MOHINDER BHAGAT SWORN IN AS MLA IN THE PRESENCE OF CM

CHANDIGARH July 17:Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker S. Kultar Singh Sandhwan today administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly elected AAP MLA from Jalandhar (West) Assembly constituency Mr. Mohinder Bhagat at his office in the presence of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Bhagwant Singh Mann.

Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha said that on the occasion Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann congratulated Mr. Mohinder Bhagat for his landslide victory with a huge margin of 37,325 votes during the by-election of the assembly segment.

On the occasion, the newly elected MLA was accompanied by his Family Members and several dignitaries.

Prominent amongst others who attended the oath taking ceremony included Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Mr. Jai Krishan Singh Rouri, MLAs Mr. Kulwant Singh Pandori, Mr. Narinder Pal Singh Sawna, Mr. Kulwant Singh Bajigar, Mr. Karambir Singh Ghuman, Mr. Ajit Pal Singh Kohli, Mr. Vijay Singla, Mr. Barinder Goyal, Mr. Gurpreet Singh Gogi besides the Senior officials of the Punjab Government and Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

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*PUNJAB TO HAVE OWN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT CELL TO MANAGE ALL IT & E-GOVERNANCE PROJECTS OF STATE: AMAN ARORA

* Board of Governors meeting of Punjab State e-Governance Society focuses on building robust and citizen-centric administrative framework

* Punjab embraces latest technologies for more accessible, efficient & transparent government for citizens, says Governance Reforms Minister

Chandigarh, July 17,24-With an aim to build a robust and citizen-centric administrative framework to ensure a more accessible, efficient and transparent government experience to the citizens as committed by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Government will soon set up its own “Software Development Cell” for managing all IT and e-Governance projects for the state government’s departments.

This path-breaking decision was taken in the Board of Governors (BoG) meeting of Punjab State e-Governance Society (PSeGS) held under the chairmanship of Punjab Governance Reforms Minister Mr. Aman Arora, here on Wednesday.

Mr. Aman Arora said that this dedicated Software Development Cell will be established under PSeGS, which will develop and deploy various software applications for the state government’s departments, ranging from citizen portals for online services to internal government workflow management systems. It will also take various e-governance initiatives including implementation of GoI projects aiming to deliver government services electronically to citizens and business, besides offering IT consultancy and support services to government departments, helping them adopt new technologies and improve their IT capabilities, he added.

The Governance Reforms Minister said that this initiative will allow the state departments to directly allocate projects to PSeGS, besides ensuring efficient project delivery and data security. It would ultimately lead to a more efficient and technology-driven government. The PSeGS will also ensure project planning, execution and monitoring, while ensuring data ownership and security.

He also appreciated PSeGS officials for the dedication and hard-work in implementation of critical IT and e-governance projects include e-Sewa, the Online Admission Portal, PGRS (Public Grievance Redressal System), Connect Portal, M-Sewa, RTI Portal, Camp management software, departmental websites, and the effective functioning of Sewa Kendras.

The meeting also focused on various ongoing initiatives spearheaded by PSeGS in the areas of Information Technology (IT), e-governance and the state's strategic implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies to enhance governance efficiency and citizen service delivery.

The BoG meeting also emphasized the exploration of new avenues for citizen engagement and initiate projects utilizing AI/Machine Learning (ML) and explore the potential of delivering services through popular platforms like WhatsApp and ChatBots.

Secretary Transport Mr. Dilraj Singh Sandhawalia, Secretary Revenue Ms. Alaknanda Dayal, Secretary Home Affairs Ms. Jaswinder Sidhu, Director Rural Development and Panchayats Mr. Amit Kumar, Director Governance Reforms-cum-CEO PSeGS Mr. Girish Dayalan, Special Secretary Education Mr. Parminder Pal Singh and other senior officers of various departments and DGR/PSeGS.

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PUNJAB MANDI BOARD AND PSPCL’S INITIATIVES AIMED AT PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT AND REDUCING CARBON FOOTPRINT: HARBHAJAN SINGH ETO

Chandigarh/ SAS Nagar, July 17-Punjab Power and Public Works Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO on Wednesday lauded the initiatives of the Punjab Mandi Board and Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) aimed at preserving the environment and reducing carbon footprint.

While presiding over a function organized by the Punjab Mandi Board to distribute free plant saplings under the second phase of ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh Haryaval Lehar’, Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO said that this initiative is a significant step towards realizing the vision of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann for a cleaner and greener Punjab. The Minister encouraged the citizens to plant more trees while laying special emphasis on farmers appealing them to plant atleast 5 saplings near their tubewells.

