CM FELICITATES PEOPLE ON VISHWAKARMA DAY

Chandigarh, November 1:Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday greeted all the Punjabis living across the globe on the auspicious occasion of parkash divas of Lord Vishwakarma, celebrated as Vishwakarma day in the entire world.

In his message, the Chief Minister said that Lord Vishwakarma, the divine architect of the entire universe, was believed to be the master of all machinery and equipments being used by the people in all the industrial activities. He said that since ages this great Deity of all craftsmen and architects has inspired our artisans, workers and labour class to work hard for the development of the nation besides inculcating a feeling of dignity of labour and a sense of pride in them.

Exhorting the workers and craftsmen to make concerted efforts for strengthening the infrastructure of the state and the Nation, the Chief Minister said that it would be a real and befitting tribute to Lord Vishwakarma.

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PUNJAB CRACKS DOWN ON FERTILISER HOARDING; FIVE FLYING SQUAD TEAMS TO ENSURE EQUITABLE AVAILABILITY OF DAP, OTHER FERTILISERS

* Teams will conduct raids to check illegal hoarding, black marketing of fertilisers & tagging of chemicals with DAP, says Gurmeet Singh Khudian

* Ongoing quality control drive by Agriculture dept results in cancellation of 91 licences due to misbranding

Chandigarh, November 1:In an initiative aimed to protecting farmers from financial exploitation and help them achieve better yields, the Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has constituted five flying squad teams to ensure the seamless and equitable availability of DAP and other fertilizers, quality seeds and pesticides for the Rabi season.

According to Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, these teams will conduct raids to check illegal hoarding, black marketing of fertilisers and tagging of unnecessary chemicals with DAP and other fertilisers. These teams will also monitor supplies, maintain standards and ensure quality control through regular checking and sampling, he added.

He further informed that these flying squads will visit retail and wholesale dealers, as well as manufacturing and marketing units of seeds, fertilisers and pesticides to monitor the rates at which these products are being sold to farmers.

Sharing a data of quality control drive undertaken by the Agriculture department from 1st April to 31st October, 2024, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian stated that the department has collected as many as 2,063 samples of pesticides, resulting in the cancellation of 43 licenses due to misbranding. Additionally, 1,751 samples of chemical fertilizers, 100 samples of biofertilizers and 40 samples of organic manures have been taken. In response to the misbranded samples, licences for 48 firms have been cancelled, and three FIRs have been registered, he added.

Reiterating the commitment of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government to the welfare of farmers in the state, he said that each team has been assigned four to five districts to closely monitor the sale and supply of seeds, pesticides and fertilisers to protect farmers' interests. They will also monitor the demand and supply of these agricultural inputs for farmers. He firmly stated that no one will be allowed to exploit farmers, and strict legal action will be taken against those found indulged in illegal practices.

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PUNJAB POLICE BUSTS INTERSTATE WEAPONS SMUGGLING MODULE BACKED BY USA BASED DILPREET SINGH; SEVEN HELD WITH 12 SOPHISTICATED PISTOLS

— PUNJAB POLICE COMMITTED TO MAKING PUNJAB A SAFE AND SECURE STATE

— PROBE REVEALS THAT MODULE WAS PROVIDING LOGISTICAL SUPPORT TO VARIOUS GANGS BY PROCURING WEAPONS FROM MP, SAYS DGP GAURAV YADAV

— FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS ARE ON, MORE ARRESTS EXPECTED: CP ASR GURPREET BHULLAR

CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, November 1:In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state , Amritsar Commissionerate Police has dismantled an interstate illegal weapons smuggling module linked to USA-based Dilpreet Singh with the arrest of seven operatives and recovered 12 pistols along with 16 magazines and 23 live cartridges from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Friday.

Those arrested have been identified as Karanjeet Singh alias Dhanni, Jashandeep Singh alias Maya alias Chillar, Ishmeet Singh alias Rishu, Amritpal Singh alias Spura and Dilpreet Singh alias Dil, all residents of Chheharta, Amritsar; Varinder Singh alias Ravi and Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi of Baba Bakala Sahib in Amritsar.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigations revealed that the module was providing logistical support to various gangs by procuring weapons from Madhya Pradesh. Probe also revealed that accused Karanjeet Dhanni along with his brother Jashandeep Singh and Ishmeet brought weapon consignments from Madhya Pradesh to further deliver them to different persons on the instructions by USA-based Dilpreet Singh, he added.

The DGP said that further investigations are on to trace the other people involved in the module and more arrests are expected in the coming days.

Sharing operation details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that acting swiftly on a secret information about illegal weapons being smuggled from Madhya Pradesh and are being supplied to criminal elements in the state, Police teams from Islamabad Police Station and CIA Staff-2 under the supervision of DCP Investigation Harpreet Singh Mander launched a special operation and apprehended the accused from the area of Chheharta and Baba Bakala.

In this regard FIR No. 234 dated 29.10.2024 has been registered under sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act at Police Station Islamabad in Amritsar.

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Vigilance Bureau nabs Ludhiana Municipal Corporation official red handed taking Rs 10000 bribe from panchayat election candidate

Chandigarh, November 1, 2024:The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state, has apprehended Gurdeep Singh, alias Sunny, a Data Entry Operator with the Municipal Corporation of Ludhiana, red handed while he was accepting a bribe of Rs. 10,000.

According to an official spokesperson for the VB, the arrest followed a formal complaint filed by Amandeep Singh Chandok, a resident of GTB Nagar, Ludhiana, and a recent candidate for the position of Sarpanch from village Shanti Vihar, Bhamian Kalan.

He further added that Chandok, who is a property advisor and builder, has approached the VB and alleged that Gurdeep Singh had demanded the bribe in his capacity as a nominating officer. The accused reportedly claimed to be working with the Returning Officer and asserted that his nomination papers contained deficiencies that could be overlooked for a bribe of Rs. 10,000. Following negotiations, Gurdeep Singh agreed to an initial bribe of Rs. 5,000 for processing his nomination file and subsequently demanded an additional Rs. 10,000 to facilitate the submission of nomination files for his team contesting as panchayat members.

The complainant further disclosed that Gurdeep Singh had also requested a larger bribe of Rs. 50,000, allegedly to ensure his election victory. Recorded evidence, including calls from the accused’s mobile phone even after the election, was provided to the VB, prompting a swift investigation and the formation of a team to lay a trap.

The VB spokesperson confirmed that the team successfully captured Gurdeep Singh while he was accepting the bribe of Rs 10000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses. A corruption case has been registered against the accused at the VB police station Ludhiana Range, and further investigation into the matter was under progress.