Center Government is Ignoring the Rights of Punjab's Farmers: Barinder Kumar Goyal
Chandigarh, October 22-The Center Government is ignoring the rights of Punjab's farmers. These words were expressed by Cabinet Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal in Chandigarh.
Minister Mr. Goyal said that the central government has always been discriminating against the farmers of Punjab. He said that the farmers demand for MSP has not been met, but the central government is deliberately not picking the paddy crop at the specified time from mandies in Punjab. He said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann himself met the Union Minister, but despite this, the Center did not vacate the warehouses of Punjab.
The Cabinet Minister said that the Prime Minister of the country who talked about Annadata is sitting silent today. He said that the public will now respond to the atrocities being committed against the state of Punjab, which fills the country's food reserves. The people of Punjab know very well how the Center is conspiring to spoil their crops.
He said that today the farmers of Punjab are sitting on Dharnas because of the unpleasant joke of the central government. He said that the central government has forgotten that during the grain crisis that occurred after the independence of the country, the farmers of Punjab filled the stomach of the country. He said that Punjab has been leading in everything. He said that the central government should pay the rights of the farmers of Punjab.
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Union Government playing devious games with Punjab from day one: Lal Chand Kataruchak
Chandigarh/Pathankot, October 22:The Union Government has been playing devious games with Punjab since the day one. The godowns filled to the capacity in Punjab belong to the Central Government and the State Government is reminding the Central Government since the past 6 months to lift its stock from these godowns so that the State Government can store the new crop in these but to no avail.
This was stated here today by the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Mr. Lal Chand Kataruchak while taking stock of the paddy procurement process at the Grain Market in Narot Jaimal Singh. He also said that Punjab sends the crop of State farmers to the Central pool.
In the entire State, excellent arrangements have been done and the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann conducts review meetings on regular basis to take stock of the state of Affairs in the mandis.
He further added that this year has seen a very good & bumper crop of paddy in the State for which the Punjab Government has made robust and elaborate arrangements so as to ensure that any stakeholder connected with the procurement operations doesn't faces any problem.
The State of Punjab has got the target of 185 LMT under the Central Pool and the State Government has made foolproof arrangements for 190 LMT, said the Minister adding as of now 26 LMT of paddy has arrived in the mandis of Punjab out of which 24 LMT stands procured. Furthermore, till now, amount in excess of Rs. 4000 Crores has been credited into the accounts of the farmers.
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Centre is betraying the farmers by placing obstacles in the purchase of paddy: Hardeep Singh Mundian
Derabassi, October 22-The ruling BJP at the center is discriminating against the state of Punjab and is creating barriers in the procurement of paddy to disturb the peace and order of the farmers of the state. Punjab Cabinet Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian said this while talking to media persons after a function at Derabassi today.
S. Mundian said that the Central Government, which claims to guarantee the Minimum Support Price to the farmers, is now deliberately not lifting the paddy stock on time due to which the farmers are suffering. He said that the Punjab Government has written multiple letters to the Government of India and Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann himself met the Union Minister, but despite this, the Central Government is not emptying the godowns of Punjab just due to its low level politics.
The Minister said that the Prime Minister, who is talking about farmers, is sitting silently. He further said that the public will now respond to the atrocities being committed against the state of Punjab, which fills the country's food reserves. The intelligent people of Punjab know very well how the Central Government is conspiring to spoil their crops.
MLA S. Kuljit Singh Randhawa was also present on this occasion.
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Vigilance Bureau arrests Constable for accepting Rs 2000 bribe
Chandigarh October 22, 2024 - The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state, on Tuesday apprehended a police Constable Gurpreet Singh, posted at Police Post Dayalgarh, police station Sadar Batala for demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 2000.
Disclosing this here today an official spokesperson of the state VB said the above-mentioned accused has been arrested based on a complaint lodged by Daljit Singh, a resident of Village Kot Karam Chand, Dera Road, Batala in Gurdaspur district.
The complainant has alleged in his complaint that an FIR under Excise Act was registered against him and the accused has demanded a bribe of Rs 5,000 for releasing a mobile phone which was recovered during his personal search.
