, 27 Jun 2020 00:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/2-more-die-of-covid-19-toll-reaches-122-186-fresh-cases-45982.html DW BUREAU chandigarh two more persons succumbed to coronavirus in Punjab on Friday taking the death toll to 122 while 188 fresh cases pushed the infection tally in the state to 4957 One person died in Bathinda and another in Fatehgarh Sahib as per the medical bulletin Punjab continues to see a surge in new coronavirus cases with 188 more people testing positive for the virus on Friday The state has witnessed 1833 new cases since June 15 Among the fresh cases detected on Friday 67 were in Ludhiana 31 in Patiala 24 in Sangrur 14 in Amritsar 13 in Fazilka 10 in Pathankot nine in Gurdaspur six each in Fatehgarh Sahib Mohali and Rupnagar and 2 in Ferozepur as per bulletin Of them four were foreign returnees while 26 had travel history to other states it stated Nine coronavirus patients were discharged from various hospitals after they recovered from the infection A total of 3201 people have been cured so far as per bulletin There are 1634 active cases in the state as of now Amritsar continued to top the COVID19 tally in the state with 852 coronavirus cases It is followed by 730 in Ludhiana 668 in Jalandhar 346 in Sangrur 274 in Patiala 234 in Mohali 207 in Gurdaspur 205 in Pathankot 187 in Tarn Taran  166 in Hoshiarpur 126 in SBS Nagar 125 in Muktsar 107 in Fatehgarh Sahib 101 each in Faridkot and Rupnagar 92 in Moga 90 in Fazilka 88 in Ferozepur 85 in  Bathinda 83 in Kapurthala 46 in Barnala and 44 in Mansa as per bulletin Six patients are critical and are on ventilator support while 24 are on oxygen support it said A total of 276919 samples have been taken for testing so far as per bulletin Meanwhile Department of Water Supply and Sanitation has initiated emergency measures to ramp up infrastructure facilities to handle patients in case of a flare up in COVID 19 cases The groundwork has already started to set up dedicated COVID care units at separate locations in all the districts with the provision of isolation beds said Razia Sultana Water Supply and Sanitation Minister in a press communiqué released here today Sharing the detail of the work initiated in this direction Mrs Razia Sultana said that one such isolation centre with 50 beds capacity has been set up at Village Dhahan Kaleran of district SBS Nagar by the department with the support of Department of BR department doctors at Guru Nanak Charitable Hospital She said that 9 air conditioning systems have been installed for the comfort of the patients in a very short span of time She said that ventilation system along with sodium hypochlorite solution tank at roof top has also been provided The health infrastructure in other hospitals is also being ramped up to deal with the crisis said Sultana The Water Supply and Sanitation Minister said that apart from this the department is taking all necessary steps to maintain uninterrupted water supply and unhindered sewage services to the Isolation Center She said that all 40 pump operators spread out in all the villages of Banga block have also been trained on precautionary measures to be taken to combat COVID19 She said that disinfection is being carried out regularly to ensure availability of potable water for drinking purposes Pump operators are also liaisoning with Gram Panchayat Water and Sanitation Committees GPWSCs to maintain water supply schemes being run by them In case of any breakdowns leakages etc technical support along with repair materials are being immediately provided the department said Razia Sultana editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/2-more-die-of-covid-19-toll-reaches-122-186-fresh-cases-45982.html Sat, 27 Jun 2020 00:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-caps-covid-19-treatment-cost-in-pvt-hospitals-45983.html DW BUREAU chandigarh The Haryana government has capped the cost of Covid19 treatment in private hospitals fixing the maximum rate at nonNABH accredited facilities for patients who need to be kept in ICU with ventilator care at Rs 15000 per day For isolation beds including supportive care and oxygen moderate sickness the cost per patient per day has been fixed at Rs 8000 the government said in an order issued on Thursday The cost for a COVID19 patient with severe sickness requiring ICU facility without ventilator care will be Rs 13000 and for those who need to be kept in ICU with ventilator care noninvasiveinvasive the cost per day will be Rs 15000 it said For the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals Healthcare Providers NABH hospitals the treatment cost per day for the three categories of patients will be Rs 10000 Rs 15000 and Rs 18000 respectively the order added On Tuesday Health Minister Anil Vij had told PTI the Haryana government will ensure affordable treatment even for those opting for private hospitals The government directed the hospitals to not charge any amount in excess of those prescribed for the treatment of COVID19 patients and said not adhering to its orders could invite penalty under IPC Section 188 disobedience to order issued by a public servant It said the prescribed rates is all inclusive as a package The rates will include but be not limited to charges such as all lab investigations radiological diagnostics monitoring charges drugs consumables including PPEmasksgloves etc doctors visit or consultation nursing care physiotherapy procedural charges such as intubation catheterization of all types chest tube transfusion of blood and its components cardioversion etc said the order However this will not include the experimental therapies like Remdesivir The rates will include the costs of medical care of underlying comorbid conditions including supportive care and cost of medications thereof for the duration of care for COVID19 Since many of the coronavirus patients have conditions such as hypertension diabetes cardiovascular problems etc the charges for medical care of such comorbidities will be a part of the package editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-caps-covid-19-treatment-cost-in-pvt-hospitals-45983.html Sat, 27 Jun 2020 00:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-dgp-calls-for-drug-free-society-45624.html DW BUREAU cHANDIGARH DIRECTOR GENERAL of Police DGP Manoj Yadava on Thursday described a drugfree and healthy society as the need of the hour as added that Haryana Police is working relentlessly to completely weed out the menace of drug trafficking from the State In a message issued on the eve of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking here today the DGP said that the day is observed on June 26 every year to raise awareness about the major problem that illicit drugs poses to the society as well as strengthen global action and cooperation to achieve the goal of a society free of drug abuseYadava said that both the Chief Minister Manohar Lal and Home Minister Anil Vij had brought the countrys northern states on a single platform for better sharing of intelligence and information to effectively tackle the drug menace The State Government had also set a target to make Haryana a drugfree state In line with the governments commitment and with the active support of people the DGP informed the police had foiled almost all attempts of interstate drug peddlers to push a massive consignment of narcotics into the state with the seizure of whopping 21787 kg drugs including 144799 kg opium 183495 kg charassulpha 14355 kg poppy husk 1772 kg smack 7064 kg ganja and 21861 kg heroin during 14 months between January 2019 and February 2020 Our teams have also confiscated close to 18 lakh medicines fallen under the category of prohibited drugs during the same period In addition 3853 kg drugs were also recovered upto lockdown 40 from March 23 to May 31 The district Police Chiefs CPs and SPs had been instructed to take stringent action against drug peddlers At the same time all the field units in districts are also organizing drug deaddiction awareness campaigns and sensitizing the people especially youth about the illeffects of drugs across the State He sought the support of the civil society to eradicate menace of drug abuse editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-dgp-calls-for-drug-free-society-45624.html Fri, 26 Jun 2020 00:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/are-you-now-rejecting-45625.html DW BUREAU chandigarh Lashing out at the Shiromani Akali Dal SAD chief for his doublespeak on the issue of the Resolution passed yesterday at the allparty meeting on the farm sector Ordinances Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder on Thursday dared Sukhbir Singh Badal to come out with a categorical statement that his party does not extend even conditional support to it Are you or are you not opposed to the resolution Are you with the resolution either totally or conditionally And finally do you or do you not agree that Agriculture is a state subject and the Centre should not interfere the Chief Minister asked the SAD president misleading the people Pointing out that the SAD chiefs explicit support on two of the three points in the resolution passed at yesterdays allparty meeting was a matter of record he noted that the same was duly and fairly communicated through the government statement issued after the meeting and no amount of lying could change the facts The fact of the matter said the Chief Minister is that while the BJP clearly and outrightly opposed the resolution Sukhbir after initially evading a direct response interrupted him twice to clarify that We will send you in writing alsothat your two resolutionsMSP and meeting with Prime Minister for clarificationwe are with you on the allparty resolution On whether it infringes with federalism will like legal opinion editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/are-you-now-rejecting-45625.html Fri, 26 Jun 2020 00:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sukhbir-slams-cm-for-deceiving-farmers-45627.html DW BUREAU chandigarh shiromani akali Dal SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday castigated chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and the Congress government for allegedly trying to deceive farmers by issuing a false and misleading press statement about the allparty meeting held yesterday Terming the statement released by the State government yesterday on the allparty meeting as a breach of faith the SAD President said the release had been manipulated to show that the SAD had supported the resolutions moved by the government This is furthest from the truth The Congress was supported by the Aam Aadmi Party AAP which spoke its language and acted as its rubber stamp Few other political leaders also displayed their close ties with the Congress party on the occasion Badal also played the recording of his entire speech during the All Party meeting to make his stance public and make the people know how he had exposed the Congress party on the occasion He also separately wrote a letter to the chief minister deriding the manner in which the Congress party had tried to mislead farmers and misquote him The SAD president said there was no discussion on merit about the central Ordinances on agriculture at the All Party meeting He said he had made it clear that there was no mention of ending MSP or assured marketing in any of the Ordinances Similarly Badal said he had pointed out that the Ordinances did not contain anything against federalism and that the SAD had a long record of sacrifices on this account I assured at the All Party meeting that msp and assured marketing will not end We as a party even said we are ready to get a written assurance on this account from the Agriculture minister and would get an assurance from parliament also when the Ordinances were tabled there We even agreed to accompany a delegation to the Prime Minister to clarify doubts if any However this was misinterpreted by the government in its press release by stating that the SAD would accompany a delegation of representatives of all political parties led by the chief minister to get the central Ordinances withdrawn Badal told newsmen that he had also asked chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to clarify if his government had passed all the provisions listed in the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce ordinance in August 2017 when it amended the State APMC Act He said the Congress government had allowed establishment of private yards editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sukhbir-slams-cm-for-deceiving-farmers-45627.html Fri, 26 Jun 2020 00:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-covid-count-moves-to-4-769-deaths-at-120-45628.html DW BUREAU chandigarh Seven more people died of coronavirus in Punjab on Thursday taking the toll to 120 while 142 fresh cases pushed its tally to 4769 according to a medical bulletin Sangrur and Amritsar recorded two fatalities each and Moga Tarn Taran and Ludhiana one each it said Of the 142 fresh cases 31 were reported in Amritsar followed by 25 in Jalandhar 21 in Sangrur 19 in Ludhiana nine in Muktsar eight in Patiala six each in Moga and Kapurthala four each in Mohali and Ferozepur two each in Gurdaspur and Fazilka and one each in Tarn Taran Hoshiarpur Faridkot Rupnagar and Mansa it said Fifteen of the new patients had a travel history to other states According to the bulletin 93 coronavirus patients were discharged from various hospitals after they recovered from the infection A total of 3192 people have been cured of the disease so far it said The state now has 1457 active cases the bulletin said Amritsar continued to top the states COVID19 tally with 838 cases followed by 668 in Jalandhar 663 in Ludhiana 322 in Sangrur 243 in Patiala 228 in Mohali and 198 in Gurdaspur Pathankot has 195 cases Tarn Taran 187 Hoshiarpur 166 SBS Nagar 126 Muktsar 125 Fatehgarh Sahib and Faridkot 101 each Rupnagar 95 Moga 92 Ferozepur 86 Bathinda 85 Kapurthala 83 Fazilka 77 Barnala 46 and Mansa 44 according to the bulletin Five patients are critical and on ventilator support while 25 are on oxygen support it said A total of 269037 samples have been taken for testing so far the bulletin said Ten more coronavirus deaths were reported from Haryana on Thursday eight of these from the three worsthit districts falling in the National Capital Region while the total number of cases in the state rose to 12463 with 453 fresh infectionsFour deaths were reported from Sonipat three from Faridabad and one from Gurgaon COVID19 fatalities in Haryana now stand at 198 A record spike in COVID19 cases in Maharashtra Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh on Thursday triggered the biggest singleday jump of close to 17000 infections in the country even as Maharashtra decided to undertake antigen and rapid antibody tests for the disease in the worst hit state According to the Union Health ministry data COVID19 cases rose by the highestever number of 16922 to reach 473105 while the death toll climbed to 14894 with 418 new fatalities This was the sixth consecutive day when coronavirus cases increased by more than 14000 Consequently India has added 92573 cases since June 20 and over 282 lakh this month alone since June 1 However the recovery rate has improved to 5743 per cent according to the Health ministry It also said there are 3339 COVID19 cases in India for every one lakh population as against the global average of 11467 Also the country has 106 deaths per lakh population which is amongst the lowest in the world and the global average is 624 it added A central team led by Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Lav Agarwal will visit Gujarat Maharashtra and Telangana between June 26 and 29 to coordinate with the state officials in strengthening COVID19 management efforts in those areas According to officials the team will also review the measures undertaken by the states for containment of COVID19 Maharashtra recorded the highest daily jump of 4841 new cases and the tally rose to 147741 a state health official said Gujarat was in the fourth position with a tally of 28943 while Telangana reported 10331 cases according to health ministry data Twelve states have reported over 10000 cases editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-covid-count-moves-to-4-769-deaths-at-120-45628.html Fri, 26 Jun 2020 00:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/monsoon-moves-towards-north-punjab-45303.html DW BUREAU chandigarh The southwest monsoon on Wednesday advanced to northern parts of Punjab bringing rains and causing temperatures to drop by a few notches a Meteorological Department official said here Rains also lashed parts of neighbouring HaryanaNormally monsoon arrives in Punjab and Haryana in the first week of July The monsoon has advanced into northern parts of Punjab and Chandigarh Conditions are favourable for its further advancement into most parts of Punjab and Haryana on Thursday a Meteorological Department official said here In Punjab Patiala and Amritsar recorded maximum temperatures of 347 degrees Celsius and 352 degrees Celsius respectively both three notches below normal Ludhiana recorded a high of 348 degrees Celsius two notches below normal Heavy rains also lashed Chandigarh the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana in the afternoon The maximum temperature in the city settled at 333 degree Celsius four notches below normal In Haryana Narnaul recorded a high of 314 degrees Celsius 10 notches below normal after the rains In Ambala the mercury settled at 335 degrees Celsius four notches below normal after light rains Karnal recorded a maximum temperature of 335 degrees Celsius four notches below normal Hisars recorded a high of 384 degree Celsius two notches below normalDuring the next two days light to moderate rain or thundershowers are likely in many parts of Punjab and Haryana including Chandigarh according to the weather departmentIt has forecast heavy showers at isolated parts in north Haryana and Punjab editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/monsoon-moves-towards-north-punjab-45303.html Thu, 25 Jun 2020 01:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/25-principals-transferred-45306.html DW BUREAU chandigarh THE PUNJAB government has transferred 25 principals in public interest keeping in view the education of the children Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the School Education Department said that after the approval of Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla the secretary of the school education department Krishan Kumar has issued an order in this regard According to the spokesperson Rajiv Kakkar has been posted as Principal Government Senior Secondary School Khilchian Amritsar Satpal Saini has been posted as Principal GSSS Jejo Doaba Hoshiarpur Jasveer Kumar as PrincipalGSSS Ishpur Makhsuspur Chela Hoshiarpur Paramjit Singh as Principal GSSS Jandoli Hoshiarpur Pankaj Mahajan as Principal GSSS Gharota Pathankot Kishore Kumar as Principal GSSS Narot Jaimal Singh Pathankot Sunita Sharma as Principal GSSS Najo Chakk Pathankot Mohinder Pal as Principal GSSS Dhobra Pathankot Balwinder Kumar as Principal GSSS Jangal Pathankot and Ranjit Singh as Principal GSSS Bodhal Hoshiarpur Similarly Pargat Singh has been posted as PrincipalGSSS Lamin Hoshiarpur Jasveer Kaur as Principal GSSS Narot Rupalheri Fatehgarh Sahib Rajesh Kumar as Principal GSSS Bassi Jalalpur Hoshiarpur Tarlok Singh as Principal GSSS Goraya Jalandhar Mr Subhash Chandra as Principal GSSS Bhalaiana Sri Muktsar Sahib Mr Jatinder Singh as Principal GSSS Bassi Wajid Hoshiarpur Kulwinder Singh as Principal GSSS Mandi Kalan Bathinda Om Prakash Midda as Principal GSSS Khiala Kalan Mansa Sanjeev Kumar as Principal GSSS Mansa and Deepak Bansal has been posted as Principal GSSS Lakhewali Sri Muktsar Sahib Rupinder Kaur has been posted as Principal GSSS Sher Khan Ferozepur editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/25-principals-transferred-45306.html Thu, 25 Jun 2020 01:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/all-parties-except-bjp-45307.html DW BUREAU chandigarh Extending their full support to Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on the issue of the antifarmer Ordinances passed by the Centre all the major political parties of Punjab barring the BJP on Wednesday resolved to appeal to the Centre to immediately withdraw the same in public interest and not to tinker with the MSP regime While the BJP completely opposed the resolution the Shiromani Akali Dal SAD while initially expressing their reservations on the same eventually decided to partially endorse it choosing to go with the other parties in resolving that existing assured purchase under MSP regime and the State APMCs should not be tinkered with in any manner SAD also decided to support the decision of all parties to take a delegation to meet the Prime Minister and Union Agriculture Minister on the issue The resolution reads that a delegation of representatives of all political parties led by the State Chief Minister would meet the Prime Minister and Union Agriculture Minister to convey their strong reservations on these antifarmer legislations and urge them to immediately withdraw these in public interest It further stated that that Agriculture and Markets are State Subjects under the Seventh Schedule and the present Ordinances are against the spirit of Cooperative Federalism enshrined in the Constitution Accordingly the Union Government is urged to immediately review and withdraw these Ordnances However SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the party would like a legal opinion before terming the Ordinances as against the spirit of cooperative federalismThe resolution was passed after a marathon nearly 5hour long Video Conference meeting convened by the Chief Minister who made it clear that he would stand with the farmers and people of Punjab as he had done on the issue of water sharing when he had gone against his own party to abrogate all water sharing agreements of the state The Centre has no right to interfere in the matter of Agriculture said Captain Amarinder urging all parties to stand with his government on this issue in the interest of the state and its people particularly the farmers Pointing out that the Centre had come out with these Ordinances without waiting for the report of the Committee formed under Maharashtra Chief Minister to assess all aspects of the issue the Chief Minister urged SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal to go by your heart and not let politics rule your decision Captain Amarinders appeal to Sukhbir came after the latter initially opposed the Resolution arguing that there was nothing wrong in the Ordinances Describing the Ordinances as profarmer and aimed at encouraging competition Sukhbir initially rejected the suggestion that the move was a precursor to ending the MSP system pointing out that it was not written anywhere The Chief Minister however was quick to point out that written or note the aim was clear and the Ordinances had to be seen in the context of the developments of the past six years editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/all-parties-except-bjp-45307.html Thu, 25 Jun 2020 01:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/restaurants-marriage-halls-45141.html DW BUREAU chandigarh The Punjab government on Tuesday moved towards further reopening of the economy allowing hotels restaurants and marriage halls to operate at 50 per cent capacity with strict adherence to socialdistancing norms and other health protocols According to fresh guidelines issued here restaurants in the state are now allowed dinein facility till 8 pm with 50 per cent occupancy or 50 guests whichever is less Keeping in view concerns of the Industry and MHA instructions we have decided to reopen hotels restaurants marriage halls other hospitality services at reduced 50 capacity However establishments must adhere to the SoP and observe full precautions Chief Minister Amarinder Singh tweeted on Tuesday The state had allowed these activities in a very limited manner from June 1 when the country officially entered into Unlock1 to gradually exit from the coronavirus lockdown Restaurants in hotels are now allowed to serve food including buffet meals up to 50 per cent of their seating capacity or 50 guests whichever is less as per the guidelines The restaurants would also be open to persons other than hotel guests but only till 8 pm Though bars shall remain closed liquor can be served in the rooms and restaurants as permitted under the excise policy of the state the guidelines say Marriages and other social functions open air parties in banquet halls and marriage palaces can be organised for up to 50 persons they said but the number of guests exclusive of catering staff would not exceed 50 The size of the banquet hall shall be at least 5000 square feet based on the requirement of 10 x10 area for a person for the purpose of maintenance of adequate social distancing as per the guidelines The bars shall continue to remain closed However liquor can be served in the function as per the excise policy of the state He added that the bars would continue to remain closed in banquet hallsmarriage palaces However liquor could be served in the function as per the excise policy of the State The SOPs for hotels and other hospitality services would be strictly followed editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/restaurants-marriage-halls-45141.html Wed, 24 Jun 2020 18:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-reports-4-more-corona-deaths-162-new-cases-45144.html DW BUREAU chandigarh The death toll due to COVID19 in Punjab on Tuesday rose to 105 with four fresh fatalities while the states tally of cases climbed to 4397 as 162 more people tested positive for the disease a health department bulletin said Two fatalities were reported from Ludhiana and one each from Amritsar and Patiala it said Jalandhar reported the maximum number of fresh cases at 38 followed by 34 in Ludhiana 18 in Sangrur 12 in Patiala 11 in Bathinda 10 in Fatehgarh Sahib nine in Moga seven in Amritsar four each in Ferozepur Gurdaspur and Kapurthala three each in Mansa and Barnala two in Rupnagar and one each in Faridkot Tarn Taran and Hoshiarpur according to the bulletinTwenty people who tested positive for COVID19 on Tuesday have travel history to other states As many as 222 COVID19 patients recovered from the disease and were discharged from various hospitals A total of 3047 people have been cured of the disease so far the bulletin saidThere are 1245 active cases in the state as of now it said Amritsar continued to top the COVID19 tally in the state with 792 cases followed by 602 in Jalandhar 615 in Ludhiana 239 in Sangrur 226 in Patiala 219 in Mohali and 195 in GurdaspurPathankot has 188 cases Tarn Taran 186 Hoshiarpur 165 SBS Nagar 125 Fatehgarh Sahib 100 Faridkot 99 Rupnagar 91 Moga 85 Muktsar 84 Bathinda 79 Ferozepur 77 Fazilka 75 Kapurthala 67 Barnala 46 and Mansa 42 Nine patients are in critical condition and on ventilator support while 19 are on oxygen support the bulletin stated A total of 255380 samples have been taken so far for testing it said In a bid to curtail spread of corona virus in specific areas Punjab Government has implemented a stringent containment strategy under which 19 containment zones have been established in 8 districts containing population of about 25000 so far Giving details Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said that in urban areas containment zones are clearly demarcated as a street or two adjoining streets a Mohalla or a residential society Containment as well as micro containment zone is depending upon the total number of the COVID19 cases in specific area so to ensure the proper utilization of man power to conduct the activities such as screening tracing testing and counseling of all high risk contacts He said that in the rural areas it can encompass the whole village or be limited to a part of village The principle underlying this detailing is to focus on effective containment of smallerlimited areas Early identification has proved successful in containing the spread of the infection Thus the whole population in the containment areas is screened regularly and all possible suspected cases of COVID19 are tested and positives shifted to isolation centres To ensure the safety of high risk patients the Minister said that instructions have been issued to the Civil Surgeons that high risk patients those aged more than 60 years or those with comorbidities like diabetes mellitus hypertension etc will not be admitted at COVID Care Centre CCC No LevelI LevelII patients to be admitted at LevelIII facility Patients at the CCC will be shifted to the LevelII facility only if indicated according to the referral criteria already issued Every COVID Care Centre must have a dedicated Basic Life Support Ambulance BLSA equipped with sufficient oxygen support on 24x7 basis editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-reports-4-more-corona-deaths-162-new-cases-45144.html Wed, 24 Jun 2020 18:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/doctors-in-punjab-strike-work-over-new-ordinance-45146.html DW BUREAU chandigarh PRIVATE DOCTORS across Punjab strike work on Tuesday in protest against the Punjab Clinical Establishment Registration and Regulation Ordinance of 2020 that is coming into force from July 1 The impact was seen more in towns and cities than rural areas However major hospitals in cities worked normallyThe strike call was given by the Indian Medical Association IMA which claimed that it had already given an ultimatum to the state government asking it to withdraw its decision to implement the ordinance that was brought on April 10 However government doctors could not join the protest owing to the Epidemic Act but they expressed solidarity with their fellow doctors by donating blood at some places including the Civil Hospital in Jalandhar IMA president Navjot Dahiya said the emergency services in the private hospitals remained closed He said if the government failed to accept their demands including providing a oneyear extension to the hospital to install sewerage treatment plants the IMA would decide its further course of action on June 28 In view of COVID19 crisis a day earlier state Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu appealed to the IMA to withdraw its strike The minister said the government was ready to discuss all issues raised by the IMA over the proposed Clinical Establishment Act The Cabinet led by Amarinder Singh approved the Punjab Clinical Establishment Registration and Regulation Ordinance 2020 to bring the private hospitals under the umbrella of the Covid19 battle Amarinder Singh had said it was important to activate all the resources in the larger interest of the state in the light of the current battle which threatens to be a longdrawn one The ordinance provides registration and regulation of clinical establishments in a professional manner to ensure compliance of clinical standards and protocols and transparency in the functioning of these establishments for fair and proper delivery of health services to the common man It is applicable to all clinical establishments of 50 beds and above as in the case of Haryana editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/doctors-in-punjab-strike-work-over-new-ordinance-45146.html Wed, 24 Jun 2020 18:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/youth-should-promote-fish-farming-45155.html DW BUREAU chandigarh UNION MINISTER of State for Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying Dr Sanjeev Balyan has said that youth should come forward to promote fish farming as a part of Blue Revolution Youth have a lot to learn in this area which can also strengthen their economic status He gave this information while visiting a private fishery farmhouse near Nimbri village in Panipat on Tuesday Dr Sanjeev Balyan said that under biofloc methodology used for fish farming the fish is reared an artificial tank using modern techniques Apart from this fish farming is also being done using RAS and pond system techniques He informed that under various schemes Centre and State governments are giving 40 per cent subsidy to the fisheries sector He told that a fisherman can rear fish two times a year Vietnam Singhi and Roopchand fishes are used for fish rearing and are exported to other parts of the country and world He also praised Bijendra Singh for adopting fish farming He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced an economic relief package of Rs 20 lakh crore to uplift the country from economic recession and to motivate the youth towards selfemployment during the lockdown wherein the Prime Minister had spoken about connecting people with fisheries and giving them related business under the Matsya Sampada Yojana Deputy Director Rohtak Fisheries Department Atma Ram said that a grant of Rs 750 lakh is given for building five tanks for fish farming in the biofloc system of which Rs 6 lakh is spent for the expenses of the tank etc and Rs 150 lakh for other expenses Apart from this the first year lease money is also exempted under various schemes editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/youth-should-promote-fish-farming-45155.html Wed, 24 Jun 2020 18:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/covid-19-death-toll-in-punjab-crosses-100-mark-44961.html DW BUREAU CHANDIGARH death toll due to the coronavirus crossed the 100mark in Punjab after two more persons succumbed to the infection on Monday while 177 fresh cases took the COVID19 tally to 4235 according to a government health bulletin The two fatalities were reported in Ludhiana taking the death toll to 101 Punjab has been witnessing a steady spike in coronavirus cases with 1111 people testing positive for the virus since June 15 Of the fresh 177 cases 46 were in Jalandhar 34 in Ludhiana 28 in Amritsar 15 in Sangrur 13 in Fazilka seven each in Pathankot and Ferozepur five in Patiala four in Bathinda three each in Faridkot and Muktsar two each in Mohali Fatehgarh Sahib SBS Nagar Gurdaspur Tarn Taran and one each in Moga and Kapurthala according to the bulletin Three of them were Border Security Force personnel and four policeman one was a railway employee Of the total cases 17 have a recent travel history to other states On Monday 125 coronavirus patients recovered and were discharged from various hospitals So far 2825 people have been cured of the infectionThere are 1309 active cases in the state according to the bulletin Amritsar continued to top the COVID19 tally in the state with 786 positive cases followed by 564 in Jalandhar 581 in Ludhiana 219 in Mohali 214 in Patiala 221 in Sangrur 184 in Tarn Taran 191 in Gurdaspur 188 in Pathankot 164 in Hoshiarpur 125 in SBS Nagar  98 in Faridkot 90 in Fatehgarh Sahib 89 in Rupnagar 84 in Muktsar 76 in Moga 68 in Bathinda 73 in Ferozepur 63 in Kapurthala 75 in Fazilka 39 in Mansa and 43 in Barnala Five patients are critical and on ventilator support while 21 are on oxygen support the bulletin said A total of 246760 samples have been taken so far for testing India on Monday added 14821 new COVID19 cases pushing the infection tally to 425282 while the death toll rose to 13699 with 445 new fatalities according to Union Health Ministry data The country crossed the four lakhmark on Sunday eight days after recording three lakh COVID19 cases and has witnessed a surge of 234747 infections from June 1 till 22 India registered over 10000 cases for the 11th day in a row The number of recoveries also continued to surge with 237195 patients cured so far while there were 174387 active cases according to the updated official figures at 8 am One patient has migrated In the last 24 hours a total of 9440 COVID19 patients have recovered taking the recovery rate to 5577 per cent officials said According to the Indian Council of Medical Research ICMR a cumulative total of 6950493 samples have been tested up to 21 June with 143267 samples being tested on Sunday Of the 445 fresh fatalities reported till Monday morning 186 were from Maharashtra 63 from Delhi 53 from Tamil Nadu 43 from Uttar Pradesh 25 from Gujarat 15 from West Bengal 14 from Madhya Pradesh 12 from Rajasthan 11 from Haryana seven from Telangana five each from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka two from Odisha one each from Bihar Jammu and Kashmir Puducherry and Punjab India is the fourth worsthit nation by the pandemic after the US Brazil and Russia According to the Johns Hopkins University which has been compiling COVID19 data from all over the world India is at the eighth position in terms of the death toll editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/covid-19-death-toll-in-punjab-crosses-100-mark-44961.html Tue, 23 Jun 2020 00:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/pgrs-to-address-all-grievances-44963.html DW BUREAU cHANDIGARH The PUnjab Cabinet on Monday approved a comprehensive Public Grievance Redressal Policy paving the way for the creation and management of a Public Grievance Redressal System PGRS to bring the grievance mechanisms of all departments under one umbrella within the ambit of Digital Punjab Led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh the Cabinet decided to put in place a uniform system for redressal of the grievances of citizens in a timebound accessible and transparent manner There is currently no single interface for citizens to register their grievances with the Government which necessitated the formulation of a comprehensive policy in this regard according to an official spokesperson Aimed at further improvements in service delivery of citizen grievances redressal the policy provides for establishment of a clear standardised workflow for grievance redressal assigns timelines to each officer in the workflow for resolution of grievance enables citizens to submit their feedback on the resolution provided escalates grievances to higher authorities and allows for analysis of the collected data for evidencebased decision making Supported by an IVR system and a proposed call centre PGRS shall enable collection of citizen feedback and sentiments on Governments delivery of resolution in services The Department of Governance Reforms and Public Grievances has built an IT portal for PGRS as per the Punjab Grievance Redressal Policy and proposes to onboard all the departments on it and to conduct training of department officers and staff as required for the purpose editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/pgrs-to-address-all-grievances-44963.html Tue, 23 Jun 2020 00:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cong-mp-bajwa-questions-punjab-govts-move-to-set-up-civil-services-board-44713.html DW BUREAU chandigarh Congress Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa on Sunday questioned the Punjab governments move to set up a board to ensure a fixed term at a post to IAS officers saying it will make them less answerable and accountable to legislators The state government decided to set up the board to provide a fixed twoyear tenure to an IAS officer at a posting Any decision to cut short the term will be examined by the board In a letter to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Bajwa said the June 2 order of the state government has sent a disturbing and negative signal to already demoralised elected representatives Referring to the last months faceoff between two state ministers and the chief secretary during a meeting Bajwa said the timing of the move is ominous Just when your cabinet ministers have been recently humiliated by the chief secretary you have now set up an allpowerful civil services board headed by the chief secretary with a few bureaucrats as its members to ensure that the bureaucracy becomes much less answerable and accountable to elected representatives Bajwa said Bajwa claimed that several ministers and MLAs had many a time complained against the overbearing unresponsive and intemperate behaviour of many officers because of undue importance and support they enjoy from the CM This move of assuring them of a fixed tenure of postings and other immunities under the umbrella of the civil services board has tilted the scale decisively against the elected representatives Bajwa said The bureaucracy in the state has staged a coup through your June 2 orders to render the ministers and MLAs helpless in raking up neglected issues of public importance and timely planning and execution of development works he alleged editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cong-mp-bajwa-questions-punjab-govts-move-to-set-up-civil-services-board-44713.html Mon, 22 Jun 2020 01:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/217-fresh-covid-19-cases-in-punjab-9-deaths-44158.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab reported 217 fresh COVID19 cases on Friday taking the infection tally to 3832 while the death toll in the state rose to 92 according to a medical bulletin Nine fatalities due to coronavirus were reported in the state out of which two deaths each were reported in Amritsar and Jalandhar and one each in Moga Barnala Sangrur Patiala and Tarn Taran as per the medical bulletin Punjab continued to witness a spike in coronavirus cases with 217 people getting infected on Friday The state has seen 692 more people getting infected with the deadly virus since June 15 Jalandhar one of the worst affected districts by the coronavirus pandemic reported 79 fresh cases while Amritsar another worsthit district saw 35 new cases Nineteen cases were reported in Ludhiana 18 in Sangrur 11 in Mohali eight each in Patiala and Pathankot seven in Kapurthala six in Muktsar five each in Faridkot and Hoshiarpur three each in Ferozepur Barnala and Bathinda two each in Tarn Taran and Fatehgarh Sahib and one each in Fazilka Rupnagar Gurdaspur and Ferozepur the bulletin stated A police official in Fatehgarh Sahib three policemen a dental surgeon and a prisoner in Sangrur were among the fresh cases Twentytwo people had travel history to Delhi Bihar Uttar Pradesh and Haryana as per bulletinSixtysix coronavirus patients recovered from the infection and were discharged from various hospitals A total of 2636 people have been cured so far as per the bulletin There are 1104 active cases in the state as of now it said Amritsar continued to top the COVID19 tally in the state with 733 coronavirus cases followed by 489 each in Ludhiana and Jalandhar 202 in Mohali 199 in Patiala 190 in Sangrur 178 in Tarn Taran  176 in Gurdaspur 165 in Pathankot 155 in Hoshiarpur 121 in SBS Nagar  94 in Faridkot 85 in Fatehgarh Sahib 84 in Rupnagar 79 in Muktsar 74 in Moga 64 in Bathinda 55 in Fazilka 62 in Ferozepur 58 in Kapurthala 38 in Mansa and 42 in Barnala as per the bulletin Four patients are critical and are on ventilator support while 27 are on oxygen support it said A total of 227012 samples have been taken so far for testing the bulletin stated India on Friday saw another record spike of 13586 new COVID19 cases in a singleday pushing the tally to 380532 while the death toll rose to 12573 with 336 new fatalities according to the Union Health Ministry data editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/217-fresh-covid-19-cases-in-punjab-9-deaths-44158.html Sat, 20 Jun 2020 01:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/bumper-wheat-procurement-from-punjab-haryana-43870.html DW BUREAU chandigarh PUNJAB ANd Haryana have made significant contributions to the national procurement of wheat The procurement of wheat by government agencies has touched an alltime record figure on June 16 as total procurement for the central pool reached 382 Lakh Metric Tonnes LMT This has surpassed the earlier record of 38148 LMT achieved during 201213 Out of this 382 LMT contributions from the states of Punjab and Haryana stand at 127 LMT and 74 LMT respectively This has been accomplished during the trying times of Covid19 pandemic when the whole country was under lockdown Measures like increasing number of purchase centers regulating the daily inflows into mandis through token systems regular sanitizing earmarking of dumping areas for each farmer etc ensured that none of the food grain procurement centers became Covid19 hotspot anywhere in the country This year number of purchase centers was increased from 14838 to 21869 by opening procurement centers in all possible locations in addition to traditional mandis All over India 42 Lakh farmers have been benefitted and a total amount of about Rs 73500 crore has been paid to them towards Minimum Support Price for wheat Madhya Pradesh became the largest contributor to Central pool with 129 LMT wheat surpassing Punjabs 127 LMT The commencement of procurement was delayed by a fortnight due to the first lockdown and was kicked off only from 15th April in most of the wheat surplus states as against the standard 1st April Extraordinary efforts have been made by state governments and all government procuring agencies led by Food Corporation of India FCI to ensure that wheat is procured from farmers without any delay editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/bumper-wheat-procurement-from-punjab-haryana-43870.html Fri, 19 Jun 2020 00:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-seeks-review-of-ordinances-on-farm-sector-cm-says-these-will-lead-to-exploitation-of-farmers-43143.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconsider the decision to promulgate three Ordinances on the farm sector saying these will lead to exploitation of farmers by organised trade and further exacerbate the socioeconomic tensions among the states peasantry The chief minister expressed his reservation about the laws the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce Promotion and Facilitation Ordinance the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce Promotion and Facilitation Ordinance and the Essential Commodities Amendment Ordinance that the Centre has said will transform the farm sector and help raise farmers income In a letter to the prime minister Singh sought a reconsideration of the three ordinances on permitting trade in agricultural produce outside the physical boundaries of the setup of the agricultural market under the APMC Act easing restrictions under the Essential Commodities Act and facilitating contract farming All three should be revisited keeping in view the concerns and the interests of the farmers said Singh Punjab has been at the forefront of ensuring food security for the country he said The development of crop production technology for wheat and paddy as well as its dissemination supported by the assured procurement at minimum support price MSP in the notified markets has played a key role in building up buffer stocks and making the country selfreliant  he stressed The results of this policy were most visible in the recent past when the country was able to face the unprecedented crisis emanating from the COVID19 pandemic with confidence with no threat of hunger and food deprivation he said Referring to the Ordinances the chief minister said the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee APMC system in Punjab had stood the test of time and served the state and the country well over the last 60 years However the Ordinances have led to widespread apprehension among the farmers of the state that the central government was planning to withdraw from the assured procurement of food grains produced by them He said that there was also another apprehension that the proposed barrierfree nationwide markets for farmers would really come to mean a nationwide market for traders possibly to the detriment of the already debtridden and beleaguered farmers of the state The Ordinances at the times of the unprecedented pandemic will further exacerbate the socioeconomic tensions among the farmers of the state the chief minister said adding that this would not at all be conducive for the peace and development of the region which faces serious challenges of public order due to a live international border Drawing the prime ministers attention to The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce Promotion and Facilitation Ordinance 2020 Singh said it permits new marketing channels outside the APMC domain and has thus farreaching implications for the states particularly Punjab He asserted that Punjab had already amended its APMC Act 1961 to provide for a single unified licence and setting up of private market yards for direct purchase from farmers The chief minister wrote that leaving farmers who neither could hold their produce for a long time after harvest nor had the bargaining power to fetch remunerative prices at the mercy of organised trade will only increase the possibility of their exploitation by the traders editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-seeks-review-of-ordinances-on-farm-sector-cm-says-these-will-lead-to-exploitation-of-farmers-43143.html Tue, 16 Jun 2020 01:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/students-switching-over-from-pvt-to-govt-schools-in-hry-need-not-wait-for-school-leaving-certificate-43145.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Students seeking admission in government schools in Haryana will not require a school leaving certificate now according to an order issued by state School Education Department Many students studying in private schools are seeking admission in government schools an official spokesperson of the department said on Monday In a set of instructions issued by the department it is mentioned that private school students can get admission in government schools even if they do not have a school leaving certificate The School Education Department has decided that all such students who wish to get admission in government schools should be admitted immediately The government school should inform the students previous school in writing and urge that school to issue a school leaving certificate online within 15 days It should also be mentioned that if the certificate is not received from that school within 15 days then it will automatically be deemed to have been issued the spokesperson said in a statementDuring the COVID19 pandemic the state government does not want that any students education is affected he said In compliance with the Right to Education Act 2009 the students are within their rights to take admission in the school of their choice editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/students-switching-over-from-pvt-to-govt-schools-in-hry-need-not-wait-for-school-leaving-certificate-43145.html Tue, 16 Jun 2020 01:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/surjewala-urges-haryana-govt-to-reinstate-1-983-physical-training-instructors-43146.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Monday urged the Haryana government to reinstate the 1983 sacked physical training instructors by issuing an ordinance and ratifying it through a bill passed by the state legislature In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Surjewala also suggested a draft bill for providing security of service to these instructors in the interest of justice and equity In April this year the Supreme Court had upheld the decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashing appointment of 1983 physical training instructors in schools of Haryana in 2010 and asked the state staff selection commission to conduct the recruitment process afresh The apex court had upheld the verdicts passed by the single and division benches of the high court quashing the appointment process conducted during the then Congress government led by B S Hooda Surjewala urged the state government to issue an ordinance to reinstate the physical training instructors PTIs which can then be ratified through a bill I am more than certain that this welfare legislation will have the unequivocal support of the entire Haryana Assembly Surjewala wrote I urge upon you to take immediate steps to ensure that these 1983 PTI teachers and their families are not abandoned to the vagaries of unemployment for an irregularity if any on the part of the recruiting authority the Congress leader said He said the families of these instructors will suffer disproportionately due to the circumstances COVID19 pandemic and the lockdown have created editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/surjewala-urges-haryana-govt-to-reinstate-1-983-physical-training-instructors-43146.html Tue, 16 Jun 2020 01:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/the-total-covid-related-deaths-in-the-state-68-are-males-and-32-females-43147.