Minister ETO praised the board's efforts to plant trees in all mandis across the state. He also commended PSPCL's innovative approach of installing 'Solar Trees' in Patiala city, which will generate 52,000 units of electricity annually and save 41 tons of carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to 1015 fully developed trees.

Meanwhile, Punjab Mandi Board Chairman Harchand Singh Barsat announced that the board has exceeded its target of planting 30,000 saplings in 2023-24, with over 33,000 fruit, shade, and medicinal plants already planted. “The target for this season has been set at planting over 35,000 saplings”, he added.

The free saplings were distributed to the public during the function. Saplings were planted at the head office of the Mandi Board and the responsibility of their maintenance was handed over to the officials and employees. Joint Secretary Geetika Singh, Chief Engineer Gurinder Singh Cheema, GM Manjit Singh Sandhu, and other officials and employees of the Punjab Mandi Board were also present on this occasion.

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*Recruitment of District and Tehsil Social Justice and Empowerment Officers to commence Soon: Dr. Baljit Kaur

Awareness Camps to be Organized within a Month to aware Public on Departmental Schemes

Rs 137.75 Crore Released to 27,011 Beneficiaries under Ashirwad Scheme

The Minister Reviewed about the proposal to construct new Ambedkar Bhavans in 06 districts

Chandigarh, July 17:Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Department is set to initiate the recruitment process for District and Tehsil Social Justice and Empowerment Officers, aiming to strengthen its operations. This announcement was made by Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur, during a review meeting held at Punjab Bhavan. The officials from the head office and district/tehsil social justice and empowerment officers were present.

During the meeting, Cabinet Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur instructed the officers to organize awareness camps within a month to educate the public on the various schemes run by the department. She highlighted that under the Ashirwad Scheme, In 20 districts Rs 95.36 crore was distributed to 18699 Scheduled Caste beneficiaries, Rs 42.39 crore was distributed to 8312 Backward Class beneficiaries until January 2024 and In total, Rs. 137.75 crore has been distributed to 27011 beneficiaries.

Dr. Kaur also announced that socities will be constructed for maintenance of Dr. B.R Ambedkar Bhawans. Additionally, she directed officials to coordinate with the Additional Deputy Commissioners to take action under the Adarsh Gram Yojana and to submit reports within 15 days after utilizing the outstanding funds under various schemes.

The Minister reviewed critical issues such as the removal of untouchability under the Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955, compensation to victims under the Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989, the Ashirwad Scheme, the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana. Detailed discussions were held on the construction of Dr. B.R Ambedkar buildings, the Stenography Scheme and tackling fake caste certificates.

Dr. Baljit Kaur emphasized that the Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, is committed to the welfare of Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes ,Minorities and Economically Weaker Sections. She instructed the officers to ensure the benefits of the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme reach Scheduled Caste students, aiming to enhance their social and economic status. The Government's continuous efforts focus on the holistic development of Scheduled Castes ,Backward Classes ,Minorities and Economically weaker sections in the state.

The Minister directed district officials to submit the reports to the head office within 15 days after spending outstanding funds under various schemes. She also emphasized timely delivery of scheme benefits to the eligible beneficiaries.

The Meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities D.K. Tiwari, Director Amrit Singh, Director-cum-Joint Secretary Raj Bahadur Singh and Deputy Directors Ravinderpal Singh, Harpal Singh, Sukhsagar Singh and Ashish Kathuria and all other District and Tehsil Social Justice and Empowerment Officers from Punjab

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Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Nominates Members of various committees of the house

Chandigarh, July 17, 24-Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan nominated the members of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha to serve on various committees of the house for the year 2024-25.

According to an official press communiqué issued here today, Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker has nominated Rana Gurjit Singh as chairman of Public accounts committee, Mrs. Sarvjit Kaur Manuke, Chairperson, Committee on Public Undertakings, Deputy Speaker Mr. Jai Krishan Singh, Chairman, Committee on Estimates, Dr. Ravjot Singh, Chairman, Committee on welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, Deputy Speaker Mr. Jai Krishan Singh, Chairman, House Committee, Mr. Gurpreet Bassi Gogi, Chairman, Committee on Local Bodies, Mr. Budh Ram, Chairman, Committee on Panchayati Raj Institutions, Mr. Sarwan Singh Daun, Chairman, Committee on Agriculture and Allied Activities, Mr. Gurpreet Singh Banawali, Chairman, Committee on Cooperation and Allied Activities, Mr. Kulwant Singh Pandori, Chairman, Committee on Privileges, Mr. Davinderjit Singh Laadi Dhose, Chairman, Committee on Government Assurances, Mr. Mr. Amarpal Singh, Chairman, Committee on Subordinate Legislation, Mr. Manjit Singh Bilaspur, Chairman, Committee on Petitions, Dr. Inderbir Singh Nijjar, Chairman, Committee on Papers Laid/ To be Laid on the Table of the House and Library and Mr. Jagroop Singh Gill, Chairman, Committee on Questions and References.