The spokesperson further informed that after a preliminary inquiry of this complaint a VB team laid a trap during which the accused constable was caught red handed while he was accepting a bribe of Rs. 2,000 from the complaint in the presence of two official witnesses.
He added that in this regard a case under Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered at VB Police Station, Range Amritsar. The accused would be produced in the competent court tomorrow and further investigations into this case was under progress, he said.
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- Paddy lifting is being delayed due to the central government's laxity: Dr. Ravjot Singh.
Chandigarh/Nawanshahr, October 22: Punjab's Minister for Local Government, Dr. Ravjot Singh, has blamed the central government’s negligence for the delay in lifting paddy from the mandis. While attending a parent-teacher meeting at the School of Eminence, Nawanshahr, Dr. Singh responded to questions from journalists about the non-lifting of paddy and stated that there is no shortcoming on the part of the Punjab government. He pointed out that the entire state administration, including the Chief Minister, is actively working on the ground in the mandis (grain markets).
He attributed the delays to the central government’s laxity, adding that "The central government deliberately seeks to disrupt the peace and well-being of Punjab's farmers." He further explained that instead of ensuring the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the farmers, the central government is intentionally delaying the timely lifting of crops, which is causing financial losses for farmers.
Dr. Ravjot Singh emphasized that the Punjab government has consistently written to the central government on this matter, and the Chief Minister has personally met with officials to resolve the issue. Despite these efforts, the central government has not cleared Punjab’s warehouses, choosing instead to engage in political maneuvering. He appealed to the central government to address this issue of paddy lifting as soon as possible.
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Agriculture Minister blames Centre for tardy lifting, says 90% of arrived paddy already Procured in Punjab
• CM Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government committed to procure every single grain of paddy
• Union Government fails to shift crops lying in the state godowns leading to storage shortage
Chandigarh, October 22:Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, on Tuesday, trained guns at Central Government for deliberately delaying the shifting of previously stored crops from the state godowns, which resulted in space crunch and affected the pace ongoing paddy procurement operations. The slow lifting of paddy crop sparked string of the protests by farmers and rice millers across the state.
The Agricultural Minister informed that Punjab Government has procured over 28 LMT paddy of total 31 LMT arrived in the Grain Markets across the state so far.
On slow lifting of the procured paddy, Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that Punjab state has always faced challenges due to step motherly treatment being meted out by the Central Government. He said that despite Punjab Government has been ensuring prompt purchase of paddy crop, the delay in lifting of crops purchased in previous seasons from godowns by the centre leading to storage shortage, hence, delay in lifting.
He said that the state government has made number of requests to the Union Government to shift the crops lying in the state godowns, to accommodate storage of current paddy crop but go in vain.
“Even Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s personal requests to the centre government fallen on deaf ears,” said the Agriculture Minister, while soliciting support of farmers and rice millers to overcome this problem together.
The Agriculture Minister said that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government is committed to procure every single grain of paddy from the grain markets.
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Parents of children studying in Government schools all praise for education system in Punjab: Lal Chand Kataruchak
Cabinet Minister attends mega PTM at Government schools in Lamini & Narot Jaimal Singh
Chandigarh/Pathankot, October 22:Today, Parents - Teacher meetings at State level have been held as per the guidance of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, in the schools throughout the State whether they are Primary, High or Senior Secondary.
This was stated by the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Forest and Wildlife Preservation Minister Mr. Lal Chand Kataruchak during a mega PTM held at School of Eminence in Lamini village (Pathankot) and Shaheed Mehar Singh Vir Chakra Government Senior Secondary School, Narot Jaimal Singh.
During his interactions with the students and their parents, the Minister said that both the parents as well as the students expressed complete satisfaction at the level of education in the schools. The parents especially were very appreciative about the education system and the pedagogical techniques being adopted in the schools.
The Minister also said that the Punjab Government has marked out Quality Education and Healthcare Services as the priority areas. It is for the first time in history that the Principals as well as the Teachers have been sent to foreign countries for training the recent departure of teachers to Finland being a case in point in which two teachers were from Pathankot.