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryana reported 12 more coronavirus deaths six of these from the hardesthit Gurgaon district taking the toll in the state to 100 on Monday while the number of infections saw the highest singleday spike of 514 cases according to a government bulletin Now the number of positive cases in the state stands at 7722 Among the total COVIDrelated deaths in the state 68 are males and 32 females With six more deaths Gurgaon now has total 37 fatalities the highest for any district in the state Five persons succumbed to the virus in Faridabad another worsthit district in the National Capital Region which now has total 33 deaths Jhajjar district reported another death its second so far according to the state health departments daily bulletin Earlier on June 11 Haryana had reported 12 COVID19 related deaths while the previous highest singleday jump in cases at 496 was recorded on June 7 The other districts from where deaths have been reported include six each from Sonipat and Rohtak three each from Ambala and Jind five from Panipat two from Karnal and one each from Palwal Hisar and Charkhi Dadri according to the bulletin The total active COVID19 patients in the state are 4057 while 3565 have recovered according to the bulletin During the past 24 hours 562 patients recovered and were discharged the highest number during a single day Among the districts from where fresh 514 cases were reported are 183 from Gurgaon where total cumulative cases rose to 3477 a total of 1664 of which are active ones As many as 128 cases were reported from Faridabad 63 from Sonipat nine from Jhajjar 18 each from Karnal and Rewari 10 from Fatehabad 20 from Bhiwani 21 from Rohtak 13 from Mahendragarh four each from Kurukshetra and Ambala two each from Kaithal Jind and Nuh eight from Hisar five from Sirsa three from Panipat and one from Panchkula district according to the bulletin Meanwhile Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij said that COVID19 patients have been included in the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana The Health Minister as per an official release here said that so far cards of more than 2214 lakh people of the state have been made under Ayushman Bharat Yojana all of which have been linked with Aadhaar Presiding over a review meeting regarding prevention of COVID19 with the supervisory officers of all the districts here on Monday Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora directed that along with fighting the disease maintaining the morale of the people at this time is also important   Hence cases of all such patients who have recovered from COVID19 and also those who recovered by staying in home isolation should be conveyed to others so that their morale is boosted she said according to the official release editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/the-total-covid-related-deaths-in-the-state-68-are-males-and-32-females-43147.html Tue, 16 Jun 2020 01:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-seeks-over-rs-80-000-crore-aid-from-centre-43148.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Stressing that the coronavirus challenge is likely to stay for long the Punjab government sought a fiscal aid of over Rs 80000 crore from the Centre to save lives and secure lovelihoods Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed towards a largescale devastation and distress caused to the state due to the COVID19 pandemic The Centres urgent intervention was needed to avert any major socioeconomic upheaval in the coming future as also to assure our next generations of safe living and security of livelihood said the CM demanding an aid of Rs 80845 crore Singh also emphasised the need for administrative structural and even statutory changes to ensure the safety and security of people in the new normal given that the pandemic is here to stay for a long time The Punjab government feels that states alone cannot meet the new challenges therefore in the true spirit of cooperative federalism needs the Union government to assist them in an unusually big way which the country has never seen since the Independence in 1947 the CM said The Punjab chief minister in a statement said a direct fiscal stimulus of Rs 26400 crore and the waiver of the longterm CCL cash credit limit debt was extremely necessary for the fiscal recovery of the state Additionally all central schemes should be 100 per cent funded by the Centre in 202021 the CM urged The Punjab government also sought Rs 6603 crore for improvement in the states public health infrastructure Besides the state will need an estimated Rs 15975 crore for the upgrade of farmgate infrastructure onetime debt waiver providing income support and interest subvention The present agricultural borrowing of farmers should be frozen and taken over by the Centre by converting these as a longterm debt to be paid to the banks in 1015 equal instalments by the Centre the CM said For the future farmers should be given productionlinked credit fully reflecting upon their paying capacity Amarinder Singh said seeking Rs 1161 crore for animal husbandry and dairy sectors To contain the COVID19 contagion in the rural areas Rs 5068 crore will be required for liquid and solid waste management in the villages the CM demanded To meet the postCOVID online and other educational needs the state has sought an assistance of Rs 3080 crore with another Rs 8 crore for online training and stipend at Rs 1000 per month for students during the lockdown period The government also sought Rs 757 crore for new and renewable energy sector Rs 571 crore for border area development and Rs 326 crore for the transport sector Besides seeking Rs 5040 crore as fiscal assistance for the welfare of migrant labourers the CM demanded that the InterState Migrant Workers Act should be revamped to safeguard their interests and basic rights The government also sought support for trade and industry especially micro small and medium enterprises The CM also demanded the nonfiscal component of the aid which included upward revision of capital outlay and targets under the MGNREGA and other major flagship programmes of the Centre such as the Smart City programme editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-seeks-over-rs-80-000-crore-aid-from-centre-43148.html Tue, 16 Jun 2020 01:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/pm-modi-dials-haryana-home-minister-vij-enquires-about-his-well-being-43149.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned Haryanas Home Minister Anil Vij who is recuperating in a Mohali hospital after undergoing a surgery for a fractured thigh bone and enquired about his wellbeing on Monday In the morning at 944 Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned me to enquire about my wellbeing Vij who is also the states health minister said in a tweet He added that all his pain went away after receiving the phone call from the prime minister that you are so concerned about an ordinary worker like me for this I express my deep gratitude Vij said The minister later told PTI that the prime minister spoke to him for over five minutes and wished him a speedy recovery He spoke to me for over five minutes When he asked me how I slipped I told the prime minister that I had an important official meeting scheduled later in the day and was in a hurry trying to get ready and then suddenly this happened Vij said over the phone He said the prime minister told him that he should take care of his health Vij 67 is likely to be in the hospital for about a week The senior Bharatiya Janata Party BJP leader fractured his left thigh bone when he slipped in the bathroom of his Ambala Cantonment residence while taking a bath on Tuesday A day later he underwent a surgery at the hospital in Mohali After the incident on Tuesday the senior BJP leader was first taken to a private hospital in Ambala Cantonment where a team of senior doctors examined him Later he was taken to the private hospital in Mohali Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has twice visited the Mohali hospital and enquired about Vijs health Vij the sixtime MLA from Ambala Cantonment had gone to the bathroom on the first floor of his residence where he slipped and fell down This was the second such incident involving Vij in the recent past A few months ago the minister had slipped in the bathroom and sustained minor injuries on the chest editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/pm-modi-dials-haryana-home-minister-vij-enquires-about-his-well-being-43149.html Tue, 16 Jun 2020 01:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-cm-urges-centre-to-extend-pmgkay-benefits-for-six-more-months-42805.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has urged the Centre to continue giving free wheat and pulses to the beneficiaries of National Food Security Act for another six months under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Singh said the extension of the scheme will go a long way in ensuring that the poor do not sleep hungry The chief minster urged Modi to advise the Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution Government of India accordingly Singh said the early announcement of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana PMGKAY has provided major relief to the poor National Food Security Act NFSA beneficiaries during the COVID19 pandemic according to a statement Underlining the need to continue the scheme the CM pointed out that the financial condition of the poor has not improved much even after resumption of industrial activities in Punjab it said Of the 260 lakh industrial units in the state more than 232 lakh units have resumed operations but the loss of wages over the past few months due to coronavirusinduced lockdown has severely crippled the purchasing power of the people especially the poor NFSA beneficiaries Singh said in the statement He said the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the COVID19 had not only slowed down the countrys economy but also led to a major reduction in the incomes and savings of the people Besides there is an upward trend in the number of COVID19 cases after announcement of relaxations in the lockdown and government may again impose restrictions to check the spread of virus the CM said He said the extension of PMGKAY for six months would be of immense help to the needy NFSA beneficiaries in these trying times editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-cm-urges-centre-to-extend-pmgkay-benefits-for-six-more-months-42805.html Mon, 15 Jun 2020 00:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/fmr-puducherry-lg-didnt-get-proper-treatment-in-hry-govt-hospital-bhupinder-hooda-42807.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryana exChief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday alleged that former Lt Governor of Puducherry Chandrawati did not get proper treatment as per protocol when she went to PGIMS Rohtak after suffering a fracture Hooda termed it as unfortunate Chandrawati ji the first woman MP from Haryana and former Lt Governor of Puducherry should have got proper treatment as per established protocol he said She was not even given a room in PGI Rohtak and was forced to get her treatment in a private hospital This is not the first time it has happened and similar treatment was given to former chief minister Master Hukam Singh by the hospital in 2015 Hooda who is the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly said in a statement here Chandrawatis family however said they did not have any complaint against the hospital authorities as the shortage of rooms was due to the COVID19 pandemic Hooda said if 92yearold Chandrawatis treatment could not be made available at PGIMS Rohtak the government should have arranged for the same at another staterun health facility But they did not do so Such disrespect to a senior woman leader is extremely unfortunate the senior Congress leader said Chandrawatis grandson Jagjit had told reporters in Rohtak earlier that she was brought to Rohtak PGIMS from her Charkhi Dadri residence on Friday night after she fractured her hip They were told that no suitable room was available as they had been earmarked as an isolationcumquarantine facility for coronavirus patients However Jagjit said they had no complaint against the government hospital authorities as the shortage of rooms was due to the prevailing COVID19 pandemic Chandrawati a former Janta Party leader became the firstever woman MP from Haryana in 1977 when she defeated political stalwart Chaudhary Bansi Lal from the Bhiwani constituency She later joined the Congress and also served as the Governor of Puducherry in 1990 editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/fmr-puducherry-lg-didnt-get-proper-treatment-in-hry-govt-hospital-bhupinder-hooda-42807.html Mon, 15 Jun 2020 00:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-asi-suspended-after-knocking-down-goods-at-mohali-shop-42808.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh A Punjab policeman was suspended after being caught on video knocking down a display rack at a shop in neighbouring Mohali accusing the shopkeeper of keeping the outlet open beyond lockdown relaxation hours police said on Sunday According to the local shopkeepers market association an Assistant Sub Inspector rank official on Saturday evening asked a shopkeeper about not closing his shop by 5 pm during the lockdown restrictions The Mohali police official was posted with the PCR police control room wing When shopkeeper Ankush Sharma at Rehri Market of Phase 3B1 in Mohali pointed out that the timing for the closure of shops of essential commodities was kept at 7 pm by the district administration the cop allegedly pushed down two racks containing potato chips and bread the victim told reporters on Sunday Sharma alleged that the policeman also took away a tray of curd and kept it in the police vehicleHowever after other shopkeepers objected the police official returned the curd tray said market association representative Vineet Verma After the incident shopkeepers lodged a complaint against the ASI The entire incident was captured on a nearby CCTV camera Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Chahal said the policeman has been suspended and a departmental inquiry has been ordered against him The Punjab government had ordered stricter lockdown measures on weekends and public holidays in the state In Mohali shops dealing with essential items can remain open on all days till 7 pm while other shops selling nonessential items can remain open till 5 pm on Saturdays and will remain closed on Sundays editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-asi-suspended-after-knocking-down-goods-at-mohali-shop-42808.html Mon, 15 Jun 2020 00:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/17-punjab-policemen-test-positive-for-coronavirus-42513.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Seventeen asymptomatic Punjab policemen have tested positive for coronavirus in a random sampling of 7165 officers posted at various police stations and doing frontline jobs state DGP Dinkar Gupta said on Saturday It translates to around 09 per cent positive cases of the total samples for the police force as compared with the average of two per cent positive cases for the entire state he said Of the 17 positive cases 14 belonged to district police two including a cook were from the state armed policeIndian Reserve Battalion IRB and one from Punjab Home Guards PHG he said in a statement here Sangrur has reported the maximum number of coronavirus cases Gupta said He said the states higher percentage among the general population was understandable since testing of citizens is normally carried out either for symptomatic individuals or for their primary or secondary contacts in contrast to the random exercise conducted among asymptomatic Punjab police personnel While 1868 of the 7165 samples collected till June 12 had tested negative results for 5280 were pending the DGP said The sampling process started on June 1 and efforts were being made to test a maximum number of police personnel posted in police stations and other highrisk areas on a daily basis depending upon the spare sampling and the testing capacity available with the health department he said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/17-punjab-policemen-test-positive-for-coronavirus-42513.html Sun, 14 Jun 2020 02:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/four-delhi-residents-in-punjab-for-covid-19-treatment-officials-42514.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh A few residents of Delhi have come to Punjab for coronavirus treatment after allegedly facing problems in accessing medical services in the national capital officials said on Saturday Three residents of Delhi have been admitted to Rajindra hospital in Patiala after they tested positive for COVID19 while one positive patient from the national capital came to Mohali Punjab government officials said According to officials all four travelled on Friday from Delhi to Punjab where they tested positive for coronavirus They said that the patients are however claiming that they travelled to the state to visit their relatives and not for coronavirus treatment Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu alleged that people in the national capital were being denied testing and medical services He took a swipe at the Arvind Kejriwalled Delhi government saying the situation exposed the tall claims of the Delhi Chief Minister who always said they had successful health services there Patiala Civil Surgeon Harish Malhotra said three middle aged Delhi residents have been admitted to the governmentrun Rajindra hospital after they tested positive for the virus in Punjab After approaching their relatives or friends in Patiala the three patients reached the hospital for testing for coronavirus and treatment the officials said Malhotra said they will not include in Punjabs coronavirus tally the patients from Delhi who are being treated in the state A coronavirus patient from Delhi came to Mohali on Friday night for treatment officials said We have isolated him and will treat him said Mohali Civil Surgeon Manjit SinghWe have informed about this case to Mohali Deputy Commissioner he added The state health minister said the state government will provide treatment to every patient Today the Delhi government has given up They used to say their Mohalla clinics and hospitals were very successful he alleged The Punjab government had announced imposition of stricter lockdown on weekends and public holidays in the state The state government had also mulled imposing strict conditions including mandatory testing certification for entrants from Delhi to Punjab in the wake of the situation assuming alarming proportions in the national capital  editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/four-delhi-residents-in-punjab-for-covid-19-treatment-officials-42514.html Sun, 14 Jun 2020 02:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/97-people-who-came-from-delhi-to-punjab-in-past-1-month-test-covid-19-positive-pb-health-minister-42517.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh A total of 97 people who came from Delhi to Punjab in the past one month have tested positive for coronavirus state Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said on Saturday Hitting out at the Arvind Kejriwalled Delhi government Sidhu alleged that these symptomatic people came to Punjab for coronavirus testing after they failed to get themselves tested in the government hospitals in the national capital Failing to get any treatment in Delhi symptomatic persons are coming to Punjab to get themselves tested Sidhu said in a statement here A total of 97 people who came from Delhi in the past one month tested positive and now they are being treated here he said However it is yet to be ascertained how many of them were permanent residents of Delhi Three residents of Delhi have been admitted at Rajindra Hospital in Patiala after they tested positive while one positive patient from the national capital came to Mohali the Punjab government officials said on Saturday After approaching their relatives or friends in Patiala the three patients reached the hospital for coronavirus testing and treatment the officials said A COVID19 patient from Delhi came to Mohali on Friday night for treatment officials said We have isolated him and will treat him said Mohali Civil Surgeon Manjit Singh Sidhu alleged that people in the national capital were being denied testing and medical services He took a swipe at the Kejriwalled Delhi government saying the situation exposed the tall claims of the Delhi chief minister who used to say they had successful health services there The state health minister said the state government will provide treatment to every patient Today the Delhi government has given up They used to say their Mohalla clinics and hospitals were very successful he alleged editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/97-people-who-came-from-delhi-to-punjab-in-past-1-month-test-covid-19-positive-pb-health-minister-42517.html Sun, 14 Jun 2020 02:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sad-wont-be-mute-witness-to-msp-tinkering-sukhbir-badal-42518.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday said his party will never be a mute spectator to the injustice of tinkering with the Minimum Support Price regime though he did not see its possibility The SAD chief made the remarks days after state Chief Minister Amarinder Singh feared that the Centres two recent ordinances providing for barrierfree trade in farming produces and assured prices for them may be precursors to disbanding the MSP regime Badal said his party will never compromise on the issue of assured procurement of farmers paddy and wheat by government agencies at the MSP as it was a question of life and death for the beleaguered peasantry The SAD is in the government at the Centre and will ensure that the interests of Punjabis in general and farmers and other poor segments in particular are fully safeguarded said the former deputy chief minister The Shiromani Akali Dal chief however added that he did not see any threat to the present MSP regime at this stage But if at any stage the MSP and assured procurement are tinkered with the SAD will not remain a mute witness to such injustice and fight till the injustice is undone said Badal SAD is fully conscious of the partys historic role as the voice and conscience of the people in every sphere from farmers interests to the federal structure of the country he said Farmers and federalism are the foundation on which the countrys long term economic growth and stability stand he added He said the SAD is committed to ensuring that the present MSP regime with assured official procurement of farmers produce is neither disturbed nor diluted in any way editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sad-wont-be-mute-witness-to-msp-tinkering-sukhbir-badal-42518.html Sun, 14 Jun 2020 02:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/further-investigation-is-on-to-identify-further-links-and-accomplices-of-the-three-men-in-punjab-and-jk-42519.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Punjab police on Saturday said it has arrested another LashkareToiba LeT operative while he was trying to flee to Kashmir His arrest came two days after two LeT operatives Aamir Hussain Wani and Wasim Hassan Wani were caught trying to smuggle weapons to the Valley to carry out terror attacks The third suspect has been identified as Javed Ahmed Bhat 29 a resident of Shopian in JK Bhat was intercepted and apprehended along with his truck bearing a JK registration number from Dhobra bridge Pathankot on AmritsarJammu Highway by the Pathankot police as he was trying to escape to the Valley on learning about the arrest of his accomplices said Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta Javed hails from the same village as the other two LeT operatives do and is their childhood friend The trio had been doing transport business together for the past over twothree years and had been making trips to Delhi Amritsar and Jalandhar Brother of a JK Home Guard jawan Arif Ahmed Bhat Javed himself was selected by the unit in 2012 but he had left the job subsequently Initial questioning of Javed revealed that he had come with other LeT operatives Aamir and Wasim from the Kashmir Valley to Amritsar to collect an arms weapons consignment on the pretext of bringing fruits and vegetables They came in two trucks and after picking up the consignment from near Vallah Road on June 11 Aamir and Wasim on directions of their handler Ishfaq Ahmed Dar alias Bashir Ahmed Khan of LeT had asked Javed to stay behind in Amritsar to contact the arms supplier Further investigation is on to identify further links and accomplices of the three men in Punjab and JK said the DGP in a statement here He pointed out that these arrests indicated a widespread terror network backed by Pakistanbased militants The Punjab police on Thursday had arrested Aamir and Wasim and claimed to have foiled a major attempt to smuggle weapons to the Valley for carrying out terror attacks Ten hand grenades along with one AK47 rifle with two magazines and 60 live cartridges were seized from them PTI editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/further-investigation-is-on-to-identify-further-links-and-accomplices-of-the-three-men-in-punjab-and-jk-42519.html Sun, 14 Jun 2020 02:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-to-take-call-on-college-varsity-exams-after-june-30-42520.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Punjab government will take a decision on conducting examinations in universities and colleges in the state after June 30 in line with the fresh guidelines expected from the Government of India in this regard This was stated by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh during his Facebook Live programme on Saturday In response to several questions on the issue of exams with a large number of students urging promotions be allowed in universities and colleges without exams this year in view of the unprecedented Covid19 crisis the Chief Minister said the decision was not in the state governments hands Amarinder Singh pointed out that all universities and colleges in Punjab are either directly or indirectly affiliated to the University Grants Commission UGC a statutory body under the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development As such their systems and processes were guided by the UGC he said The UGC is expected to issue fresh guidelines on the issue of conduct of exams on July 1 based on the Central governments decisions after lockdown 50Unlock 10 ends on June 30 said the Chief Minister When his attention was drawn to the fact that certain states were conducting exams in colleges and universities Amarinder Singh said that was in violation of the norms laid down by the Central government which alone could take a decision on this issue The Centre is also expected to announce its decision on opening of colleges on July 1 he added editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-to-take-call-on-college-varsity-exams-after-june-30-42520.html Sun, 14 Jun 2020 02:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/final-semester-students-of-higher-and-technical-education-courses-in-hry-to-take-exams-in-july-42521.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh All terminal examinations of final semesters in higher and technical education courses will be conducted from July 1 to 31 Haryanas Higher and Technical Education Department has said The mode of examination will be conventional and all norms of social distancing sanitisation etc as notified by the Centre and the state government will be followed strictly by all colleges and universities it said All universities will declare results by August 7 according to an order by Principal Secretary of Higher Education Department Ankur Gupta For the students from outside Haryana the average of all previous examinations may be taken or they can opt either for writing the exam or improvement of grades later on by physical examination if they havent taken any exam earlier he said in the order dated June 12 For intermediate semester examination all students will be promoted to the next semester with 50 per cent weightage of marks of internal assessment or assignment plus 50 per cent weightage of marks in the previous examinations the order said However if a university intends to take examination of such students of the campus departments they may do so the order said adding that those students who have academic arrears may be exempted from examination and are to be promoted to the next semester and reappears are to be carried forward For firstyear students only the internal assessment may be calculated for promotion to the next year according to the order If practical examinations have not been held in a university then average of previous practical exams will be taken or 80 per cent average of theory examinations marks of previous semesters whichever is higher Admissions to university teaching departments will be conducted at individual university level whereas for undergraduate levels and postgraduate levels centralised online admissions for the colleges will be conducted by the Higher Education Department as per past practice the order said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/final-semester-students-of-higher-and-technical-education-courses-in-hry-to-take-exams-in-july-42521.html Sun, 14 Jun 2020 02:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/pgimers-first-covid-19-patient-given-plasma-therapy-recovers-42213.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh A 60yearold coronavirus patient from Haryana who was administered the convalescent plasma therapy was discharged from the PGIMER here after he recovered from the infection He was the first coronavirus patient treated with plasma therapy at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research said a press release issued by the hospital Pankaj Malhotra department of Internal Medicine PGIMER said the patient who is a resident of Kurukshetra in Haryana came in a serious condition with pneumonia requiring oxygen therapy After plasma therapy and supportive care he was taken off oxygen therapy in three days time and gradually his condition improved over time he said Malhotra said PGIMER was one of the centres of the ICMR for national trials on convalescent plasma therapy for coronavirus positive patients who require oxygen therapy PGI was chosen as one of the ICMR sites in the last week of April The first patient donated plasma on May 9 The first corona patient who became eligible to get plasma therapy got enrolled on June 1 Malhotra said Jagat Ram Director PGIMER said It is definitely encouraging news for all of us and I compliment the entire team for their untiring efforts to make it a success  The man was the first patient at PGIMER who has received plasma therapy which is recommended for moderately ill COVID19 patients G D Puri Dean Academics Head department of Anesthesia Intensive Care gave details about the therapy and said The successful recovery with plasma therapy is a positive indicator For plasma therapy clinical trials we need more donors to come forward We have to counsel the recovered patients and their relatives to convince them to donate blood Convalescent plasma is plasma taken from patients who have recovered from coronavirus There are many reports that show that it is a useful therapy in the early stage of disease The plasma therapy works through antibodies which are present in the plasma The patients who have recovered from the COVID19 infection are eligible to donate plasma which is then stored in a blood bank to be given later to patients who come with severe infection said the PGIMER statement Meanwhile a government hospital in Faridkot has conducted Punjabs maiden convalescent plasma therapy on a COVID19 patient Punjab Medical Education and Research Minister O P Soni said the therapy was given to a seriously ill COVID19 patient by a team of doctors at the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College Hospital Faridkot This hospital has become one of the pioneer institutes in the country to initiate this therapy as a part of National Clinical Trial under the ICMR Indian Council of Medical Research said the minister Soni said this was the first ever therapy given in Punjab to a coronavirus patient A few days back the plasma of a patient who had recovered from COVID19 was collected and stored for this purpose at the same hospital Soni said After receiving the plasma therapy the patients condition is gradually improving and is now under observation he said  Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences BFUHS Raj Bahadur said convalescent plasma can be taken from any patient who has recovered from the COVID19 disease editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/pgimers-first-covid-19-patient-given-plasma-therapy-recovers-42213.html Sat, 13 Jun 2020 01:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/consent-given-to-other-states-for-operating-interstate-buses-to-bring-passengers-to-chandigarh-will-be-withdrawn--42215.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Chandigarh administration on Friday suspended interstate bus services till June 30 saying most of the new coronavirus cases detected in the Union Territory have come from outside an official release said here The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by UT Administrator V P Singh Badnore it said It was noted in the meeting that most of the new coronavirus cases are those who have come from outside Chandigarh or their immediate contacts the release said The administrator expressed concern about such cases and desired that certain restrictions should be imposed and special care must be taken to prevent the spread of infection from travellers coming from outside it added After detailed discussions with senior officials and medical experts it was decided that the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking will not operate its interstate buses Consent given to other states for operating interstate buses to bring passengers to Chandigarh will be withdrawn the release said However the tricity ChandigarhMohaliPanchkula buses being operated by Chandigarh Punjab and Haryana will continue to ply it said All passengers coming by trains will be screened on arrival and will be advised for selfquarantine for 14 days it said They will have to download Aarogya Setu app and undertake selfmonitoring the release said adding that the UT administration will carry out random checking as much as possible The same arrangements will be applicable for passengers coming by domestic flights and by road People coming to Chandigarh by road must carry a selfgenerated document which can be downloaded from the administrations website as it will help the authorities keep a track of their travel and residence the release said It will simply be a travel information document for official record and not a permit or a pass the release clarified The government and private employees coming to attend office will be allowed on production of identity cards it added editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/consent-given-to-other-states-for-operating-interstate-buses-to-bring-passengers-to-chandigarh-will-be-withdrawn--42215.html Sat, 13 Jun 2020 01:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-police-sizes-huge-cache-of-illicit-liquor-from-two-himachal-villages-42216.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Punjab Police on Friday seized a huge cache of illicit liquor from two villages in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh an official said In a 10hour long joint operation with Himachal Pradesh Police braving tough forest terrain of Majri and Dabt villages the police teams seized seven illicit liquor making bhattis and two lakh kilograms of lahan raw material for making illicit liquor the official said As many as 22 police teams comprising seven police personnel each participated in the operation that began at 3 am and ended at 1 pm on Friday said the official The police teams had to cut through the dense and thorny undergrowth to get in said Rupnagar Senior Superintendent of Police Swapan Sharma The teams cordoned off the entire area around the villages located about twokm from the Punjab border said Sharma adding that the search operation covered a sixkm long stretch along the state border Investigations are in progress to trace further links of the accused across Punjab and Himachal Pradesh Sharma said in an official release here The seizure came amid statewide efforts by the Punjab Police under the directives of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to check the trade of illicit liquor as well as smuggling of liquor from across the states borders editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-police-sizes-huge-cache-of-illicit-liquor-from-two-himachal-villages-42216.html Sat, 13 Jun 2020 01:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/non-essential-shops-to-remain-closed-on-sundays-in-punjab-42217.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh A day after announcing stricter lockdown for weekends and public holidays to slow the spread of COVID19 the Punjab government on Friday said interdistrict movement will be allowed only with epasses except for medical emergency and all nonessential shops and services will be closed on Sundays However shops dealing with essential commodities and services will be allowed to operate on all days according to new guidelines issues here on Friday Chief Minister Amarinder Singh approved the detailed weekend and holiday restriction guidelines reiterating that his government would take hard decisions wherever and whenever needed to prevent the community spread of COVID19 in the state According to the new guidelines shops of essential commoditiesservices shall remain open on all days till 7 pm Other shops whether standalone or in malls shall remain closed on Sundays while they can open till 5 pm on Saturdays as per the guidelines which also say that respective district authorities will ensure strict compliance to these timings The latest guidelines are in addition to those notified earlier by the state government for Lockdown 50Unlock 10 and will remain in force on weekends and gazette holidays till further orders Restaurants for take homehome delivery only and liquor shops will also continue to be open till 8 pm on all days as per the guidelines In addition to the Sunday closure the District Magistrates may choose in consultation with the respective market associations to order closure of the nonessential shops on any other day of the week especially in the highrisk areas where coronavirus cases are high as per the fresh guidelines Interdistrict movement shall be allowed with epasses which will be issued only for essential works the guidelines say but no pass shall be required for travel in medical emergency Further epasses will also be required for marriage functions and will be issued only to 50 specific persons as per the guidelines Expressing grave concern over the spiralling COVID19 cases in the country particularly in neighbouring Delhi the chief minister once again appealed to the people of Punjab to strictly adhere to the socialdistancing norms and mandatorily wear masks The situation demanded stringent compliance with all the restrictions he stressed adding that though the condition in the state was relatively in control his government was not ready to take any chances given the escalating trend of the infections During a COVID19 preparedness review meeting on Thursday the chief minister had said his governments focus was on saving the lives of Punjabis even if that meant taking tough measures particularly in the light of the grave projections of the pandemic peaking over the next two months He had ordered stricter lockdown on weekends and public holidays The decision was taken amid apprehensions of community spread of COVID19 and projections indicating that the pandemic peak in the state was still two months away  editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/non-essential-shops-to-remain-closed-on-sundays-in-punjab-42217.html Sat, 13 Jun 2020 01:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/2-let-operatives-held-in-punjab-major-terror-attack-foiled-41927.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Punjab Police on Thursday said it foiled a major attempt to smuggle arms and ammunition into Kashmir to carry out terror attacks there with the arrest of two LashkareTaiba LeT operatives Ten hand grenades along with one AK47 rifle with two magazines and 60 live cartridges were seized from the two identified as Aamir Hussain Wani 26 and Wasim Hassan Wani 27 both residents of Shopian the police said The duo actively involved in transporting automatic weapons and hand grenades from Punjab to the Kashmir Valley were nabbed by the Pathankot police which intercepted a truck bearing JK registration at a naka on the AmritsarJammu highway Punjab Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta said in a statement here  Gupta said the search of the truck led to the recovery of the weapons and ammunition and the accused during preliminary investigation revealed that they had been directed to collect the weapons consignment from Punjab by Ishfaq Ahmed Dar alias Bashir Ahmed Khan a former JK constable  Gupta said as per disclosures made by the two arrested LeT operatives the weapons were to be delivered to Dar for carrying out terror attacks in the Kashmir Valley  Currently an active militant of LeT in the Kashmir valley Dar had absconded in 2017 he said  During questioning the duo further disclosed that they had collected the consignment from two unknown persons early Thursday morning at a prearranged location on MaqboolpuraVallah road near the vegetable market in Amritsar  They had then concealed the consignment in the truck which they had brought ostensibly for the purpose of loading vegetables and fruits from the mandi in Amritsar the DGP said  Wani revealed that on his earlier trips to Punjab in his truck he had collected more than Rs 20 lakh of hawala money at the behest of his handlers Ishfaq Ahmed Dar and Rameez Raja who is currently lodged in a jail in JK for his involvement in terror activities Wani disclosed that during previous trips to Amritsar he had ferried two armed Hizbul Mujahideen and LeT militants from Punjab to the Valley Incidentally both of them are now dead Wani identified them as Hizbul Mujahideens Saddam Ahmed Paddar and Jasim Ahmed Shah both residents of Pulwama Paddar was picked up with a pistol from near Verka in Amritsar while Shah was picked up from a Kashmiri hotel near Gurdaspur Bypass Batala with an AK47 and grenade in his possession The DGP said a case under relevant sections of the Arms Act Explosive Substances Amendment Act 2001 and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act 1967 has been registered at Sadar police station in Pathankot Further investigations are on to unravel this network of LashkareTaiba and their operations in Punjab in coordination with the JK police said the DGP According to Gupta the arrest of Wani and Wasim had corroborated recent intelligence inputs indicating that Pakistans ISI has been pushing weapons consignments and infiltrating militants from across the border into Punjab and further to Kashmir valley for carrying out terror activities   Earlier on April 25 the Punjab police had arrested another JK based youth namely Hilal Ahmed Wagay who had come to collect drug money from Amritsar on the instructions of slain Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Riyaz Ahmed Naikoo In that case also Hilal had used a truck for ferrying the drug money editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/2-let-operatives-held-in-punjab-major-terror-attack-foiled-41927.html Fri, 12 Jun 2020 00:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-reports-12-covid-19-deaths-total-coronavirus-cases-rise-to-5-968-41929.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryana reported 12 coronavirus deaths on Thursday the worst singleday toll in the state due to the virus as total infections neared 6000 The hardesthit Gurgaon reported six deaths Faridabad four and Ambala and Rohtak reported one death each according to a state Health Department bulletin On Monday Haryana reported 11 coronavirus deaths Sixtyfour people have died due to COVID19 the disease caused by the virus including 22 in Faridabad 19 in Gurgaon four in Rohtak and three in Ambala According to Additional Chief Secretary Health Rajiv Arora most of those who died had severe comorbid conditions Officials said the COVID19 fatalities reported on Thursday include a 23yearold woman who died in Ambala They said the woman was also a tuberculosis patient who had recently come from Delhi to meet her maternal grandmother at the Ambala Cantonment Among the 389 new cases in the state Gurgaon reported 191 taking the total number of cases in the district to 2737 of which 1760 are active Faridabad reported 74 cases Ambala 13 Palwal 10 Jind three Karnal 17 Yamunanagar nine Fatehabad and Mahendragarh seven each Rewari eight Rohtak 29 Hisar Bhiwani Sirsa Panchkula and Jhajjar four each while Panipat reported one case For 10 days Haryana has been reporting a surge in the number of positive cases particularly in Gurgaon and Faridabad The total number of active COVID19 patients in the state is 3644 while 2260 patients have recovered according to a bulletin issued here Taking to media persons here Arora said the majority of death cases had severe comorbidities like renal failure laststage cancer advancedstage cardiac issues and chronic illnesses like TB and diabetes etc editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-reports-12-covid-19-deaths-total-coronavirus-cases-rise-to-5-968-41929.html Fri, 12 Jun 2020 00:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/bajwa-hits-out-at-sad-bjp-alliance-40008.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa hit out at the SADBJP alliance on Saturday accusing it of weakening the federal structure by promulgating ordinances on farm sector reforms Akali Dals representative in the Modi government Harsimrat Kaur Badal was not only part of the decision to deregulate farm sector she later hailed it and her husband and party president Sukhbir Singh Badal echoed her views the next day the rural development and panchayats minister said He said two ordinances recently cleared by the Modi government and promulgated immediately on farm sector hit at the federal structure of governance and would soon make the minimum price support system and state marketing boards irrelevant and meaningless He said the support extended by Sukhbir Badal to the ordinances amounted to stabbing the farmers in the back Their only interest was to stay in power he alleged It is now more than clear that Sukbir and his brotherinlaw and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia cant survive without the state power and to grab it they can sell the interests of the party the people and the state This family now stands thoroughly exposed he added The Akali Dal had also extended support to the abrogation of Article 370 ending the special status of Jammu and Kashmir going against the party line as it too had been demanding a similar status for Punjab at one time he said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/bajwa-hits-out-at-sad-bjp-alliance-40008.html Sun, 07 Jun 2020 00:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/khattar-urges-people-to-use-indigenous-goods-give-up-lure-for-chinese-ones-40009.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Blaming China for the global spread of coronavirus infection Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday urged people to use Made in India products and give up the lure for Chinese goods Khattar said Prime Minister Narendra Modis call for an Atmanirbhar Bharat or selfreliant India implies the country has to be less dependent on imported goods and make products for the world To achieve atmanirbharta selfreliance we will have to run a campaign and for this we will have to keep many important aspects before us One aspect the prime minister talked about is vocal for local Khattar said speaking on Post Corona SelfReliant India at a webinar organized by Kurukshetra University We will have to use big and small products manufactured in our country our state our tehsils and our villages he asserted Urging people to shun Chinese goods Khattar said we all have to give up the lure if any for Chinese products because this East Asian country has pitted itself against the entire world amid the COVID pandemic Its China versus world due to coronavirus said Khattar We have no lure for Chinese goods we dont have to bring them here the chief minister said in Hindi Squarely blaming China for the birth of deadly coronavirus Khattar asserted This virus emanated from China Had China controlled it it would not have become a global pandemic The world got this pandemic from China If anyone is to be held responsible for this situation it is China China today is cut off from the world From an economic point of view too they are cut off reiterated the chief minister Stressing on selfreliance he said When we stand on our own feet our economy will become better and our avenues for employment will grow Other countries can import from us and our exports will grow editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/khattar-urges-people-to-use-indigenous-goods-give-up-lure-for-chinese-ones-40009.html Sun, 07 Jun 2020 00:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/aap-mp-bhagwant-mann-asks-navjot-sidhu-to-clear-his-stand-40012.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh AAP leader Bhagwant Mann on Saturday asserted nobody from his party was in touch with Navjot Singh Sidhu and asked the Congress MLA to clear his stand on the reports saying poll strategist Prashant Kishor approached him to take him into AAP On Friday Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said Kishor has denied to him he was in any discussion with Sidhu to take him into Aam Aadmi Party ahead of the 2022 state polls Sidhu is very much part of our party and he is in touch with our leadership in Delhi Singh said adding These things unfortunately create confusion Mann too said Sidhu Sahib should clarify his position on the issue He can clarify on his Jittega Punjab YouTube channel said Mann replying to a question on Sidhu during a press conference here We have already clarified that neither any of our leaders in Delhi had communicated with him Sidhu nor we had communicated with him said Mann However the Sangrur MP said AAP will welcome anyone who comes to it without any condition and is committed to work for the state Sidhu who had been at the loggerheads with Chief Minister Singh had resigned last year as a minister after he was stripped off key portfolios in a cabinet reshuffle He has stayed away from the media since Mann also slammed the Centre accusing it of ruining the farmers with antifarmer ordinances He termed the ordinances on agriculture reform brought in by the Modi government as an attempt to demolish the countrys federal structure The Centre on Friday notified two key ordinances to kick in agriculture reforms and help farmers trade freely and fetch better prices The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce Promotion Facilitation Ordinance 2020 allows barrierfree trade in agriculture produce outside the notified APMC Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees mandis It proposes to bar state governments from imposing taxes on sale and purchase of farm produce undertaken outside the mandis and give farmers the freedom to sell their produce at remunerative prices Whereas the Farmers Empowerment and Protection Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance 2020 empowers farmers to engage with processors aggregators wholesalers large retailers and exporters through advanced agreements on preagreed prices editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/aap-mp-bhagwant-mann-asks-navjot-sidhu-to-clear-his-stand-40012.html Sun, 07 Jun 2020 00:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/ordinance-allowing-farmers-to-sell-outside-mandis-not-violative-of-federal-structure-tomar-40014.