PUNJAB VIDHAN SABHA PAYS OBITUARY REFERENCES TO DEPARTED SOULS

Chandigarh, September 2:Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Monday paid tributes to departed souls including Political Personalities, freedom fighters, journalists and literary personalities who had passed away since the last session of the Assembly.

On the seventh session of 16th Punjab Vidhan Sabha, the House paid respects to former Speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha Surjit Singh Minhas,, former Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhillon, former state Minister Surjit Singh Kohli, former MP Lok Sabha Kamal Chaudhry, former MP Rajya Sabha Gurcharan Kaur, former MLA Dhanwant Singh, freedom fighters Sardool Singh, Kashmir Singh, Gurdev Singh and Jagdish Prasad, eminent writer and Poet Dr. Surjit Patar, Founder of Spokesman Newspaper Joginder Singh and Editor of Pehredar Jaspal Singh Heran, along with Jasbir Kaur Lally and Sharanjit Singh Mann, mother and husband respectively of Nakodar MLA Inderjit Kaur Mann.

A two-minute silence was observed in the memory of departed souls as a mark of respect during the obituary references.

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PUNJAB GOVT. DECLARES LOCAL HOLIDAY IN AMRITSAR DISTRICT ON FIRST PARKASH GURPURAB OF SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB JI

Chandigarh, September 02:The Punjab Government has declared a local holiday on September 04, 2024 in Amritsar district on the auspicious occasion of the “First Parkash Gurpurab of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji”.

Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson of the State Government said that all the offices of the Punjab Government, boards/corporations and government educational institutions will remain closed on Wednesday (September 04, 2024), in Amritsar district. A notification in this regard has been issued by the Personnel Department.

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Gurmeet Singh Khudian Reaches Out to Farmers-Mazdoor Union; Assures Empathy and Support

* Agriculture Minister receives memorandum from farmers

Chandigarh, September 2- On the directions of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab's Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian met with farmers gathered at Matka Chowk here under the banner of BKU (Ugrahan) and Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union (PKMU), on Monday evening. The Agriculture Minister received a memorandum from the farmers and assured them that their welfare remains the topmost priority for the state government.

Reiterating the Punjab Government's commitment to supporting its farmers, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian pledged that their demands would be deliberated with the Chief Minister and approached with empathy and sympathetic consideration. The Minister invited the farmers for a table talk with the state government, emphasizing the CM Bhagwant Singh Mann-led government's eagerness to engage with the farmers, listen to their perspectives and address their issues and concerns effectively.

“The Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government is dedicated to ensuring the well-being and prosperity of its farmers, who are the backbone of the state’s economy,” said S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian in press communique issued here. He said, “This meeting marks the opening up of dialogue between the government and the farming community, aimed at finding solutions to their challenges and empowering them to thrive in an ever-evolving agricultural landscape.”

The Agriculture Minister said that the Punjab Government remains steadfast in its mission to support and uplift the farming community, recognizing their invaluable contribution to the state’s economy and society. The government is committed to working collaboratively with farmers to address their concerns and ensure their continued prosperity, he added.

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FIGHT AGAINST FOOD ADULTERATION: PUNJAB HEALTH MINISTER URGES OFFICERS TO CREATE DEMAND FOR FOOD SAFETY VANS

— DR BALBIR SINGH INAUGURATES 5-DAY REFRESHER TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR DESIGNATED OFFICERS (FOOD SAFETY)

— HEALTH MINISTER STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF ECOLOGICAL HEALTH, SAFE FOOD

Chandigarh, September 2: Giving a clarion call to ensuring safe food for all as per the commitment of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Monday stressed on the need to encourage people to optimally utilise food safety vans to get tested their food to know what they are eating.

Dr Balbir Singh was addressing the gathering after inaugurating a five-day Refresher Training Programme for Designated Officers (Food Safety) organized by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in collaboration with the Government of Punjab at MGSIPA here. Commissioner Food and Drugs Administration Dr Abhinav Trikha, Advisor (Science and Standards) FSSAI Dr Alka Rao, Joint Director FSSAI Ankeshwar Mishra, Joint Commissioner FDA Punjab Dr Harjot Pal Singh Director Labs FDA Punjab Ravneet Kaur Sidhu were also present.

Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh emphasised the critical role of food safety officers in ensuring safe food for all. "You should be the go-to person for people seeking food testing. Create awareness, especially among students, about the availability of food safety vans,” he said.

The Health Minister said that health is not just the absence of disease, but encompasses ecological health as well. Air and water pollution are alarming, and food adulteration is rampant, he added.

“Being a Health Minister it is my responsibility to make sure that the food people are getting is safe, not only people, I would say the insects, butterflies, they are also breathing the same air and drinking same water, and they also have their rights as they don’t have their MLAs, Ministers to speak for them, I have to speak for them,” said Dr Balbir Singh, while making a humble request to officers to do their job diligently.

He warned officers against connivance with anti-social elements indulging in food adulteration. “The society will forgive you for your ignorance but would never forgive for your negligence. You are duty-bound to protect people and the environment,” he said.

Commissioner Dr Abhinav Trikha in his address emphasised on the importance of refresher training of all the designated officers. He asked the participants to make this workshop an interactive session.

Meanwhile, Advisor Dr Alka Rao explained the role of FSSAI in developing standards of food products.

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VB nabs Assistant Lineman of PSPCL for accepting Rs 10,000 bribe

Chandigarh, September 2 -The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state, has arrested Som Nath, an Assistant Lineman (ALM), posted at the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) office in village Dagru, Moga district, red handed while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000.

An official spokesperson for the VB revealed that this arrest was made following a complaint lodged by Jagdeep Singh, a resident of Daudhar village in Moga district. According to the complaint, Jagdeep Singh and his partners are operating two Dhabas in the villages of Dagru and Nidhawala, where they had electricity bills pending totaling Rs 1.50 lakhs. Jagdeep Singh alleged to the VB that during a visit to their Dhaba, the Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) of PSPCL Dagru, Jarnail Singh, along with said ALM Som Nath, had previously taken a bribe of Rs 10,000 to allow payment of pending bills in installments.

The complaint further stated that ALM Som Nath later returned to the Dhaba, disconnected the power supply, and only reconnected it after accepting Rs 1,000 bribe, with the demand that the pending bills be cleared immediately. When the complainant requested the option to pay in installments, said ALM Som Nath had demanded a further Rs 13,000, claiming that Rs 10,000 would be passed on to the SDO, while he personally accepted Rs 3,000 from the complainant. Jagdeep Singh recorded the conversation with the ALM while taking bribe money and provided the same to the VB as an evidence of these transactions.

The spokesperson informed that after conducting a preliminary inquiry, the VB Ferozepur range laid a trap, during which ALM Som Nath was apprehended while accepting a third bribe installment of Rs 10,000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses. In this regard a case has been registered against the said accused under the Prevention of Corruption Act at the VB police station in Ferozepur range. The spokesperson added that the role of said SDO Jarnail Singh would be further investigated during the further probe.