The Government also aims to develop the personality of the children whether it is educational or the sports sector, said Mr. Kataruchak adding that the State Government has given Rs. 62 Lakh for the development of the Narot Jaimal Singh school and Rs. 1 crore more are in the pipeline. The reforms in the educational sphere would continue, added the Minister.
Among others present on the occasion included DEO (Secondary) Pathankot Rajesh Gupta, General Secretary Saurabh Behl, Chairman The Hindu Cooperative Bank Pathankot Satish Mahendru, District President Women's Wing Rekha Mani Sharma, Block Presidents Subedar Kulwant Singh and Babli Kumar Babbi.
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BJP led Centre behind non-lifting of paddy crop from Punjab Mandis: Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal
Minister accuses Centre for trying to cause damage to state's farming and disrupting its peace
Chandigarh, October 22:Punjab NRIs Affairs S. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Tuesday accused the BJP led Centre Government for deliberately stalling the lifting of paddy crop from mandis in Punjab thus causing damage to the farming as well as disrupting peace of the state.
The Cabinet Minister S. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal stated that the non-procurement/lifting of paddy in the state was the result of a conspiracy hatched by the BJP led Union Government to harass the state's peasantry. The Centre is not only ensure the lifting of crop well within time but also not giving guarantee of Minimum Support Price, which led the farmers in crisis.
The Minister pointed out that despite the continuous steps being taken by Punjab Government the Centre was making all out efforts for getting political mileage, which was totally unfortunate.
S. Dhaliwal said that he was surprised at the silence of the Prime Minister on this serious issue besides urging that the Prime Minister should immediately intervene so that the warehouses could get vacated in order to receive the delivery of paddy from mandis in Punjab. He said that the space in warehouses could only lead to lift the crop from mandis.
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*Punjab Government Completes Preparations for Cleanliness Fortnight: Dr. Ravjot Singh*
*Cleanliness Fortnight to be Celebrated from October 24 to November 7*
*Cabinet Minister Directs Sanitary Inspectors and Chief Sanitary Inspectors to Ensure Proper Sanitation*
*Chandigarh, October 22:* The Punjab government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, is making continuous efforts to provide a clean environment for urban residents. In this regard, the government has completed all necessary preparations to observe "Cleanliness Fortnight" across the state.
Punjab's Local Government Minister, Dr. Ravjot Singh, announced that Cleanliness Fortnight ("Swachhta Pakhwada") will be observed from October 24 to November 7. He instructed sanitary inspectors and chief sanitary inspectors of urban local bodies to ensure proper sanitation throughout the state, emphasizing, "You are all part of our team, and we need to work together to achieve this goal."
Reaffirming Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann's commitment, the Minister stated that the aim is to make Punjab a clean and vibrant state. He urged officials to fully support the Cleanliness Fortnight initiative, noting that its success depends on their efforts. He assured that the Local Government Department, along with municipal commissioners, additional deputy commissioners, and field officers, will provide full support to ensure the campaign’s success.
The Minister stressed that public participation is essential for the success of any campaign. He encouraged the involvement of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Cleanliness Fortnight and appealed to the public to cooperate with the government in keeping their surroundings clean during the campaign.
PMIDC CEO Deepti Uppal highlighted that the objective of the Cleanliness Fortnight is to ensure all urban areas are clean in preparation for Diwali. She briefed the sanitary inspectors and chief sanitary inspectors on the program's details.
Gurpreet Singh Khaira, Director of the Local Government Department, emphasized that sanitation efforts must be carried out with diligence and dedication.
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Mega PTMs reflects Punjab Government’s Commitment to Quality Education: Harbhajan Singh ETO
Cabinet Minister ETO Engages with Educators, Students and Parents during His Visit to 4 Schools in Amritsar District
Chandigarh/Amritsar, October 22-Punjab Power and Public Works Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO on Tuesday said that the Mega Parents Teachers Meetings (PTMs) organized in all government primary and upper primary schools throughout Punjab, have foster a closer relationship between teachers, students and their parents, creating a supportive community around the education system.
During his visit to the School of Eminence (Girls), Jandiala Guru, Boys Sr. Sec. School, Jandiala Guru, School of Eminence, Chheharta, and the School of Eminence, Mall Road in the Amritsar district today to participate in the 3rd Grand Parents Teachers Meetings, the Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO interacted with the teachers, students and their parents. He said the Mega Parents Teachers Meetings focused on various key objectives, including evaluating students' performance, ensuring 100% attendance, and achieving 100% results.