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh With the Punjab government targeting the Centre over an ordinance which allows barrierfree trade in the farm sector Union Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Saturday asserted that the ordinance would not violate the spirit of federal structure in any way The Union minister also slammed people who create illusions over the minimum support price MSP for foodgrain and said the assured price to farmers would continue The Union ministers statement came a day after Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh dubbed the ordinance as violative of the federal structure The chief minister had also warned that it could pave the way for disbanding the MSP regime as well as the foodgrain procurement regime triggering unrest among the states farmers The Centre on Friday notified two key ordinances to kick in agriculture reforms and help farmers trade freely and fetch better prices The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce Promotion Facilitation Ordinance 2020 allows barrierfree trade in agriculture produce outside the notified APMC Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees mandis It proposes to bar state governments from imposing taxes on sale and purchase of farm produce undertaken outside the mandis and give farmers the freedom to sell their produce at remunerative prices Whereas the Farmers Empowerment and Protection Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance 2020 empowers farmers to engage with processors aggregators wholesalers large retailers and exporters through advanced agreements on preagreed prices Union minister Tomar on Saturday said the ordinance would not affect the spirit of the federal structure I want to clarify that this ordinance does not violate the spirit of the federal structure he said during a video conference here He further clarified that this law also did not encroach upon the rights of any state government There is no need for anyone to fall prey to the illusions over MSP and I also understand that nobody should create illusions in this matter Tomar said Purchase of crops at MSP will continue he asserted He said the states APMC Act will stay and the states continue to collect taxes within their mandis The Union minister said the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce Promotion Facilitation Ordinance 2020 gives freedom to farmers to sell their crop to anyone at their prices at any place Till now farmers had no freedom to fix crop prices and choose buyers he noted editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/ordinance-allowing-farmers-to-sell-outside-mandis-not-violative-of-federal-structure-tomar-40014.html Sun, 07 Jun 2020 00:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-cm-constitutes-panel-to-crackdown-on-illicit-liquor-trade-40015.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday tightened the noose on illicit liquor traders in the state with the constitution of an excise reforms group to break the nexus between producers wholesalers and retailersThe announcement comes a day after Singh had announced the setting up a Special Investigating Team SIT to probe illicit liquor trade on the state The fivemember panel has been asked to submit its recommendations on destroying any such nexus within 60 days thus paving the way for elimination of illicit liquor trade and maximisation of the states excise revenue said an official spokesperson       The group shall comprise Housing and Urban Development Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and Public Works Minister Vijay Inder Singla retired IAS Officer D S Kalha Advisor Financial Resources V K Garg and Secretary School Education Krishan Kumar      Working in tandem with the SIT which has been tasked with investigation into all aspects of illicit liquor trade in the state including complicity of excise department officials the group will identify the gaps leading to revenue losses for the state due to such complicity The chief minister has mandated the group to come up with suggestions on longterm legal and administrative reforms after due diligence and consultations with the stakeholders In this process the group may consider the suggestionsreports received earlier from the finance minister on his visit to West Bengal and also from the previous local government minister The spokesperson further said that the department of excise and taxation would provide requisite information and other assistance to the group to facilitate its functioning The chief minister has recently pointed out out that despite various policy changes and measures by the excise and taxation department the inadequate increase in excise revenue as well as illicit liquor trading remained a matter of concern      editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-cm-constitutes-panel-to-crackdown-on-illicit-liquor-trade-40015.html Sun, 07 Jun 2020 00:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sad-bjp-to-jointly-fight-alleged-cong-atrocities-39575.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The SADBJP on Friday decided to fight the excesses being committed on Punjabis by Congressmen who were openly looting the State coffers even as it demanded an independent inquiry into the alleged Rs 5600 crore revenue loss incurred by the State in the liquor scam besides immediate relief to the common man and the industrial sector In a meeting of the SADBJP coordination Committee which was jointly presided over by SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal and State BJP President Ashwani Sharma it was decided to meet Governor VP Singh Badnore to present a memorandum to demand independent inquiries into the liquor seed and ration scams besides immediate release of sugarcane dues to farmers The meeting jointly held that the government had tried to cover up the Rs 5600 crore liquor scam by affecting a compromise between the chief secretary and the group of ministers who had been exposed by the former The issue of loot of the State treasury remains It is of utmost importance to order an independent inquiry into the scam to ascertain how the spoils were shared between the different Congress leaders The role of various distilleries including that of the family of the Religious Advisor to the chief minister which had already been exposed by the seizure of two truckloads of illicit liquor There is also the issue of ENA supplied to front men of Congress leaders Madan Lal Jalalpur and Hardyal Kamboj who operated the illegal bottling plants editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sad-bjp-to-jointly-fight-alleged-cong-atrocities-39575.html Sat, 06 Jun 2020 01:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/new-ordinance-violative-of-federal-structure-cm-39576.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday dubbed the ordinance on allowing farmers to sell outside mandis as violative of the federal structure and said this would damage the state as the ordinance is being forced on it The chief minister also warned that it could pave the way for disbanding the minimum support price regime as well as the foodgrain procurement regime triggering unrest among the states farmers It is a violative of the federal structure Singh said while replying to a question on the Farming Produce Trade and Commerce Promotion and Facilitation Ordinance 2020 passed by the Centre It is being forced on Punjab and it will damage our state he added during a video conference with the media here Singh said that the Centre should have consulted the states including Punjab before coming out with this ordinance The chief minister said Punjab will fight any steps on part of the central government to weaken the federal structure of the country through such direct and detrimental interference in the wellestablished agriculture produce marketing system of the state The Union cabinet on Wednesday had approved the Farming Produce Trade and Commerce Promotion and Facilitation Ordinance 2020 to allow barrierfree trade in agriculture produce outside the notified APMC Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees mandis It proposes to bar state governments from imposing taxes on sale and purchase of farm produce undertaken outside the mandis and give farmers the freedom to sell their produce at remunerative prices Such a measure shall severely and adversely impact the food security of the nation which Punjabs hard working and selfless farmers have sustained ever since the green revolution he said Pointing out that the federal structure of India envisages welldefined roles and responsibilities for the Centre and the states the CM said that under the constitutional framework agriculture is a state subject and the Union government has no powers to make any legislation to deal with the dynamics of agricultural production marketing and processing These are state matters which individual states are best placed to handle and manage he said  The chief minister said that the Centres habit of taking sudden decisions and forcing them on states without taking their views into account was violative of the very federal framework of the state Singh said that such actions of the Union government during the COVID pandemic crisis can have serious economic social and law and order consequences The farmers will not gain but actually suffer at the hands of traders due to the legislative change he said He further pointed out that the Centre had not even created any dispute redressal mechanism and not consulted the state governments which would be left to handle the consequences of this hasty action The chief minister said that far from ushering in an era of muchneeded reforms in agriculture the announcements are in fact a clear and concerted design to undermine the systems and processes that are holding the sector together Citing the welloiled agriculture produce marketing system in Punjab Singh said it had served the state well standing the test of time for 60 years Why are you demolishing it he asked He further said it will also hit mandi boards financially The state has in place a welldeveloped stateoftheart infrastructure both for open marketing of produce and its seamless transportation from the farm gates to mandis and godowns The chief minister said the state government has already made necessary amendments to the Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets Act 1961 to provide for setting up of regulated mandis even in the private sector for specific produce As such there is no further need of a central law to interfere with the already well established marketing system in Punjab asserted Singh editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/new-ordinance-violative-of-federal-structure-cm-39576.html Sat, 06 Jun 2020 01:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cm-directs-dcs-to-intensify-work-on-flood-control-schemes-39578.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has directed all deputy commissioners of the sate to intensify the work on the ongoing shortterm schemes of flood control in the State He also directed the DCs to personally visit the sites to ensure that these are completed well before the commencement of monsoon season   Setting a target for the DCs he directed that work on the schemes and other flood control measures including desilting of both urban and rural drains should be completed by June 20 Khattar gave these directions while presiding over a meeting with all deputy commissioners to review flood preparedness through video conference here on Thursday an official statement said He took feedback from them about the progress of ongoing flood control works in their respective districts At present 143 short term schemes are being implemented in different districts of the state at an estimated cost of Rs 13225 crore While directing the DCs to take up all flood control measures in their districts on priority basis he said that they should personally visit the work site every week to see mselves the progress of work and ensure they are completed at the earliest He also directed the DCs to ensure the strengthening of river banks especially in Yamunanagar and Karnal districts to avert flooding It was informed that out of the total 833 urban and rural drains in the state 588 drains have been identified for cleaning As 18 drains in the state are being managed by National Highways Authority of India NHAI and the railways the deputy commissioners have been directed to coordinate with NHAI and the railways for the cleanliness of these drains It was also informed that about 522 temporary sites have been identified in the state where there is a possibility of water accumulation during monsoon Adequate arrangement has been made to pump out excess water from these sites editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cm-directs-dcs-to-intensify-work-on-flood-control-schemes-39578.html Sat, 06 Jun 2020 01:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/one-more-dies-of-coronavirus-in-punjab-toll-48-46-fresh-cases-raise-states-tally-to-2-461-39580.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh One more person died of coronavirus in Punjab pushing the death toll to 48 while 46 fresh positive cases raised the states infection count to 2461 officials said on Friday A 45yearold man a resident of Tarn Taran district succumbed to COVID19 Thursday night at a hospital in Amritsar they said He was suffering from liver infection and asthma the officials adding his samples were taken on Thursday and his report confirming him to be positive came on Friday With the 46 fresh cases reported in the state on Friday the COVID19 tally rose to 2461 Sixteen cases were reported in Ludhiana eight in Jalandhar four in Mohali three each in Gurdaspur and Amritsar two each in Kapurthala and Tarn Taran one each in Patiala Fatehgarh Sahib Bathinda Muktsar Moga Sangrur Pathankot and Faridkot as per the medical bulletin Twentysix coronavirus patients were discharged from various hospitals taking the figure of the cured persons to 2069 There are 344 active cases in the state as of now as per the bulletin Amritsar continued to top the COVID19 tally in the state with 408 coronavirus cases followed by 270 in Jalandhar 222 in Ludhiana 159 in Tarn Taran 148 in Gurdaspur 134 in Hoshiarpur 126 in Patiala 124 in Mohali 106 in SBS Nagar 104 in Sangrur 81 in Pathankot 71 in Rupnagar 70 in Muktsar 67 in Faridkot  65 each in Fatehgarh Sahib and Moga 54 in Bathinda 46 in Ferozepur 45 in Fazilka 40 in Kapurthala 32 in Mansa and 24 in Barnala editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/one-more-dies-of-coronavirus-in-punjab-toll-48-46-fresh-cases-raise-states-tally-to-2-461-39580.html Sat, 06 Jun 2020 01:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/khattar-govts-rice-shoot-policy-is-anti-farmers-surjewala-39582.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Friday termed Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattars the rice shoot policy as antifarmer and yet another move to prevent them from cultivating paddy Challenging Khattar for an open debate on public issues the chief spokesperson of the Congress said farmers in Kaithal Jind Kurukshetra Karnal Ambala and Yamunanagar districts will be adversely affected by the policy Rice shoots are temporary openings in water channels of the irrigation department issued to farmers for a limited period for their rice crop It is yet another antifarmer step taken by this government which wants to completely ban paddy cultivation Surjewala said while addressing the media through video conferencing Quoting data of the agriculture department Surjewala said paddy is cultivated on 3513 lakh acres of land in Haryana and the state produces about 5 million tonnes of paddy every year But the latest rice shoot policy issued on June 3 2020 the state governments goal seems to completely eliminate paddy cultivation in Haryana and hit the farmer hard by snatching away their bread and butter he claimed as he hit out at the state government The Congress leader further alleged that the Khattar government had hastened to bring the policy as the farmers besides the opposition had outrightly rejected the curbs imposed on paddy cultivation under the Mera Pani Meri Virasat scheme launched last month Referring to various antifarmer steps by BJPJJP Government Surjewala said that on the one hand Khattar government has shelved the Dadupur Nalvi recharge canal project on the other hand rice shoots were being stopped Referring to various conditions in the new policy Surjewala said no rice shoot would be permitted on all channels in Haryana having discharge of less than 10 cusecs of water Rice shoot fees have been increased by 100 per cent to Rs 300 per acre Rice shoots will not be provided in the entire Haryana on less than 20 acres of land There will also be a condition that paddy cannot be planted in more than 15 acres of land out of those 20 acres he said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/khattar-govts-rice-shoot-policy-is-anti-farmers-surjewala-39582.html Sat, 06 Jun 2020 01:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/bjp-leader-sonali-phogat-slaps-official-for-making-indecent-remarks-against-her-video-goes-viral-39586.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh A video showing Tik Tok star and BJP leader Sonali Phogat slapping a Market Committee official from Hisar and later beating him with a slipper for reportedly making derogatory remarks against her went viral on social media on Friday In the video the BJP leader from Adampur in Hisar is seen slapping the official and later hitting him with her slipper in full public view Phogat and others present with her are not seen wearing masks in the video even as the Haryana government has made it mandatory to wear masks in public in the wake of coronavirus pandemic Sharing the video on his Twitter handle Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said Exploits of the leaders of the Khattar government The BJP leader from Adampur in Hisar is beating the Market Committee official like animals Is doing government job a crime Will Chief Minister Khattar take action Will the media still remain silent he tweeted The BJP leader however told media persons in Hisar that she had gone to meet the officials of the district Market Committee on Friday pertaining to some grievance of farmers She said an official was showing her the place in the Balsamand area of Hisar district where a shed could come up for the convenience of farmers when he started passing indecent and derogatory remarks against her Phogat claimed the official also made some comments against another woman official of the Market Committee and a woman minister in the Manohar Lal Khattarled cabinet editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/bjp-leader-sonali-phogat-slaps-official-for-making-indecent-remarks-against-her-video-goes-viral-39586.html Sat, 06 Jun 2020 01:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/there-is-a-need-for-all-three-states-to-come-together-for-combating-the-covid-19-pandemic-39089.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Pitching for a joint strategy with Delhi and Uttar Pradesh for the interstate movement of people Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Singh Chautala on Thursday said all three states should come together in the fight against coronavirus The deputy chief minister suggested that each states should appoint a senior official to prepare a common programme for ensuring better interstate movement amid the coronavirus pandemic There is a need for all three states to come together for combating the COVID19 pandemic Chautala said in a release All three states must appoint one senior official for establishing a common programme for ensuring better interstate movement in this situation Chautala whose party JJP is a coalition partner of the BJP in Haryana said His statement has come on the day the Supreme Court said the governments of the three states should hold a meeting and consider evolving a common policy and portal to facilitate the interstate movement in the national capital region NCR On Monday the Delhi government had ordered the sealing of city borders for a week due to a rise in coronavirus cases Earlier Haryana too had sealed its borders with the national capital maintaining that the movement of people from Delhi has resulted in a spike in virus cases in the state The counsel appearing for Haryana in the apex court informed that the state has lifted restrictions on movement at its borders Chautala said in the release that Haryana is ready to establish a common policy keeping in view the coronavirus situation in Delhi and the NCR Haryana has already made a portal for the interstate movement of people he claimed Chautala said due to earlier cross border movement of people virus cases had gone up in Sonipat Gurgaon Jhajjar and Faridabad districts of the state after which the Haryana government made arrangements of epasses for persons going to Delhi editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/there-is-a-need-for-all-three-states-to-come-together-for-combating-the-covid-19-pandemic-39089.html Fri, 05 Jun 2020 00:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sad-bjp-to-seek-independent-probe-into-liquor-seed-scams-39093.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP on Thursday decided to seek an independent investigation into the alleged liquor and seed scams in Punjab At a meeting of their coordination committee both parties decided to submit a memorandum in this regard to Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore The meeting was jointly presided over by Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma During the meeting leaders from both parties slammed the Congressled government for the alleged liquor and seed scams a release said Both parties held that the government had tried to cover up the Rs 5600crore liquor scam The issue of the loot of the state treasury remains It is of utmost important to order an independent inquiry into the scam to ascertain how the spoils were shared between different Congress leaders the leaders noted in the meeting The Akalis had earlier alleged that the liquor mafia in league with some Congress leaders and legislators had caused a loss of Rs 5600 crore to the exchequer by allowing liquor from distilleries without payment of excise duty The leaders of both parties also took a note of the interstate ramifications of the alleged Rs 4000 crore seed scam under which farmers had been duped through the supply of spurious seeds of PR128 and PR129 paddy varieties It said though few arrests had been made belatedly after an uproar by farmers the political patronage given to the scamsters could be unmasked only by a central probe Badal and Sharma noted that the government was not only discriminating against farmers but also mistreating them They demanded that pending dues of Rs 680 crore be released to sugarcane farmers immediately The leaders also asked the Congress led government to tell why it had not done any disbursal from the Rs 6000 crore accumulated under the disaster management fund They said the government should come out with an audit report of the money spent under this head in the past three years and explain why the funds had been misappropriated A huge quantity of ration sent by the Centre for 14 crore people of the state has also been misappropriated by Congressman they alleged editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sad-bjp-to-seek-independent-probe-into-liquor-seed-scams-39093.html Fri, 05 Jun 2020 00:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/over-one-lakh-covid-tests-conducted-in-punjab-state-health-minister-39095.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Thursday said more than one lakh samples have been tested for COVID19 infection in the state so far He said Punjab has increased its testing per million to 3259 which is higher than the national average of 3046 Punjab has completed testing of over 100000 samples for COVID19 the minister said in an official release here Sidhu added that the state was conducting around 4500 tests per day The minister said the state government has decided to provide special training to community health workers staff nurses and pharmacists for collection of swab samples to increase sample collection capacity The state government has also decided to conduct free testing for samples sent by empanelled private hospitals or clinics he added The minister said instructions have been issued to civil surgeons to enlist private hospitals clinics and laboratories which are willing to get empanelled These facilities should have separate isolated spaces for suspected cases of COVIDl9 where samples will be taken he said They shall arrange the required logistics collect samples pack them and send to the nearest government health facility as per protocol Sidhu said He said the private hospitals and clinics availing this facility should not charge more than Rs 1000 from patients for sample collection editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/over-one-lakh-covid-tests-conducted-in-punjab-state-health-minister-39095.html Fri, 05 Jun 2020 01:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/39-more-people-test-positive-in-punjab-covid-tally-rises-to-2-415-39096.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab continued to witness a spike in coronavirus cases with 39 people testing positive on Thursday pushing the states COVID19 tally to 2415 With these fresh cases the state has so far seen more than 200 people testing positive for the virus in the past six days Fifteen cases were reported in Amritsar followed by six in Ludhiana four each in Jalandhar and Pathankot three in Bathinda and one each in Fazilka Muktsar Rupnagar SBS Nagar Sangrur Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur according to the state health departments medical bulletin Among the fresh cases two were foreign returnees as per the bulletin Fourteen coronavirus positive patients were discharged from hospitals in Jalandhar Ludhiana Mohali Sangrur and Bathinda A total of 2043 patients have recovered from the disease so far the bulletin said There are 325 active cases in the state as of now it said Amritsar continued to top the COVID19 tally in the state with 405 coronavirus cases followed by 262 in Jalandhar 206 in Ludhiana 157 in Tarn Taran 145 in Gurdaspur 134 in Hoshiarpur 125 in Patiala 120 in Mohali 106 in SBS Nagar 103 in Sangrur 80 in Pathankot 71 in Rupnagar 69 in Muktsar 66 in Faridkot  64 each in Fatehgarh Sahib and Moga   53 in Bathinda 46 in Ferozepur 45 in Fazilka 38 in Kapurthala 32 in Mansa and 24 in Barnala editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/39-more-people-test-positive-in-punjab-covid-tally-rises-to-2-415-39096.html Fri, 05 Jun 2020 01:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/maximum-temperatures-hover-below-normal-in-hry-punjab-39098.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The maximum temperature at most places in Haryana and Punjab remained below the normal limits on Thursday the Meteorological department said Chandigarh the common capital of the two states received 122 mm rainfall in the evening and recorded a high of 364 degrees Celsius three notches below normal the MeT department said In Haryana Ambala recorded the day temperature at 37 degrees Celsius which was two degrees below normal it said The maximum temperature in Karnal was 358 degrees Celsius four notches below normal the MeT department said The mercury settled at 375 degrees Celsius in Hisar five notches below normal while the day temperature in Narnaul went down seven notches below normal limits to 345 degrees Celsius it said In Punjab Amritsar recorded a high of 368 degrees Celsius down three notches against the normal limits the MeT department said The maximum temperature in Ludhiana was 37 degrees Celsius three notches below normal while Patialas day temperature settled three notches below normal limits at 368 degrees Celsius the MeT department said According to the MeT Departments forecast for Haryana and Punjab thunderstorm accompanied with lightning and gusty winds with speeds between 3040 kmph are likely at isolated places on Friday and Saturday editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/maximum-temperatures-hover-below-normal-in-hry-punjab-39098.html Fri, 05 Jun 2020 01:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/third-arrested-in-punjab-seed-scam-38581.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Punjab Police on Wednesday arrested another person accused of supplying spurious and uncertified seeds to farmers It is the third arrest in the alleged seed scam highlighted by the Opposition Shiromani Akali Dal Lakhwinder Singh alias Lucky Dhillon owner of Karnal Agri Seeds in Dera Baba Nanak was arrested by a special investigation team SIT said Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta in a statement here Gupta said Lucky Dhillon had made unauthorised purchase of PR128 and PR129 seed varieties from some farmers who had been given these on a trial basis by Punjab Agricultural University PAU Investigation revealed that Dhillon had allegedly supplied these seeds to Brar Seeds of Ludhiana whose owner Harwinder Singh alias Kaka Brar was the first person to be apprehended in the scam SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia had earlier alleged that Lucky Dhillon was a close associate of cabinet minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa Majithia had alleged that Dhillon was allegedly involved in supplying spurious paddy seeds which were not approved for sale by Punjab Agricultural University Randhawa had denied the charge saying his name was being dragged into the issue to gain cheap political mileage The SAD on Monday had claimed that farmers were likely to have suffered a loss of Rs 4000 crore because of the supply of spurious and uncertified paddy seeds Meanwhile officials said Kaka Brar and the second accused Baljinder Singh alias Ballian have been remanded in two day police custody The DGP said the SIT had sought the remand of the accused from the court on Wednesday to further investigate the case and identify others involved in the scam editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/third-arrested-in-punjab-seed-scam-38581.html Thu, 04 Jun 2020 00:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/one-more-dies-of-virus-in-punjab-34-new-cases-push-infection-count-to-2-376-38583.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab reported another fatality due to coronavirus on Wednesday pushing the death toll to 47 in the state while 34 more people contracted the infection So far 2376 cases have been reported from the state According to officials a 64yearold Jalandhar resident died of the virus at a Ludhiana hospital He had diabetes and asthma an official said adding that he tested positive for the virus on June 1 Of the fresh 34 cases seven each were reported from Pathankot and Mohali three each from Jalandhar Gurdaspur Faridkot and Hoshiarpur two each from Patiala Muktsar and Amritsar and one each from SBS Nagar Nawanshahr and Bathinda According to a health bulletin six of the new patients had returned from abroad Seven people contracted the infection in other states the bulletin said Meanwhile 12 patientsfour each in Hoshiarpur and Pathankot three in Amritsar and one in Barnalawere discharged from hospitals With this the total number of cured persons has touched 2029 the bulletin said adding that there are 300 active cases in the state as of now Amritsar continued to lead the COVID19 tally in the state with 390 coronavirus cases followed by 258 in Jalandhar 200 in Ludhiana 157 in Tarn Taran 144 in Gurdaspur 133 in Hoshiarpur 125 in Patiala 120 in Mohali 105 in SBS Nagar Nawanshahr and 102 in Sangrur Seventy six cases have been reported from Pathankot 70 in Rupnagar 68 in Muktsar 66 in Faridkot 64 each in Fatehgarh Sahib and Moga 50 in Bathinda 46 in Ferozepur 44 in Fazilka 38 in Kapurthala 32 in Mansa and 24 in Barnala as per the bulletin editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/one-more-dies-of-virus-in-punjab-34-new-cases-push-infection-count-to-2-376-38583.html Thu, 04 Jun 2020 00:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-cm-directive-38584.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh On the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to give major push to resume infrastructural works in rural and urban sectors besides ensuring social security the Finance Department FD on Wednesday has released Rs1118 crores Meanwhile the salaries of all government employees have also been released on time despite the financial crisis in the wake of COVID19 Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Chief Ministers Office said that Rs735 crore has been released towards the grant of 14th Finance Commission to Rural Development Panchayats department to ensure holistic development of the state Apart from this another Rs 300 crore would be released soon making the first instalment of Rs1035 crore under second phase of Smart Village Campaign having total size of Rs3040 crore It may be recalled that the Punjab Cabinet on May 27 has decided to converge funds under its various flagship programmes to pursue its 20202022 Strategy for Rural Transformation to alleviate the sufferings of the people in rural areas and to secure their lives and livelihood in the light of the Covid19 pandemic To give further impetus to the rural development 130 lakh works with an outlay of Rs650 crore in all the villages would be taken up under MGNREGA in two tranches of 65000 each to generate enormous employment potential during this year for the poor and needy to sustain in these trying circumstances of coronavirus pandemic This propoor initiative would go a long way in mitigating the woes of beleaguered section of the society which is already grappling with extreme hardships in this difficult phase Notably 47000 works to be executed under MGNREGA worth Rs250 crore have already been approved for employment generation Likewise the Finance Department has also released a sum of Rs150 crore on account of power subsidy to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited PSPCL Rs 187 crore for social security pensions and Rs 46 crore for grant in aid to Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company PMIDC for execution of various development works in urban areas editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-cm-directive-38584.html Thu, 04 Jun 2020 00:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/if-any-such-person-boards-the-bus-he-or-she-must-immediately-be-de-boarded-and-sent-home-and-the-people-in-contact-with-him-or-her-must-be-home-quarantined-for-14-days-38587.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryana resumed interstate public transport services from Wednesday after remaining suspended for over two months in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown a senior official said As the scope of relaxations has been further widened in accordance with the Centres guidelines the interstate bus service resumed on a few routes Wednesday he said adding most routes would be operational by Thursday Barring Delhi which has ordered sealing of its borders for a week in the wake of the rising coronavirus cases in the city the Haryana Roadways buses will ply to other states like Uttarakhand Punjab Himachal Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh Barring Delhi we have resumed our services We have sent details of routes to various depots and while we operated some buses today the rest will be operated tomorrow State Transport Department Director General Virender Dahiya told PTI over the phone Haryana Roadways officials said bookings for only 30 seats will be done in each bus to adhere to social distancing norms The Haryana Roadways had resumed the bus service within the state on May 15 the first time since the lockdown was announced in March  The Haryana government on Wednesday issued Standard Operating Procedures SOPs in accordance to the guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs regarding interstate travel in buses of the Haryana Roadways The passengers intending to undertake interstate travel must carry their identity proofs and tickets in either electronic mode or physical form Apart from this the bus staff as well as passengers must have Arogya Setu app downloaded in their mobile phones Giving details an official statement said it must be ensured that the staff and passengers are free of any COVID19 symptoms If any such person boards the bus he or she must immediately be deboarded and sent home and the people in contact with him or her must be home quarantined for 14 days it said The buses for ferrying passengers should be fully sanitised inside out In addition sanitiser bottles must be kept inside the buses at all times and must be used by the bus staff from time to time at regular intervals the statement said Wearing of masks by everyone onboard a bus and on bus stands must be strictly adhered to by all and passengers should carry sanitisers with them it said adding thermal screening of passengers must be ensured by the staff during the boarding process No passenger should be allowed to board if he or she is running high temperature The staff doing thermal screening must be wearing PPE kits while doing the screening and should sanitise themselves properly and adequately the statement said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/if-any-such-person-boards-the-bus-he-or-she-must-immediately-be-de-boarded-and-sent-home-and-the-people-in-contact-with-him-or-her-must-be-home-quarantined-for-14-days-38587.html Thu, 04 Jun 2020 00:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/dont-rush-to-media-after-writing-letters-to-cm-state-minister-asks-party-mp-38589.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh A day after Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa raised the issue of unpaid dues of sugarcane growers in a letter to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Punjab Minister Brahm Mohindra on Wednesday asked him not to rush to the media after writing letters to the CM Dont rush to the media with your letters written to the CM unless the issue of public interest raised by you in them are the last thing in your mind and your intention is something else said the minister in a swipe at the party MP Mohindra said as a loyal Congressman Bajwa had full right to raise issues of public interest but there is always a proper way to do things Bajwa on Tuesday had accused his partys government in Punjab of not taking concrete steps to ensure outstanding payment of Rs 68148 crore to cane growers In a letter to CM Bajwa had claimed that around 70000 sugarcane growers had not been paid their dues amounting to Rs 68148 crore for the 201819 and 201920 seasons by the cooperative and private sugarmills Punjab minister for Local Bodies and Parliamentary Affairs Brahm Mohindra on Wednesday said a letter to the CM should be addressed to the CM only and not to the media It is good that you have been flagging for the attention of the CM the issues of the public interest but the letters addressed to the CM should ideally reach the CM directly and not through the media said Mohindra telling Bajwa that this did not convey the right message You dont rush to the press with your letters addressed to the CM as it defeats the real purpose or may be your purpose is actually something else Mohindra said in a statement here Releasing letters to the media before dispatching it to the chief minister makes the motive and purpose of such letters obvious that the public concern raised in these letters is the last thing in the mind of the person he further said Mohindra asked Bajwa to act as the spokesperson of the Punjab government and highlight great achievement by the state in fighting the COVID19 The minister pointed out that Punjab had the highest recovery rate of about 90 per cent while the death rate is less than two per cent editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/dont-rush-to-media-after-writing-letters-to-cm-state-minister-asks-party-mp-38589.html Thu, 04 Jun 2020 00:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/food-delivery-latest-by-8-38590.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Restaurants and food aggregators like Zomato and Swiggy in Haryana will have to ensure home delivery of food latest by 8 pm so that no delivery boy is left out on roads after enforcement of curfew at 9 pm an official said on Wednesday The measure is the part of an elaborate standard operating procedure issued by the Haryana government on Wednesday detailing the manner of functioning for hotels restaurants shops and other business establishments in the state The delivery boys shall wear gloves and masks during home delivery Also no signature or thumb impression of customers shall be taken by them while delivering items Preferably online electronic mode of payment shall be ensured to avoid contact and to maintain social distancing said the statement detailing SOPs The upper time limit for operation of kitchens will be 8 pm and home delivery by all means will have to be completed by 830 pm to ensure that no delivery boy will be out on roads beyond 9 pm it added As per the SOPs effective till June 30 all shops within municipal limits barring those in the containment zones which have been permitted to open can stay open from 9 am to 7 pm The SOPs stipulated that all customers as well as shopkeepers take various wellknown steps for maintain social distancing and following sanitization measures during business hours the SOP said The shopkeepers shall ensure deployment of minimum staff in their shops to avoid overcrowding and they can alternatively call the staff in shifts the SOP said adding at no time more than five persons including the shopkeeper helpers and customers are to be present at a time in any shop Shopkeepers or vendors will also display a public notice regarding downloading of Arogya Setu Mobile App for public or customer awareness and motivate them to install the same and regularly update their health status on this app The shopkeepers shall also ensure that all the employees must install this App and use the same regularly editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/food-delivery-latest-by-8-38590.html Thu, 04 Jun 2020 00:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cm-defends-crop-diversification-scheme-says-got-encouraging-response-38173.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar on Tuesday defended the crop diversification scheme launched by his government saying they have received an encouraging response from farmers The chief minister also hit out at the Opposition which has claimed that the government has imposed restrictions on the cultivation of paddy in parts of the state under its Mera Pani Meri Virasat programme The Congress had demanded that farmers be allowed to cultivate the crop of their choice Responding to queries at a virtual press conference the CM said under the crop diversification scheme launched last month farmers in the blocks where water level has fallen below 40 metres were appealed to switch over to the crops which consume less water For nearly 50 lakh hectares farmers have given in writing that they will not sow paddy and go for other crops Khattar claimed adding that scheme has got an encouraging response He said farmers have been advised to sow crops like maize millet pulses vegetables and fruits for which they will be given an incentive of Rs 7000 per acre Under the scheme while farmers will be given an incentive per acre the government will bear a premium of Rs 700 per acre under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana he added Hitting out at the opposition Khattar said The Opposition has been claiming that restrictions have been imposed on paddy cultivation But we have imposed restrictions only on the panchayati land For farmers having their own land there are no restrictions he said The Opposition will beat drums but we know that farmers understand the situation he said If we save water our future will be secure or else they will will curse us the CM added In an apparent reference to senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala who has been vocal on the issue Khattar said some people say the chief minister lacks experience Then they say how many times I have been an MLA From that point too they have fallen back I contested two elections and won both He Surjewala has lost his both previous elections he said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cm-defends-crop-diversification-scheme-says-got-encouraging-response-38173.html Wed, 03 Jun 2020 01:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/the-mha-has-said-these-borders-should-be-opened-but-if-the-states-want-to-make-some-provisions-at-their-end-they-can-do-so--38176.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Haryana government which had allowed free movement of people from Delhi after the fourth phase of the coronavirus lockdown appeared on Tuesday to be having second thoughts after the national capital ordered sealing of its own borders Responding to mediapersons on the issue Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the decision holds weight as strictness was needed on the DelhiHaryana border The Ministry of Home Affairs has given guidelines that all interstate borders should be opened We also took a decision to open these But later Delhi said the borders should not be opened for now Khattar who was addressing a virtual press conference said Our borders were already closed but when the Delhi government said these should not be opened we felt what they are saying holds weight Strictness should be there for now along the DelhiHaryana border he added The CM said they will talk to the Delhi government as a consensus should be there on interstate issues The MHA has said these borders should be opened but if the states want to make some provisions at their end they can do so he said With other states our borders are open There is no difficulty the CM said The Haryana government on Sunday had issued fresh guidelines for the next phase of the coronavirus lockdown opening its borders with Delhi and other states Earlier the state had sealed its borders with Delhi citing a rise in the number of infection cases in districts adjoining the national capital On Monday the Arvind Kejriwalled AAP government ordered the sealing of the Delhi borders for a week in the wake of rising coronavirus cases Meanwhile Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij took a dig at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying he does opposite of what the Centre says When the MHA imposed restrictions on the borders they kept these open and when they said these should be opened they closed these Kejriwals agenda is political he said adding that his lifted restrictions after the Centre allowed the interstate movement of people Asked to comment on a sharp rise in coronavirus cases in Haryana Khattar said his state is comparatively in better position and added that a majority of cases were reported in the past 10 days About the fatalities Khattar said of the 21 people who died a majority had serious ailments Khattar sought to assure that state has adequate number of hospitals beds doctors and equipment to handle the situation editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/the-mha-has-said-these-borders-should-be-opened-but-if-the-states-want-to-make-some-provisions-at-their-end-they-can-do-so--38176.html Wed, 03 Jun 2020 01:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjabs-covid-19-death-toll-rises-to-46-tally-2-342-38177.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The death toll due to COVID19 in Punjab rose to 46 on Tuesday with two fresh fatalities and the total number of cases climbed to 2342 as 41 more people tested positive for the disease officials said The deaths were reported from Ludhiana and Pathankot districts they said An 86yearold man a resident of Fauji Mohalla in Ludhiana died of coronavirus at a hospital in the district an official said He was suffering from asthma the official said A 60yearold man from Pathankot succumbed to coronavirus at a government hospital in Amritsar He was also a patient of hypertension and was on ventilator support the official added Of the 41 fresh cases 11 were reported in Amritsar followed by eight in Pathankot according to a medical bulletin Six cases were reported in Sangrur four in Ludhiana two each in Amritsar Moga Kapurthala and Gurdaspur and one each in SBS Nagar Fatehgarh Sahib Patiala and Faridkot it stated Fifteen of these patients contracted the virus from outside Punjab the bulletin said Seventeen coronavirus patients were also discharged from various hospitals in Punjab after being cured it said With this the total number of cured persons in the state has reached 2017 it added According to the bulletin there are 279 active cases in the state Amritsar continues to lead the COVID19 tally with 388 cases followed by 256 in Jalandhar 200 in Ludhiana 157 in Tarn Taran 140 in Gurdaspur 130 in Hoshiarpur 123 in Patiala 113 in Mohali 104 in SBS Nagar and 102 in Sangrur There are 70 cases in Rupnagar 69 in Pathankot 66 in Muktsar 64 each in Fatehgarh Sahib and Moga 63 in Faridkot 49 in Bathinda 46 in Ferozepur 44 in Fazilka 38 in Kapurthala 32 in Mansa and 24 in Barnala One patient is critical and on ventilator support the bulletin said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjabs-covid-19-death-toll-rises-to-46-tally-2-342-38177.html Wed, 03 Jun 2020 01:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cong-mp-bajwa-takes-on-punjab-govt-over-unpaid-dues-of-sugarcane-farmers-38179.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday accused his partys government in Punjab of not taking concrete steps to ensure the outstanding payment of Rs 68148 crore to sugarcane growers in the state In a letter written to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Bajwa claimed that around 70000 sugarcane growers had not been paid their dues amounting to Rs 68148 crore for the 201819 and 201920 seasons by cooperative and private sugarmills It is a matter of grave concern that there are outstanding payments for years The government has taken no concrete steps to ensure that these payments are made to the farmers Bajwa said He pointed out that as per the Sugarcane Control Order and Clause 33 of the Sugarcane Purchase and Regulation Act sugar mills must make payments within 14 days of purchase of sugarcane Otherwise the mills will have to make these payments along with interest for the delayed period Bajwa wrote The Rajya Sabha MP said the unpaid dues have caused financial distress to thousands of sugarcane farmers leaving many with huge debts He demanded that the government take steps to ensure payment to growers who help it in the crop diversification programme The former Punjab Congress chief pointed out that two private mills had already paid payment to sugarcane growers If they could clear dues then why other sugar mills could not do so he questioned It is a major lapse of the government where sugar mills could break the rules and regulations of the state and not face any punishment Bajwa wrote He also sought from the state government to make the pending payment of Rs 68148 crore to farmers at the earliest He apprehended if sugarcane farmers were not paid their dues then area under sugarcane cultivation could drop by 20 per cent this year This would have disastrous consequences to the economy of Punjab and the goal of crop diversification in the state he said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cong-mp-bajwa-takes-on-punjab-govt-over-unpaid-dues-of-sugarcane-farmers-38179.html Wed, 03 Jun 2020 01:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/the-state-govt-proposes-to-bring-five-lakh-hectares-under-the-dsr-system-which-does-not-require-intensive-labour--38180.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh With the labour cost for crop transplantation doubling due to the exodus of migrant workers amid the coronavirus crisis Punjab is expecting about tenfold jump in paddy area sown with the direct seeding rice method a low labourintensive option Punjab has proposed to bring about five lakh hectares out of total 27 lakh hectares of expected paddy area this year under the direct seeding rice DSR officials said here Last year about 50000 hectares of total paddy area was brought under the DSR they said The state government is encouraging paddy growers to adopt the DSR for crop sowing instead of the traditional method of paddy transplantation Farm experts said the DSR method not only saves water but also proves to be a solution to the labour shortage which was being felt at this point of time due to the exodus of migrant workers to their native places The state government proposes to bring five lakh hectares under the DSR system which does not require intensive labour Punjab Agriculture Secretary K S Pannu said Under the DSR method paddy seeds are drilled into the field with the help of a Lucky Seed Drill machine which does seeding of rice and spray of herbicide simultaneously If it is not available then rice can be seeded with rice seed drill having an inclined plate metering mechanism and herbicide should be sprayed immediately after sowing It saves irrigation water labour and energy as compared to conventional method of raising rice nursery and then transplanting rice seedlings in a puddled field said Punjab Agricultural University Department of Agronomy M S Bhullar It is like mechanized rice cultivation as we do in the case of wheat Bhullar said According to the traditional method first nurseries are raised by farmers and then these are uprooted and transplanted in a puddled field Moreover at least three to four labourers per acre are required for transplanting the crop Labour charges for paddy transplantation have more than doubled to Rs 5000 6000 per acre this year as compared to last year in the wake of labour shortage Amid coronavirus pandemic many migrant workers in Punjab have returned to their home states in Uttar Pradesh Bihar and Jharkhand leading to labour shortage here Last year the labour charges for paddy transplantation were Rs 25003000 per acre and this year the rates have shot up to Rs Rs 5000 to Rs 6000 an acre lamented Bhartiya Kisan Union Rajewal president Balbir Singh Rajewal He said farmers are adopting the DSR method in a big way Meanwhile the state agriculture department has set a target of bringing 27 lakh hectares of area under paddy in the Kharif season Last year the area under paddy was 2930 lakh hectares The department is also anticipating to shift 250 lakh hectares of area from paddy to other crops officials said Officials said the rural labour and some migrant labourers working in potato and vegetable fields would be engaged for paddy transplantation this season Paddy transplantation would start from June 10 in the state Although it is a challenging time for intensive agriculture operations caused by COVID19 the state of Punjab with the active involvement of farmers shall be able to plant paddy as per the target within stipulated time an official said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/the-state-govt-proposes-to-bring-five-lakh-hectares-under-the-dsr-system-which-does-not-require-intensive-labour--38180.html Wed, 03 Jun 2020 01:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/payment-of-semester-fee-j-k-students-body-seeks-punjab-cms-intervention-38182.