1. Committee on Public Accounts: Rana Gurjeet Singh, Chairman and members are Mr. Ajit Pal Singh Kohli, Mr. Amandeep Singh Musafir, Dr. Charanjit Singh, Mr. Narinder Pal Singh Sawna, Mr. Gurdev Singh Dev Maan, Mr. Manwinder Singh Giaspura, Dr. Vijay Singla, Mr. Hardeep Singh Mundian, Mr. Jasvir Singh Raja Gill, Mr.Hardev Singh Laddi and Dr. Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi.

2. Committee on Public Undertakings: Mrs. Sarvjit Kaur Manuke, Chairperson and members are Dr. Ajay Gupta, Mr. Dalbir Singh Tong, Mr. Kulwant Singh Bazigar, Mr. Gurdit Singh Sekhon, Mr. Madan Lal Bagga, Mrs. Neena Mittal, Mr. Harmit Singh Pathanmajra, Mr. Gurlal Ghanaur, Mr. Barinder Kumar Goyal Vakeel, Dr. Mohammad Jamil Ur Rehman, Mr. Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria.

3. Committee on Estimates: Deputy Speaker Mr. Jai Krishan Singh, Chairman and members are Mr. Gurinder Singh Garry Birring, Mr. Rupinder Singh, Mr. Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy, Mr. Jivan Singh Sangowal, Mr. Amolak Singh, Mr. Karambir Singh, Mr. Amritpa; Singh Sukhanand, Mr. Kulwant Singh, Mrs. Inderjit Kaur Mann, Mr. NAresh Kataria, Mr. Barindermeet Singh Parha and Mr. Naresh Puri.

4. Committee on welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes: Dr. Ravjot Singh, Chairman and Dr. Jasbir Singh Sandhu, Mr. Dalbir Singh Tong, Mr. Amit Rattan Kotfatta, Mr. Labh Singh Ugoke, Mr.Jagsir Singh, Mr. Gurdev Singh Dev Maan, Mr. Rajneesh Kumar Dahiya, Dr. Charanjit Singh, Mr. Sukhwinder Singh Kotli, Mr. Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary and Dr. Nachhatar Pal.

5. House Committee: Deputy Speaker Mr. Jai Krishan Singh, Chairman and members are Mr. Kulwant Singh Sidhu, Mrs. Rajinder Pal Kaur, Mr. Karambir Singh, Mr.Hakkam Singh Thekedar, Mrs. Neena Mittal, Mr. Manjinder Singh Lalpura, Mr. Kulwant Singh Bazigar and Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria.

6. Committee on Local Bodies: Mr. Gurpreet Bassi Gogi, Chairman and members are Mr. Kuljit Singh Randhawa, Mrs. Jivan Jyot Kaur, Mr. Tarunpreet Singh Sond, Mr. Madan Lala Bagga, Mr. Amansher Singh (Shery Kalsi), Mrs. Neena Mittal, Mr. Ajit Pal Singh Kohli, Mr. Ashok Parashar (pappi), Dr. Kashmir Singh Sohal, Dr. Amandeep KAur Arora, MR. Avtar Singh Junior and Mr. Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal.

7. Committee on Panchayati Raj Institutions: Mr. Budh Ram, Chairman and members are Mr. Kuljit Singh Randhawa, ADC Jaswinder Singh Ramdas, Mr. Labh Singh Ugoke, Mr. Naresh Kataria, Mr. Rupinder Singh, Mrs. Santosh Kumari Kataria, Mr. Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar, Mr. Amolak Singh, Mr. Amrit Pal Singh Sukhanand. Mrs. Rajinder Pal Kaur, Mr. Barindermeet Singh Pahra and Sukhwinder Singh Kotli.

8. Committee on Agriculture and Allied Activities: Mr. Sarvan Singh Dhun, Chairman and members are Prof. Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra, Mr. Barinder Kumar Goyal Vakeel, Mr. Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar, Mr. Harmit Singh Pathanmajra, Mr. Fauja Singh, Mr. Jagtar Singh Diyalpura, Mr. Gurdit Singh Sekhon, Mr. Ranbir Singh, Mr. Jasvir Singh Raja Gill, Mr. Sandeep Jakhar, Mr. Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Mr. Manpreet Singh Ayali.