Power Minister said discussions were held on the Business Blaster program, Career Enhancement Program (CEP), Program for Academic and Career Excellence (PACE), and other facilities being provided to the students. He added that exposure visits organized by the schools were also a significant topic of discussion.
ETO remarked that during the Mega Parent-Teacher Meetings (PTMs), the teachers presented the September examination results, offered personalized feedback on student performance, and addressed individual learning needs. At the same time, parents evaluated the school's infrastructure, voiced concerns, and provided valuable suggestions to improve their children's educational experience.
Highlighting the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government's commitment to enhancing the quality of education and involving all stakeholders in the educational process, Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO said that by engaging parents in these meetings, the government aims to build a strong support system for students, ensuring their overall development and success. He said these meetings also underscored the government’s dedication to creating an inclusive and holistic educational environment in the state.
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Now Government Schools are the first choice of parents: Hardeep Singh Mundian
Cabinet Minister attends PTM at School of Eminence Derabassi
Derabassi Constituency has received a priceless gift from Government in the form of School of Eminence: MLA Randhawa
Derabassi, October 22-Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led State Government is giving top priority to the Education sector and reshaping Government Schools in the last two and a half years, which have now become the first choice of parents. It was stated by Revenue, Housing and Urban Development and Water Supply and Sanitation Minister S. Hardeep Singh Mundian during a Mega PTM at School of Eminence Derabassi.
Cabinet Minister S. Mundian said that the Government is conducting the third PTM in 20,000 Government Schools across the state. In this program, teachers, students and their parents, school management committees and other important persons came together to better the performance of students. The results of the papers taken in the month of September are also being shared with the parents. Besides this, the teachers and parents are getting feedback about the children and also sharing suggestions about the future and if there are any complaints.
The Minister said that it is a matter of pride that today Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is also attending this meeting at Nangal. He said that the State Government has started many initiatives to improve the Government schools of the state, which include building campuses, security guards, classrooms, labs, grounds, transport services, schools of eminence, students' uniforms, etc.
S. Mundian and MLA Kuljit Singh Randhawa went to the medical and commerce classrooms and interacted with the students, their parents and teachers. On this occasion, students Anamika and Anjali and parents Sudhir Kumar and Babita appreciated this initiative of the government and said that this meeting will help the parents to establish direct contact with the teacher.
MLA Kuljit Singh Randhawa said that he himself is a former student of this School and now the Punjab Government has made it a School of Eminence which is a gift to the constituency. As many as 1260 students are studying here with Science, Commerce, Vocational and Arts are all subjects taught.
On this occasion, student Harmanjot Singh presented a picture of Baba Sahib Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar made by own self and a picture of Cabinet Minister S. Mundian made by science student Tamanna was also presented.
A selfie point was also made in the school where the Cabinet Minister and the MLA also took a picture.
Principal Alka Monga while showing the exhibition of the handicrafts made by the students in the school to the Minister, said that the students also participate more in co-curricular activities.
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Vigilance Bureau registers corruption case against Patwari for accepting Rs 3,000 bribe
Chandigarh, October 22, 2024 -The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state, has registered a corruption case against a revenue Patwari, Gurdeep Singh, posted at revenue halqua Chak Janisar, tehsil Jalalabad in Fazilka district for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 3,000.
Disclosing this here today an official spokesperson of the state VB said this case has been registered against the aforementioned revenue official after an inquiry of a complaint lodged by Dharmjit Singh Bedi, a resident of Sri Mukatsar Sahib city on the Chief Minister Anti Corruption Action Line.
He further informed that during the investigation of the said complaint, it was established that the said accused had demanded Rs 5,000 for issuing copies of mutation to applicant Shindar Kaur, a resident of Sri Mukatsar Sahib and taken Rs 3,000 in lieu of this motive. She had recorded the conversation held with Patwari for demanding bribe and made a complaint on the said action line.
Subsequently, a case under Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the Patwari at VB police station Ferozepur range and further investigation into this case was under progress, he said.