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh An association representing Jammu and Kashmir students has sought Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singhs intervention claiming that many educational institutes in the state are pressing for the payment of semester fee amid the coronavirus crisis It has urged the CM to direct colleges and universities to extend the date for depositing the fee In a letter to the Punjab chief minister the JK Students Association claimed that several colleges and universities have been asking Kashmiri students to pay their semester fee and attend online classes This is bizarre rather shocking that many Punjabbased colleges and universities are continuously asking students to submit their semester fee within days which is not possible owing to the ongoing crisis wrote Nasir Khuehami spokesperson of the association He said due to a ban on 4G services in the Valley Kashmiri students cant even attend online classes and take exams According to the letter the association has received hundreds of distress calls from students saying that colleges and universities are forcing them to pay fee online We request your good self to take immediate steps to resolve the issue on humanitarian grounds and direct colleges and universities to extend date for submitting fee and give students relaxation Khuehami said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/payment-of-semester-fee-j-k-students-body-seeks-punjab-cms-intervention-38182.html Wed, 03 Jun 2020 01:27:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/most-wanted-gangster-arrested-in-punjab-38183.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Punjab Police on Tuesday arrested a mostwanted gangster Tejinder Singh alias Teja from Mohali and seized a set of police uniform along with an SSB ID card which he allegedly planned to use for terrorist actions officials said A resident of Balachaur in SBS Nagar Tejinder was arrested by a team of the state polices Organised Crime Control Unit OCCU they said Tejinder was earlier arrested for involvement in more than 25 criminal cases including murder attempt to murder carjacking dacoity etc according to police He told officials that he was radicalised and motivated to carry out targeted killings by some hardcore terrorists who he came in contact with during his stints in various prisons they said Director General of Police DGP Dinkar Gupta said a set of Punjab Police uniform and an ID card of the Seema Suraksha Bal SSB were seized from Tejinder He planned to use the uniform and the card to gain access to restricted areas for commission of various kinds of crimes including terrorist actions the DGP said adding that the accused clearly posed a high security risk to the state A Chinese 30 caliber pistol 10 cartridges and a car were also seized from Tejinders possession Gupta said in an official release here It was found during the investigation that he had prepared other fake IDs such as Aadhaar card and driving license from Noida to evade arrest he said While on the run he stayed at different places in Delhi Rajasthan Uttar Pradesh and Haryana the DGP added During preliminary questioning Tejinder also revealed that he and his close associate Rachpal Singh from Tarn Taran were planning to loot a van used to transport cash from main branches of State Bank of India to ATMs in Maur and Talwandi Sabo the police said They had also conducted a recce for it they said Rachpal was earlier in jail in connection with crossborder smuggling of drugs and weapons He is wanted for his involvement in a recent murder case in Tarn Taran according to policeAfter Tejinders release from prison in December 2019 he along with Rachpal had procured sophisticated weapons from across the border They were also expecting a fresh consignment of automatic weapons and drugs DGP Gupta said Tejinder was the mastermind of a gold robbery which took place in Ludhiana early this year It was aimed at mobilising funds to carry out a spate of targeted killings as part of proKhalistan agenda to disturb peace and harmony in Punjab the police said A criminal case has been registered against him and his associates at State Special Operation Cell SSOC Mohali under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and other relevant sections of law they said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/most-wanted-gangster-arrested-in-punjab-38183.html Wed, 03 Jun 2020 01:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/traffic-congestion-at-the-delhi-gurugram-border-near-ambience-mall-as-haryana-police-screened-every-commuter-before-allowing-passage-into-the-city-on-the-first-day-of-covid-19-lockdown-5-37632.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Monday indicated that if the situation demanded curbs could be reimposed on the states borders reopened in line with Centres fresh guidelines on exiting coronavirus lockdown Vij said that the situation at the borders will be assessed daily The Centre has said there shall be no restriction on interstate and intrastate movement of persons and goods At the same time they have given the states the right to make their own assessment of the situation and take action based on that Vij told reporters We will assess the situation daily If the need is felt we have the right to take action and we will take it said Vij who also holds the health department portfolio The Haryana government had on Sunday issued fresh guidelines for the next phase of lockdown and decided to open its interstate borders including those with Delhi from June 1 and places of worship hotels and malls from June 8 Seeking to follow the Centres guidelines for the next phase of lockdown starting June 1 the state government also decided to allow interstate movement of people and goods Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar held a meeting with some of his senior ministers including Vij and officials on late Sunday evening and took a call on the Centres fresh lockdown guidelines termed as Unlock 10 It was decided in the meeting that there will be no restriction on interstate and interdistrict movements of people and goods a state government statement had said after the threehour meeting Vij had justified the earlier sealing of the borders with the national capital saying coronavirus cases in Haryana would have been at par with Delhi had they not taken the step The Haryana government had maintained that a spurt in infection has been due to rising cases in districts adjoining the national capital owing to the crossborder movement of people from Delhi In the fresh guidelines issued on Saturday the Centre said there shall be no restriction on interstate and intrastate movement of people and goods and no separate permission approval or epermit will be required for such movements However the Centre made it clear that if a stateUT based on reasons of public health and its assessment of the situation proposes to regulate movement of persons it will give wide publicity in advance regarding the restrictions to be placed on such movement and the related procedures to be followed Meanwhile Vij on Monday also said that the shops will remain open from 9 am to 7 pm For shops in market places it has been decided that they will open daily without any leftright or oddeven system from 9 am to 7 pm and the shops will remain shut for a day as per whatever is their weekly day off he said During the lockdown earlier the shops used to open on the left side of the road on one day and on right side the other day and shops with odd number were allowed to open on one day while the following day shops having even number would open the other day The deputy commissioner concerned can however impose suitable restrictions in highly congested markets depending on their own assessment editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/traffic-congestion-at-the-delhi-gurugram-border-near-ambience-mall-as-haryana-police-screened-every-commuter-before-allowing-passage-into-the-city-on-the-first-day-of-covid-19-lockdown-5-37632.html Tue, 02 Jun 2020 01:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/barbershops-salons-to-open-in-chandigarh-from-today-37633.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Union Territory Chandigarh Administration on Monday issued fresh guidelines for the next phase of the lockdown allowing the opening of barbershops and salons with strict adherence to COVID19 guidelines The administration also allowed the opening of shops from 10 am to 8 pm The barber and hair salons will be allowed to open from 02062020 onwards However they will strictly follow the guidelines issued by the Health Department regarding hygiene and social distancing as per the guidelines issued here Barbershops and salons have been asked to adopt oncall prior appointment or token system in order to prevent overcrowding Body temperature of all visitors will be measured while hand sanitisers will be made available at these shops as per the guidelines However spa massage centres and swimming pools will continue to remain shut As per the new guidelines the government offices can now function with 100 per cent staff from June 8 in Chandigarh The government offices will function from 10 am to 530 pm with a lunch break with 75 per cent staff  However from June 8 the head of department can call 100 per cent staff if required Private offices will also be allowed to operate with 100 per cent staff from June 8 if needed according to the guidelines Both government and private offices and other enterprises will encourage employees to work from home and to avoid travel The workplaces will be regularly sanitised and physical distance maintained it said There will be no requirement of mandatory pass for entering Chandigarh from other states However random screening will be done on the border and visitors will be advised selfmonitoring for 14 days it said Chandigarhs residents desirous of taking travel passes for visiting other states can apply online to the district magistrate Only persons outside the containment zone will be issued such passes as per guidelines For marriages not more than 50 persons will be allowed at community centres and not exceeding 20 people will be allowed for a funeral or last rites with effect from June 8 it said Apni Mandis or day markets in the city will remain closed till further orders The wholesale market however will continue to remain open stated the guidelines Any person found violating the guidelines will be liable to be proceeded against as per the provisions of the Disaster Management Act 2005 and section 188 of the IPC it said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/barbershops-salons-to-open-in-chandigarh-from-today-37633.html Tue, 02 Jun 2020 01:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-reports-highest-single-day-spike-in-virus-cases-as-one-more-dies-37637.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh A coronavirus patient died as Haryana reported its highest singleday increase of 265 cases on Monday pushing the states infection tally to 2356 nearly sevenfold increase in the numbers in the past month On April 30 the state had only 339 infection cases The previous highest singleday jump in cases in Haryana was reported on Friday when the state reported 217 cases So far 21 people have succumbed to the virus in the state The fresh fatality was reported from the worsthit Gurgaon which has so far reported four infection deaths a health bulletin said Of the 265 fresh cases Gurgaon reported 129 taking the total number of cases in the district to 903 Last week Gurgaon saw the highest singleday jump in cases when it reported 157 patients The second mostaffected Faridabad district reported 25 fresh cases on Monday So far 392 cases have been reported from the district The other districts from where infection cases were reported are Sirsa 28 Sonipat and Hisar 13 each Palwal and Kaithal 11 each Bhiwani 5 Jhajjar Fatehabad Rohtak and Kurukshetra 4 each and Nuh and Jind 2 each According to the bulletin there are 1280 active cases in the state now as 1055 patients have recovered from the disease With a spike in cases the states recovery rate has dropped further from 5012 per cent on Sunday to 4478 per cent According to the bulletin infections are doubling in the state is every eight days now Haryana has maintained that it would have been in a much better position had it not been impacted by Delhi with Health Minister Anil Vij recently pointing out that 7080 per cent of the cases are from districts adjoining the national capital editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-reports-highest-single-day-spike-in-virus-cases-as-one-more-dies-37637.html Tue, 02 Jun 2020 01:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-government-imposes-covid-cess-on-liquor-37638.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Liquor is going to cost more in Punjab as the state government on Monday imposed COVID cess on the sale of alcohol The Punjab government has raised additional excise duty and additional assessed fee on liquor in the range of Rs 2 to Rs 50 depending upon the type of liquor The move will help the state to mobilise additional revenue of Rs 145 crore in the current fiscal Faced with huge revenue losses resulting from the coronavirus pandemic and the prolonged lockdown in the state Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh gave the goahead to the imposition of Covid Cess on liquor with effect from June 1 an official statement said The state is facing a revenue shortfall of Rs 26000 crore which is 30 per cent of the total budget revenue estimates for the financial year 202021 necessitating some tough measures to generate additional revenue the chief minister said He accepted the recommendation of the Group of Ministers which was constituted on May 12 to levy additional excise duty and additional assessed fee on liquor during the current financial year The proceeds of the additional levy shall be utilised entirely for COVID19related expenditure Singh said He directed the department of excise and taxation to charge the cess in the current year at the time of issuance of permits for transportation of liquor from L1L13 wholesale licenses In line with GoMs recommendations the department of excise and taxation has decided to impose additional assessed fee on imported foreign liquor and additional excise duty on other types of liquor editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-government-imposes-covid-cess-on-liquor-37638.html Tue, 02 Jun 2020 01:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/38-more-people-test-positive-for-covid-19-in-punjab-total-rises-to-2-301-37628.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab continued to record a spike in coronavirus cases as 38 more people tested positive for COVID19 on Monday pushing the state char39 s tally to 2301 Of the fresh cases nine were reported in Amritsar eight in Hoshiarpur five in Fatehgarh Sahib four each in Ludhiana and Patiala two each in Mohali and Bathinda and one each in SBS Nagar Pathankot Gurdaspur and Jalandhar as per a medical bulletin The source of infection of 10 of these cases was from outside Punjab it said With these fresh cases the state has now seen more than 140 people testing positive for the disease in the past four days Thirteen coronavirus patients were discharged from hospitals after they recovered from the infection taking the total number of those cured to 2000 as per the bulletin There were 257 active cases in the state it said Amritsar continued to top the COVID19 tally in the state with 386 cases followed by 246 in Jalandhar 197 in Ludhiana 157 in Tarn Taran 138 in Gurdaspur 128 in Hoshiarpur 122 in Patiala 113 in Mohali 103 in SBS Nagar 96 in Sangrur 70 in Rupnagar 66 in Muktsar 62 each in Faridkot and Moga  61 in Pathankot 63 in Fatehgarh Sahib 49 in Bathinda 46 in Ferozepur 44 in Fazilka 36 in Kapurthala 32 in Mansa and 24 in Barnala the bulletin stated Two patients are critical and on ventilator support it added The medical bulletin also revised the death toll down to 44 On Sunday it had put the number of fatalities at 45 A health official said the death of a Ludhianabased coronavirus patient was inadvertently recorded twice in the bulletin and therefore it had now been revised editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/38-more-people-test-positive-for-covid-19-in-punjab-total-rises-to-2-301-37628.html Tue, 02 Jun 2020 01:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/farmers-wanted-their-due-not-charity-punjab-cm-on-msp-hike-37629.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday rejected the MSP hike announced by the Centre for paddy saying farmers wanted their due not charity Urging the Centre to immediately review the decision and come out with a comprehensive package the chief minister said the Union government failed to address the extreme distress faced by the farmers even amid the coronavirus crisis The debtridden and stressed farming community was looking to the Centre to come to their rescue in these times of unprecedented woes but the muchneeded support once again eluded them said the CM in a press release The chief minister said the Centre on Monday announced a minimum support price MSP of Rs 1868 a hike of Rs 53 per quintal for paddy as against the demand of Rs 2902 per quintal raised by him in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month What they farmers wanted in exchange was not charity but their due but the BJPled government at the Centre continued to ignore their justified demands and needs said the CM describing the hike as inadequate The CM said far from compensating the farmers for the increased cost of production particularly the hike in the labour cost the hike was not sufficient to compensate them for the crops losses suffered due to the untimely rains in March and April The central government had not come out with any special package for the farmers nor had it accepted the states demand for incentives for staggered wheat procurement or the Rs 100 per quintal bonus for paddy straw management the CM pointed out The CM said notwithstanding the immense hardships faced by them on account of the coronavirus pandemic Punjabs farmers had ensured successful completion of a mega rabi harvesting and procurement operations to once again provide the nation the muchneeded food security amid this unprecedented crisis editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/farmers-wanted-their-due-not-charity-punjab-cm-on-msp-hike-37629.html Tue, 02 Jun 2020 01:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/power-to-get-cheaper-for-domestic-consumers-in-punjab-37631.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Electricity rates are set to become lower for domestic consumers in Punjab with the power regulator PSERC announcing 2550 paise per unit reduction in power tariff on Monday In its new tariff order for 202021 the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission gave this relief in the wake of hardships faced by the poor section due to the coronavirus crisis The new tariff will be applicable with effect from June 1 2020 till March 31 2021 according to the tariff order In view of the hardship being faced by the poorer section of society due to the COVID19 pandemic the per unit tariff for domestic consumers with load up to 50 kW for consumption slabs of 0 to 100 units and 101 to 300 units have been reduced by 50 paise and 25 paise respectively the tariff order said This shall result in financial relief to the tune of Rs 35482 crore to 69 lakh domestic consumers Though the PSERC did not give any relief to the industrial sector but at the same time it also did not raise power tariff for it No increase in tariff for small shopkeepers Non Residential Supply consumers having load upto 7 kW No increase in the fixed part of the tariff for small medium and large industrial consumers as per the order However the tariff for the farm sector Agriculture pumpset has been raised from Rs 528 kWh to Rs 557kWh against the power utility PSPCLs proposal of Rs 695kWh Notably farmers get free power supply in Punjab The regulator determined the Aggregate Revenue Requirement of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited PSPCL at Rs 3110062 crore against a demand for Rs 4172097 crore With expected revenue at the existing tariff being Rs 3087579 crore the consolidated gap deficit worked out to be Rs 22483 crore which would be recovered in the remaining 10 months of the current financial year The regulator noted that the main reason for the revenue gap was the reduction in projected sales due to the lockdown imposed by the Central and state governments to prevent spread of coronavirus pandemic Meanwhile Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh welcomed the decision of PSERC to reduce the domestic power tariff in spite of the revenue gap resulting from the lockdown and expressed the hope that the rates would be further rationalised going forward in the interest of the people Singh said while his government had recommended even further reduction in tariff not just for the domestic consumers but also for the industry the PSERC had been unable to accommodate the states request in view of the steep fall in revenue collection In April alone the PSPCL had suffered losses to the tune of Rs 30 crore a day on account of the total shutdown of business and industry he said in an official release editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/power-to-get-cheaper-for-domestic-consumers-in-punjab-37631.html Tue, 02 Jun 2020 01:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/dont-spit-chew-tobacco-in-public-places-punjab-minister-37180.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Sunday appealed to the public not to spit and chew tobacco in public places as it spreads infectious diseases including COVID19 and tuberculosis Now there is a provision of a Rs 500 penalty for spitting in public places Speaking on the occasion of World NoTobacco Day Sidhu said the state government has launched a statewide awareness campaign to highlight the deadly effect of smokeless tobacco use and motivate people to quit especially amidst the coronavirus outbreak The evidencebased campaign includes the launch of a pretested public service announcement entitled I Dont Believe which focuses on the health harms that smokeless tobacco users are prone to and are at a heightened risk for cancer compared to nonusers Nandita Murukutla Vice President of the Global Policy and Research Policy Advocacy and Communication Vital Strategies said hardhitting mass media campaigns are a powerful tool in tobacco control We commend the states health department on the timely launch of I Dont Believe and promoting the campaign widely across Punjab By showing the deadly health harms of tobacco use the campaign will encourage current smokeless tobacco users to quit editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/dont-spit-chew-tobacco-in-public-places-punjab-minister-37180.html Mon, 01 Jun 2020 00:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/casteist-remarks-during-phone-call-away-from-public-view-not-an-offence-under-sc-37181.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that the use of casteist words during a phone call away from public view does not constitute an offence under the SCST Act Justice Harnaresh Singh Gill passed the order on May 14 on a plea challenging the framing of charges against two persons from Kurukshetra who allegedly made casteist remarks over mobile phone against their village head Merely uttering such wrong words in the absence of any public view does not show any intention or mens rea the intention or knowledge of wrongdoing that constitutes part of a crime to humiliate the complainant who besides being Sarpanch belongs to Scheduled Caste community It would not thus ipsofacto constitute acts of commission of offence which are capable of being taken cognizance under the SC and ST Act 1989 said the judge The counsel for the petitioners had argued that the allegations made against the petitioners do not fall within the provisions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989 as the telephonic call is not in a public view Justice Gill while allowing the plea observed To constitute the offence under the SCST Act it must be alleged that the accused intentionally insulted or intimidated with an intention to humiliate a member of Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe in any public place within public view In the present case it is alleged that the offence has been committed by the petitioners by using the castebased remarks over a mobile phone call to the informant or a member of Scheduled Castes of which there are no records Once it is admitted that the alleged conversation over the mobile phone was not in a public gaze nor witnessed by any third party the alleged use of caste words cannot be said to have been committed within the public view the Judge said The penal provisions are to be given a strict construction and if any of the ingredients are found lacking it would not constitute an offence under the SCST Act Justice Gill said in his order On the complaint of village head Rajinder Kumar an FIR was registered in October 2017 under the provisions of the IPC and SCST Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989 in which the complainant alleged that Sandeep Kumar and Pardeep the petitioners allegedly used casteist slurs against him during a conversation on mobile phone The complainant asked them not to use derogatory words and later handed over the phone to one Devi Dayal who also told them to stop abusing the FIR stated The complainant also alleged that the duo also threatened to kill him Later a charge sheet against the two accused was submitted after which a court in Kurukshetra ordered framing of charges against them a year ago editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/casteist-remarks-during-phone-call-away-from-public-view-not-an-offence-under-sc-37181.html Mon, 01 Jun 2020 00:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/centre-trying-to-dictate-economic-policy-to-states-cong-mp-37182.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Congress Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa on Sunday accused the Centre of attempting to dictate its economic policy to states and cautioned that such a move could cause resentment among people In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Bajwa raised the issue of linking the increase in borrowing limits of states with certain reformsBajwa wrote to the PM a day after furore over the free power issue in Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday had dismissed the Centres suggestion on replacement of free power to farmers with direct benefit transfer as totally unacceptable and a direct attack on the federal structure of the nation The CM had also alleged it was the Centre that was trying to impose the antifarmer condition on the state in the guise of extending fiscal support and had also said the free power facility for farmers would continue till his government was in power The Shiromani Akali Dal had warned the Congress government that it would launch an agitation if the free power to farmers is stopped Bajwa in a letter to the PM on Sunday said the Union government has asked states to accept specific sectoral reforms for the states being able to access higher amount of funding To avail the higher borrowing limits the Centre has declared that power subsidies must be reformed in the state This has forced the Government of Punjab to discuss direct benefit transfers of subsidies to farmers and other measures that could potentially affect their livelihood Bajwa wrote By forcing the states to act in a certain manner the Centre is attempting to dictate its economic policy I caution that such moves will cause resentment amongst the citizens especially in these economically distressing times he wrote Bajwa pointed out that such structural adjustment plans do not always work well and demanded that the states should be given space to create their own economic reform plans ably assisted by the Centre The Centre must not give the states diktats that would lead to local resentment The undercurrents of the same have already been felt in Punjab Bajwa wrote I once again beseech you to work with the state governments in this process and not attempt to shoehorn reforms that the Centre believes are necessary ignoring local economic and social conditions Bajwa said The Centre has allowed the states to borrow two per cent more of their gross state domestic product GSDP with strict reform conditions editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/centre-trying-to-dictate-economic-policy-to-states-cong-mp-37182.html Mon, 01 Jun 2020 00:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/in-addition-if-need-arises-we-will-also-seek-services-of-all-fourth-year-and-fifth-year-students-of-all-medical-colleges-in-the-state-37183.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh With Haryana witnessing a sixfold increase in coronavirus cases in a month Health Minister Anil Vij on Sunday sought to assure people that there was no need to worry and all arrangements were in place to treat the patients The cases have jumped from 339 on April 30 to over 2000 now A majority of the cases have been reported from Haryanas worsthit districts of Gurgaon Faridabad Sonipat and Jhajjar which lie near Delhi where the number of cases has been quite high Vij said People need not worry We have made all arrangements The health minister told reporters that the quarantine bed facility available is 26787 isolation beds are 8929 ICU beds number 2086 and 1025 ventilators 125 lakh PPE kits and 35 lakh N95 masks are available He said while 15 laboratories are functional at present he has asked officials to set up a lab in each of the 22 districts so that people do not have to travel far from their homes in case they have to get themselves tested Replying to a question Vij said there are 383 containment zones at present and nine Covid hospitals We are fully prepared So far we have over 2000 cases and active cases are about 973 But we have made preparation to handle 12000 patients if they become active We also have 26787 quarantine beds so we can treat 38000 patients he said Vij said they will hire 300 more doctors on ad hoc basis and also take services of private doctors if needed In addition if need arises we will also seek services of all fourth year and fifth year students of all medical colleges in the state he said To another question he said Haryana is discharging patients who test negative at least once after recovery We are following even more stringent protocols than prescribed by the Centre for discharge of COVID patients Even mild cases need to test negative before being discharged and if we discharge them just after resolution of symptoms without test then our recovery rate will go up he said Earlier this month Vij said he differed with Centres revised policy for discharge of coronavirus patients and ordered that those with even mild cases need to test negative before being discharged As per the revised discharge policy for COVID19 cases announced by the Union Health Ministry recently the moderate cases of COVID19 and presymptomatic mild and very mild cases need not undergo tests before being discharged after resolution of symptoms editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/in-addition-if-need-arises-we-will-also-seek-services-of-all-fourth-year-and-fifth-year-students-of-all-medical-colleges-in-the-state-37183.html Mon, 01 Jun 2020 00:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/health-workers-collect-swab-samples-of-nurses-and-asha-workers-for-the-covid-19-test-at-a-government-dispensary-in-model-town-during-the-ongoing-nationwide-lockdown-in-patiala-on-sunday-may-31-2020-37184.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh One more person succumbed to coronavirus in Punjab pushing the death toll to 45 while 30 fresh cases took the COVID19 tally to 2263 officials said on Sunday A 54yearold resident of Pathankot died due to the disease at a civil hospital on Friday a health official said The patient had diabetes an official said Ludhiana reported nine fresh cases followed by Rupnagar 8 Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar 4 each Amritsar 3 and Moga and Barnala 1 each according to a medical bulletin On Sunday 20 patients were discharged from hospitals after they recovered from the infection taking the total number of cured persons to 1987 it said adding that 231 patients are undergoing treatment Amritsar continued to lead the COVID19 tally in the state with 377 cases followed by 245 in Jalandhar 193 in Ludhiana 157 in Tarn Taran 137 in Gurdaspur 120 in Hoshiarpur 118 in Patiala 111 in Mohali 102 in SBS Nagar 96 in Sangrur 70 in Rupnagar 66 in Muktsar 62 each in Faridkot and Moga  60 in Pathankot 58 in Fatehgarh Sahib 47 in Bathinda 46 in Ferozepur 44 in Fazilka 36 in Kapurthala 32 in Mansa and 24 in Barnala according to the bulletin One patient is critical and on ventilator support it said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/health-workers-collect-swab-samples-of-nurses-and-asha-workers-for-the-covid-19-test-at-a-government-dispensary-in-model-town-during-the-ongoing-nationwide-lockdown-in-patiala-on-sunday-may-31-2020-37184.html Mon, 01 Jun 2020 00:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/mercury-plummets-as-rain-lashes-haryana-and-punjab-37185.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Rain lashed many parts of Haryana and Punjab including their common capital Chandigarh on Sunday leading to a sharp fall in the mercury The maximum temperature in Chandigarh settled at 319 degrees Celsius after the city received 50 mm of rains according to the Meteorological Department here Narnaul which received 58 mm of rain recorded a high of 32 degrees Celsius 10 notches below normal while Hisar registered a maximum of 33 degrees Celsius Ambalas maximum settled at 321 degrees Celsius seven below the normal while Karnal recorded a high of 31 degrees Celsius In Punjab Ludhiana Patiala and Mohali were lashed by rain Ludhiana recorded a high of 302 degrees Celsius down 10 notches against the normal limits Amritsar registered a maximum of 308 degrees Celsius while Patialas maximum settled at 316 degrees Celsius According to the MeT Department Haryana may receive light to moderate rain or thunderstorms at a few places in the one day For Punjab the forecast is light to moderate rain thundershowers are likely at a few places in the next one day and at isolated places thereafter in the state editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/mercury-plummets-as-rain-lashes-haryana-and-punjab-37185.html Mon, 01 Jun 2020 00:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-cm-summons-meeting-to-discuss-centres-fresh-lockdown-guidelines-37186.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Haryana government will take a call on the Centres fresh lockdown guidelines apart from the sealing of borders with New Delhi at a meeting later in the evening said states Home Minister Anil Vij before leaving Ambala Cantt for discussions in Chandigarh on Sunday Chief Minister Khattar has summoned a meeting in Chandigarh on Sunday evening in the wake of Centre issuing fresh guidelines for the fifth phase of the coronavirus lockdown beginning June 1 Vij had justified strictness on the borders with the national capital saying coronavirus cases would have been on a par with New Delhi had they not taken the decision The Haryana government has maintained that a spurt has been witnessed in infection cases in districts adjoining the national capital due to the crossborder movement of people from Delhi I had said we will follow whatever the Centre says The Centre has said that these borders can be opened but at the same time they have left an option for the states to take a decision based on their own assessment of situation So as an important meeting is being held with the CM in the evening in which a decision is likely to be taken he said Citing a sharp increase in coronavirus cases in the Haryana districts adjoining Delhi especially Gurgaon and Faridabad Vij had on Thursday issued fresh orders for sealing borders with the national capital Replying to a question on Friday Vij had told reporters here if Centre allows free movement of common people after lockdown 4 ends on May 31 then state will follow these directions In the fresh guidelines on Saturday the Centre has said there shall be no restriction on interstate and intrastate movement of persons and goods and no separate permissionapprovalepermit will be required for such movements However the Centre made it clear that if a stateUT based on reasons of public health and its assessment of the situation proposes to regulate movement of persons it will give wide publicity in advance regarding the restrictions to be placed on such movement and the related procedures to be followed editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-cm-summons-meeting-to-discuss-centres-fresh-lockdown-guidelines-37186.html Mon, 01 Jun 2020 00:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-cm-thanks-farmers-for-128-lakh-mt-of-wheat-procurement-37187.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday thanked farmers arthiyas labourers and all government agencies for successful procurement of 128 lakh metric tonne of wheat amid the coronavirus crisis A 45daylong wheat procurement operations ended on Sunday Due to elaborate arrangements in mandis and operational management of the staggered arrival of wheat COVID19 failed to put a spoke in the gigantic wheat procurement process during the justconcluded Rabi Marketing Season he said in a statement here The patience and discipline along with the adherence of all involved in the operation to strict health and safety measures put in place for harvesting procurement and storage of wheat have ensured zero COVID cases in the entire process noted the CM Singh also appreciated Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashus effort in successfully accomplishing the massive task of wheat procurement To facilitate the preharvesting necessities during lockdown the Department of Agriculture had successfully coordinated the tracking screening and supervision of all combine operators entering Punjab borders till the completion of the harvesting operation Additional Chief Secretary Development Viswajeet Khanna said A Medical checkup of such combine operators was ensured before the start of work and sanitization of the combine harvesting machines and straw reapers was ensured by the department apart from enforcing social distancing face masking and hand washing measures he said The official added that the number of mandis was increased from last years 1837 to 4000 besides issuing 1739 lakh online passes to farmers through arthiyas to regulate arrival of their produce editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-cm-thanks-farmers-for-128-lakh-mt-of-wheat-procurement-37187.html Mon, 01 Jun 2020 00:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-cm-warns-china-against-any-attempt-to-intrude-into-indian-territory-36795.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday warned China against any attempt to intrude into the Indian territory saying New Delhi will not back off in the face of Beijings intimidation However he also underscored the need for a diplomatic solution to the escalating border tension While we do not want war we will not tolerate any bullying by Beijing said the chief minister warning the neighbouring country against taking India lightly This is not 1962 he said making it clear that if China did not stop indulging in intimidating behaviour it would have to pay the price The Indian Army is ready to give a befitting reply and China should not take any chances he said in response to a Kolkata residents question during his Facebook Live session We do not want war with any nation and want the situation to improve but if they keep behaving like this we wont have any other option left he said urging China to mend its ways and talk to India to resolve the issue Singh said China cannot stop India from building any infrastructure on its side of the border They the Chinese dont listen to us when we object to them making roads inside our area in Aksai Chin but when we make one road inside our area they react with aggression he said in a government statement here Singh was equally stern in warning Pakistan which had been trying to foment trouble in Punjab and other parts of India by pushing terrorists weapons and drugs from across the border through use of drones and other means A robust threetier security structure comprising BSF Punjab police and Indian Army was monitoring and securing the border with Pakistan round the clock he said adding that Punjab police in recent months busted 32 terror modules and seized more than 200 weapons On attempts by Gurpatwant Singh Pannu of the secessionist Sikhs for Justice outfit to instigate people and foment trouble in Punjab the chief minister said he will not let Punjabs hardearned peace be disturbed at any cost by any foreign elements He warned Pannu of dire consequences if he did not stop trying to destabilise the state Asserting that he knows how to handle people like Pannu Singh dared him to try to enter Punjab saying the state was fully prepared to tackle any threat from him and his banned outfit editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-cm-warns-china-against-any-attempt-to-intrude-into-indian-territory-36795.html Sun, 31 May 2020 00:27:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/govt-must-educate-people-on-how-to-properly-wear-face-mask-hry-cong-mla-36797.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Welcoming Haryana governments decision to make face coverings mandatory in public places Congress MLA Varun Chaudhary on Saturday said there is a need to raise awareness and educate people on the proper way to wear a face mask The legislator from Mullana constituency in Ambala district said generally many people wear the face mask incorrectly and keep their nostrils exposed while some keep it hanging below the chin which is like wearing a helmet on a twowheeler without the strap fastened He said that spreading awareness about face masks is crucial in the fight against COVID19 I believe making it mandatory for people to wear face masks in public places is a welcome move to contain the spread of COVID19 but at the same time merely wearing a mask will not do it has to be ensured that people wear face masks properly Chaudhary who is Secretary of State Congress Legislature Party told PTI over the phone Educating the masses about the proper wearing and takingoff of a face mask and the typesmedical grade versus cloth and quality of masks are crucial steps along with spreading awareness about how to clean and dry reusable masks and how frequently Guidance is also needed on the safe disposal of used face masks For the government it is therefore essential to spread knowledge and awareness regarding the wearing maintenance and hygiene and disposal of face masks so that the fight against novel coronavirus can be won he said Chaudhary a firsttime legislator said that awareness among the masses about face masks is not only going to help in the fight against the pandemic but could also contribute to preventing the transmission of other airborne diseases editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/govt-must-educate-people-on-how-to-properly-wear-face-mask-hry-cong-mla-36797.html Sun, 31 May 2020 00:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-extends-lockdown-till-june-30-36798.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday announced the extension of the coronavirus lockdown till June 30 Though experts have advised against opening of hospitality services and shopping malls in the state the chief minister said his government will take into account the Centres guidelines for lockdown 50  The Centre on Saturday issued fresh guidelines relaxing the nationwide lockdown the fourth phase of which ends on May 31 The countrywide lockdown in containment zones has been extended till June 30 while hospitality services hotels and shopping malls will be allowed to open from June 8 the Union home ministry said Singh announced his decision after an onground assessment of the COVID situation through a video conference with health experts and cabinet ministers Bharat Bhushan Ashu Balbir Singh Sidhu and Tript Singh Bajwa according to a government release During his weekly Facebook live session the chief minister said the threat of COVID19 was not over yet and if necessary he would continue to take tough measures to save the lives of people Underlining the need to exercise extreme caution he lauded citizens for following all health norms to help the state government in containing the spread of the disease to a great extent He directed Bharat Bhushan Ashu to ensure distribution of face masks along with ration kits among the needy and poor Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta said wearing masks was being strictly enforced across districts and so far more than Rs 1 crore fine has been collected from offenders During the meeting the chief minister sought an update on the state governments plan for deployment of COVID19 foot soldiers to track and trace infections Asha workers are being hired to undertake door to door surveillance across districts and they will be paid Rs 2 per head for every household surveyed he said The state government will also launch a mobile application to trace symptomatic cases who are not selfreporting to health authorities In his Facebook session the chief minister said people not reporting to health authorities was a big challenge as it complicated their contact tracing and endangered lives of others Though there is an overall decline in the number of cases being reported daily the fresh cases in the last few days are a matter of concern he added Singh said 36820 people have been fined for not wearing masks and 4032 persons for spitting in public from May 17 to May 28 Regarding rapid testing kits Singh said those received by the state from China and South Korea had to be returned as they were defective On the crackdown on units manufacturing spurious liquor during the lockdown the chief minister said 97 illegal bhattas had been sealed with 1729 FIRs registered and 1360 persons arrested The government was also taking stern action against those trying to smuggle liquor into Punjab he added On the locust threat he said all arrangements had been put in place in seven districts bordering Rajasthan and Haryana editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-extends-lockdown-till-june-30-36798.html Sun, 31 May 2020 00:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/set-gets-two-more-months-to-probe-liquor-scam-36799.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The term of a Special Enquiry Team set up by the Haryana government to probe the alleged theft of liquor seized by the police and the excise department has been extended by two months state Home Minister Anil Vij said on Saturday The SET headed by senior IAS officer T C Gupta was to submit its report to the government by May 31 Gurgaon Police Commissioner Mohd Akil will replace ADGP Subhash Yadav who is due to retire on May 31 as a member of the SET according to Vij We had asked T C Gupta as to how much time it will take to complete the enquiry and he wrote that he needs two more months the minister told reporters On May 6 Vij had announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team following the alleged theft of seized liquor from two godowns in Sonipat district However the government finally formed a Special Enquiry Team SET Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala had claimed the SET lacked powers and asked whether the Khattar government is conducting an inquiry into the liquor scam or resorting to a coverup Gupta is the additional chief secretary in the department of power employment and renewable energy The other members of the SET are Subhash Yadav additional director general of police State Vigilance Bureau Gurgaon and Vijay Singh additional excise and taxation commissioner As per the order issued by the Home Department the probe team will also check the actual availability of stock in all warehouses and godowns that were sealed by the excise department during the last two years for any violation The SET was required to examine cases of seizure of illicitnonexcise duty paid liquor in Haryana from the period April 1 2019 to March 31 2020 both by the police and the excise department separately with special reference to the action taken and the fines imposed by the excise department pursuant to the recovery of the liquor editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/set-gets-two-more-months-to-probe-liquor-scam-36799.html Sun, 31 May 2020 00:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-reports-2-more-deaths-due-to-covid-19-36-fresh-cases-36800.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Two more persons have succumbed to coronavirus and 36 people tested positive for the disease in Punjab officials said on Saturday With this the death toll due to the disease in the state has risen to 44 and the number of cases climbed to 2233 according to a health bulletin On Friday a 51yearold man died in Ludhiana while a 49yearold succumbed to the infection in Jalandhar a health official said Both the patients had diabetes and hypertension he said Of the fresh cases Pathankot and Amritsar reported eight each followed by Bathinda five Mohali four Patiala Sangrur Fazilka and Hoshiarpur two each and Tarn Taran Gurdaspur and Fatehgarh Sahib one each according to the bulletin Eighteen coronavirus patients were discharged from hospitals after they recovered from the infection taking the total number of cured persons to 1967 it said The number of active cases in the state stands at 222 Amritsar continued to lead the COVID19 tally in the state with 374 cases followed by 241 in Jalandhar 180 in Ludhiana 157 in Tarn Taran 137 in Gurdaspur 118 in Patiala 116 in Hoshiarpur 111 in Mohali 106 in SBS Nagar 96 in Sangrur 66 in Muktsar 62 each in Faridkot and Rupnagar 61 in Moga 60 in Pathankot 58 in Fatehgarh Sahib 47 in Bathinda 46 in Ferozepur 44 each in Fazilka 36 in Kapurthala 32 in Mansa and 23 in Barnala the bulletin said One patient is critical and on ventilator support it said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-reports-2-more-deaths-due-to-covid-19-36-fresh-cases-36800.html Sun, 31 May 2020 00:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-minister-slams-akalis-over-free-electricity-issue-36802.