Jal Bus was an epitome of corruption, we are investigating it: Sond

- Restarting Jal Bus project is all rumours: Punjab Tourism Minister

Chandigarh, January 21-Punjab’s Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, has clarified that there is currently no proposal to restart the Jal bus service. He stated that certain media reports suggested that the Punjab government is attempting to relaunch the Jal bus parked at Harike in the Ranjit Sagar Lake. Sond dismissed these reports as baseless and false, calling them mere rumors.

The Tourism Minister criticized the previous governments for spending approximately Rs. 8.63 crore on the Jal bus project, calling it a poor decision that placed an unnecessary financial burden on the people of Punjab. He stated that the Jal bus was a symbol of corruption and is currently under investigation. He further emphasized that the bus is not fit for operation and that the possibility of a major accident cannot be ruled out if it were to be relaunched.

Minister Sond assured that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the government would not make any decisions that could harm the lives or finances of the people of Punjab. He urged the public not to believe any media reports suggesting that the Jal bus would be restarted, as the current government is committed to the welfare and development of the people.

He also pointed out that the Jal bus was a loss-making venture, as previous governments spent crores from the state treasury on it, while its revenue barely reached thousands. He reiterated that the Jal bus is entirely unfit for operation and would not be relaunched under any circumstances. Sond concluded by calling the Jal bus a “super fail” project, resulting from poor decisions by past governments, which led to the waste of public funds that could have been utilized for welfare schemes

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ONE-DAY TRAINING & INTERACTION PROGRAM WITH EXPERTS FROM FINLAND UNIVERSITY ORGANISED FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

•PUNJAB AIMS TO ACHIEVE WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION STANDARDS WITH INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION, SAYS HARJOT SINGH BAINS

Chandigarh, January 21: Taking yet another firm step towards elevating the state’s school education system to the world-class standards, Punjab School Education department, on Tuesday, organised a one-day training and interaction program with experts from the University of Turku, Finland. This session, held here at MGSIPA, has witnessed participation of 296 government primary school teachers, informed S. Harjot Singh Bains, Minister of School and Higher Education, Punjab.

Following the grand success of the visit of the first batch of 72 teachers who were sent for a three-week training program to Finland, S. Harjot Singh Bains stated that the Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, has organised the one-day orientation program for 273 primary teachers and 23 DEO (Elementary) today.

The aim of this program is to equip teachers with effective primary school teaching techniques and this initiative would enable the trainers to gain a better understanding of the current realities of the education system in the state's primary schools, the School Education Minister added.

While extending a warm welcome to the group of experts comprising Mr. Ari Kioski, Ms. Mirjami Einola and Ms. Sari Isokytö-Sinjoi, the Secretary of School Education, Mr. Kamal Kishor Yadav, also expressed his gratitude to the trainers for their support in making the training program a success. He mentioned that this program will help the primary school teachers to adopt the techniques that make learning enjoyable and stress-free, contributing to the overall development of students.

Special Secretary School Education Mr.Churchil Kumar, Director SCERT Ms.Amaninder Kaur Brar and other senior officials of the School Education department were also present on the occasion.

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Vigilance Bureau apprehends MC Building Inspector, Architect for taking Rs 30000 bribe

Chandigarh January 21, 2025 -The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its drive against corruption in the state, has arrested Palwinder Singh, Building Inspector, Municipal Corporation Bathinda and Honey Munjal, an Architect from Bathinda while taking a bribe of Rs. 30,000.

Disclosing this here today an official spokesperson of the state VB said the above mentioned accused have been arrested based on a complainant lodged by Sandeep Singh, a resident of village Burj Mehma, in Bathinda district.

He further added that the complainant has approached the VB and alleged that the accused inspector Palwinder Singh has demanded a bribe of Rs 30000 per file through the said private Architect for passing the plans of complainant’s new colony being set up at Bathinda. As per the complaint the said Inspector has demanded Rs 80000 for three cases otherwise threatening to make objections on the files.