9. Committee on Cooperation and Allied Activities: Mr. Gurpreet Singh Banawali, Chairman and members are Mr. Kulwant Singh Sidhu, Mr. Rupinder Singh, Mr. Amansher Singh (Shery Kalsi), Mr. Jagtar Singh Diyalpura, Mr. Jiwan Singh Sangowal, Mr. Rajneesh Kumar Dahiya, Mr. Amit Rattan Kotfatta, Mr. Daljit Singh Grewal (Bhola), Mr. Dinesh Kumar Chadha, Mr. Avtar Singh Junior, Mr. Sandeep Jakhar and Rana Inder Pratap Singh.

10. Committee on Privileges: Mr. Kulwant Singh Pandori, Chairman and members are Mr. Daljit Singh Grewal (Bhola), Mrs. Jeevan Jyot Kaur, Mr. Maninder Singh Lalpura, Mr. Tarunpreet Singh Sond, Mr. Kuljit Singh Randhawa, Mr. Balkar Singh Sidhu, Mrs. Narinder Kaur Bharaj, Mr. Gurlal Ghanaur, Mr. Hardev Singh Laddi, Mrs. Aruna Chaudhary and Dr. Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi.

11. Committee on Government Assurances: Mr. Davinderjit Singh Laadi Dhose, Chairman and members are Mr. Raman Arora, Dr. Kashmir Singh Sohal, Mr. Lakhbir Singh Rai, Mr. Ranbir Singh, Mr. Fauja Singh. Dr. Amandeep Kaur Arora, Mr. Hakkam Singh Thekedar, Mr. Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy, Mrs. Narinder KAur Bharaj, Mr. Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, Mr. Pargat Singh Power and Mr. Jangi Lal Mahajan.

12. Committee on Subordinate Legislation: Mr. Amarpal Singh, Chairman and Mr. Gurinder Singh Garry Birring, Mr. Dinesh Kumar Chadha, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, Mr. Sukhbir Singh Maiserkhana, Mr. Karambir Singh, Dr. Mohammad Jamil Ur Rehman, Mr. Lakhbir Singh Rai, ADC Jaswinder Singh Ramdas, Mr. Narinder Pal Singh Sawna, Mr. Pargat Singh Power, Mr. Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary and Advocate General.

13. Committee on Petitions: Mr. Manjit Singh Bilaspur, Chairman and members are Mr. Balkar Singh Sidhu, Mr. Maninder Singh Lalpura, Mrs. Inderjit Kaur Mann, Mr. Labh Singh Ugoke, Dr. Jasbir Singh Sandhu, Mr. Amolak Singh, Mrs. Santosh Kumari Kataria, Mrs. Rajinder Pal Kaur, Mr. Jagsir Singh, Mrs. Aruna Chaudhary, Mr. Naresh Puri and Dr. Nachhatar Pal.

14. Committee on Papers Laid/ To be Laid on the Table of the House and Library: Dr. Inderbir Singh Nijjar, Chairman and members are Mr. Amandeep Singh Musafir, Prof. Jaswant Singh Gajjan MAjra, Mr. Manwinder Singh Giaspura, Mr. Hardeep Singh Mundian, Dr. Vijay Singla, Dr. Vijay Gupta. Mr. Sukhveer Singh Maiserkhana, Mr. Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Mrs. Ganieve Kaur Majithia.

15. Committee on Questions and References: Mr. Jagroop Singh Gill, Chairman and members are Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, Mr. Gurlal Ghanaur, Mr. Raman Arora, Mrs. Inderjit Kaur Mann, Mr. Kulwant Singh, Mr. Ashok Prashar (Pappi), Mr. Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Mr. Ashwani Kumar Sharma.

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PUNJAB POLICE BUSTS TRANS-BORDER SMUGGLING RACKET; TWO HELD WITH 7KG HEROIN, FIVE PISTOLS

— PUNJAB POLICE COMMITTED TO MAKE PUNJAB A SAFE AND SECURE STATE AS PER DIRECTIONS OF CM BHAGWANT SINGH MANN

— BOTH ARRESTED ACCUSED PERSONS WERE IN TOUCH WITH PAK-BASED SMUGGLERS, WERE RECEIVING CONSIGNMENTS VIA DRONES: DGP GAURAV YADAV

— INVESTIGATIONS ARE ON TO ESTABLISH BACKWARD AND FORWARD LINKAGES, SAYS SSP SATINDER SINGH

CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, July 17:In a major blow to the trans-border smuggling amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per vision of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police has busted Pak-backed drug smuggling racket with the arrest of two persons and recovered 7kg heroin and five pistols— including four 9MM Glock pistols and one .32 bore pistol— from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday.