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa on Saturday hit back at the Akalis on the free electricity issue and asked it to question its ally BJP at the Centre for imposing a condition of cash transfer to farmers through the Direct Benefit Transfer scheme The opposition Shiromani Akali Dal SAD has been accusing the Congressled state government of withdrawing free power to farmers on the pretext of replacing it with the Direct Benefit Transfer DBT The government however has maintained that it will continue to provide free electricity to farmers Let me reassure our farmers that there is no plan to withdraw free power to agriculture in Punjab I am cognizant of your economic condition and appreciate the hard work put in by you in every crop to grow food grains for the country Free power will continue Chief Minister Amarinder Singh tweeted on Friday The state in a release on May 27 had said it would put in place a scheme for the financial year 202122 for ensuring cash transfer to farmers through DBT in lieu of free electricity Talking to the media here Bajwa said on Saturday that the Centre had imposed a condition of introducing DBT to all farmers in lieu of free electricity for the state to become eligible for additional borrowing of 015 per cent of the gross state domestic product GSDP According to the condition the state government should put in place a scheme whereby cash is transferred to farmers through DBT instead of free electricity being provided to them whereas charges of electricity are paid by farmers directly from the amount given to them I want to ask Sukhbir Badal Bikram Singh Majithia and Harsimrat Kaur Badal if they had read this condition You are their BJP partner in Delhi Bajwa said Despite knowing all this they Akalis are blaming us whereas the fault is of the Modi government he alleged The minister reiterated that the Centre had imposed a condition that if farmers are charged for electricity the state government could go for additional borrowing We have decided that we will not impose any bill on the farmers for electricity Bajwa said Notably the Centre has allowed states to borrow 2 per cent more of their GSDP with strict reform conditions However the relaxation in borrowing limits is partly unconditional to the extent of 05 per cent and partly conditional to the implementation of reforms such as one nation one ration card system ease of doing business as well as reforms in the urban local bodyutility and power sectors editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-minister-slams-akalis-over-free-electricity-issue-36802.html Sun, 31 May 2020 00:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/centre-against-free-power-to-farmers-alleges-punjab-cm-amarinder-singh-dares-sad-to-leave-nda-36803.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Rejecting the oppositions claim that his government was planning to withdraw the free power provided to farmers Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday alleged it was the Centre that was trying to impose the antifarmer condition on the state in the guise of extending fiscal support He lashed out at Shiromani Akali Dal SAD chief Sukhbir Badal for trying to pin the blame for the central governments misdemeanours on the state government and dared him to leave the BJPled National Democratic Alliance The chief ministers reaction came as the SAD on Saturday warned the Congress government that it will launch an agitation if the free power to farmers is stopped Dismissing the Centres suggestion on replacement of free power to farmers with DBT as totally unacceptable and a direct attack on the federal structure of the nation the chief minister in a statement said the free power facility for farmers will continue till his government is in power Singh said he will take up the issue with the central government Punjab government will take loans to bridge the fiscal deficit and the Centre cannot dictate the terms of a sovereign loan being taken by a state government he said Singh said his government had unwaveringly been providing free power to farmers since taking over in March 2017 despite the massive financial crunch it had inherited from the erstwhile AkaliBJP regime while the Centre was trying to impose such an antifarmer condition on the state in the guise of extending fiscal support Punjab minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa had earlier said that the Centre had imposed a condition of introducing Direct Benefit Transfer DBT to all farmers in place of free electricity for the state to become eligible for additional borrowing of 015 per cent of the gross state domestic product GSDP The state government will have to put in place a scheme whereby cash is transferred to farmers through DBT instead of free electricity being provided to them whereas charges of electricity are paid by farmers directly from the amount given to them The chief minister accused the SAD leadership of levelling malicious and mischievous and totally unsubstantiated allegations against his government and resorting to petty and shameless politicking even on such a grave issue of national concern If you have even an iota of shame you should leave the NDA coalition of which you are a part immediately and join my government in working for the people of the state the CM said It was the government of India that took the decision directing the states to withdraw the free power and also failed to come to the rescue of the state or any section of its people in the wake of the unprecedented COVID crisis and lockdown he said       It was obvious that SAD chief Sukhbir Union Minister Harsimrat and their party have no scruples or principles and are only interested in promoting their personal and political interests he alleged The CM clarified that the state cabinet had in its last meeting given an inprinciple approval to undertaking certain reforms to become eligible to avail additional borrowing of 15 per cent of Gross State Domestic Product GSDP amid COVID19 as mandated by the Government of India editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/centre-against-free-power-to-farmers-alleges-punjab-cm-amarinder-singh-dares-sad-to-leave-nda-36803.html Sun, 31 May 2020 00:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/39-more-cases-reported-covid-19-tally-rises-to-2-197-36399.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Thirtynine more people tested positive for COVID19 in Punjab on Friday taking the total tally in the state to 2197 according to a medical bulletin Three patients were discharged from Kapurthala hospital following recovery taking the number of cured cases in the state to 1949 At present there are 206 active cases in the state it stated Punjab has so far reported 42 COVID19 deaths Among the fresh cases 12 were reported in Amritsar eight in Jalandhar five in Pathankot four in Ludhiana three each in Mohali and Gurdaspur and one each in Rupnagar and Patiala The source of infection in 23 cases was outside Punjab Among them two had returned from abroad the medical bulletin stated Amritsar continued to top the COVID19 tally in the state with 366 cases followed by Jalandhar 241 Ludhiana 180 Tarn Taran 156 Gurdaspur 136 Patiala 116 Hoshiarpur 114 and Mohali 107 SBS Nagar has so far reported 106 coronavirus cases Sangrur 94 Muktsar 66 Faridkot and Rupnagar 62 each Moga 61 Fatehgarh Sahib 57 Pathankot 52 Ferozepur 46 Fazilka and Bathinda 42 each Kapurthala 36 Mansa 32 and Barnala 23 One patient is in a critical state and on ventilator support according to the bulletin editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/39-more-cases-reported-covid-19-tally-rises-to-2-197-36399.html Sat, 30 May 2020 01:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/harsimrat-writes-to-union-agri-min-seeks-probe-into-seed-scam-36400.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Friday urged the Centre to depute a central team to conduct an impartial probe into an alleged seed scam in Punjab In a letter written to Union Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar she also urged him to forward the case to the CBI for a thorough probe into it Badal wrote to Tomar alleging that a massive seed scam had been detected in Punjab which besides affecting the livelihood of farmers in the neighbouring states could also have a panIndia ramification Advocating the need to safeguard farmers interest Badal in a statement here said unscrupulous elements playing with the lives of farmers should be stopped immediately She said the scam involved the sale of spurious PR128 and PR129 paddy seed varieties which were yet to be approved for commercial sale She claimed Punjab Agricultural University had supplied a very small quantity of seeds to farmers in May at the rate of Rs 70 a kg but unscrupulous elements added spurious seeds to it sold its to farmers at the rate of Rs 200 per kg The Union minister said despite registration of an FIR by the states Agriculture Department and seizure of spurious seeds of both paddy varieties from a seed store in Ludhiana on May 11 following a complaint by farmers no follow up action was taken in the case She said the seed store owner gave a statement that the seeds had been supplied to it by a Gurdaspurbased supplier Farmers are claiming that scamsters enjoy political patronage and that is why the police is not conducting further seizures of spurious seed or making any arrests in the case she said Badal said farmers felt the state police had developed cold feet in the case because the scamsters enjoyed official and political patronage of a minister in Punjab Notably the Shiromani Akali Dal had claimed that a close associate of Cabinet minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa was allegedly involved in supplying spurious paddy seeds which were not approved for sale by the Punjab Agricultural University PAU Randhawa however had on Wednesday denied the charge and accused Akalis of dragging his name into it saying they were doing so to gain cheap political mileage editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/harsimrat-writes-to-union-agri-min-seeks-probe-into-seed-scam-36400.html Sat, 30 May 2020 01:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/to-prevent-robberies-ensure-visitors-remove-mask-once-hry-police-to-jewellers-banks-36401.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Haryana Police have warned that masks worn to fight coronavirus could also help criminals go undetected In an advisory issued to the states jewellers banks gold loan companies as well as other establishments dealing in cash the police has asked them to ensure that people entering their premises must take off their mask or face covering once in front of a CCTV camera to prevent robberies The police also urged people to share information about those claiming to offer genuine movement passes amid the ongoing lockdown in return for money The states Director General of Police DGP Manoj Yadava has ordered all district police chiefs to ensure that jewellers banks gold finance companies etc in their respective jurisdiction display the advisory asking people to remove their mask in front of their establishments The DGP in a statement here informed that wearing of face mask at work and public places has been made compulsory by the government in view of the COVID19 pandemic Now with the gradual opening up of the lockdown there is a possibility of criminal elements taking advantage of the difficult times by wearing face masks Not only known habitual offenders but new criminals could also indulge in antisocial activities like theftrobbery Yadava said If any unfortunate incident happens the criminals can be apprehended with the help of the photograph captured in the CCTV cameras he added The police chief also advised people against carrying large amount of cash while going out Meanwhile Additional Director General of Police Law and Order Navdeep Singh Virk said some touts are active on the social media and cheating gullible people especially migrants on the pretext of providing them movement passes Few instances have also come to light where false lockdown passes were being used to ferry stranded persons he said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/to-prevent-robberies-ensure-visitors-remove-mask-once-hry-police-to-jewellers-banks-36401.html Sat, 30 May 2020 01:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-chief-secretary-directs-district-administrations-to-take-steps-if-locust-swarms-enter-state-36402.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryana Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora on Friday directed the Agriculture department and district administrations to take all necessary precautions in advance to tackle any potential attack of locust swarms in the state The chief secretary gave the directions while presiding over a review meeting regarding monitoring and control of locusts in Haryana with officers of the Agriculture department and other concerned departments here an official statement said During the meeting Additional Chief Secretary Agriculture and Farmers Welfare department Sanjeev Kaushal shared that Haryana has also been put on high alert after insect attacks have been reported in neighbouring Rajasthan Special supervision teams have been constituted to tackle the situation and spread the awareness about the same across the state Kaushal said Further to control the locust attack adequate stock of pesticides have been made available through HAFED and Haryana Land Reclamation and Development Corporation and farmers can get the products from these agencies if required Kaushal said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-chief-secretary-directs-district-administrations-to-take-steps-if-locust-swarms-enter-state-36402.html Sat, 30 May 2020 01:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/need-to-scale-down-flights-from-mumbai-ahmedabad-pb-minister-36403.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Friday said there is a need to reduce domestic flights from Mumbai and Ahmedabad where a large number of coronavirus cases have been found Presiding over a review meeting of the Health Department Sidhu said most of the COVID19 cases reported in Punjab were having the travel history of return from other states or countries Therefore to prevent the community spread level there is a need to put focus on passengers especially coming from high risk states and countries said Sidhu in an official release here In order to contain the spread of COVID19 in state as Punjab has registered only 28 percent positive cases among 72468 samples Balbir Singh Sidhu said there is need to reduce domestic flights especially from Mumbai and Ahmedabad where higher number of COVID19 cases have been reported the release said quoting the minister Sidhu said he would also discuss this key issue with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in the Cabinet meeting to be held on Saturday the release added The minister also issued instructions to ensure maximum sampling of passengers He also summoned from the Health Services director the file on vacant posts of medical and paramedical staffers so that the issue could be discussed in the next Cabinet meeting the release said  editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/need-to-scale-down-flights-from-mumbai-ahmedabad-pb-minister-36403.html Sat, 30 May 2020 01:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/akali-dal-seeks-inquiry-into-seed-scam-35755.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal Tuesday said his party will submit memoranda to deputy commissioners across the state on May 28 to demand an inquiry into the alleged seed scam Badal claimed that spurious varieties of paddy seed were sold to farmers at three times the cost of genuine seeds In a statement here the SAD chief said senior party leaders including Members of Parliament ex MPs legislators constituency representatives and district presidents would submit the memorandums to deputy commissioners It was shocking that after the state agriculture department got an FIR registered in Ludhiana on May 11 following complaints by farmers that they were being supplied with spurious seeds some Congress leaders now swung into action to provide a political cover to the scamsters he alleged No action has been taken in the matter Badal claimed adding the police had not conducted any seizures on godowns as well as the unit based at Gurdaspur which supplied spurious paddy seeds The government is ready to let lakhs of farmers suffer only because the owner of the unit is a close associate of a cabinet minister he alleged We will not allow this to happen and will force the government to punish all those who are pushing the hardworking farmers to the jaws of suicide he alleged The opposition party on May 23 had claimed that a close associate of a cabinet minister was allegedly involved in supplying spurious paddy seeds which were not approved for sale by the Punjab Agricultural University PAU A raid was conducted at a seed selling store in Ludhiana and more than 750 quintals of seed packaged as PR129 and 100 quintals of seed packaged as PR128 were seized the party had claimed But it had also said that no action had been taken against the supplier editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/akali-dal-seeks-inquiry-into-seed-scam-35755.html Wed, 27 May 2020 00:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/end-to-end-computerization-ensured-against-any-grain-pilferage-ashu-35418.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Due to end to end computerization implemented by the Punjab Government the department was successful in stamping out any possibility of grain pilferage during the distribution of foodgrains and pulses to the beneficiaries of PMGKAY under the Punjab National Food Security Act It was disclosed by Punjab Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu here today Terming the Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badals demand of CBI probe as ridiculous Ashu said that these types of demands are just gimmicks aiming to gain political mileage Describing the demand for probe as absurd Ashu said that the instructions of the government had been strictly adhered to during the distribution of foodgrains and no one from the congress party worker or leaders had any role in this distribution Responding to a query raised by Sukhbir Badal on the delay in distribution of grain and pulses the Minister said that a letter was written on April 1 2020 to the Union Government requesting them to expedite the delivery of pulses However on our part Punjab Government had immediately got released the wheat quota allocated to it by centre by from FCI he added He disclosed that the main reason for impediment in distribution was delayed supply of pulses by NAFED and bad quality pulses supplied by them We have received various complaints from many districts of the state including Mohali that pulses supplied by Union Government is not suitable for human consumption We took immediate action and consignment of pulses were sent back from various places he said adding that the first consignment of pulses was received on April 13th this year which was 42 MT and despite all this the department had started distribution on 18th April 2020 in 18 out of 22 districts of the state He stated that the state had received only 2646 metric tonnes of pulses by 30th April and started distribution in all the districts of the state He said that out of the total pulses received at Patiala 45 metric tonnes of pulses were sent back to Central Pool due to the poor quality Similarly in Mohali dal was reported to be not suitable for human consumption as it contained pigeon droppings editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/end-to-end-computerization-ensured-against-any-grain-pilferage-ashu-35418.html Sun, 24 May 2020 01:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/pgi-chandigarh-develops-robotic-trolley-for-covid-patients-35419.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh In order to ensure minimum contact of healthcare workers with coronavirus patients and no contamination in surroundings the PGIMER here has developed a stateoftheart lowcost robotic trolley for Covid patients that is customized for local needs The device was formally launched by Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research PGIMER Director Jagat Ram on Saturday Acronymed as DOOT delivery observance and orchestrated telecommunicator this robotic device was designed and developed by Resident Doctors Pranay Mahajan and Shailesh Gahukar from the Department of Hospital Administration The Director lauded both for their commendable initiative and said The health and safety of our frontline corona warriors is always our utmost concern as they are putting their own lives at risk to save the lives of others This robotic device is PGIMERs step forward in the direction of selfreliance and safety By delivering medicines and food among patients in the isolation wards wherein the chances of getting infected with the virus are maximum for the healthcare workers this automated trolley will help in reducing their interaction with Covid19 patients to a great extent Vipin Koushal in charge of Covid Hospital said With a spike in the number of corona positive patients earlier we brainstormed about multiple affordable options to ensure better safety for our Covid19 team in addition to SOPs being followed editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/pgi-chandigarh-develops-robotic-trolley-for-covid-patients-35419.html Sun, 24 May 2020 01:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/22-of-76-haryana-natives-deported-from-us-test-corona-positive-minister-vij-35420.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Twentytwo of 76 Haryana natives deported back from the US have tested positive for coronavirus infection state Health Minister Anil Vij said on Saturday Seventysix Haryana people were part of a group of over 160 Indians who had arrived at Amritsar in Punjab by a special chartered flight earlier this week Twenty two of these 76 have been found having COVID19 Vij told reporters After they were deported from the US and arrived in India earlier this week Vij had said all will undergo COVID19 tests before they are quarantined in their home districts Most of the deported Indians had entered the US from its southern border with Mexico and had exhausted all legal options to stay in the US They were arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement sleuths while trying to enter America illegally The 76 Haryana natives were later brought to Panchkula where they underwent the COVID19 and other medical tests While those found COVID negative will be quarantined in their home districts the 22 COVID19 patients will undergo treatment at a dedicated hospital in Panchkula editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/22-of-76-haryana-natives-deported-from-us-test-corona-positive-minister-vij-35420.html Sun, 24 May 2020 01:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/excise-dept-conducts-stock-checking-of-15-distilleries-in-punjab-35421.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Amid row over excise revenue loss and liquor smuggling Punjab Excise and Taxation Department has conducted stock checking at 15 distilleries in the state The checking was carried out on Friday and strict action would be taken if any discrepancy was found during the inspection officials said We have conducted stock checking at 15 distilleries Principal Secretary Excise and Taxation A Venuprasad said on Saturday     The action was taken after some liquor contractors raised the issue that liquor from other states was being pushed into Punjab for sale and distilleries here were not supplying alcohol to other states and disposing of their stock in the state only During stock checking the department has found 22000 liquor cases which were to be supplied to Chhattisgarh at one of the distilleries We are verifying whether it was really to be supplied to Chhattisgarh he said We are compiling reports on checking and they will be ready by evening Venuprasad further said  Several Congress legislators a few days ago had demanded probe against the chief secretary while blaming him for excise revenue loss after a row erupted at a May 9 meeting here in which some ministers had accused him of his unacceptable behaviour with them On the other hand opposition party Shiromani Akali Dal SAD had alleged that the liquor mafia in league with some Congress leaders caused loss of Rs 5600 crore to the state exchequer by allowing liquor from distilleries without payment of excise duty on the same A few days ago the excise officials along with the police department had raided illegal distillery and liquor bottling plant in Patiala which was allegedly manufacturing illegal liquor during the lockdown period Meanwhile the department has also ordered the transfer of 22 excise and taxation officers and 73 excise inspectors editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/excise-dept-conducts-stock-checking-of-15-distilleries-in-punjab-35421.html Sun, 24 May 2020 01:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/will-sit-on-dharna-if-payments-to-farmers-not-cleared-by-june-1-abhay-chautala-35422.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Indian National Lok Dal MLA Abhay Singh Chautala on Saturday said he would sit on dharna if the M L Khattar government does not clear outstanding payments to farmers for procuring their wheat and mustard crop Farmers feel cheated The government makes tall claims but reality is something else The reality is that not even onethird of the total payment due has been credited to the farmers accounts after their crop was procured the lone INLD legislator told reporters here He said if the entire payment of farmers is not cleared June 1 he would sit on dharna from June 2 And I wont sit alone Thousands of farmers will join me in this dharna to put pressure on the government to clear their outstanding payments he said He also demanded that the government should pay interest to the farmers for payments delayed beyond four days The government claims it will clear farmers payments within 72 hours but if it fails to do so it should pay an interest on the delayed payment he said He also took a dig at his nephew Dushyant Chautala a JJP leader and the state deputy chief minister who also holds the Food and Civil Supplies and Excise Departments The government has kept a new spokesman these days who keeps claiming that he propagates Chaudhary Devi Lals policies But the truth is he knows nothing about famers For the past many days he has been mentioning the name of a farmer Nirmal Singh to back his claims that crop procurement was going on smoothly The truth is that Nirmal Singh is Dushyants personal security officer he claimed He said the government knows its mismanagement in crop procurement would soon get exposed and that is why they ask such people Dushyant to make statements before the media Officials hand over documents to them which they read Dushyant Chautala however said the payment of farmers and arhtiyas or commission agents is made within four days after the wheat is purchased and lifted from the mandis for the warehouses He said so far 73 lakh metric tonne of wheat and more than 8 lakh metric tonne of mustard have been successfully procured In addition to this more than 5081 metric tonne of gram has also been procured Without naming anyone Dushyant Chautala said despite the fact that the procurement process was conducted efficiently some politicians could not digest the effectiveness of the same The reality is that about Rs 22000 crore cash credit has already been arranged so as to make timely payments to farmers and 25 percent commission for commission agents he said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/will-sit-on-dharna-if-payments-to-farmers-not-cleared-by-june-1-abhay-chautala-35422.html Sun, 24 May 2020 01:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/you-are-aware-that-the-state-is-already-passing-through-financial-constraints-due-to-covid-19-pandemic-and-the-same-is-the-case-with-the-arthiyas-35267.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Food minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu on Friday condemned the Centre for its arbitrary decision to delink the commission of arthiyas commission agents from the Minimum Support Price MSP Ashu said the step will create hindrances in the ongoing smooth procurement process of agricultural produce in the country and asked the Centre to revoke the decision At present two and half per cent commission is paid for services rendered in connection with sale and purchase of agriculture produce under rule of Punjab Agriculture Produce Markets General Rules 1962 to arthiyas said Ashu in an official release here The commission of arhtiyas in Punjab is part of statutory charges so it cannot be delinked from MSP till the provisions under rules are amended by the legislature he claimed In his letter to Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan Ashu said You are aware that the state is already passing through financial constraints due to COVID19 pandemic and the same is the case with the arthiyas They have made remarkable efforts in ensuring hassle free procurement despite constraints during curfew They also followed health protocols about sanitisation of mandis and labourers and spent massive amount for this purpose Due to their efforts ongoing procurement process is running smoothly he said Meanwhile president of Arthiyas Association Vijay Kalra met Ashu over the issue and urged him to take it up with the Centre editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/you-are-aware-that-the-state-is-already-passing-through-financial-constraints-due-to-covid-19-pandemic-and-the-same-is-the-case-with-the-arthiyas-35267.html Sat, 23 May 2020 00:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryanas-home-minister-vij-warns-officials-who-ignore-mlas-35268.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Officials have to listen and respond to queries of members of the legislative assembly MLAs and work with them Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said on Friday warning them not to ignore legislators His remarks come after legislators cutting across party lines complained to assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta that many government officials do not respond to their phone calls If officials they have to work in Haryana then they will have to listen to what MLAs have to say he warned They will have to attend to telephone calls of MLAs and respond to their questions Vij said Big or small any official cannot ignore MLAs who have status higher than that of a state chief secretary he told reporters here He also said no official should dare to ignore the MLAs Vij who is also Harayan Health Minister said that legislators should also bring these things to the notice of the chief minister The MLAs should bring all these things to the notice of the chief minister and the CM will definitely take strict action against such officials Vij said Following the complaint by MLAs Gupta assured the lawmakers that he would do the needful Gupta had told reporters that the MLAs complained of officials nonresponsive attitude during a video conference that he held with 20 lawmakers of different parties to know the situation in their respective areas amid the COVID19 pandemic The speaker had said some MLAs complained that many officials do not respond to their phone calls nor do they give answers to their queries The legislators pointed out that being public representatives they were answerable to the people of their constituencies and in this scenario it creates difficulty for them in discharge of their duties amid the COVID crisis Gupta had also said if officials do not give response to public representatives it amounts to breach of privileges of the elected members As Vidhan Sabha speaker I have to protect the rights of the members he had said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryanas-home-minister-vij-warns-officials-who-ignore-mlas-35268.html Sat, 23 May 2020 00:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/dr-daljit-singh-cheema-says-pcc-chief-indulging-in-diversionary-tactic-35269.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Shiromani Akali Dal SAD today asked Pradesh Congress President Sunil Jakhar not to indulge in a cover up exercise by starting talk of imposing prohibition in Punjab and asked him to first stop black marketing and bootlegging by Congressmen which had cost a revenue loss of Rs 5600 to the State treasury In a statement here former minister Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said it was shocking that the PCC chief was trying to wash away the heinous sins of his party with superfluous talk of prohibition which the government could easily implement if it so wished as it had an absolute majority in the Vidhan Sabha He said instead of using such diversionary tactics to gloss over the colossal failures of the Congress government Jakhar should tell why his party men indulged in black marketing of illicit liquor during curfew but did not provide much needed ration to the people Dr Cheema said the PCC President represented a party whose chief minister continuously tried to open liquor vends during curfew instead of provided any financial succour to farmers daily wagers and Khet mazdoor or even the common man and industry Your government even passed an order directing religious places to make announcements about home delivery of liquor besides deputing teachers to monitor distilleries The SAD leader said if the PCC chief was really worried about the State or its finances he should have demanded a CBI or high court monitored inquiry into the Rs 5600 liquor scam It is unfortunate that instead of doing this he is trying to befool the people once again in classic Congress fashion instead of coming clean and exposing the black sheep in the Congress party who looted the State exchequer at will during a time of pandemic editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/dr-daljit-singh-cheema-says-pcc-chief-indulging-in-diversionary-tactic-35269.html Sat, 23 May 2020 00:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/hry-sees-3-fold-increase-in-covid-19-cases-in-may-35270.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryana has recorded a threefold increase in coronavirus cases this month majority of them being reported from four districts falling in the National Capital Region The cases have jumped from 339 as on April 30 to 1031 on May 21 The coronavirus cases in Gurgaon Faridabad Sonipat and Jhajjar which fall in the NCR jumped from 54 53 25 and 24 respectively as on April 30 to 239 181 150 and 91 by May 21 according to data put out by the state health department in its daily bulletins Eleven of the 15 COVID19 deaths which the state has reported so far took place during the month of May On May 4 Haryana had recorded the highest singleday jump in coronavirus cases when 75 infections were reported and a day earlier the state had reported 66 infections most of these from the NCR districts The number of active cases in the state have gone up from 100 on April 30 to 335 on May 21 Commenting on the spurt in COVID19 cases in the NCR Health Minister Anil Vij said the people living in districts which are closer to Delhi have also been affected There are a total of 12319 coronavirus cases in the national capital according to authorities Haryana has maintained that several cases reported from Sonipat Jhajjar Gurgaon Faridabad and even Panipat have their origins in infections emanating from the national capital following which authorities had put strict regulation on borders with Delhi to check the spread of infection Though essential services and movement of doctors paramedical staff and some others as per orders of the Delhi High Court have been allowed We had to put strict regulations on our borders with Delhi to check the spread of infection We have nothing against the people of Delhi but we have to protect our own people too Vij said The health minister said over three weeks ago several cases were reported in NCR districts as infection spread in our vegetable markets in Gurgaon Sonipat Jhajjar and Faridabad whose origins were from Delhi editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/hry-sees-3-fold-increase-in-covid-19-cases-in-may-35270.html Sat, 23 May 2020 00:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-seeks-bihars-consent-to-send-59-trains-of-migrant-workers-34860.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Punjab government has sought the consent of the Bihar government for sending 59 more special trains to facilitate the return of migrant workers stranded in the northern state The Punjab government has sought consent to send 59 more special trains to Bihar Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh has written a letter to his Bihar counterpart Deepak Kumar to seek consent of the Bihar government in this regard said an official release here Consent has been sought to run 12 trains everyday and a detailed list of the 59 trains has also been sent to the Bihar government it said Several trains have already been running from Punjab to many cities of Bihar The Punjab government has made elaborate arrangements to run 59 more trains as the migrant workers wished to return to their home state it said These trains would chug off from Ludhiana Jalandhar Mohali Amritsar Sirhind and Patiala railway stations to a number of cities in Bihar which include Buxar Patna Saharsa Bhagalpur Muzaffarpur Chhapra Hajipur Gaya Katihar More than 25 lakh migrant workers have already been sent safely to their home states in more than 220 trains and this process is still going on it said Notably most of the trains have already been sent to Uttar Pradesh Bihar and Jharkhand The state government is also sending trains to Chhattisgarh Manipur Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-seeks-bihars-consent-to-send-59-trains-of-migrant-workers-34860.html Fri, 22 May 2020 01:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/harsimrat-urges-gadkari-to-amend-delhi-amritsar-katra-expressway-34861.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Union food processing industries minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal today requested the Union road transport and highways ministry to amend the alignment of the Delhi Amritsar Katra expressway project to provide a new expressway connection between Delhi and Amritsar besides creating a Sikh religious circuit by aligning the proposed expressway with the shrines at Sultanpur Lodhi Khadoor Sahib Goindval Sahib and TarnTaran In a letter to Union minister Nitin Gadkari which was also released to the media Mrs Harsimrat Badal requested the union minister to intervene saying she had received many representations from residents of Amritsar as well as Sikhs across the country urging for better connectivity to the holy city of Amritsar and other Sikh shrines under the proposed DelhiAmritsar Katra expressway She said Amritsar was an important centre of pilgrimage and being one of the biggest cities of Punjab required seamless connectivity to Delhi She said this would also give an impetus to economic development of the area Mrs Badal clarified that the present expressway project provided for upgrading the existing NH3 from Kartarpur to Amritsar and establishment of new expressway connectivity to the Rajasansi airport even as the Expressway took a separate route from Kartarpur to pass through Qadian and Gurdaspur before entering Jammu and Kashmir However there is a feeling that since the historical Sri Harmandar Sahib and Durgiana Mandir are situated in Amritsar there is a need for direct access to the city for all pilgrims coming from Delhi There are several important Sikh shrines situated around Amritsar and a new alignment will facilitate pilgrims further the union minister wrote in her letter to the road transport and highways ministry Mrs Badal also urged the highways ministry to take a holistic view of the entire project and also keep in mind the sentiments of the people of the holy city as well pilgrims She said this could be done by suitable amendment of the DelhiAmritsarKatra expressway project to provide direct connectivity to Amritsar through an additional expressway instead of upgrading the existing highway editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/harsimrat-urges-gadkari-to-amend-delhi-amritsar-katra-expressway-34861.html Fri, 22 May 2020 01:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/gold-in-shrines-a-collective-sacred-treasure-of-sikh-masses-sukhbir-34862.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Shiromani Akali Dal SAD president Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal said here on Thursday that gold and other sacred valuables belonging to the Sikh shrines are a collective treasure of the proud and devout Sikh community and there is no queston of any individual or organisation even contemplating in the direction of donating even the smallest part of this sacred treasure for any cause no matter how noble that cause might be Strong Sikh religious sentiments are attached to treasures like these some of which have immense historical and heritage value Therefore one must exercise extreme caution and a profound sense of responsibility while responding to any suggestion affecting even the tiniest part of that treasure even if the motives behind such suggestions might be the noble or humanitarian said Badal adding that we must forever be extremely careful and cautious against the conspiracies and designs of the enemies of the Panth who are always ready to exploit any inadvertent slip by any Sikh leader on such subjects Referring to the controversy surrounding the inadvertent suggestion of the DSGMC chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa with regard to a proposal for donations of gold by shrines of various religious communities as a help in the humanitys war on Coronavirus Badal said that the statement was unacceptable and extremely avoidable But it is good to see that Jathedar Sirsa has himself regretted and apologised to the Sikh masses for his inadvertent mistake By offering an unconditional apology to the Sikh masses Jathedar Sirsa has effectively laid to rest any scope for confusion over the issue But mischievous antiSikh elements are still busy trying to create misunderstandings and mistrust among the Sikh masses Desperate attempts are being made to weaken the community by dividing it against itself and to render the Sikh community leaderless and directionless said the SAD president adding that this further underscored the need for the Sikh leaders to be always extremely careful and cautious while responding to suggestions affecting the fruits of our glorious religious traditions Gold and other belongings lying in the custody of the Sikh shrines symbolises the sacred trust which the community has in its religious representatives That trust places a huge moral and spiritual responsibility on the management of the concerned Sikh shrines Therefore it is necessary for all concerned to keep the extreme religious sensitivities of the community always in mind while responding to any suggestion for humanitarian donations of this nature said Sukhbir SIngh Badal in a statement here Badal said that the Sikh community has led by example earning unprecedented respect across the wide spectrum of humanity for its acts of magnanimity and the spirit of service and self sacrifice The whole world is witnessing and standing up to applaud the sublime spectacle of even the ordinary members of the Sikh community setting extraordinary examples in magnanimity service and selfless sacrifice in helping the poor the needy and the hungry across the globe It is hearts of gold that the Sikhs have showered on humanity in its hour of need said Badal editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/gold-in-shrines-a-collective-sacred-treasure-of-sikh-masses-sukhbir-34862.html Fri, 22 May 2020 01:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-civil-services-association-delegation-handing-over-a-check-of-rs-34217.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Civil Services Association has contributed Rs 1129000 into the Punjab CM COVID Relief Fund A delegation led by the Associations President Mr Rajiv Gupta handed over the check of Rs 1129 Lakh to the Principal Secretary to CM Mr Tejveer Singh in the presence of Deputy Principal Secretary to CM Mr Gurinder Singh Sodhi here Urging the all its officers to voluntary contribute towards Punjab CM COVID Relief Fund to help the state government fight the Pandemic Mr Gupta said that COVID19 has engulfed the entire world and has posed serious challenge for health and economic security of millions of people worldwide and it posed severe health and economic ramification in India too The Association has been able to collect an amount of Rs 1129 Lakh as a contribution towards the CM COVID Relief Fund This is in addition to the contribution made by various officers by the deductions in their salary towards COVID Relief Fund PCS Association assured that the PCS officers will not leave any stone unturned in fight against COVID19 and will continue work tirelessly to combat this challenge Appreciating the Association for coming forward in fight against the deadly virus Mr Tejveer Singh said that this is a good gesture of the PCS Association to express solidarity with the people of the state in this difficult time editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-civil-services-association-delegation-handing-over-a-check-of-rs-34217.html Thu, 21 May 2020 00:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/facilitation-centre-set-up-at-delhi-airport-for-people-from-punjab-returning-from-abroad-34218.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Punjab government has set up a facilitation centre at the Delhi airport to help people from the state coming back on special flights from abroad to return to their respective districts Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said the transport facility had been arranged at the centre to ensure the comfortable return of stranded people to their native districts where they will be required to stay in quarantine for 14 days and tested for COVID19 Those found negative would be sent home for another two weeks of selfquarantine while those who test positive will be shifted to isolation centres Singh said in a statement Around 20000 stranded people are expected to return to Punjab under the Vande Bharat Mission With many of them by flights arriving in New Delhi the facilitation centre would ensure seamless coordination without chaos or confusion the chief minister said Elaborate arrangements have been made to quarantine these people in hotels in the respective districts and free quarantine facility would be given to those students or immigrants who cannot afford the cost of hotels Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi said While one flight arrived in Amritsar from the USA on Tuesday several more are expected to arrive in New Delhi and Amritsar next week The facilitation centre is coordinating with the state transport department to enable smooth and timely services for taking the returnees to their home districts in Punjab editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/facilitation-centre-set-up-at-delhi-airport-for-people-from-punjab-returning-from-abroad-34218.html Thu, 21 May 2020 00:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sad-asks-cm-to-investigate-role-of-beant-singh-family-in-khanna-illegal-distillery-case-34219.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Shiromani Akali Dal SAD today asked chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to take action against the kingpin in the Khanna illegal distillery case by investigating the role of the Beant Singh family instead of indulging in a cover up exercise by targeting pawns In a statement here SAD leader Maheshinder Singh Grewal said though the government had taken a belated action by arresting one of the frontmen running the Rs 200 crore illegal distillery cum bottling plant the action was too little too late We demand the government inquire into the role of Congress leaders who patronised accused Congressman Kulwinder Singh Kala including Khanna legislator Gurkirat Kotli Ludhiana MP Ravneet Bittu and Payal legislator Lakhbir Singh Lakha Mr Maheshinder Grewal said it was shameful that the Khanna police had taken one fortnight to take action against Kala despite a huge public hue and cry only because he enjoyed the patronage of the Khanna legislator and top Congress leaders This is the second time the Congress government has taken action against small fish in the Rs 5600 crore excise scam Earlier in the case of the Ghanour illegal distillery bust also the government took action against two local Congressmen including a Sarpanch instead of arresting Congress legislators Madan Lal Jalalpur and Hardyal Kamboj who were the kingpins in the case Demanding a transparent inquiry into both the Khanna and Ghanour illegal distilleries the Akali leader said strict action was also needed in the case to break the politico liquor mafia nexus as well end the bootlegging operations of Congress leaders which were endangering the lives of thousands of people He said an independent inquiry should be ordered into the case by a central agency or a sitting judge of the high court editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sad-asks-cm-to-investigate-role-of-beant-singh-family-in-khanna-illegal-distillery-case-34219.html Thu, 21 May 2020 00:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/migrants-walk-towards-the-railway-station-to-board-a-special-train-for-their-native-places-in-uttar-pradesh-during-ongoing-covid-19-lockdown-in-jalandhar-wednesday-may-20-2020-34222.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Public bus services resumed in Punjab on Wednesday almost two months after their suspension in the wake of the COVID19 outbreak Buses of the stateowned Punjab Roadways and Pepsu Road Transport Corporation PRTC plied on select routes in noncontainment zones within the state officials said Punjab Transport Minister Razia Sultana had on May 18 announced resumption of pointtopoint bus services between major cities and district headquarters from May 20 with 50 per cent occupancy The state government has said interstate bus services will not resume till May 31 The central government has allowed buses to be plied in the fourth phase of the countrywide lockdown from May 18 to May 31 to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus Before the start of operations all buses were sanitised Passengers had to undergo temperature screening at bus stands before being allowed to board buses officials said Social distancing norms were followed and it was ensured that passengers wore masks and their hands sanitised they said There was no rush of passengers at most bus stands in the morning hours but many people expressed relief at the resumption of bus services I remained stuck for the past two months at Batala because of curfew restrictions Now I am going back to my home at Balachaur said Sunny Sharma one of the passengers at Batala Another passenger at Patiala bus stand said he could not move out of the city for the past two months and now he was returning to Ludhiana At a few places including Jalandhar and Amritsar passengers came to bus stands as early as 5 am and complained of not getting buses despite waiting for long Many passengers complained that they were made to wait till the bus had 50 per cent occupancy and started running At Hoshiarpur bus stand Punjab Roadways duty inspector Madan Lal said the bus services on five routes Hoshiarpur to Mohali Jalandhar Ludhiana TandaBatala and MukerianPathankotGurdaspur were resumed Officials said the buses will not stop midway At Amritsar the bus services resumed on three routes Amritsar to Dera Baba Nanak Amritsar to Pathankot and Amritsar to Jalandhar At Patiala the PRTC plied its buses on 10 routes which included Patiala Samana Patran Nabha Malerkotla and Jalandhar editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/migrants-walk-towards-the-railway-station-to-board-a-special-train-for-their-native-places-in-uttar-pradesh-during-ongoing-covid-19-lockdown-in-jalandhar-wednesday-may-20-2020-34222.html Thu, 21 May 2020 00:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/amarinder-reaches-out-to-mlas-sulking-over-chief-secy-issue-34223.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday met with some of the legislators who had objected to the unacceptable behaviour of the chief secretary during a meeting over excise revenue Cabinet minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa MLAs Amarinder Singh Raja Warring Pargat Singh and Sangat Singh Gilzian met the chief minister who is learnt to have invited them for a meeting over lunch at his Siswan farmhouse near here State Congress president Sunil Jakhar was also present at the meeting Randhawa said According to an official statement the chief minister invited them for an informal lunch during which discussions were held on the prevailing COVID19 crisis and the prolonged lockdown in the state Randhawa told a news conference that he had raised with the chief minister the issue of Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singhs alleged unacceptable behaviour with ministers during a meeting held here a fortnight ago When he CM asked about the chief secretary issue we told him that the chief secretarys attitude was not right and the way he spoke with ministers cannot be tolerated by anybody Randhawa said The chief minister was told about what had happened on that day and why ministers had walked out of the meeting Randhawa said adding that the CM assured them to look into the matter The crisis was triggered by a showdown on May 9 between two ministers and the chief secretary at a meeting where the states postlockdown excise policy was being discussed After Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi opposed any relief for liquor vend owners the chief secretary allegedly made some curt remarks Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and Channi had then walked out Later Badal and Channi had even announced not to attend any meeting where the chief secretary was present Though the chief secretary was divested of the additional charge of the financial commissioner of taxation at least 10 Congress legislators led by Warring had sought a probe against the chief secretary after blaming him for excise revenue lossWarring said on Wednesday that it was the responsibility of the chief secretary who was heading the department for the downfall in revenue editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/amarinder-reaches-out-to-mlas-sulking-over-chief-secy-issue-34223.html Thu, 21 May 2020 00:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/five-haryana-policemen-injured-in-stone-pelting-incident-near-delhis-kapashera-34226.