The spokesperson further informed that after a preliminary enquiry of this complaint a VB team from Bathinda unit laid a trap during which the accused Architect have been arrested red handed while he was receiving bribe of Rs 30000 in presence of two official witnesses. Subsequently, the accused Building Inspector was also arrested. In this regard a case has been registered against both the accused under prevention of corruption act at VB police station Bathinda range. Further investigation into this case was under progress, he said.

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KHUDIAN DIRECTS CHIEF AGRICULTURE OFFICERS TO FURNISH BIWEEKLY PROGRESS REPORTS

•Also asks to achieve targets of sampling of seeds, fertilizers & pesticides under quality control drive

Chandigarh, January 21:In a decisive move to enhance the efficiency of agricultural schemes/programs in the state, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, on Tuesday, directed all the Chief Agriculture Officers (CAOs) to furnish biweekly progress reports. The move aims to ensure that all ongoing centrally and state sponsored agricultural schemes are closely monitored and evaluated, allowing for timely interventions and improvements.

While chairing a series of meetings with CAOs here at Kisan Bhawan, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian reviewed the status of the ongoing schemes and projects in seven districts yesterday and remaining district officers were called today to review the progress of their respective districts.

He also asked the field staff to accomplish the targets regarding sampling of seeds, pesticides and fertilizers to ensure quality agriculture inputs to the state farmers. He emphasized on the importance of regular reporting in identifying challenges and successes within the department. By implementing a biweekly reporting system, the state government seeks to enhance transparency and accountability, ultimately leading to improved productivity and better support for farmers across the state.

Under the quality control drive launched by the department, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said, the targets for sampling of seeds, pesticides and fertilizers were fixed at 6100, 4800 and 3700 respectively. Out of which, 5082 of seeds, 2867 of pesticides and 2473 of fertilizers have been drawn so far. He said that 141 samples of seeds failed the quality test, 81 samples of pesticides were found misbranded and 78 samples of fertilizers were found sub-standard. The department has initiated legal actions against the dealers/firms, which samples failed quality norms during sampling.

While reviewing the progress of the ongoing centrally and state sponsored agricultural schemes, the Agriculture Minister asked the CAOs to utilize the funds meticulously and submit the utilization certificates to the competent authorities before the end of this financial year.

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Public Works Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO Directs Officers to Uphold Quality Standards and Expedite completion of ongoing projects

PWD Upgrading 22 State Roads, Covering 745 Kilometers, Under Long-Term Maintenance Contracts

Chandigarh, January 21-Punjab Public Works Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO has issued a directive to all officers of the department to adhere strictly to the stipulated norms during bidding processes and maintain the highest quality standards while executing their work. Additionally, he emphasized the need to expedite the collection of state revenue from access fees from commercial establishments like petrol pumps etc along the roads, and ensure proper records of accesses are maintained.

Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO was chairing a high-level meeting to review the progress of major infrastructure projects being undertaken by the Public Works Department (PWD) across the state and to strategize for future developments. The meeting was attended by Secretary PWD Ravi Bhagat along with all Chief Engineers and Superintending Engineers of PWD B&R.

During the meeting, detailed discussions were held to evaluate the achievements in relation to budgetary provisions and the actual execution of works at the project sites. The PWD Minister also directed the officers to expedite the completion of ongoing projects and ensure that all physical and financial targets are met. He stressed the importance of timely completion and adherence to high standards in all infrastructure projects.

The PWD Minister was apprised that, in addition to other works, the department is currently upgrading 22 state roads, covering a total length of 745 kilometers, under long-term maintenance contracts at a cost of Rs 532 crore. The roads being upgraded include Bhawanigarh-Mehlan Chowk, Patran-Moonak, Gharaun Ambala, Zira-Ferozepur, Old Morinda Road, Mukerian-Talwara-Mubarikpur, Dakha-Halwara-Raikot-Barnala, among others. These upgrades are expected to significantly improve the state's road infrastructure and facilitate smoother transportation. It was also informed that funds for Link roads are expected to be available shortly from the Punjab Mandi Board, and the Link road works will be initiated soon.

PWD Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO reiterated the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government's commitment to enhancing the state's infrastructure and ensuring the highest standards of quality and efficiency in all projects.