Those arrested have been identified as Gurmukh Singh, a resident of Bhura Kona in Tarn Taran and Jagwant Singh of Mehdipur in Tarn Taran. Apart from recovering heroin and weapons, police teams have also recovered five live cartridges and five magazines from their possession, besides, impounding their Swift Dzire car (PB 38 D 1759).

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that acting on secret information about two smugglers on their Swift Dzire car are going to deliver a weapon consignment, Police teams from Amritsar Rural conducted a special Naka near village Muhawa in the area of Gharinda and arrested the accused persons after recovering five pistols and ammunition from their possession.

He said that during questioning, the arrested accused persons disclosed that along with weapons they had also retrieved heroin, which they kept concealed near their house. Following their disclosure, Police teams conducted a raid at a location pinpointed by the accused persons and recovered 7Kg heroin.

The DGP said that as per preliminary investigations, both the arrested accused persons were directly in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers and were supplying consignments of weapons and drugs across the state after smuggling from Pakistan via Drones.

Sharing more details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amritsar Rural Satinder Singh said that investigations are on to establish backward and forward linkages in this case and identify the Pakistan based smuggler and persons to whom the arrested persons were to deliver the weapon consignment. The Police teams will also initiate the procedure to forfeit the illegally acquired property of the arrested smugglers under section 68F of the NDPS Act, he added.

In this regard, a case FIR no. 170 dated 16/7/2024 has been registered under section 25 of the Arms Act and sections 21, 25 and 29 of the NDPS Act at Police Station Gharinda in Amritsar Rural

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*PUNJAB POLICE IN JOINT OPERATION WITH RAJASTHAN POLICE ARREST THREE OPERATIVES OF LAWRENCE BISHNOI GANG; TWO PISTOLS RECOVERED

— PUNJAB POLICE COMMITTED TO MAKING PUNJAB A SAFE AND SECURE STATE AS PER VISION OF CM BHAGWANT SINGH MANN

— ARRESTED ACCUSED PERSONS HAVE CRIMINAL HISTORY AND WERE TASKED BY FOREIGN HANDLERS TO TARGET RIVAL GANG MEMBERS, SAYS DGP GAURAV YADAV

CHANDIGARH, July 17: In a major breakthrough against organised crime amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per the vision of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh, Anti Gangster Task Force (AGTF) Punjab in a joint operation with Rajasthan Police and Bathinda Police arrested three associates of Lawrence Bishnoi and USA-based Goldy Brar Gang, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday.

Those arrested have been identified as Gurpreet Singh of Bhikhi in Mansa, Maninder Singh alias Munshi of Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda and Harcharanjit Singh of village Bir Khurd in Mansa. All the accused persons have a criminal history with cases pertaining to murder, attempt to murder, Arms Act and NDPS act registered against them.

Police teams have also recovered two .32 calibre Pistols along with six cartridges from the possession of arrested accused persons.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that acting on the reliable inputs, AGTF teams under the overall supervision of ADGP Promod Ban along with Police teams from Bathinda apprehended accused Harcharanjit Singh, who was also wanted in attempt to murder case by the Mansa Police, with cooperation of Rajasthan Police. Police teams were headed by AIG Sandeep Goel and led by DSP Rajan Parminder.

He said that during interrogation, accused Harcharanjit revealed that he is working on directions of notorious gangster Manpreet Singh alias Manna, who tasked him to help accused Gurpreet and Maninder Munshi to eliminate a rival gang member. Gangster Manna, who is currently lodged in Ropar Jail, is a close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi.

The DGP said that following the disclosure of accused Harcharanjit, Police teams launched a big manhunt to nab both the accused persons and managed to arrest them from Mansa Road in Bathinda. Further investigations are on to establish forward and backward linkages in this case, he added.

DGP Gaurav Yadav also thanked DGP Rajasthan for the excellent support given to the Punjab Police in accomplishing this inter-state operation.

In this regard, a case FIR no 72 had been registered under section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station Maur in Bathinda.

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PUNJAB ALL SET TO CONDUCT 21st LIVESTOCK CENSUS FROM SEPTEMBER ONWARDS