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Five Haryana police personnel were injured on Wednesday when some people from Delhis Kapashera allegedly pelted stones at them after trying to forcibly enter the states territory officials said There were reports that some people stated to be workers wanted to travel to Udyog Vihar in Gurugram but were stopped by the Haryana police at the DelhiGurugram border However some of them tried to force their way despite strict measures put in place by Haryana on its borders and clashed with the police In the incident five policemen were injured the officials said Haryanas Home Minister Anil Vij said there has been a stone pelting incident at Delhis Kapashehra border with Haryana He said some people tried to enter the border into Haryana but were stopped  They wanted the borders to be opened for them to enter Haryana They pelted stones at Haryana police personnel Vij said I said under no circumstances will we open the border The Delhi High Court had given us directions to allow interstate movement for certain categories like doctors drivers of vehicles with essentials Delhi municipal committee worker staff medical staff etc he said The minister said even the Union Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines for fourth phase of lockdown mentioned interstate movement for certain categories of people and not movement of common people across interstate borders The relaxation is not for common people I cannot allow movement of common people Our police force is working roundtheclock to keep everyone in Haryana safe from COVID19 Those who will pelt stones at them we are not going to spare them We will take strict action against them said Vij editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/five-haryana-policemen-injured-in-stone-pelting-incident-near-delhis-kapashera-34226.html Thu, 21 May 2020 00:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/hry-govt-to-bear-three-months-interest-on-education-loans-by-students-khattar-34227.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Haryana government will bear three months interest on education loans taken by thousands of students in the state Chief Minister M L Khattar announced here on Wednesday Haryana government will pay the interest of three months of all those students who are completing their education this year or who have already completed their education in the previous year but have not been able to start their jobs or business due to this coronavirus pandemic As many as 36000 students will be benefitted he said in a televised address to the people of the state The burden on the exchequer for this is estimated to be about Rs 40 crore  The Haryana government will also bear two percent of the total interest on loans of up to Rs 50000 under the Shishu Yojana of the Centres Mudra Loan Scheme an official statement here quoted the chief minister as saying They will not be required to give any type of collateral for this loan Under this scheme loan will be provided to 5 lakh people in the state Khattar said He said the state government will provide loans up to Rs 15000 to three lakh poor people for starting their own small businesses at nominal two percent rate of interest  These loans will be provided under the Differential Rate of Interest DRI scheme in which banks charge four percent interest Of this two percent interest will be borne by the state government he said He said due to the COVID19 pandemic economic activity has been limited for the last three months As a result not only the family incomes have been affected but the governments revenue has also come down drastically he said The chief minister said banks will play a prominent role in restarting businesses that have suffered due to the pandemicinduced lockdown  But applicants often face various problems in availing loans from different banks  Since the last three months egovernance has been widely used by the government to help the common man Keeping this in mind a portal is being developed on which one can apply for any kind of loan from any bank to start a new venture The state government will ensure that all such loan applications are approved by banks without any delay he said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/hry-govt-to-bear-three-months-interest-on-education-loans-by-students-khattar-34227.html Thu, 21 May 2020 00:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-to-spend-rs-1-000-crore-under-mgnrega-this-year-dy-cm-33481.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryanas Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Tuesday said that the works under MGNREGA will be encouraged and the state has targeted to spend Rs 1000 crore this year under the scheme which is more than double over the previous year Haryana gives Rs 309 per day as MGNREGA wages and during the present crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic emphasis will be given to provide work opportunities to more people by increasing the works under the MGNREGA in the coming days Chautala also said that as the state has eased restrictions as per the Centres guidelines maximum activities in the industrial sector were being allowed in the current phase of the lockdown barring the ones falling in containment zones IT sector has also been permitted to open fully subject to the adherence of the guidelines he said Referring to MGNREGA he told the media here that under this scheme more than Rs 450 crore had been spent in the year 2019 but in the current financial year a target to spend Rs 1000 crore has been kept We have 6 lakh registered active MGNREGA job cardholders and we will involve them in forest department works building cattle shed in poor households constructing Public Works Department roads irrigation canals he said adding with this unskilled labour will get employment which will also help boost the rural economy He said the state government will soon be launching a job portal to facilitate employment opportunities for the youth On the permission to the industry Chautala whose party JJP is a coalition partner of the BJP in the state said the government will give permission on priority to any labourintensive industry so that it generates employment and helps people during present difficult times Any kind of industry will have to apply online giving details of employees so that movement passes can be generated in view of the lockdown he said However for insitu labour residing within the factory or unit site no passes shall be required As economic activities restart barring in the containment zones Haryana will also look to boost its revenues which had dried up during the first two phases of the lockdown While bringing daytoday activities gradually back on track the government will ensure that all guidelines are strictly enforced he said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-to-spend-rs-1-000-crore-under-mgnrega-this-year-dy-cm-33481.html Wed, 20 May 2020 02:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/we-should-send-a-strong-message-to-enforce-various-restrictions-stringently-33482.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said the next 2530 days will be extremely crucial for containing the spread of coronavirus in the light of the easing of curbs and opening up of the economy Singh directed the police to ensure strict compliance of COVID19 safety protocols including social distancing and wearing masks The next 2530 days will be extremely crucial for containing the spread of the coronavirus in view of the sudden opening up of the economy as well as officecommercial activity after a 55day curfew the chief minister said in a statement here He asked the police to continue with their hard work and commitment to maintaining the high levels of adherence to protocols and restrictions that had helped the state keep the spread of the pandemic in check We cannot let all the benefits of all the work done by you in the past 55 days and sacrifices made by the people of Punjab go waste due to any complacency on our part now he added Last week Singh had announced that while curfew will be lifted in Punjab with effect from May 18 the lockdown will continue till May 31 In line with the guidelines issued by the Centre the state has also allowed a host of relaxations in noncontainment zones with local buses also starting to ply in a phased manner Singh has also ordered strict enforcement of restrictions which bar people from moving out between 7 pm and 7 am except for medical or essential needs in accordance with the Centres guidelines for lockdown 40 The relaxations have been provided to the people for their ease and convenience as they had suffered immense hardships during the curfew period he said but made it clear that no deviation from protocols and restrictions would be tolerated Acting on the directives of the chief minister Director General of Police DGP Dinkar Gupta asked all commissioners of police CP and district police chiefs across the state to register FIRs and impound vehicles or issue challans in case of any violation of the lockdown restrictions We should send a strong message to enforce various restrictions stringently Gupta told his officers All senior superintendents of police and CPs have been asked to ensure that people compulsorily wear masks while stepping out of their homes the DGP said They have been directed to enforce strict social distancing not just at shops offices banks and liquor outlets but also in vehicles as well as public and private transport buses Under the new guidelines vehicles can ply within the state except in containment zones subject to strict protocols editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/we-should-send-a-strong-message-to-enforce-various-restrictions-stringently-33482.html Wed, 20 May 2020 02:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-govt-allows-50-100-per-cent-group-c-d-staff-in-offices-33483.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Haryana government has allowed 50 per cent staff from Group C and D categories to attend offices which can go up to 100 per cent if there is sufficient space for complete observance of social distancing norms according to an order issued by the government The state government had reopened its offices in the state and those located in its capital Chandigarh with certain conditions during the third phase of the COVID19induced lockdown In the third phase of the lockdown itself that lasted till May 17 following which the fourth phase began with less restrictions government offices were reopened with 100 per cent staff of Groups A and B and 33 per cent staff strength at the level of Groups C and D In view of the amended guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on May 17 the matter of attendance in government offices has been reconsidered as per an order from Chief Secretary to all the administrative secretaries heads of departments and Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners of all Divisions all MDs of Boards and Corporations and Registrars of universities While attendance percentage for Groups A and B shall be 100 per cent for Groups C and D it shall be 50 per cent In case any office has sufficient space to ensure 100 per cent attendance with complete observance of social distancing norms for All Groups A B C and D they may do so as per the order dated May 18 editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-govt-allows-50-100-per-cent-group-c-d-staff-in-offices-33483.html Wed, 20 May 2020 02:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/7-among-18-fresh-cases-from-gurgaon-total-count-rises-to-928-32809.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Seven among 18 fresh COVID19 cases reported in Haryana on Monday were from Gurgaon taking the total in the state to 928 In addition to Gurgaon the two other worsthit districts in the National Capital Region Faridabad and Sonipat reported three cases each Karnal and Mahendragarh reported a case each Three cases were reported in Hisar according to state health departments daily bulletin During the past few days Gurgaon has continued to report fresh cases With more cases Gurgaon now has cumulative COVID19 cases at 211 with 97 of them being active Total COVID19 active cases are 316 while the number patients who have been discharged was 598 as per the bulletin The state has tested 80698 people out of which samples of 75045 have been found negative while reports of 4725 were awaited as per the bulletin Haryana has so far reported 14 COVID19 related deaths Meanwhile state health minister Anil Vij said as of May 18 tests per million being conducted in Haryana is 3183 while the states recovery rate is 6444 per cent So far good thing is that not even one COVID19 patient in Haryana has needed a ventilator support he said He also said Maruti Suzuki India has donated 50 ventilators to the Haryana government We have already installed these in many hospitals he said On the issue of coronavirus tests being conducted by Rapid Testing Kits a statement quoted Vij as saying that these were not delivering satisfactory results After Chinese kits were rejected by Indian Council of Medical Research ICMR Vij said they had later procured kits from a company from another country but these too were not delivering the desired results Either there is some malfunctioning of the kits or there may be a difference in the way we conduct the tests However we are trying to talk to the company to find out what could be the reason he said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/7-among-18-fresh-cases-from-gurgaon-total-count-rises-to-928-32809.html Tue, 19 May 2020 01:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-undertakes-labour-intensive-jobs-amid-pandemic-32811.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Even as the state gets ready to utilise the additional allocation to MGNREGS to help the rural poor by creating livelihoods and assets Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said the state has undertaken significant labourintensive works in the villages to effectively leverage the scheme even during the lockdown The state government also plans to undertake a special drive this year to enrol more workers and make new job cards to bring more families under the ambit of the programme This initiative is aimed at creating a sustainable response to address rural distress arising out of the Covid19 pandemic announced the Chief Minister The lockdown works included engagement of two persons per village as Van Mitras to nurture the 550 saplings planted in each by the Forest Department to commemorate the 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev The state government on May 12 also launched a massive drive to clean and rejuvenate over 15000 ponds in villages which will not only help alleviate rural distress but also combat Covid19 by enhancing cleanliness and hygiene in villages These unique initiatives are helping to address the rural distress caused by the Covid19 pandemic by directly transferring wages in the hands of the rural poor many of whom are women said the Chief Minister adding these programmes are in addition to the plethora of measures undertaken by the state to secure the interests of the poor in these difficult times Since last year the procedure of identification estimation technical and administrative approval of works is being done online in the state by means of a web based software called SECURE From April 1 all the MGNREGS work estimates are being made only through the SECURE software thus ensuring that the lockdown restrictions did not obstruct the process in any way Incidentally during FY 201920 Rs 767 crore was spent under MGNREGS which is the highest ever expenditure in the state With this a record total of 235 crore mandays were generated during the year of which 138 crore were for women and 157 lakh for elderly over 60 years During the year a total of 753 lakh households were provided employment and a total of 127 lakh new job cards were made covering the needy families The state government has now set a target of 250 crore mandays for 202021 Giving details of the new initiatives the Chief Minister said that the ponds renovation work launched in a mission mode by the Rural Development and Panchayats department is covering all the 13000 villages of the state for the cleanliness and sanitation of the villages along with generation of employment opportunities for the workers editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-undertakes-labour-intensive-jobs-amid-pandemic-32811.html Tue, 19 May 2020 01:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/stay-on-high-alert-ensure-strict-sops-adherence-cm-to-police-32812.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Directing the local administration and the police to remain on high alert in the wake of lifting of restrictions Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday directed the Transport Department to draft SOPs for resumption of local bus movement in all but the containment zones but ruled out interstate bus service till May 31 Terming the danger of spread as a result of mixing of people with the start of the relaxations as the real test the Chief Minister directed all departments to ensure close monitoring and strict adherence to all advisories He asked the Police Department to be tough in ensuring social distancing and other necessary Covid prevention protocols and to challan those stepping out without masks At a Video Conference to review the Covid and lockdown situation in the state the Chief Minister instructed the Transport Department to put in place stringent protocols for handling daily passengers travelling on the pointtopoint interstate buses which will start moving after May 31 While making it clear that interstate movement will be allowed only on special and Shramik trains at least till May 31 the Chief Minister said buses will be allowed to ply within the state in a phased manner A list of SOPs including daily disinfection of the buses will be issued before the resumption of the bus service in the noncontainment zones he added ACS Home Satish Chandra said in line with the Centre acceding the states request to do away with colour coding the state will now have only Containment and NonContainment Zones As per the Health Department guidelines an area around the epicentre of 15 or more cases in a villageward or a small group of adjacent villageswards will be treated as a containment zone with physical parameters to clearly define the same in terms of access and size Concentric area around the containment zone radius up to 1 km will be treated as a buffer zone In all these zones the Department will carry out intensive and continuous housetohouse surveillance and contact tracing with special focus on vulnerable and high risk populations Containment period would be minimum of 14 days to be extended by one week at a time if more than one new case comes up in this period Referring to the continued entry of migrants NRIs and others via special trains and flights the Chief Minister reiterated his earlier directions for strict adherence to their quarantine rules So far 60000 Punjabis had registered for return to the state he said adding that 20000 NRIs were also expected to return The Chief Minister said while Punjab was willingly sending back people including migrants from other states spending Rs 75 lakh per train other states were not responding in like and were asking his government to arrange for ferrying Punjabis back from there As of date more than 2 lakh migrants of the 11 lakh who had registered on the special portal created by the government had left Punjab the Chief Minister disclosed As many as 20 trains are leaving Punjab every day with 15 scheduled for UP and 6 for Bihar on Monday Captain Amarinder said while more trains were needed for Bihar the state was not willing to take in people at this stage as their quarantine facilities were full On being informed that the state was receiving requests from migrant labour from other states like UP and Bihar to return to Punjab to work in the fields during the Paddy season the Chief Minister directed the Chief Secretary to work out the modalities for the same with the Centre All such workers shall have to be quarantined in the villages they would be working in he said Punjab Food Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu said his department was collating data of migrants based on registrations made for travel in line with the Government of Indias directions on distribution of rations All those coming in are required to upload a clean health chit on the COVA app with checking being done at the borders on arrival Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh said Dr KK Talwar said analysis showed that only 1 of the migrants leaving Punjab were turning out to be positive which was much lower than the figure of those coming back The rate of increase in cases and doubling in Punjab stands at 1 and 70 days as compared with the national average he said adding that a review of the 35 deaths 11 male 24 female showed that there was only one case with no comorbidity while 16 had a single comorbidity and the remaining had multiple comorbid conditions such as hypertension diabetes lung infection obesity etc editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/stay-on-high-alert-ensure-strict-sops-adherence-cm-to-police-32812.html Tue, 19 May 2020 01:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-to-resume-public-bus-services-from-may-20-with-50-pc-occupancy-32814.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Public bus services will resume from May 20 on select routes within Punjab Transport Minister Razia Sultana said on Monday as the nationwide COVID19induced lockdown entered its fourth phase She said that buses will be run at 50 per cent occupancy The Punjab governments move to resume public transport services came after the Centre allowed states to run buses in noncontainment zones Curfew restrictions in Punjab were lifted on Monday while lockdown has been imposed till May 31 To prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus some states had imposed further curfew restrictions besides prohibitory orders issued under the nationwide lockdown enforced by the Centre since March 25 We will resume bus services from Wednesday and at 50 per cent occupancy Sultana said here adding that if a bus has 50 seats then only 25 passengers will be allowed to travel Bus services will be resumed only within the state and these will ply between districts she said On May 16 Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had announced that curfew restrictions will be lifted from May 18 and these would be replaced by lockdown guidelines till May 31 He had then also indicated resumption of limited public transport editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-to-resume-public-bus-services-from-may-20-with-50-pc-occupancy-32814.html Tue, 19 May 2020 01:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/allocate-chana-whole-per-person-punjab-cm-asks-pm-31582.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday urged the Centre to change the criteria for allocation of chana whole chickpeaBengal gram from per household to per person to ensure equitable distribution of food grain among the migrants amid the Covid lockdown The Chief Minister has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for directions to the Union inistry of Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution to this effect as the existing guidelines would create problems for migrants as well as the state government The Chief Minister thanked the Prime Minister for acceding to his request as per letter dated March 30 to extend the benefit of food grain and pulses under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana PMGKY to the migrants whose plight he had highlighted The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has since made an announcement to this effect benefiting eight crore migrant workers across the country he said However as per the guidelines issued on May 15 by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs while wheat was to be distributed at 5 kg per person per month for two months chana whole would be distributed at 1 kg per household per month during the pandemic editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/allocate-chana-whole-per-person-punjab-cm-asks-pm-31582.html Sun, 17 May 2020 00:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/over-200-trains-to-ferry-migrants-to-native-places-in-next-10-days-punjab-official-31584.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Over 200 trains will carry migrant workers to their native states from Punjab in next 10 days an official said on Saturday The officials said till now over 180 lakh workers have been in sent to their native places from the state in 150 special trains By facilitating the return of over 180000 migrant workers to their home states through 150 special trains Punjab has ensured those wishing to go back are united with their families without any hardship said Nodal Officer Vikas Pratap Singh in an official release here He however said the state government has been working round the clock to provide relief to workers The mammoth exercise has so far cost the exchequer Rs 10 crore he said The Punjab government has planned to send over 200 trains in next 10 days and the numbers will increase in near future Singh said Punjab is likely to send over 20 trains daily he added Of the 150 trains already sent 57 ferried migrant workers from Ludhiana while 45 trains were run from Jalandhar Other places from where trains departed include Amritsar Patiala Mohali Bathinda Ferozepur and Sirhind We are in the process of commencing trains from Doraha too he said The maximum trains are going to Uttar Pradesh followed by Bihar and Jharkhand Trains are also being sent to Chhattisgarh Manipur Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh Assuring the states commitment to go the extra mile to mitigate their sufferings Singh said food water and other essentials are also being provided to all those travelling back home editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/over-200-trains-to-ferry-migrants-to-native-places-in-next-10-days-punjab-official-31584.html Sun, 17 May 2020 00:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/nabard-sanctions-rs-1-500-cr-for-punjab-to-ensure-credit-flow-to-farmers-31097.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development NABARD has sanctioned Rs 1500 crore for Punjab to ensure continuous credit flow to farmers through state cooperative banks amid the COVID19 pandemic This is part of Nabards Rs 25000 crore nationwide special liquidity facility SLF which has been made available to state cooperative banks regional rural banks and microfinance institutions MFIs to ensure flow of credit to farmers for agricultural operations during COVID19 pandemic a release said Nabard has sanctioned a sum of Rs 1500 crore out of which an amount of Rs 1000 crore has been sanctioned to Punjab State Cooperative Bank and Rs 500 crore to Punjab Gramin Bank Nabard Chief General Manager Punjab Regional Office J P S Bindra said Nabard has so far disbursed Rs 1000 crore to Punjab State Cooperative Bank and Rs 100 crore to Punjab Gramin Bank for supporting agricultural and other activities of farmers he said in the release Bindra said this is a frontloaded liquidity support provided to these banks with a view to ensure credit flow to farmers for carrying out agricultural operations for kharif crops smoothly during this difficult situation editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/nabard-sanctions-rs-1-500-cr-for-punjab-to-ensure-credit-flow-to-farmers-31097.html Sat, 16 May 2020 02:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/buses-back-on-select-routes-in-haryana-31098.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Haryana Roadways on Friday resumed bus services on select routes within the State the first time since the lockdown was announced in March The buses which are not allowed to carry more than 30 passengers to maintain social distancing are plying since morning on select routes officials said Initially the buses will ply on 29 routes from ten depots of Ambala Bhiwani Hisar Kaithal Karnal Narnaul Panchkula Rewari Rohtak and Sirsa and run on select pointtopoint routes There are 23 depots of the Roadways which has a fleet of over 4000 buses Online booking and wearing masks have been made a must for passengers boarding the Haryana Roadways buses Before the nationwide lockdown on March 24 midnight the Haryana government had put the entire state in lockdown on March 23 From the Panchkula depot the first bus left for Sirsa in the morning A youth who was travelling to Sirsa said resumption of bus service is a good step taken by the government It is also a good thing that buses have not been allowed to run at full capacity and social distancing has been ensured said the passenger Thermal screening of passengers was done at bus terminals their hands sanitised and it was ensured by the officials of the Haryana Roadways that passengers were wearing masks before boarding buses Bus terminals have been sanitised and only regular nonairconditioned buses were plying To ensure that social distancing norms are strictly followed only 30 passengers will be allowed to board the 52seater buses However on the first day of resumption of services only 1215 passengers were seen in some buses officials said A government spokesman had said on Thursday that the buses will not operate in areas severely affected by COVID19 The buses will ply from the Haryana State Transport bus stands to the scheduled bus stands No passenger will be allowed to board or disembark the bus on the way he had said  editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/buses-back-on-select-routes-in-haryana-31098.html Sat, 16 May 2020 02:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/team-constituted-to-look-into-liquor-theft-case-in-hry-lacks-powers-cong-31099.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Main opposition Congress on Friday alleged that the probe team constituted by the M L Khattar government in connection with the theft of liquor bottles from two godowns lacks powers The probe team will check the actual availability of stock in all warehouses and godowns that were sealed by the Excise Department during the last two years for any violation Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that it was not a special investigation team but a special enquiry team that has been constituted Whether the Khattar government is conducting an inquiry into the liquor scam or resorting to a coverup The layers of liquor scam have been fully exposed all over Haryana but intentionally by entrapping the liquor scam in the wriggles of Special Investigation Team SIT and Special Enquiry Team SET an attempt is being made by the Khattar Government to put this scam under the carpet he said in a statement here Surjewala asked why a special enquiry team was constituted instead of a SIT to inquire into the alleged scam He added that only a SIT constituted under sections 2h and 2o of the Criminal Procedure Code CrPC is empowered to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the scam by visiting every godown linked to it confiscate documents conduct raids check the records of the Excise Department and Police Department and arrest the culprits The present Special Enquiry Team has no such powers how it will hold an inquiry into the liquor scam Surjewala a former Haryana minister asked He claimed the SET will remain confined to the conduct of an administrative enquiry only During the last over five years of the Khattar government not even a single inquiry into any matter or scam has been completed or brought to a conclusive result the Congress leader claimed Burning examples of this trend are paddy scam mining scam Gurgaon Faridabad Aravali hills colonization scam SC Scholarship scam In this situation the question arises whether this liquor scam shall also become a sacrificial lamb at the altar of the policy of the Khattar government to put the enquiries under the carpet he said The Haryana government had on Monday appointed senior IAS officer T C Gupta as head of the probe team editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/team-constituted-to-look-into-liquor-theft-case-in-hry-lacks-powers-cong-31099.html Sat, 16 May 2020 02:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/82-covid-patients-discharged-31100.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh In a relief for Punjab 82 COVID19 patients were discharged from different hospitals in the state on Friday after they were cured of the infection Among cured patients most of them were pilgrims who had returned from Hazoor Sahib at Nanded in Maharashtra last month a health official said Fortyfour patients were discharged in Moga followed by 21 in Patiala nine in Gurdaspur four in Jalandhar three in Mohali and one in Mansa taking the states tally of cured patients to 305 as per the states medical bulletin However thirteen more persons tested positive for the infection in the state on Friday as per the bulletin Six coronavirus cases were reported in Faridkot three in Fazilka and one each in Ludhiana Bathinda Rupnagar and Fatehgarh Sahib the bulletin said The bulletin added that the cases of 16 Railway Protection Force personnel who had earlier tested positive in Ludhiana have been removed from the states COVID tally as they belonged to Delhi With the removal of 16 RPF cases and addition of new cases on Friday the total COVID19 in the state now stood at 1932 editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/82-covid-patients-discharged-31100.html Sat, 16 May 2020 02:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/two-more-die-of-covid-19-in-haryana-36-fresh-cases-reported-31102.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh An elderly woman and a teenager died due to COVID19 in Haryana on Friday while 36 fresh coronavirus cases were reported in the state officials said A 70yearold woman who had tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday succumbed to the disease in Sonipat which is among the four worstaffected districts in the National Capital Region The second fatality has been reported from Faridabad A 17yearold girl from the district died due to COVID19 the officials said Both the patients were stated to be having comorbidities they said With this the death toll due to coronavirus rose to 13 in the state Of the 36 fresh COVID19 cases 12 are from Sonipat and nine each from Gurgaon and Faridabad two each from Panchkula and Kaithal and one each from Rohtak and Nuh according to the states health department bulletin The cumulative infections in the state now stand at 854 it said There are 377 active cases while 464 have been discharged from hospitals after recovery A total of 72326 people have been tested in Haryana for coronavirus Out of these samples of over 66687 have been found negative while reports of 4785 are awaited the bulletin said Of the total 854 coronavirus cases in the state 64 are from other states and 24 are foreign nationals editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/two-more-die-of-covid-19-in-haryana-36-fresh-cases-reported-31102.html Sat, 16 May 2020 02:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/no-losses-during-fy-2019-20-except-on-account-of-lockdown-excise-dept-31103.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Contrary to speculation the Punjab Excise Department has not incurred any losses in FY 201920 except those resulting from the Covid related curfewlockdown which are yet to be assessed This was disclosed by the Excise Department at a meeting with the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to review the situation in the light of the amendments to the Excise Policy as well as related matters Barring the losses incurred on account of the lockdowncurfew imposed in the light of the Covid pandemic there were no losses suffered in fiscal 201920 the Excise Department told the review meeting The Chief Minister directed the department to expeditiously complete the pending tasks with respect to allotment of vends etc and at the same time to take all possible steps to boost revenue He further asked the department to review revenue collections every Friday to ensure timely ground assessment of the situation caused by the unprecedented lockdown The directives came even as all allotted vends in the state have opened except those in the containment zones pursuant to the key amendments approved by the Chief Minister in the Excise Policy for FY 202021 in view of the Covid crisis In terms of numbers this translates into 4404 liquor vends run by 589 groups now open in the state The Excise Department informed the Chief Minister that though the final figures for FY 201920 were yet to be worked out indicative data shows that the excise revenue for the year was higher than that of the previous fiscal Giving details the Department revealed that revenue receipts had shown marked increase since the Captain Amarinder government took over the states reigns in March 2017 From Rs 440572 crore in FY 201617 the actual revenue received by the state exchequer shot up to Rs 513568 crore in FY 201718 a whopping 16 increase in one year There was a slight dip in the Excise Department revenues in FY 201819 on account of quota and price reduction as well as hike in VAT which went up to 14 along with some changes in GST disclosed Department officials The decrease was however marginal with the actual receipts reported at Rs 507379 crore As far as FY 201920 is concerned the figure for revenue earned by the Excise Department currently stands at Rs 5015 crore editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/no-losses-during-fy-2019-20-except-on-account-of-lockdown-excise-dept-31103.html Sat, 16 May 2020 02:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/committed-to-send-migrant-labourers-home-haryana-govt-31104.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is committed to send migrant labourers who wish to leave to their native states through the special Shramik trains in an organised manner the government said on Friday Due to the extended duration of the lockdown industries construction work and economy have come to a standstill Thus migrant workers were being sent from Haryana by special Shramik trains a government statement said Apart from this the migrants are being sent to nearby states by buses while maintaining social distancing Migrant labourers are being brought from the shelter homes to the railway stations by roadways buses All necessary arrangements have been made before they leave for their home states The railway platform is cleaned frequently with a vacuum cleaner and the hands of every migrant worker are sanitized Also proper arrangements for food and drinking water are made for them To ensure that the labourers did not face any problem volunteers are given the task of guiding them to their respective coaches Workers are being sent only after they have registered with the district administration and after their home states have given approval to send them Special helpdesks have been set up at the railway stations and officers of the district administration are present while sending the workers through train After seeing the warmth of the Haryana government and its officials the workers felt that the quote Atithi Devo Bhave was actually being practised here On Wednesday the first day when the special Shramik train was being sent from Hisar to Katihar in Bihar the Chief Minister interacted with some of the workers sitting in the train through the mobile phone and asked them to greet the Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar on his behalf editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/committed-to-send-migrant-labourers-home-haryana-govt-31104.html Sat, 16 May 2020 02:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sad-chief-sukhbir-singh-badal-joins-his-cousin-and-punjab-finance-minister-manpreet-singh-badal-to-lend-a-shoulder-to-the-body-of-the-latters-father-gurdas-badal-during-his-funeral-at-badal-village-of-muktsar-district-friday-may-15-2020-31105.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Gurdas Singh Badal a former MP and the younger brother of Akali stalwart Parkash Singh Badal has died at the age of 90 Gurdas Badal breathed his last at a private hospital in Mohali around midnight last night He is survived by his son and a daughter He had been unwell following his wifes death in March and died due to agerelated ailments He was the father of Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal It is with great sorrow that I inform about the demise of my father SGurdas Singh Badal He passed away last night at Fortis Hospital MohaliHe was 90 His health had started deteriorating after my mothers death in March he was on life support system for past few days Manpreet Badal tweeted He urged people to refrain from attending the funeral ceremony because of the COVID19 pandemic The last rites were performed at Badal the ancestral village of Gurdas Badal in Muktsar district Former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal paid last respects to his younger brother before Gurdas was consigned to the flames I am speechless today Its a loss that no language has words to describe Never felt lonelier in my life Hard to even think that he wont be by my side now My thoughts go to Manpreet and other children Parkash Singh Badal said Both brothers Parkash Singh Badal and Gurdas Singh Badal were often referred to as Pash te Dass di jodi Parkash Badal was known as Pash while Gurdas as Dass Gurdas had even unsuccessfully contested against his elder brother Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi seat in 2012 assembly elections after Manpreet Badal parted ways with Shiromani Akali Dal SAD and floated another political outfit Peoples Party of Punjab The personal relationship between Parkash Badal and Gurdas Badal however remained unaffected Gurdas Badal had been a member of the legislative council from 1967 till 1969 He became a Member of Parliament in 1971 Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh condoled the death of Gurdas Badal SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal described the death of Gurdas Badal as a huge loss to the family Profoundly pained at the passing away of my chacha ji SGurdasSinghBadal ji Its a huge loss to our family especially to my father SParkashSinghBadal ji This void will never be filled Sukhbir Badal tweeted The cremation was attended by Sukhbir Badal his wife and union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal cabinet ministers Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa Vijay Inder Singla Akali leaders Bikram Singh Majithia Daljit Singh Cheema among others editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sad-chief-sukhbir-singh-badal-joins-his-cousin-and-punjab-finance-minister-manpreet-singh-badal-to-lend-a-shoulder-to-the-body-of-the-latters-father-gurdas-badal-during-his-funeral-at-badal-village-of-muktsar-district-friday-may-15-2020-31105.html Sat, 16 May 2020 02:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cong-turning-whistleblower-into-a-scapegoat-sad-30452.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Shiromani Akali Dal said here today that the Congress leaders in Punjab were conspiring to make the state Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh a scapegoat to hide the massive skeletons of corruption tumbling out of their closets Apart from targeting the unblemished whistleblowing head of the state civil service the Ministers and Congress leaders have now started washing even one anothers dirty and corrupt linen in public The allegations and threats of corruption cases being made by ministers are just some of the examples how the ministers are now fighting over their loot said the senior Akali leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema in a statement here this afternoon The CS has nothing to do with the massive excise losses to the state exchequer as he took charge of the excise department only in January this year whereas the state has been suffering losses from excise running into thousands of crores for the past three years What accounts for those losses between 2017 and January 2020 when Karan A Singh was not handling excise department In fact this would have been the first excise policy during his tenure as head of the department So how can he be blamed for revenue losses for the years when he was not even in the department asked Dr Cheema in his hard hitting statement He said that even the ministers committee formed by the CM will make recommendations on how to compensate the liquor Contractors for their losses and not to find ways to earn more revenue for the state The Akali leader further said that it was strange that the minsters had first attacked the Chief Secretary on the issue of the state excise policy for the ensuing year But in a matter of 24 hours the ministers not only approved the policy but even fully empowered the Chief Ministers to make whatever changes he deemed necessary in it It is clear that the real issue was not the excise policy but the Chief Secretarys reported observations that the Congress leaders especially from Bathinda were not allowing the policy to be implemented honestly as they had massive and questionable personal stakes in liquor loot said the former Education Minister editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cong-turning-whistleblower-into-a-scapegoat-sad-30452.html Fri, 15 May 2020 00:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/online-booking-wearing-masks-must-to-board-haryana-transport-buses-plying-from-friday-30453.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Online booking and wearing masks will be must for passengers boarding the Haryana Roadways buses which are to start plying on select routes in the state from Friday said Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma Initially the buses will ply from ten depots of Ambala Bhiwani Hisar Kaithal Karnal Narnaul Panchkula Rewari Rohtak and Sirsa on select pointtopoint routes he said No passenger will be allowed to board the bus if online booking has not been done The bus services will be pointtopoint on select routes and wearing masks will be mandatory Thermal screening of passengers will also be done Sharma told PTI over phone on Thursday The Haryana government has already sanitised its bus terminals and the ordinary nonairconditioned buses which will hit roads he said To ensure that social distancing is strictly followed only 30 passengers will be allowed to board the 52seater buses In the bus terminuses too passengers will have to maintain social distancing in the waiting area he said Digitally addressing a press conference on Wednesday Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar had announced that public transport will resume operation in the state on an experimental basis from Friday with a limited number of buses plying on select routes A government spokesman meanwhile said the buses which will ply within Haryana will not be started in areas severely affected by COVID19 He said bookings for these buses can only be done through the online portal wwwhartransgovin and passengers with only confirmed booking will be allowed to enter the bus stand The buses will ply from Haryana State Transport bus stands to the scheduled bus stands No passenger will be allowed to board or disembark the bus on the way he added He said if the bus movement is not possible on any route due to any reason the passengers will be informed two hours before the scheduled time of departure The fare paid by the passenger will be refunded he added Meanwhile to provide relief to its natives who are stranded in Delhi owing to the lockdown and are eager to return to their districts or wish to reach New Delhi Railway Station from their residential district Mool Chand Sharma said the state government has decided to ply state transport buses from May 18 for the convenience of such people editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/online-booking-wearing-masks-must-to-board-haryana-transport-buses-plying-from-friday-30453.html Fri, 15 May 2020 00:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/hisar-doctor-removed-from-covid-19-duties-reinstated-after-haryana-health-minister-intervenes-30454.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh A government doctor in Haryanas Hisar who was relieved of COVID19 duties after he reportedly pasted home quarantined poster at the house of an influential person resumed his duty on Thursday following the intervention of state Health minister Anil Vij Ramesh Punia had earlier alleged that his transfer to the district malaria control unit was politically motivated The doctor had claimed that he along with a team of health department officials had gone to the house of a man in Hisar who was politically well connected to paste home quarantined poster as that person had returned from Gurgaon which has seen a surge in COVID19 cases But the health team had to face opposition from the family members of the man and just a day later he learnt about his transfer Dr Punia had said I told the Hisar Chief Medical Officer that  transferring the doctor Punia was a wrong step and asked that the doctor should be put back on COVID19 duties Vij told reporters He said the CMO put the doctor back on COVID19 duty after which Dr Punia assumed the charge Replying to a question Vij said there was no need for an inquiry in the matter now as Punia had been given back the charge editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/hisar-doctor-removed-from-covid-19-duties-reinstated-after-haryana-health-minister-intervenes-30454.html Fri, 15 May 2020 00:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/liquor-theft-case-ex-haryana-mla-arrested-30456.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Former Haryana MLA Satvinder Rana has been arrested by the state police for his alleged role in the theft of liquor from a sealed godown in Samalkha in Panipat district a senior police official said on Thursday Rana who was a twotime legislator from Rajound constituency in Kaithal district was arrested on Wednesday night from the MLA hostel here Karnal Range IG Bharti Arora said that a liquor godown was sealed by the Excise Department in 2016 A case of theft at the godown was registered last month she told PTI over phone Asked what are the charges against Rana Arora said the liquor kept inside the godown was stolen and his role was found in it Further investigations are on she said Police said that few more arrests in the case had been made earlier The arrest of the exlegislator comes close on the heels of the Haryana government setting up a special investigation team SIT to probe the alleged theft of seized liquor from two godowns in Sonipat district Besides the two godowns in Sonipat the SIT will check the actual availability of stock in all warehouses and godowns that were sealed by the excise department in the last two years for any violation which means that the SIT will check whether the stock of liquor which was there on the date of sealing is actually the same or not It will also collect and collate the result of investigation of the FIRs registered from March 15 till April 10 in different parts of the state for pilferage of liquor from godowns and also from malkhanas strong rooms of police stations The Haryana Police had last week seized Rs 97 lakh in cash two pistols and three mobile phones besides a sports utility vehicle following a raid in a house to nab the prime accused in the case of missing liquor stocks from the two godowns in Sonipat The Sonipat police raided the house of accused Bhupinder Singh but he managed to escape said officials However later on he surrendered before the police The godowns in Sonipat from where the liquor stock was reported missing were stated to belong to accused Bhupinder Singhs wife Rana who was in Congress earlier had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Assembly elections as a Jannayak Janta Party candidate JJP is a coalition partner of the BJP in Haryana editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/liquor-theft-case-ex-haryana-mla-arrested-30456.html Fri, 15 May 2020 00:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/strict-action-taken-against-police-personnel-involved-in-drug-trafficking-sidhu-30458.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh In combating the menace of drug abuse the Special Task Force STF and District Police have taken effective steps to unearth nexus between police employees and drug trafficking From April 2017 till 30042020 a total number of 114 criminal cases have been registered against 148 police personnel and Departmental Inquiries initiated against 61 policemen Besides this 47 police personnel have so far been dismissed and 17 have been suspended Sidhu said it is the policy of the State government to take strict action against all such elements Disclosing this here today Special Task Force ChiefcumADGP Harpreet Singh Sidhu stated that the police had forfeited properties worth Rs 1846 Crore in 37 proposals in the year 2017 Rs 1137 Crore in 37 proposals in 2018 Rs 3769 Crore in 50 proposals in 2019 and properties amounting to Rs 168 Crore in 11 proposals upto31032020 Apart from this 58 cases are pending with competent authority for confirmation of property worth approximately Rs 205 crores He further added that since the inception of STF in April 2017 law enforcement agencies had recovered 1376 Kg of Heroin 1515 kg of Opium 124728 kg of Poppy Husk 6053 kg of Ganja and 274 33119 pillscapsules alongwith many crore rupees of drug money He stated that the recovery of 464 Kg of Heroin in 2019 has been the highest during 2019 as compared to the last five years STF chief revealed that law enforcement agencies had arrested 580 proclaimed offenders 1885 absconders 125 bail jumpers 106 parole jumpers under NDPS Act have also been arrested from 2017 to 31032020 Success has been achieved in convictions under NDPS Act cases with an overall conviction rate of 68 in 2017 During 2018 overall conviction rate was 59 64 in 2019 and 68 till 31032020 He added that the STF Police Station by itself had an exceptional conviction rate of 100 In this regard a sustained effort was also being made to improve the investigation skills of the police officers through intensive training at State Range and District level Police personnel had also been trained by STF for preparation of proposals for preventive action against drug traffickers under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1988 PIT NDPS Act Elaborating more Sidhu added that 180 foreign nationals had been arrested in registered 147 cases over three years out of which 61 foreign nationals were arrested in 2017 81 in 2018 37 in 2019 and one during 2020 He added that the arrests indicate that Delhi has become a major centre from where foreign nationals have been supplying drugs to Punjab editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/strict-action-taken-against-police-personnel-involved-in-drug-trafficking-sidhu-30458.html Fri, 15 May 2020 00:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-dgp-asks-his-pb-counterpart-to-stop-entry-of-migrant-workers-entry-from-that-state-vij-30460.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryanas Home Minister Anil Vij on Thursday said the state DGP has spoken to his Punjab counterpart to prevent entry of migrant workers to Haryana from the neighbouring state Vij said that in the recent days there have been cases where a number of migrant workers who set out on foot from different parts of Punjab including Ludhiana entered Haryana by various routes He said that the state government is now stopping the migrant labourers who are crossing into Haryana on foot and is taking them to relief camps where all arrangements are being made to provide food and shelter to them Our DGP has talked to his Punjab counterpart and told him that in recent days a number of migrants have been entering Haryana and they should be stopped in that state as they have to get themselves registered from there to be sent to their native states said Vij He said that Haryana on its part has been making arrangements and has already sent a large number of migrant workers who registered themselves with the state back to their native states We have sent over one lakh migrant workers from Haryana who wanted to travel back to their native states In all nearly eight lakh have registered so far with us Those who have registered with us we can only send them and this is why we are asking Punjab to prevent movement of migrants from their state he said He also said that the states from where the migrants hail also need to give a noobjection certificate before they board trains and buses for onward journey We cannot send these migrants if their native states do not give an NOC The railways have told us that they are ready to make available as many trains needed as soon as all formalities are completed We can send all those migrants who want to go but a process has to be followed and it mainly depends on NOC from their states he said He said that Haryana wants migrant workers to stay but it cannot stop those who want to leave The migrant workers in Haryana mainly come from UP Bihar Madhya Pradesh while some are from Chhattisgarh he said Officials said migrant workers are being sent only after they have registered with the district administration and after their home states have given approval to receive them editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/haryana-dgp-asks-his-pb-counterpart-to-stop-entry-of-migrant-workers-entry-from-that-state-vij-30460.html Fri, 15 May 2020 00:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-govt-mulls-covid-cess-on-liquor-to-assess-losses-29733.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Punjab government is mulling over imposing a special COVID cess on liquor sale while it has set up a threemember committee to assess the actual loss due to the closure of liquor vends in view of the coronavirus outbreak Announcing some relief for liquor contractors Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said his government would provide adjustments to the licensees for losses incurred during the lockdown period starting from March 23 till May 6 However he ruled out extension in the contract of liquor vends beyond March 31 2021 which was the major demand of liquor contractors They had been seeking 37 more business days which were lost because of the lockdown On the issue of home delivery of liquor Singh has left this option to the liquor contractors citing the Supreme Courts observations in this regard He said that provisions of the existing excise policy would continue to be applicable The Supreme Court had suggested home deliveryindirect sale of liquor in its order on May 8 to facilitate social distancing during the period of lockdown The governments decision of providing liquor at peoples doorsteps drew opposition from several quarters including wives of two Congress leaders They had sought review of this decision fearing that it might lead to increase in domestic violence cases The chief minister has set up a Group of Ministers GOM to consider the Finance Departments proposal along with adjustment if any to be given to licensees in case of future lockdowns complete or partial during 202021 and any other grievances and difficulties as may be experienced or raised by the licensees according to a government release here The GoM comprising the finance minister education minister and the housing and urban development minister has also been mandated by the CM to consider the issue of levying a special COVID cess on sale of liquor as has been done by several other states in the wake of losses incurred due to the prolonged lockdown it further said Singh also constituted a threemember committee of senior officers to assess the actual loss resulting from the closure of liquor vends amid the COVID19 outbreak On Monday the chief minister was authorised by the council of ministers to approve suitable changes in the state excise policy as warranted due to the pandemic and the resultant curfew He accepted the recommendation of the excise department aligned to the advice of the Finance Department to maintain the period of contract of liquor vends till March 31 2021 It also approved the Finance Departments recommendation to provide proportionate adjustment of the minimum guaranteed quota MGQ for the losses incurred in the nine days of lockdown in March The revenue both license fee and minimum guaranteed revenue MGR for the period of loss from April 1 to May 6 may also be adjusted redetermined accordingly by the excise department The licensees of 201920 could not complete the year as on March 31 2020 as their vends were closed for nine days due to the imposition of curfew from March 23 onwards The liquor vends for the year 202021 which were due to open on April 1 2020 in pursuance of the state excise policy 202021 could not be opened due to the lockdown Despite having the permission to open liquor vends from May 7 the majority of contractors have kept their shops shut seeking relief from the state government editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-govt-mulls-covid-cess-on-liquor-to-assess-losses-29733.html Thu, 14 May 2020 01:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/many-are-unable-to-even-feed-their-families-after-being-rendered-jobless-29735.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Shiromani Akali Dal SAD on Wednesday targeted the Punjab government for allegedly issuing inflated power bills with clauses of penalty at a time when the poor as well as the middle class were in dire financial straits due to situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic Former minister and SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema in a statement said it was shocking and insensitive of the Congress government to issue power bills to all domestic as well as industrial consumers with deadlines and penalty clauses The government is committing cruelty on the common man by forcing him to cough up power bills immediately he added The SAD demands a fourmonth moratorium on all power bills including halving of all bills when they are due for collection in a phased manner he said The party also demands doing away with fixed charges for the industrial sector Cheema added He said people were undergoing great hardship and urged Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to consider these demands sympathetically in the public interest Many are unable to even feed their families after being rendered jobless There is no way they can pay inflated power bills received by them at this juncture the SAD leader said The chief minister should direct the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited PSPCL to withdraw the bills immediately and issue them in a phased manner after four months after halving the bill amount he said Cheema said shops and industries which were closed when curfew was imposed in the state should not be subjected to any charge  He said industries should be exempted from fixed charges and power bills of those which had started operations should also be halved Cheema said there were reports that a large number of people had received inflated bills with many being charged as per their last consumption figures or on an estimate basis He said the PSPCL should withdraw all bills issued to the consumers and issue fresh bills after reducing them by 50 per cent once the economy was back on track editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/many-are-unable-to-even-feed-their-families-after-being-rendered-jobless-29735.html Thu, 14 May 2020 01:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/over-2-lakh-liquor-bottles-972-kg-narcotic-substances-seized-during-lockdown-haryana-police-29737.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Nearly 972 kg narcotic substances and over two lakh bottles of liquor were seized from different parts of Haryana during the lockdown period police said here on Wednesday Five wanted and 48 other criminals were arrested from the Hisar Range during this time they added The Hisar Range comprises Hisar Jind Sirsa Fatehabad and Hansi police districts Police have seized over 972 kg narcotic substances and more than 204 lakh bottles of liquor either illicit or being transported illegally in the Hisar Range during the lockdown period Director General of Police DGP Manoj Yadava said in a statement here During the lockdown all field units were directed to step up vigil he said Since the lockdown came into effect police have intensified patrolling while ensuring strict adherence to restrictions to ensure the safety of citizens which yielded fruitful results Yadava said A mostwanted criminal each have been apprehended from Hisar Hansi and Jind districts while two were caught from Sirsa district The other 48 involved in various heinous crimes included 16 from Hisar eight in Hansi nine in Jind 13 in Sirsa and two in Fatehabad he added We have also nabbed 261 people on charges of possessing narcotic substances by registering 151 cases the DGP said He said the narcotic substances seized include over nine kg heroin more than three kg opium nearly 115 kg opium plants around 745 kg poppy husk over 97 kg ganjacharas a little over nine gram smack and 7220 capsules 21185 restricted tablets and 90 syrup bottles Police had also launched an intensive crackdown on bootleggers and arrested 817 people for their involvement in illegal transportation or sale of liquor by registering 650 cases in five districts of Hisar Range under the Excise Act the top cop said After the lockdown was imposed police seized 39712 bottles of Indian Made Foreign Liquor 59315 bottles of countrymade liquor 100494 bottles of beer 5174 bottles of illicit liquor and 31878 litres of lahan raw material for producing illicit liquor he said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/over-2-lakh-liquor-bottles-972-kg-narcotic-substances-seized-during-lockdown-haryana-police-29737.html Thu, 14 May 2020 01:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/centres-package-gives-impetus-to-msmes-haryana-deputy-cm-29738.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Wednesday expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for announcing a financial package of Rs 20 lakh crore for giving impetus to industrial growth especially small micro and medium enterprises MSMEs closed due to the nationwide lockdown The announcement is sure to rejuvenate the GDP after the second quarter of fiscal year 202021 he said in a statement The Deputy Chief Minister who also holds the charge of the Department of Industry and Commerce said MSMEs are the backbone of a country or a states economy and the package announced by the Prime Minister would serve as a booster dose for industrial growth He said following the guidelines issued by the Union Home Ministry to revive these industries in a phased manner during the lockdown most of the industries in the state had become operational He said in the fourth phase of nationwide lockdown which is expected to start from May 17 the governments priority would be that small micro and medium enterprises start their operations and production as before He said it is mandatory for workers to download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile phones and to follow the social distancing norms including the use of masks sanitization etc Chautala said the MSME entrepreneurs should pay their workers salaries for the lockdown period for which Haryana has taken an important decision according to which the interest benefit will be granted to MSMEs for six months on working capital loan for paying salaries to their workers up to Rs 20000 per worker Haryana is the first state in the country to do so he added The Deputy Chief Minister said that the state has set up a bank grievance information centre in the Finance Department for quick resolution of all the issues related to MSMEs and the decision to give state guarantee for bank loans to MSMEs has already been taken Chautala said states new Enterprises Promotion Policy 2020 is proposed to be prepared by August for which suggestions will be taken from all stakeholders so that Haryana can formulate the countrys most industry and business friendly policy The lockdown period will also be taken into consideration in the new industrial policy he added editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/centres-package-gives-impetus-to-msmes-haryana-deputy-cm-29738.html Thu, 14 May 2020 01:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/13-fresh-covid-19-cases-in-haryana-number-climbs-29740.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Thirteen more people confirmed positive for coronavirus in Haryana on Wednesday taking the total number of cases in the state to 793 officials said Among the fresh cases Gurgaon reported five Sonipat Rohtak and Faridabad two each and Rewari and Jhajjar a case each according to the state health departments bulletin All of Haryanas worstaffected districts Gurgaon Faridabad Sonipat and Jhajjar fall in the National Capital Region and account for 489 of the 793 cases The active COVID19 cases in the state stands at 364 Those discharged from hospitals went up to 418 as against Tuesdays 342 The state has so far reported 11 coronavirusrelated deaths As more patients were discharged the recovery rate which had come down to around 43 per cent improved to 5271 per cent on Wednesday The total number of cases in the state include 24 foreign nationals including 14 Italian tourists Thirteen among the Italian nationals have been discharged while an elderly woman in the group passed away last month even though she had recovered from the infection The other 10 foreign nationals are from Sri Lanka Nepal Thailand South Africa and Indonesia The total cases also include 64 residents from other states of the country as per the bulletin  editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/13-fresh-covid-19-cases-in-haryana-number-climbs-29740.html Thu, 14 May 2020 01:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-cs-relieved-of-fct-charge-mlas-now-seek-probe-against-him-29742.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Congress leaders in Punjab on Wednesday demanded a probe against Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh piling pressure on him even after he was shorn of his additional charge as financial commissioner Three ruling party MLAs including a minister asked Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to order an inquiry accusing the states most senior bureaucrat for alleged loss of excise revenue One of them Gidderbaha legislator Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also asked the CM to remove the bureaucrat from the post of chief secretary Warrings demand for a probe was backed by Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Urmur legislator Sangat Singh Gilzian Warring and Gilzian are advisors to the chief minister Karan Avtar Singh was relieved Tuesday night of his charge as financial commissioner after two ministers declared that they would not attend any meeting in which he participated Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had taken exception to the bureaucrats unacceptable behavior at a meeting last week where relief for liquor vend owners in the postlockdown period was discussed In a tweet on Wednesday Warring asked the chief minister to order an inquiry against the CS for revenue loss of over Rs 600 crore I request you to kindly remove him from his post of Chief Secretary so that he is unable to influence the enquiry he tweeted Jails minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa backed the demand for an inquiry saying it will ensure that someone is held responsible for the revenue loss in the excise department over the past three years Sangat Singh Gilzian said he agreed with Warring and Randhawa on the inquiry into the alleged losses in the department After Saturdays showdown between the CS and the ministers Warring had also alleged that the bureaucrats son has an undeclared business interest in a Punjab distillery Warring on Tuesday night thanked Amarinder Singh for stripping the CS of his additional charge On Tuesday Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa had also sought a probe into the functioning of the excise and taxation department while blaming an alleged governmentcontractor nexus behind the missed revenue targets in the past three years The showdown between the ministers and the CS is said to have taken place after Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi opposed any relief for liquor vend owners in the excise policy under discussion The CS had allegedly made some curt remarks after Channi spoke at Saturdays precabinet meeting Badal and Channi had then walked out reportedly followed after some time by the other ministers This led to the postponement of a Cabinet meeting scheduled for that day The CS did not attend the reconvened Cabinet meeting Monday on the states excise policy Badal and Channi gave an ultimatum of sorts to the chief minister there saying he should either call them or the CS for any meetings in the future The finance minister told reporters then that the behaviour of Karan Avtar Singh before the cabinet his body language and the manner in which he talked did not behove the chief secretarys office He did not share details on how exactly the CS had misbehaved The CS was on Tuesday night relieved of his additional charge of Financial Commissioner Taxation which has now been handed over to Principal Secretary Water Resources A Venu Prasad editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-cs-relieved-of-fct-charge-mlas-now-seek-probe-against-him-29742.html Thu, 14 May 2020 01:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/she-said-the-central-government-had-already-sanctioned-the-use-of-the-disaster-management-funds-for-covid-19-related-works-29118.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Punjab government must use the additional Rs 638 crore central grant to provide relief to the people in the wake of the COVID19 pandemic and should not give the excuse of lack of funds Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said on Tuesday In a statement Badal thanked the Centre and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for releasing the Rs 638 crore under the revenue deficit grant to Punjab  With this latest allocation Punjab has now received Rs 5653 crore under various centrally funded schemes including special funds for combating the COVID19 pandemic the Union minister of food processing industries said She said the Rs 638 crore should be used to ramp up health infrastructure besides giving relief to the common people With the state receiving these funds it should not make any excuse of lack of funds said Badal who represents Bathinda in the Lok Sabha The state government should start work on this immediately and not try to divert attention of the people by repeated talk of lack of funds received from the Centre she said  Badal said earlier Rs 247 crore had been received by the Punjab government from the Centre under the state disaster risk management fund She said the central government had already sanctioned the use of the disaster management funds for COVID19 related works Besides this Rs 112 crore had been received under the National Health Mission which has not been utilised till now despite there being a severe shortage of personal protective equipment and ventilators Badal claimed There is also the need for more testing kits in Punjab she said  Punjab has also received a Rs 170 lakh crore relief package under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana as well as Rs 71 crore under the MGNREGA Badal said      The central food relief includes 5 kg wheat per person per month and 1 kg pulses per family per month for a period of three months the Union minister said  As many as 14 crore people will be covered under this scheme which is half the population of the state  Similarly farmers have been given direct cash benefit of Rs 2000 under the PM Kisan scheme besides direct benefits under the Jan Dhan yojna and Ujjwala scheme she said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/she-said-the-central-government-had-already-sanctioned-the-use-of-the-disaster-management-funds-for-covid-19-related-works-29118.html Wed, 13 May 2020 00:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/shramik-train-with-1-296-passengers-onboard-leaves-for-bihar-29119.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Shramik train with 1296 migrants onboard chugged off to Bihar from here on Tuesday This was the second special train that departed from here Another train for Uttar Pradesh will depart in the evening After conducting medical examination and providing food packets and water bottles the passengers were allowed to board the train and they were seated while maintaining social distancing officials said Train for Bhagalpur Munger and Banka in Bihar with full capacity of 1296 left at scheduled time 2 pm from Chandigarh Advisor Manoj Parida said A day earlier the train with 1260 stranded persons left for Kisanganj in Bihar He said all expenses in both the trains were borne by the Chandigarh Administration Migrant Sunil Kumar said that he and his family was stranded in Dera Bassi near Chandigarh for over a month as he lost job owing to closure of his factory It is a big relief for us I will return only when the coronavirus scare is over he added Over 40 trains have already departed from Punjab ferrying migrant workers to their homes I am extremely happy though that a large number of workers have decided to stay back in Punjab We hope that all workers travelling to their homes will also return back to Punjab soon Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said He said his administration is proactively working to make all necessary arrangements for migrant workers to travel home right from booking trains to providing food and water This is our duty and responsibility towards our migrant workers in these difficult times and I hope to see you back again the Chief Minister said Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the government has made special arrangements for bringing the migrant labourers from various places to their nearby railway stations in special buses The government has set up help desks and bearing the entire expanses of their travel by train Twentyseven more trains are planned to depart from Haryana four days Also the state has deployed its 100 plus state roadways buses for dropping the migrants editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/shramik-train-with-1-296-passengers-onboard-leaves-for-bihar-29119.html Wed, 13 May 2020 01:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/make-violation-of-social-distancing-rules-criminal-offence-vij-29121.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday said a law should be introduced making the violation of social distancing rules a criminal offence as economic activities restart amidst the easing of the coronavirus lockdown He said a law was needed as it has been observed that people dont always follow advisories If measures like social distancing and wearing of masks are not strictly followed then it may lead to a spike in cases putting pressure on the entire healthcare system Vij told reporters Therefore we will have to develop some system Rules will have to be framed and these will have to be given a legal shape Any violation of these should be made a criminal offence he said Vij who is also the states health minister said it seems that at least for some time people will have to live with coronavirus We will have to protect ourselves as economic activities carry on he said It is my suggestion that if we have to live with coronavirus then we will have to formulate new laws and rules There should be a law which will enforce social distancing making it mandatory for people to maintain six feet distance when they go out Vij added The Haryana minister added that if the coronavirus situation continued for long it will bring several changes in peoples lives In schools dual desks may have to be done away with and car manufacturers may have to come up with new designs for seats he said He said the Centre and state governments will have to work together to achieve a reduction in the infection transmission rate while public activities gradually increase Vij said he will give his suggestions in a video conference with Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/make-violation-of-social-distancing-rules-criminal-offence-vij-29121.html Wed, 13 May 2020 01:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/3-arrested-for-supplying-weapons-to-gangsters-29122.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Punjab Police on Tuesday arrested three people for allegedly supplying weapons to gangsters and drug traffickers in the state a senior officer said Gurpreet Singh Sukhdev Singh and Sarabjit Singh were booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act the IPC and the Disaster Management Act police said Some of the weapons recovered from them included a double barrel rifle and different types of pistols along with live rounds they said According to police Gurpreet Singh was allegedly in direct contact with several gangsters and drug smugglers lodged in different prisons of the state Gurpreet Singhs questioning revealed that he was in direct contact with Shubham a Batalabased gangster and a prime accused in the case of armed robbery of nearly Rs 7 crores from a jewellery shop in Amritsar in 2018 state Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta said He allegedly supplied weapons to Shubhams associates in Tarn Taran and Ferozepur areas Gupta said in a release here The DGP further said Gurpreet Singh was also allegedly in direct contact with Kuldip Singh brother of Ranjit Rana the prime accused in the 532 kg heroin seizure drug case Ranjit was arrested a few days ago from Sirsa in Haryana as part of a joint operation by Punjab and Haryana Police Gupta further stated Kuldip facing charges under the NDPS Act was currently lodged in Amritsar jail The DGP said in depth forensic and technical analysis of the mobile devices of Gurpreet Singh and his associates was being conducted Reiterating the firm commitment of Punjab Police to eliminate the scourge of drug trafficking and smuggling from the state Gupta said that since enforcement of curfew on March 22 15802 kg heroin had been recovered from Tarn Taran district The district police has been rigorously pursuing cases of freezing and forfeiture of illegally acquired properties of major drug smugglers under provisions of NDPS Act Gupta said the properties of 12 drug smugglers worth around Rs 622 crore had been frozen by the district police since the imposition of curfew in the state Besides 11 new cases of freezing of property worth around Rs 1742 crore were recently sent to the competent authority at the finance ministry under the central government while another seven similar cases involving properties worth around Rs 5 crore would be sent this week Overall illegally acquired properties of 51 major drug smugglers worth around Rs 5446 crore have been frozen by the district police in the last nine months editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/3-arrested-for-supplying-weapons-to-gangsters-29122.html Wed, 13 May 2020 01:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/till-the-time-we-get-a-negative-result-at-least-once-we-are-not-going-to-discharge-the-patients-from-hospital-29126.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday said he differed with Centres revised policy for discharge of coronavirus patients and has ordered that those with even mild cases need to test negative before being discharged The revised discharge policy for COVID19 cases announced by the Union health ministry in consultation with the Indian Council of Medical Research had said coronavirus infected patients developing severe illness or having compromised immunity will have to test negative through the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction RTPCR before being discharged by a hospital However moderate cases of COVID19 and pre symptomatic mild and very mild cases need not undergo tests before being discharged after resolution of symptoms I have issued an order that we do not accept this Till the time we get a negative result at least once we are not going to discharge the patients from hospital Vij said when asked about the revised policy for discharge of COVID19 patients He said the objection was to mild cases not needing to undergo tests Commenting on the findings of a probe initiated by his department into alleged discrepancies in some COVID19 test results conducted by a private laboratory the minister said Our report has come and the private labs test reports have been found wrong We will also write to the ICMR about this I will have a look into the MoU signed between the state government and the lab and see what action can be taken he said The private laboratory in question had asserted that it stood by its findings and was open to getting the samples retested at any government lab The Haryana government had last month ordered a probe after few samples reported positive for coronavirus by the private lab tested negative in confirmation tests done at different government labs in the state On allegations that a government doctor in Hisar who held the post of local COVID19 quarantine incharge was transferred to the district malaria control unit under political pressure Vij said I will get the matter investigated one thing I want to assure my doctors and those on the frontline of COVID19 duties I cannot allow a single corona warrior to be demoralised he said The Hisar doctor had claimed that his transfer was politically motivated He alleged that he along with a team of the health department went to the house of a politically wellconnected man to paste home quarantined poster as the man had returned from Gurgaon which has seen a surge in coronavirus cases But the health team had to face opposition from the family members and a day later he learnt about his transfer editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/till-the-time-we-get-a-negative-result-at-least-once-we-are-not-going-to-discharge-the-patients-from-hospital-29126.html Wed, 13 May 2020 01:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/showdown-two-punjab-ministers-say-wont-attend-meetings-if-cs-is-present-28406.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Two days after they had a spat with the Chief Secretary of Punjab Karan A Singh during a preCabinet meeting two Punjab ministers on Monday said they will not participate in any meeting attended by the states chief secretary worsening a crisis triggered by a showdown last week Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal announced his intention at a Cabinet meeting where he recalled his protest on Saturday against the unacceptable behaviour of Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh at a meeting that day Badal and Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had walked out of Saturdays precabinet meeting prompting the postponement of the Cabinet meeting itself to Monday The chief secretary however kept himself away from Mondays Cabinet meeting to discuss changes in the excise policy Home Secretary Satish Chandra attended in his place As the crisis escalated Punjab Congress too backed the ministers asking the top bureaucrat to step back Manpreet Singh Badal told reporters that the issue was raised as part of the unofficial agenda of the Cabinet meeting and his stand was supported by the other ministers present there Channi also supported him and said he will not be part of any meeting attended by the chief secretary the most senior bureaucrat in the state I gave a proposal that it will be impossible for me to sit in a Cabinet meeting in which CS Karan Avtar Singh is also seated Badal told reporters He claimed that this was also the unanimous decision of the rest of the Punjab Cabinet We urged the CM to decide whether to call the CS or us to a meeting Badal said after the Cabinet meeting After the walkout by Badal and Channi on Saturday rest of the Cabinet too had reportedly followed them the finance minister had objected to the chief secretarys body language and the manner in which he spoke Badal claimed the behaviour was against the dignity of the Punjab Cabinet On Monday he said it was not a battle of egos but did not elaborate on what the bureaucrat actually said This decision which has been taken is in the highest interest of the state he said referring to the two ministers intention to not sit on any meeting with the CSIt is now up to the CM what decision he takes Manpreet will not be there in any meeting where CS Karan Avtar Singh is present he reiterated At Saturdays meeting Technical Education Minister Channi is learnt to have opposed any relief for liquor vend owners in the excise policy under discussionThe CS had allegedly made some curt remarks after Channi spoke Badal and Channi then walked out reportedly followed after some time by the other ministers The Cabinet meeting scheduled later that day was then called off No decision on changes in the excise police emerged immediately after Mondays Cabinet meeting Badal said the Cabinet has unanimously authorised the CM to take a decision Liquor vend owners are seeking an extension of their licences saying they were badly hit by the lockdown Some of them are also against the Punjab governments plan on doorstep delivery of liquor with the easing of the lockdown against coronavirus Meanwhile Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar criticised the CS It is unfortunate that a senior officer in the rank of CS has his own ego and arrogance coming in the way of wellestablished principles of law Keeping his own dignity and that of the office he holds he should step back himself said Jakhar In a series of tweets Congress MLA Amrinder Singh Raja Warring alleged that the chief secretarys son had an undeclared business interest in a Punjab distillery Will the Chief Secretary Punjab be pleased to let us know if every IAS officer is required to declare the business interests of his immediate family members to the state government especially if they are covered by the domain of his department Is this not a conflict of interest Warring asked the chief minister to inquire into the matter with PTI inputs editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/showdown-two-punjab-ministers-say-wont-attend-meetings-if-cs-is-present-28406.html Tue, 12 May 2020 00:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/prime-minister-narendra-modi-interacts-with-the-chief-ministers-of-various-states-via-video-conferencing-to-discuss-covid-19-situation-in-new-delhi-monday-may-11-2020-28408.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday pitched for extension of the lockdown but with a carefully crafted strategy backed by fiscal and economic empowerment of the states to save lives and secure livehood Clearly favouring continuation of a strict lockdown in view of the escalating cases of Covid nationwide the Chief Minister said at the Video Conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that states needed to be given greater flexibility in microplanning as part of a carefully planned exit strategy encompassing both Covid containment and a defined path of economic revival The Exit Strategy should consider and focus on fiscal and economic empowerment of the States which are responsible for the real action directly impinging upon the livelihood and social health of the common man said the Chief Minister suggesting that States should be allowed great flexibility in microplanning with MSMEs to be allowed to function in Red Zone districts with proper safeguards The decision on designating the red orangeyellow and green zones should be left to the states which were more cognizant of the ground realities he said Captain Amarinder demanded urgent financial assistance to States to meet at least 33 per cent of their committed liabilities along with revenue grants to the states for 3 months to meet shortfall in revenue and to fund expenditure on Covid19 The Punjab Chief Minister also called for a National Strategy on Covid Testing for making the battle against Covid more effective pointing out that he had also written to the Prime Minister to direct Central Government institutions in Chandigarh and Punjab to increase testing capacity Punjab had so far done 40962 tests done so far with current testing rate at 2500 per day which the state government planned to scale up to 6000 by end of the month Pointing out that Punjab had procured 115 Lakh MT of Wheat with proper social distancing and hygiene protocols in place the Chief Minister also requested for early declaration of MSP on Paddy and a bonus on nonburning of paddy stubble The Chief Minister informed the Prime Minister that Punjab was losing Rs 3000 crore per month in revenue totally 88 of the estimated revenue loss recorded in April along with Rs 30 crore daily loss for Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd a decline of 30 He also reiterated his demand for immediate release of the Punjabs GST arrears of Rs 436537 crore Further said the Chief Minister in view of the complete change in the situation due to the pandemic the 15th Finance Commission should review its report for the current year and recommend devolution of funds for 5years beginning from 142021 instead of 2020 onwards after factoring in the impact of COVID19 for which the term of the Commission should be extended by another year Captain Amarinder also urged the Prime Minister to increase the borrowing limit under the Financial Responsibility and Budget Management Act 2005 FRBM Act from 3 to 4 of SGDP to enable states to meet their fiscal liabilities The Punjab Government had been fighting the Covid battle from the front and had successfully brought down the mortality rate in the state to 18 while containing the doubling rate at around 7 days against national average of 11 days the Chief Minister pointed out during the meeting The rate of increase was falling after having risen sharply in the last 10 days came due to the large number of persons who tested positive from returnees from other States he said expressing the confidence that the situation should improve further in the coming week With four containment zones Punjab currently has 1823 positive cases 275 of AllIndia cases with 31 deaths 140 of AllIndia deaths translating into Mortality Rate of 170 In terms of inbound movement of stranded people the Chief Minister disclosed that around 56000 persons from Punjab stranded in other states had registered with his government with around 20000 Indian nationals returning from other countries The State Government had made elaborate arrangements made for quarantine and testing For outbound transportation 1150 lakh migrants had registered mainly in Ludhiana Jalandhar Amritsar and largely bound for UP Bihar Jharkhand said Captain Amarinder adding that 50 trains with such migrants had already left and on average 1314 trains were leaving daily editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/prime-minister-narendra-modi-interacts-with-the-chief-ministers-of-various-states-via-video-conferencing-to-discuss-covid-19-situation-in-new-delhi-monday-may-11-2020-28408.html Tue, 12 May 2020 00:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/54-new-covid-19-infections-in-punjab-cases-reach-1-877-28409.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Fiftyfour people tested positive for COVID19 in Punjab on Monday pushing the case count to 1877 in the state according to the governments medical bulletin Of the fresh cases 13 were reported in Jalandhar 12 in Mansa 11 in Fatehgarh Sahib six in Gurdaspur two each in Moga and Ludhiana and one each in Tarn Taran Fazilka Patiala Faridkot Rupnagar Hoshiarpur Amritsar and Ferozepur the state governments medical bulletin said Two COVID19 patients in Patiala were discharged from hospitals after recovering from the infection taking the number of cured people to 168 in the state There are 1678 active cases in the state it said According to the bulletin Amritsar continued to lead the COVID19 tally in the state with 296 cases followed by 188 in Jalandhar 158 in Tarn Taran 127 in Ludhiana 122 in Gurdaspur 103 in SBS Nagar 102 in Mohali 98 in Patiala  91 in Hoshiarpur 88 in Sangrur 65 in Muktsar 59 in Moga 56 in Rupnagar 47 in Fatehgarh Sahib 46 in Faridkot 44 in Ferozepur 40 each in Bathinda and Fazilka 32 in Mansa 29 in Pathankot 25 in Kapurthala and 21 in Barnala Thirtyone COVID19 patients have died in the state the medical bulletin said adding two patients are critical and on ventilator support A total of 42306 samples have been collected so far in the state and reports of 37993 of them have come out negative which results of 2436 are still awaited editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/54-new-covid-19-infections-in-punjab-cases-reach-1-877-28409.html Tue, 12 May 2020 00:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cabinet-authorises-cm-to-take-further-course-of-action-on-excise-policy-28411.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Punjab Council of Ministers on Monday authorised the Chief Minister to take further course of action on the issue of amendments to the states Excise Policy in the light of the impact of Covid19 and the prolonged lockdown on the liquor business At a Cabinet meeting to discuss the issue there was consensus among all ministers that it should be left to Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to take any decision he deems fit to thrash out the concerns of the liquor licensees in the best interest of the state The issue of home delivery of liquor was also discussed but amid apprehensions expressed by some ministers on allowing doorstep delivery no final decision was taken in the matter The Chief Minister is likely to decide on the issue in the next couple of days Earlier at the start of the meeting the Chief Minister told the Cabinet that he had taken note of the complaint against Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh by some of the ministers Incidentally the Chief Secretary had taken half days leave with the Chief Ministers permission and was not present at todays meeting Raising the issue at the Cabinet meet Manpreet Badal and Charanjit Singh Channi expressed unhappiness over the conduct of the Chief Secretary which they described as totally incorrect and unacceptable The Chief Minister said he was cognisant of their concern and said that he would look into the matter after which the aggrieved ministers left it to the former editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cabinet-authorises-cm-to-take-further-course-of-action-on-excise-policy-28411.html Tue, 12 May 2020 00:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/hry-allows-34-375-industries-to-resume-ops-28414.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh With 34375 industries allowed to resume operations Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has said efforts are on to revive industries impacted owing to the COVID19 pandemic For this the work of granting online permission was underway He said all industries should register themselves and make their data available to the state so that it could be used while formulating policies in the future A government spokesperson said there are 116700 micro small and medium scale industries in the state and 55935 of them have applied for permission to operate These include 35572 industries in the urban areas and 20246 industries in the rural areas Besides there are 608 insitu industries With the reopening of these industries 2186098 workers will get work again The spokesperson said there are 43653 industries each with a minimum staff strength up to 25 The number of industries having 25 to 200 workers is 10186 while the number of industries with more than 200 workers is 1979 He said so far 34375 industries have been allowed to operate Of these 18816 industries are in the urban areas while the remaining in the rural areas With the opening of these industries a total of 1548574 workers have been employed including 802825 workers in urban areas and 497828 workers in rural areas Similarly 558 insitu industries have also been allowed to operate With this 26546 personnel were employed Also the operation of 1448 brickkilns has also been allowed in the state in which 208046 workers have returned to work The spokesperson said on March 6 the first positive case of COVID19 in the state was a Paytm employee in Gurugram editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/hry-allows-34-375-industries-to-resume-ops-28414.html Tue, 12 May 2020 00:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/61-more-covid-19-cases-detected-in-punjab-total-now-1-823-27710.html DW BUREAU CHANDIGARH Sixtyone more people tested positive for COVID19 in Punjab on Sunday taking the number of confirmed cases in the state to 1823 officials said here Of the fresh cases 35 are in Rupnagar eight each in Amritsar and Fatehgarh Sahib seven in Mohali and one each in Moga Kapurthala and Patiala as per a medical bulletin issued here With nine more patients discharged from hospitals the number of those cured of the infection rises to 166 in the state Five patients in Jalandhar two in Mohali and one each in Mansa and Pathankot were discharged after being declared fully cured the bulletin said Amritsar continued to top the COVID19 tally in the state with 295 cases followed by Jalandhar 175 Tarn Taran 157 Ludhiana 125 Gurdaspur 116 SBS Nagar 103 Mohali 102 Patiala 97 Hoshiarpur 90 Sangrur 88 Muktsar 65 Moga 57 Rupnagar 55 Faridkot 44 Ferozepur 43 Bathinda 40 Fazilka 39 Fatehgarh Sahib 36 Pathankot 29 Kapurthala 25 Barnala 21 and Mansa with 20 cases as per the bulletin Thirtyone fatalities have been recorded so far it added Two patients are critical and on ventilator support the bulletin stated A total of 40962 samples have been taken so far for testing in the state Reports of 3845 samples are awaited  There are 1626 active cases in the state as of now the bulletin said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/61-more-covid-19-cases-detected-in-punjab-total-now-1-823-27710.html Mon, 11 May 2020 01:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/have-always-safeguarded-the-interest-of-the-depot-holders-says-ashu-27711.html DW BUREAU CHANDIGARH Rejecting as baseless and unfounded the allegations levelled by Akali Dal the food and supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu here today asserted that Capt Amarinder Singh led Congress Government have always safeguard the interest of Depot Holders Reacting strongly to petty attempts made by a party which has been time and again rejected by the people of Punjab Ashu said this had become a habit of Akali Dal to blame the government over false and fabricated issues Amongst the major demands raised by Depot Holders in wake of the ongoing covid19 crisis Ashu said that sanitizers masks and gloves have been provided to them He also said that regarding other demands including insurance a meeting after consultation with depot holders has been called on May 11 2020 at 11 oclock at Anaj Bhawan in Chandigarh He also said that after the tragic death of Depot holders brother Anil Mahajan in Kapurthala he had issued strict directions to all district administrations of state to ensure stringent arrangements during distribution of wheat to avert any such incident in future besides directing the health department to ensure strict adherance of all social distancing and health protocols On the occasion he also disclosed that Urad Dal being sent by NAFED under PMGKAY was of very inferior quality due to which some trucks of pulses have been returned and at some places pulses were being distributed after cleaning Daring Akali Dal he said if they are really worried for depot holders they should take up the issue of unnecessary delay in supply of pulses and its low quality with centre editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/have-always-safeguarded-the-interest-of-the-depot-holders-says-ashu-27711.html Mon, 11 May 2020 01:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sad-seeks-cbi-probe-into-liquor-scam-in-punjab-27712.html DW BUREAU CHANDIGARH The Shiromani Akali Dal SAD here on Sunday said a constitutional crisis had erupted in Punjab with Cabinet Ministers expressing loss of faith in the government and also alleged a multicrore liquor scam in the state It demanded a CBI inquiry into the scam involving sale of illicit liquor during curfew by distilleries owned by Congress leaders and their friends It was unfortunate when every state was doing utmost to combat Covid19 the Punjab Cabinet was fighting with bureaucrats as witnessed in Saturdays preCabinet meeting said SAD spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema With the Cabinet not trusting bureaucrats and vice versa there is a leadership crisis due to which Punjab and Punjabis are suffering The Punjab government would do well and stop questioning the Centre everyday to divert attention from its failures and tell the people why its leaders and their friends were allowed to loot the state exchequer he said Cheema said certain Congress leaders and their friends who owned distilleries in Punjab were openly selling liquor from their units This sale happening in truck loads without paying excise duty and under the police protection had caused huge losses to the state he added Simultaneously there was largescale smuggling of liquor from Haryana he said This is the reason that when liquor vends opened there were no takers as liquor had been provided to consumers through the black market Even the proposal of home delivery of liquor is aimed at encouraging distilleries as well as Congress leaders engaged in this business Holding Chief Minister Amarinder Singh responsible for this state of affairs as he also holds the excise portfolio the SAD leader said the Chief Minister had not only failed to check the illegal liquor sale during the Covid19 pandemic but had also failed to order an inquiry into it This has also compromised the states fight against Covid19 and caused funds shortage for health infrastructure safety of health workers besides leading to the highest mortality rates Cheema said On Saturdays preCabinet meeting incident Cheema said it seemed the Chief Minister and his coterie were running the government without taking the Cabinet into confidence That Cabinet Ministers walked out of the meeting indicates the Chief Minister doesnt have their support Simultaneously the same Cabinet Ministers who are acting holier than thou and talking about loss to the state exchequer are accused of patronising illegal liquor sale Many have also been open votaries of home delivery of liquor It proves the fight yesterday Saturday was not one aimed at protecting the state revenue but filling personal coffers the SAD leader said Saying only a CBI inquiry could get to the bottom of the multithousand crore scam Cheema said besides inquiring into the illegal release of liquor stock from distilleries owned by Congressmen the inquiry should also investigate illegal liquor sale by the Congressled liquor mafia and fix accountability for the losses incurred to the state editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/sad-seeks-cbi-probe-into-liquor-scam-in-punjab-27712.html Mon, 11 May 2020 01:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/seized-liquor-missing-from-hry-godown-anil-vij-27713.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Sunday said a huge stock of liquor missing from a godown in Sonipat district is not an ordinary theft case and an indepth probe is needed to uncover those involved in it This is not any ordinary theft case Since when all this has been going on with whose backing from where the liquor was coming how much excise theft took place as liquor from other states was also found who all officials are involved all this needs an indepth probe said Vij This is why I have recommended a senior IAS officer to head the SIT to probe the case the minister reasoned Vij said he has already recommended to the chief minister that the threemember SIT should be headed by a senior IAS officer for a thorough probe looking into all possible angles involved in the case Vij has given names of senior IAS officers Ashok Khemka Sanjeev Kaushal and T C Gupta requesting Chief Minister M L Khattar to pick up any one of these officer to head the SIT or suggest a name on his own Besides Vij said other members of the SIT will be IPS officer Subhash Yadav and Additional Excise Commissioner Vijay Singh A huge stock of liquor had gone missing from two godowns one under police and the other one under excise departments supervision in Sonipat district and this could not have happened without the connivance of officials Vij had said earlier The Haryana police on Saturday seized Rs 97 lakh in cash two pistols and three mobile phones besides a sports utility vehicle following a raid in a house to nab the prime accused in the case of missing huge liquor stocks from two godowns in Sonipat editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/seized-liquor-missing-from-hry-godown-anil-vij-27713.html Mon, 11 May 2020 01:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/reconsider-home-delivery-of-liquor-wives-of-cong-leaders-urge-punjab-cm-27188.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Fearing a surge in cases of domestic violence wives of two Punjab Congress leaders including a cabinet minister have urged Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to reconsider his governments decision of allowing home delivery of liquor The state government had allowed the home delivery of liquor during the third phase of the coronavirus lockdown from Thursday Though there is no provision for it in the Punjab Excise Act 1914 and the excise rules the decision was taken to ensure social distancing in the wake of the COVID19 pandemic Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh too on Thursday had said that the opening of liquor shops will lead to an increase in domestic violence Expressive reservations about the decision Mamta Ashu a Ludhaina councillor and wife of Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu on Saturday said the fight against drugs was an election promise of the Congress due to which the decision needed a rethink It might lead to increase in cases of domestic violence during ongoing lockdown Even contractors not willing to open them Mamta Ashu tweeted on Saturday Similarly the wife of Congress Gidderbaha MLA Amrinder Singh Raja Warring too requested for a rethink Amrita Warring on Friday tweeted that the decision may lead to an increase in cases of domestic violence while slamming the previous SADBJP government of destroying families Respected captamarinder ji It is my humble request to kindly reconsider your decision to start Home Delivery of alcohol in Punjab This will also lead to increase in domestic violence Previous AkaliDal Govt has already destroyed families with alcohol drug abuse she tweeted editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/reconsider-home-delivery-of-liquor-wives-of-cong-leaders-urge-punjab-cm-27188.html Sun, 10 May 2020 00:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/31-fresh-covid-19-cases-2-deaths-in-punjab-27190.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab reported two more coronavirus deaths on Saturday while 31 people tested positive for the infection bringing the number of cases to 1762 in the state according to the state governments medical bulletin The fresh fatalities pushed coronavirusrelated death toll to 31 in Punjab There are 1574 active cases in the state according to the bulletin A 62yearold COVID19 positive man from Hoshiarpur died at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research PGIMER here said a health official The man was having respiratory problems the official added A 56yearold COVID19 patient died at a Ludhiana hospital the official said Among fresh cases reported on Saturday 17 were in Jalandhar five in Fatehgarh Sahib four in Rupnagar two in Pathankot and one each in Patiala Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur according to the bulletin Five coronavirus patients from Jalandhar were discharged from hospital after recovering from the infection So far 157 COVID19 patients have been discharged from hospitals in the state Amritsar continued to top the COVID19 tally in the state with 287 cases followed by 175 in Jalandhar 157 in Tarn Taran 125 in Ludhiana 116 in Gurdaspur 103 in SBS Nagar 96 in Patiala 95 in Mohali 90 in Hoshiarpur 88 in Sangrur 65 in Muktsar 56 in Moga 45 in Faridkot 43 in Ferozepur 40 in Bathinda 39 in Fazilka 29 in Pathankot 28 in Fatehgarh Sahib 24 in Kapurthala 21 in Barnala 20 each in Mansa and Rupnagar the bulletin said One patient is critical and is on ventilator support it said A total of 39462 samples have been collected in the state so far and 33639 of them have come out negative and reports of 4061 are still awaited PTI editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/31-fresh-covid-19-cases-2-deaths-in-punjab-27190.html Sun, 10 May 2020 00:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-ministers-walk-out-of-meeting-with-senior-officials-27191.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab ministers on Saturday walked out of a precabinet meeting on the excise policy with senior state officials over an unacceptable behaviour of the chief secretary with one of their colleagues The development led to the deferment of the cabinet meeting which was scheduled for Saturday Now it will be held on Monday Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh had allegedly misbehaved with Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi Several ministers objected to the unacceptable behaviour a minister said Upset over it Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and Channi walked out of the meeting Later all ministers left claimed the minister The Punjab cabinet was to discuss a revision in the excise policy after poor response from contractors on the opening of liquor vends in the state Later a government release said the cabinet meeting will take place on Monday The statement said the ministers of the state government met officials of the Department of Excise and Taxation to deliberate upon suggested changes in the excise policy for 202021 The discussions were inconclusive Accordingly the chief minister asked them to complete their deliberations over the weekend and convey their views in the meeting of the Council of Ministers to be held now on Monday said the statement Meanwhile Congress Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu said the ministers reaction was similar to a judge walking out of a court after an argument with an advocate He attacked the ministers saying they should also resign for their incompetent behavior During the coronavirus pandemic the coordination between the ministers and bureaucrats should be strong The ministers walking out of the precabinet meeting should resign for their incompetent behavior as many others capable of handling work pressure are ready to replace them the Ludhiana MP tweeted PTI editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-ministers-walk-out-of-meeting-with-senior-officials-27191.html Sun, 10 May 2020 01:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/most-wanted-gangster-arrested-with-sophisticated-weapons-26704.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh A most wanted gangster and his six associates have been arrested and a large consignment of sophisticated weapons seized from them by the Punjab Police a senior police officer said on Friday Gangster Baljinder Singh alias Billa who was wanted in more than 18 cases including that of murder arms smuggling and drug peddling had alleged links with the slain Pakistanbased Khalistan Liberation Force chief Harmeet Singh Happy and Germanybased Bagga of the Khalistan Zindabad Force the police said Punjab Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta said the arrests were made in a joint operation by a team of Organised Crime Control Unit Counter Intelligence Jalandhar Unit and the Kapurthala police on Thursday The seized consignment of weapons included three SIG Sauer pistols used by members of the US Secret Service the police said Besides Billa the six arrested are Sukhjinder Singh Mohit Sharma Lovepreet Singh Mangal Singh Maninderjeet Singh and Lovepreet Singh alias Lovely All the accused have been kept separately as they are being tested for COVID19 by a special team of doctors Gupta said in a statement here The seized consignment of weapons included two 30 bore drum machine guns three pistols marked SIG Sauer made in Germany two Glock pistols made in Austria two 30 bore pistols one 32 bore pistol one 315 bore rifle 341 live cartridges and two drum magazines and 14 pistol magazines Rs 3 lakh in cash and one hundred Australian dollars were also recovered from them said Gupta Terming it one of the biggest caches of highly sophisticated weapons seized from a criminal gang Gupta said the SIG Sauer pistols are in fact being used by members of the US Secret Service which protects the highest elected leaders of the United States especially the President of the United States The DGP said preliminary investigations suggested that most of the weapons recovered from Billa were smuggled from Pakistan in different consignments Police were also investigating the role of militants in the supply chain of illegal weapons Three vehicles were also seized from the criminals he said The police also learnt that a part of consignment consisting of AK74 rifles which was pushed into the Mamdot area of Ferozepur sector from across the border in September 2019 by the Special Task Force Punjab was also meant for the Billa criminal gang Police had inputs that Billa along with his associates was taking shelter in the Kapurthala area with the consignment of illegal arms Police teams laid siege around Dadwindi and Mothanwala areas of Sultanpur Lodhi Police station and made the arrests A case under relevant sections of the IPC Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Arms Act was registered Billa during preliminary investigations revealed that he was in contact with various Pakistanbased weapons and drugs smugglers and had already received many consignments of weapons and drugs from them mostly in the Ferozepur area One of the Pakistanbased smugglers was allegedly working as courier on the IndoPak border for operatives of Khalistan Liberation Force based in Pakistan and India in the recent past and had successfully pushed many weapon consignments into the Indian territory the police said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/most-wanted-gangster-arrested-with-sophisticated-weapons-26704.html Sat, 09 May 2020 01:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/118-new-covid-19-cases-in-punjab-toll-rises-to-28-25874.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh A 55yearold man from Hoshiarpur district died of COVID19 taking the number of fatalities in Punjab to 28 on Thursday while the total cases rose to 1644 after 118 more people tested positive an official said There are 1467 active cases of the coronavirus disease COVID19 in the state Fourteen patients six each from Patiala and Mohali and one each from Mansa and Faridkot districts were discharged from hospitals taking the number of people who recovered to 149 the Health Department said The COVID19 patient from Hoshiarpur died at the Amritsar government hospital on Thursday an official said adding that he was also suffering from hypertension The death toll in the state has risen to 28 while a patient is critical and on ventilator support the department said As many as 118 people including 93 pilgrims who returned from Nanded in Maharashtra tested positive for the infection pushing the total count to 1644 according to the medical bulletin Among the new cases 46 were from Amritsar 43 in Tarn Taran six each in Patiala and Gurdaspur districts Two more people tested positive in Bathinda and one each in Sangrur Ludhiana and Fatehgarh Sahib districts the bulletin said A total of 34701 samples have been taken so far in the state out of which 28933 are negative and reports of 4124 are still awaited it said Amritsar continued to top the COVID19 tally in the state with 276 cases followed by 147 in Jalandhar 146 in Tarn Taran and 125 in Ludhiana The number of infections in Mohali is 95 followed by 91 in Gurdaspur 89 in Hoshiarpur 88 in Sangrur 85 in SBS Nagar it said Sixtyfive people are afflicted with the deadly COVID19 in Muktsar 56 in Moga 45 in Faridkot and 43 in Ferozepur Fazilka and Bathinda reported 39 cases each followed by 27 in Pathankot and 20 each in Barnala and Fatehgarh Sahib There are 19 cases in Mansa 18 in Kapurthala and 16 in Rupnagar as per the bulletin editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/118-new-covid-19-cases-in-punjab-toll-rises-to-28-25874.html Fri, 08 May 2020 00:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/online-voting-may-need-to-be-examined-due-to-coronavirus-additional-solicitor-general-25875.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Additional Solicitor General Satya Pal Jain has suggested that election laws may need to be amended with the possible introduction of online voting as social distancing has become a necessity due to COVID19 In the current situation it may not be possible to permit voting in polling booths where people assemble in large numbers and the government may have to examine introducing online voting or postal voting to avoid large scale gatherings in polling booths he opined Jain was addressing a webinar on Thursday organised by Panjab University here on Election Laws in India Jain who is also a senior BJP leader pointed out that the Election Commission itself over the last two months had to adjourn voting in the Rajya Sabha elections in various states to prevent violation  of social distancing norms even where only limited number of MLAs were to vote Therefore how can it conduct elections in various states where lakhs and lakhs of people have to vote divided into hundreds of polling booths which are managed by thousands of employees the former Lok Sabha member said The time has come for other alternatives forms of voting like online voting or postal ballot that have to be examined and a consensus has to be reached in the country the ASG said Replying to a question on antidefection by a law student Jain said it was unfortunate that different Speakers of various Vidhan Sabhas have kept the issue of disqualification of MLAs under the antidefection law for a long time with a view to help and save the governments of their own political parties He said that a time limit of 3 to 4 months should be prescribed for the Speakers to decide upon the antidefection petitions one way or the other To another query the ASG clarified that Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will have to become an MLA or MLC before May 27 ie within 6 months of becoming a chief minister Otherwise as per the Constitution he will cease to be the chief minister on that date Thackeray cannot be appointed even a minister unless he is elected to either of the two houses of the Maharashtra legislature Jain said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/online-voting-may-need-to-be-examined-due-to-coronavirus-additional-solicitor-general-25875.html Fri, 08 May 2020 00:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-cm-asks-pm-to-spell-out-ways-for-countrys-economy-revival-25876.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spell out the way forward for the countrys economic revival and an exit strategy from lockdown 3 amid the Covid19 spread Singh made the plea while reiterating his demand for grants to states for three months to meet the revenue shortfall and higher expenditure incurred on Covid19 containment and management In a letter to the prime minister the chief minister said The exit strategy may not only lay down the parameters to contain the Covid19 within safe limits but should also define the path of economic revival It should consider and focus on fiscal and economic empowerment of the states Besides raising the demand for revenue grants the chief minister also called for a directive from the Centre to the 15th Finance Commission to review its report for the current year as the situation had completely changed due to Covid19 pandemic He also said the 15th Finance Commission should recommend devolution of funds for five years beginning April 1 2021 instead of 2020 after factoring in the impact of Covid19 an official release said here Amarinder Singh urged the prime minister to issue necessary directions to various ministries in this regard to enable states to formulate clear strategies and path postlockdown 30 on May 17 The chief minister pointed out that this was necessary as Covid19 and the subsequent lockdowns had led to unprecedented losses of jobs businesses and economic opportunities and its true impact was yet to be known Pointing out that it was very well known that the economy had slowed down and the GDP will not rise the chief minister said Punjabs revenue had declined by 88 per cent in April 2020 The poor have been the worst affected with damage to all aspects of their socioeconomic living The threat of poverty hunger and health deprivation are far more imminent now If socioeconomic living of the common man is not restored immediately there could be serious psychological dismemberment of our society The loss of jobs and livelihood has in fact also severely impaired equity and civil liberties in our society he said adding these were the stark realities of today The chief minister meanwhile assured the prime minister that the Punjab Government would do everything possible to contain this deadly virus to save the lives of its people editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-cm-asks-pm-to-spell-out-ways-for-countrys-economy-revival-25876.html Fri, 08 May 2020 00:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/amid-rising-corona-curve-crime-graph-takes-a-dip-in-haryana-25877.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Murders and other heinous crimes have registered a sharp fall in Haryana during April this year amid the rising coronavirusinfection curve and the ensuing lockdown While he number of murders committed in the state in April 2020 stood at 49 nearly half of murder cases registered in the corresponding month of 2019 other heinous crimes too have registered a sharp fall in the month said Haryana police on Thursday The stepped up and roundtheclock vigil by police personnel placement of interstate and interdistrict nakas and enhanced patrolling together with reduced scope of movement in public places have resulted in an impressive and unprecedented fall under most heads of crime during April 2020 the Haryana Police Department said in a statement The statement quoting Director General of Police Manoj Yadava said during April 2020 the number of murder cases in state went down to 49 compared to 94 in April 2019 registering 479 per cent fall The cases of causing hurt both simple and grievous ones went down from 221 in April 2019 to 149 in April this year resulting in a fall of 326 per cent the statement said There was a big 767 per cent fall in cases of wrongful confinement of persons which went down from 965 in April 2019 to 225 in April 2020 Similarly as far as the crime against property is concerned there has been a 35 per cent decline in the number of burglary cases in April 2020 as only 358 cases were registered as compared to 556 cases in April 2019 The number of theft cases went down from 1961 in April 2019 to just 355 in April 2020 The cases of motor vehicle theft which stood at 1424 in April 2019 came down to just 217 in April 2020 However certain categories of crime did not follow the declining trend the statement said For example the cases of unlawful assembly went up in the same period from 151 to 159 which is a result of the cases registered by police for violation of prohibitory orders for violating lockdown issued by various District Magistrates under section 144 of CrPC it said There was a sharp spike in cases registered under section 188 of the IPC disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant as police registered 2681 cases against various individuals for violating the lockdown orders The number of cases went up from just 26 in April 2019 to 2681 in April 2020 editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/amid-rising-corona-curve-crime-graph-takes-a-dip-in-haryana-25877.html Fri, 08 May 2020 00:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/chief-minister-amarinder-singh-said-there-was-no-political-motivation-in-the-registration-of-an-fir-against-saini-in-this-case-and-that-the-law-will-take-its-own-course-in-the-matter-25880.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini and six others have been booked in a case related to the disappearance of a man after a terrorist attack here in 1991 The case was registered against the former director general of police DGP and the other persons at the Mataur police station in Mohali on Wednesday evening according to the first investigation report FIR They have been booked under Indian Penal Code IPC sections pertaining to abduction causing disappearance of evidence of offence and criminal conspiracy among others The former Punjab DGP has been booked in connection with the disappearance of Balwant Singh Multani who was a junior engineer with the Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Corporation according to the FIR Balwant Multani who was a resident of Mohali was picked up by police after the terrorist attack on Saini who was then the senior superintendent of police in Chandigarh in 1991 it said Saini and the six others have been booked on the complaint of Balwant Multanis brother Palwinder Singh Multani who is a resident of Jalandhar according to the FIR Six others who have been booked include former UT deputy superintendent of police Baldev Singh Saini subinspectors Satbir Singh and Harsahai Sharma The case has been registered against them under sections 364 kidnapping or abducting in order to murder 201 causing disappearance of evidence of offence 344 wrongful confinement 330 voluntarily causes hurt and 120 B criminal conspiracy of the Indian Penal Code The complainant alleged that his brother was booked under sections of TADA IPC and the Arms Act Balwant Multani was declared a proclaim offender after he reportedly escaped from police custody in Gurdaspur his brother said in the complaint Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said there was no political motivation in the registration of an FIR against Saini in this case There was no question of political interference he said asserting that the law will take its own course in the matter editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/chief-minister-amarinder-singh-said-there-was-no-political-motivation-in-the-registration-of-an-fir-against-saini-in-this-case-and-that-the-law-will-take-its-own-course-in-the-matter-25880.html Fri, 08 May 2020 00:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/without-connivance-liquor-theft-cannot-take-place-25881.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh A huge stock of liquor has gone missing from two godowns in Sonipat district and this could not have happened without the connivance of officials Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said on Thursday The Haryana government has set up a threemember special investigation team SIT to probe the case of seized liquor going missing from the godowns which are close to each other he said The minister said one godown is under the police and the other under the state excise department Asked if there was nexus of officials involved the incident Vij said Without connivance liquor theft cannot take place Without the connivance of police and excise officials this theft could not have been possible Vij said 5500 liquor boxes have gone missing from the Sonipat godown which was under the supervision of the police department The other godown is being looked after by the state excise department he said The home minister said that he had ordered the police department to register an FIR for theft but the excise department has so far not registered any case in the matter So far the excise department has not registered an FIR into the stock which went missing from their godown There are two godownsone is in which police had kept the seized stock and adjacent to it is another godown in which the excise too had kept the stock seized by them However the excise people are yet to count how much of their stock has gone missing he said Vij a BJP leader holds portfolios such as home health urban local bodies in the Manohar Lal Khattar government His party runs a coalition government with the JJP whose chief Dushyant Singh Chautala is deputy chief minister and holds 11 portfolios including excise To a question by reporters Vij said that Chautala has not spoken to him on this matter and he does not know what the JJP leader has told the media about this If he says he has spoken to me on this matter and asked for setting up of SIT in liquor stock going missing then he is lying he said Vij also questioned why the liquor stock was kept in the godowns which are owned by a person who is already facing 810 cases of liquor smuggling Keeping liquor in the property of such a kind of person is very wrong The stock of liquor should not have been kept in these godowns either by police or the excise department I have asked the SIT to probe which official had ordered liquor be kept there It seems that the place had become a den of smuggling he said He however said who ever is found guilty no matter who the person in will be dealt as per the law Vij also expressed concern wondering why authorities police or excise had not checked these godowns for long The godowns had been sealed since 2019 but beer manufactured in 2020 has also been seized from there Liquor of those factories has also been found which do not manufacture in Haryana Whether excise duty of that has been paid or not the excise department will decide he said As liquor of other states has been found one can only guess that this place had become den Vij said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/without-connivance-liquor-theft-cannot-take-place-25881.html Fri, 08 May 2020 00:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/shopping-centers-association-approaches-punjab-haryana-govts-for-phased-opening-of-malls-25127.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh The Shopping Centers Association of India SCAI has reached out to the governments of Punjab Haryana and Union Territory of Chandigarh with a set of standard operating procedures and guidelines for reopening of malls in the twin states A representation has also been sent to Chandigarh Administrator V P Singh Badnore besides Punjab Chief minister Amarinder Singh and his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar a SCAI release said here on Wednesday The SCAI has endorsed the ability of shopping centers to enforce protocols in a far more efficient manner than many others who have benefited from the relaxation the release said While preparing the standard operating procedures SOPs the shopping malls association held several consultations with Captains of industry and adopted best global practices to ensure that the spread of COVID19 is contained it said Drawing on recent reports of long queues that were witnessed across the country to buy liquor where social distancing norms were openly flouted the SCAI reiterated the need for stringent SOPs and emphasised on the industrys ability to provide a safe and hygienic environment while ensuring social distancing norms are ensured The SCAI sought intervention of the government to support the shopping center industry and protect the livelihood of 12 million people as the fate of organised retail remains uncertain amid the COVID19 lockdown The retail industry contributes over 10 per cent to Indias GDP the second largest after agriculture the SCAI release said adding it employs over 8 per cent of the overall workforce making it the third largest in the country Malls are equally safe if not more compared to any establishment allowed to open and all steps would be taken to ensure the safety of consumers besides making wearing of masks compulsory and allowing 50 per cent occupancy at food courts and coffee shops the release added editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/shopping-centers-association-approaches-punjab-haryana-govts-for-phased-opening-of-malls-25127.html Thu, 07 May 2020 02:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/liquor-vends-reopen-in-haryana-after-40-days-no-crowding-witnessed-during-sale-25129.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Liquor vends in Haryana reopened from Wednesday after nearly 40 days with reports coming in from most places that there was no violation of social distancing norms as witnessed in some other parts of the country recently There was no heavy rush of customers at the vends in the state as seen in places like Delhi when the liquor stores had reopened earlier The vends will remain open from 7 am to 7 pm The state government has imposed a variable COVID cess which has made different categories of liquor including Imported Foreign Liquor IndianMade Foreign Liquor country liquor and beer costlier than before At different vends in districts including Karnal Panchkula Gurgaon Kaithal Rohtak and Bhiwani moderate rush of buyers was witnessed A customer who purchased a liquor bottle from a vend in Karnal said I am happy that the government took the decision to open the vends The timings to open the vends are also good Another customer from Rohtak said The government has decided to hike the rate but at least they have taken a good decision to open the vends It will also help them get some revenue At a few places people complained of liquor stock not being available with the vend owners I came early in the morning but I was told to wait said a customer in Fatehabad Customers from some other places also complained of vends not being stocked At some places including Faridabad few vends remained shut Meanwhile state Home Minister Anil Vij said he had strictly ordered district police chiefs that social distancing should be ensured I had directed them that if there is any violation then liquor contractors will be held responsible he said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/liquor-vends-reopen-in-haryana-after-40-days-no-crowding-witnessed-during-sale-25129.html Thu, 07 May 2020 02:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-suffers-88-per-cent-revenue-loss-in-april-cm-25130.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Pegging the April revenue shortfall for Punjab at 88 per cent Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said with all tax revenues dried up and only 15 per cent of the industry currently operational the state was facing a difficult financial situation He said that the situation has been compounded by absence of aid from the central government Participating in a video conference of chief ministers of Congressruled states with party president Sonia Gandhi along with Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi Singh shared his states COVID19 containment strategy and the roadmap for economic revival During the meeting Sonia Gandhi asked the chief minister to convey her congratulations to the farmers of Punjab for a smooth procurement season with Singh disclosing that more than 100 lakh MT had arrived in the mandis already and the entire procurement process was expected to be completed by midMay As against the estimated revenue of Rs 3360 crore for April only Rs 396 crore had been received during the month the chief minister said adding that the states power consumption had declined by 30 per cent with a daily loss of Rs 30 crore to the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd In addition the states GST arrears of Rs 436537 crore are yet to be paid by Government of India he said The initial report of the Group of Experts headed by Montek Singh Ahluwalia on the economic and industrial revival of the state was likely to be received in three months and it would take another month after that to refine and finalise the same Singh said However he said that despite the financial crunch his government was committed to preparing the society and the common man to manage and contain the coronavirus and it was also taking every possible step to upgrade and readjust the states healthcare system to meet the challenges of the pandemic The chief minister was of the opinion that the decision on classification of zones as red orange or green should be left to the states which in turn could authorise the deputy commissioners to demarcate as per the ground realities He cited the example of Patiala being classified as a red zone even though Nabha a major milkproducing area is located in the district an official release said Punjab currently has four containment zones and four red zone districts Fifteen districts are in orange zone and the remaining three in green zone Providing an update on the COVID19 situation in the state which has reported a total of 1451 positive cases with 25 deaths mortality rate of 172 per cent the chief minister said there had been a spike in cases in Punjab after Punjabis started coming back from Rajasthan and Maharashtra Of the 4200odd people who had returned from Nanded 969 had tested positive though only 23 of them were symptomatic he said Some results were awaited he said adding that the spike was expected to end with the situation stabilising in the next 34 days once testing of all such people is completed All returnees are now being checked and quarantined he added The chief minister warned of highrisk of spread of infection in the state from those returning to the state especially the workers coming back from the Gulf in crowded ships Four ships of migrants mostly labourers were expected to arrive in the next few days while the first plane with NRIs was expected to reach Punjab on Thursday he said Giving details the chief minister said around 20000 international travellers are expected to return to Punjab in the next 34 weeks in addition to around 12000 who had registered in other states for coming back As for the migrant workers wanting to go back from Punjab to their native states he said that 10 lakh had registered so far of which 85 per cent belonged to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar The state government has sanctioned Rs 35 crore to provide for train travel cost of these workers he said adding that three trains left on May 5 for UP and Jharkhand and six more were scheduled for May 6 With around 2500 regular tests being done daily the total tests in the state had gone up to 30199 Singh said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-suffers-88-per-cent-revenue-loss-in-april-cm-25130.html Thu, 07 May 2020 02:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/this-shifting-of-position-has-left-many-industries-confused-25131.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday urged the Punjab government to stop the exodus of migrant workers from the state to avoid a selfmade economic crisis after the coronavirus lockdown is lifted In a letter to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Bajwa said around 1008 lakh workers who are an integral part of the state economy have applied to go home and the state government should convince them to stay back to avoid a labour crisis after the lockdown Without these individuals we will have a labour crisis that will irrevocably hinder our economy With the workers gone I fear our factories will have no labour postlockdown Bajwa wrote Bajwa said the government must do everything to encourage these workers to remain in the state otherwise we are staring at a selfmade economic crisis adding to the woes of the industry already reeling under the damage caused by COVID19 I believe it would be better at this moment if the government could do its best to convince the workers to remain so that the industries can function again at the earliest he added Referring to migrants Bajwa said they have the right to go back but their departure raises many questions and issues The state has done its best to provide food shelter and healthcare to these individuals as well as pleas from the government to remain in Punjab Yet now that the central government has opened travel for stranded individuals to return home the state is now promoting the aforementioned exodus he said This shifting of position has left many industries confused After all in these troubled times the drivers of our state economy look to the government for direction he wrote stating that he has received pleas of help from various industries due to the exodus of migrant workers editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/this-shifting-of-position-has-left-many-industries-confused-25131.html Thu, 07 May 2020 02:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/india-posts-punjab-circle-provides-yeoman-service-during-ongoing-lockdown-25132.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh An eightyearold cancer patient from Una in Himachal Pradesh had almost run out of medicine stock last month but a postman managed to deliver the critical drugs just in time This is one of many such important interventions that India Post has taken up to help people during the ongoing coronavirusinduced lockdown India Posts Punjab Circle made special arrangements to get the essential cancer drugs as they were from outside the state With the ongoing coronavirusinduced lockdown restrictions a postal motor van was hired to deliver the medicines that reached her home in Una where her mother received the consignment said a senior official The girls family had sought help from Union Minister for Communications Ravi Shankar Prasad who ordered India Post to provide all possible logistical assistance to ensure that the medicines get delivered at the girls house On these lines the Department of Posts has arranged emergency delivery of medicines medical aids medical equipment testing kits etc for doctors patients and senior citizens Punjab Circle Chief Postmaster General V K Tiwari said Personal protective equipment PPE kits and medicines manufactured in Himachal Pradeshs Baddi located near Chandigarh is a pharmaceutical hub in the region while ayurvedic medicines from HPs Dharamshala along with homeopathic medicines in Ludhiana All these different kinds of medications and kits are being sent to other parts of the country through the medium of the Postal department To serve the people especially in the present situation all intracircle and intercircle mail routes to Delhi Haryana HP and JK Union Territory have been made fully functional through the department mail vans and contractual mail vans In the Punjab Circle beneficiaries of social security pensions are receiving pension at their doorstep during the lockdown thanks to efforts of India Post Employees of the Postal department also disburse Direct Benefit Transfer DBT payments to beneficiaries of various government schemes DBTs social security pensionsevery day we carry out more than 10000 transactions in Punjab to the tune of Rs 16 crore to Rs 2 crore Tiwari said There are some beneficiaries who do not have accounts in post offices but postmen are handing over the cash to them with the help of technology available with the India Post Payments Bank IPPB The payments are made by Aadhaar Enabled Payment Systems through branch postmasters and any bank account of the beneficiary must be linked to Aadhaar editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/india-posts-punjab-circle-provides-yeoman-service-during-ongoing-lockdown-25132.html Thu, 07 May 2020 02:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cant-allow-movement-on-haryana-borders-no-pressure-tactic-will-work-vij-25133.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday said he has been receiving requests everyday from people wanting to cross the state border with Delhi but he will not give in to any pressure It will not work with me he said adding that the issue was linked to people char39 s safety He said Haryana has sealed its border with Delhi as a spike in coronavirus cases has been witnessed in the past a few days in the state with most cases being reported from districts adjoining the national capital Ever since we sealed these borders I have to deal with many kind of pressures which people try to put on me But I am willing to take any kind of pressure because I have to keep people of my state safe Vij told reporters A few days ago Vij had issued orders to stop daily movement of people on interstate borders especially the DelhiGurgaon border Vij said during the past few days he has been getting phone calls daily as some people try to use their influence after which pressure is put on him to allow certain individuals or some people from a particular department cross the border Asked what kind of pressure he faces Vij replied There are different kinds of pressure I get phone calls saying you let this person go you allow so and so person you let this department people cross the border There are 100 hotspots in Delhi and if we continue with the daily movement of people from there then Haryana too will go the Delhi way It is good when people say that we should fight COVID together But when Haryana is okay and our situation is better only then we can help others including Delhi and other states he said in reply to a question editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/cant-allow-movement-on-haryana-borders-no-pressure-tactic-will-work-vij-25133.html Thu, 07 May 2020 02:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/one-more-coronavirus-death-in-haryana-coronavirus-count-rises-to-594-25134.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Haryana reported one more coronavirus death on Wednesday as the number of people testing positive for the infection rose to 594 with 46 fresh cases So far the virus has claimed seven lives in the state The latest victim of the infection is a 25yearold Panipat man who died on Monday His test report came on Wednesday confirming him to be coronavirus case officials said Of the fresh 46 cases 20 were reported from Gurgaon a district adjoining Delhi and part of the National Capital Region NCR The state government had recently closed its border with Delhi maintaining that a spurt in cases has been witnessed in the districts bordering the national capital In the past four days Haryana has reported more than 200 cases including 75 on Monday Gurgaon is the first district in the state which has crossed the 100mark The district has so far reported 104 cases 53 of which are active Other districts falling in the NCR also reported fresh cases While three cases were reported from Sonipat two from Faridabad six from Jhajjar and five from Panipat a Health Department bulletin said Karnal also reported five cases while one patient was detected in Jind Ambala reported four cases all of whom were pilgrims who recently returned from Maharashtras Nanded officials said The bulletin said the total number of active cases in the state is 327 while 260 people have been discharged from hospital after treatment editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/one-more-coronavirus-death-in-haryana-coronavirus-count-rises-to-594-25134.html Thu, 07 May 2020 02:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-cm-seeks-shahs-intervention-for-homeward-journey-of-migrant-workers-24352.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday sought Union Home Minister Amit Shahs intervention for the homeward journey of over six lakh migrant workers stuck in the state due to the coronavirus lockdown saying they were eager to go home In a letter to the Union minister on Monday the chief minister urged to arrange special trains for the next 1015 days a release said Though the state government has made all possible arrangements to provide them with food and shelter in the past six weeks they were now naturally keen on getting back home said Amarinder urging the home minister to immediately intervene in view of the special exigency The chief minister requested Shah to direct the Ministry of Railways to make suitable arrangements since the migrant labourers stranded in Punjab were understandably restless to return to their native placesThe chief ministers request came as over 644 lakh migrant workers interested in returning to their home states successfully registered on the state governments portal in this regard the official release said The chief minister told Shah that his government will indicate its daily requirement of trains in advance to the Ministry of Railways for the next 1015 days to transport all people who registered on the government portal At the local level Amarinder Singh said Punjab officers were coordinating with senior railway officers and the authorities of other states to plan a smooth movement of the migrants The chief minister said a large number of labourers come from UP Bihar and other eastern States to seek temporary employment in both industrial and agricultural sectors in Punjab These people who were due to leave in March normally after Holi could not leave due to the imposition of lockdown this year he said editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/punjab-cm-seeks-shahs-intervention-for-homeward-journey-of-migrant-workers-24352.html Tue, 05 May 2020 00:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/pb-covid-tally-crosses-1200-with-132-new-cases-nanded-pilgrims-form-65-pc-of-total-24353.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab on Monday reported 132 fresh coronavirus cases all but eight of them Nandedreturned pilgrims taking the total number to 1232 in the state officials said A total of 795 of around 4100 pilgrims who returned from Hazur Sahib in Maharashtras Nanded have tested positive for the infection so far a health official said on Monday The test reports of around 1800 pilgrims are still awaited an official further said Many Sikh pilgrims testing positive for coronavirus have become a major issue in Punjab with the ruling Congress and the opposition Shiromani Akali Dal trading charges The Nandedreturned pilgrims accounted for about 65 per cent of the total COVID19 tally of 1232 in the state The SAD has accused the state government of mismanaging the return of pilgrims while Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu charged the opposition party with spreading misleading propaganda Transport Minister Razia Sultana on Monday trashed the reported statement of Maharashtra minister Ashok Chavan who had claimed that the pilgrims might have caught the disease from the Punjab bus driver who ferried them back Among fresh cases on Monday 52 were reported from Sangrur 26 from Tarn Taran 15 from Barnala 13 from Ferozepur 12 from Faridkot six from Gurdaspur four from Jalandhar two from Pathankot and one each from Bathinda and Mansa as per a bulletin issued on Monday The bulletin also recorded to deaths that happened on Sunday 62yearold woman from Ludhiana and 65yearold man from Phagwara in Kapurthala The Sunday deaths took the total number of coronavirsu fatalities in the state to 23 Amritsar continued to top the COVID19 tally in the state with 218 cases followed by Jalandhar 128 Ludhiana 110 Mohali 95 Hoshiarpur 88 Patiala 86 and SBS Nagar 85 Among other places Sangrur reported 63 cases Muktsar 49 Ferozepur 42 Tarn Taran 40 Gurdaspur and Bathinda 36 each Moga 28 Pathankot 27 Barnala 19 Faridkot 18 Mansa 17 Fatehgarh Sahib 16 Rupnagar 14 Kapurthala 13 and Fazilka four as per the bulletin Of the total cases 23 have died while 128 have fully cured of the infection the bulletin said adding three patients are critical and are on ventilator support editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/pb-covid-tally-crosses-1200-with-132-new-cases-nanded-pilgrims-form-65-pc-of-total-24353.html Tue, 05 May 2020 00:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/people-rush-to-markets-as-hry-govt-eases-restrictions-in-lockdown-phase-3-24354.html DW BUREAU Chandigarh With the Haryana government easing some restrictions in the third phase of the coronavirusforced lockdown people rushed to the markets on Monday posing a challenge for the authorities to maintain social distancing Barring in containment zones many shops have been allowed to open in green and orange zones during the day in pursuance of the Union Home Ministry guidelines However the state government is yet to decide on allowing the opening of liquor vends in the state Those with high load of COVID19 cases or which have a high growth rate of the disease are marked as hotspots or red zones while those with considerably fewer cases of the respiratory infection fall in orange zone or nonhotspots Districts with no COVID19 cases are categorised as green zones According to officials the government has directed deputy commissioners to take a decision on whether to allow opening shops according to oddeven formula or on alternate days to avoid large gathering of people In Hisar shops in main markets such as Rajguru Market Nagori Gate Moti Bazar Talaki Gate Bazar Vakila were open Many people wore masks while others covered their face with a cloth Circular Road witnessed a long queue outside a bank An elderly man in the queue complained that social distancing was not being maintained Maintaining social distancing is not something which has to be enforced by authorities We should now make it a habit and part of our routine at least till the time there is a definite cure to coronavirus he said In Kaithal it was decided that oddeven formula would be followed to avoid crowding in market places On Monday shops with odd numbers were open editordailyworldin https://dailyworld.in/chandigarh/people-rush-to-markets-as-hry-govt-eases-restrictions-in-lockdown-phase-3-24354.html Tue, 05 May 2020 01:01:00 +0530