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Northern India shivers as temperatures plunge; Delhi chokes under very poor air
North India continued to reel under sharp winter conditions on Friday, with large parts of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana recording minimum temperatures well below normal, even as Kashmir saw a brief improvement in the cold due to overcast skies. Delhi, meanwhile, remained choked under very poor air quality as a cold wave was forecast for the day. Rajasthan recorded the lowest temperature in the region, with Fatehpur in Sikar district plunging to 1.9C on Friday morning. The Jaipur Meteorological Centre said minimum temperatures stayed below 10 degrees Celsius across several districts, including Sikar at 3C, Nagaur at 3.1C, Lunkaransar at 3.2C, Churu at 4.5C and Pilani at 4.8C. Dry conditions are likely to persist over most parts of the state for the next week, it added. Bone-chilling cold also gripped Punjab and Haryana. Faridkot, at 3C, was the coldest among the two states. In Punjab, Bathinda recorded 3.2C, while Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Gurdaspur and Ferozepur reported lows between 5.5C and 6.2C. In neighbouring Haryana, Narnaul was the coldest at 3.5C, while Hisar recorded 3.7C. Karnal, Rohtak, Bhiwani and Sirsa registered temperatures ranging between 5.4C and 7.7C. Chandigarh, the shared capital, reported a minimum of 6.1C. Kashmir, however, witnessed an improvement in night temperatures as cloud cover pushed the mercury above those recorded in recent days. Srinagar, which had plunged to 4C the previous night, recorded a low of 0.4Cover four degrees higher. Qazigund reported 0.2C, Kupwara 0.2C, Kokernag 0.8C, Pahalgam 1.8C and Gulmarg 0C. Konibal in Pulwama district remained the coldest in the Union Territory at 3C. The weather office said light snowfall is possible in the higher reaches later on Friday, while another brief spell is likely on December 8. In Delhi, there was no respite from toxic air as the Air Quality Index stood at 323 at 9 am, firmly in the very poor category. Bawana recorded the highest AQI in the city at 373, while 30 monitoring stations reported very poor levels. The capital saw fluctuating pollution levels through the week, with the AQI rising from 279 on Sunday to 372 on Tuesday before settling at 304 on Thursday. The IMD said a cold wave is expected through the day, with the minimum temperature dipping to 5.6C, nearly four degrees below normal. The maximum temperature is likely to hover around 22C, while relative humidity touched 100% in the morning. (With inputs from PTI)
HC seeks report on graffiti declaring drug sale in Bathinda village
Graffiti about open sale of drugs in Bathinda village, cops hunt for accused
CHANDIGARH: A day after the Punjab assembly unanimously passed a resolution declaring Anandpur Sahib, Talwandi Sabo and the walled city of Amritsar as holy cities. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday announced that a world-class university in the name of the ninth Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur will be set up at Anandpur Sahib. Addressing a gathering at the concluding ceremony of the government-organised Sarv Dharam Sammelan at Guru Ka Bagh, Baba Budha Dal Cantonment, held to commemorate the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur, CM Mann said, A world-class university in the name of Guru Tegh Bahadur will be set up here. He added that the proposed university would become a global centre for high-quality education, research, interfaith dialogue and studies inspired by the Gurus message of human rights, peace and sacrifice. Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur laid down his life for defending the right to faith and freedom. Establishing a world-class university in his name is the least we can do to inspire future generations with his teachings, Mann said. He said that the Punjab government is committed to developing Anandpur Sahib not only as a spiritual capital but also as a centre of academic excellence and global learning. Mann said that the announcement formed part of a broader vision for infrastructural and cultural uplift of the area. He said more developmental decisions would follow in harmony with the sentiments of devotees visiting the birthplace of the Khalsa. He further added that a heritage street will also come up in Anandpur Sahib. Mann also announced a free e-rickshaw or mini bus service for people to visit gurdwaras in Amritsar, Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district and Anandpur Sahib in Rupnagar district. The state government will bear the expenditure arising on account of the free e-rickshaw or mini bus service, added Mann. Earlier in the day, Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal joined the large congregation here to pray for the progress of the state and prosperity of Punjabis. Both the leaders took part in the 'ardas' performed after the 'bhog' of 'Sri Akhand Path sahib' to commemorate the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur and legendary Sikh martyrs Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Dayala at Gurdwara Baba Budha Dal Chauni. Kejriwal had earlier urged Mann to make an announcement for setting up a world-class educational institution in Anandpur Sahib. The Sarv Dharam Sammelan, organised as part of the ongoing week-long commemorative events, brought together prominent leaders and spiritual representatives of various faiths. Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, who is also the MLA from Anandpur Sahib, said that the declaration of Anandpur Sahib as a holy city and the plans for a world-class university were long-pending demands of the region. These decisions will open new avenues for development while preserving the spiritual legacy of the city, Bains said.
Anandpur Sahib, Talwandi Sabo and Galiara, close to Golden Temple in Amritsar declared 'holy cities'
CHANDIGARH: The cities of Anandpur Sahib, Talwandi Sabo and the Galiara around the Golden Temple in Amritsar have been accorded the status of 'holy cities' in the special Vidhan Sabha session at Anandpur Sahib to mark the 350th martyrdom day of Guru Teg Bahadur. This is the first time in the history of the State that a session was held outside the assembly building in Chandigarh. The resolution was moved by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during a special session of the Punjab Assembly and was unanimously passed. Mann said that along with this, an interfaith committee related to all religious institutions in these holy cities will be formed, comprising representatives of all faiths. He said that the Punjab Government will make dedicated efforts for the development, cleanliness, security, and promotion of religious tourism in these holy cities. He also said that the state government will allocate the necessary budget, and also seek funds from the Central Government, as this is imperative to perpetuate the legacy of these towns for the next generations. Meanwhile, Mann said that as a humble tribute to Guru Tegh Bahadur, the State government has organised a series of events across the State to commemorate the 350th martyrdom day. He said that todays session was part of these events, only adding that the sacrifice made by Guru Tegh Bahadur was supreme and unprecedented, as it was aimed at protecting the religion of others. He said that Guru Tegh Bahadur made the supreme sacrifice to protect the religious rights of humanity to set an example for the world. Mann said that these functions will continue and be held across the State in the coming years, too. He added that every year, events will be organised to mark the martyrdom day. He also remarked that the State government has made elaborate arrangements for facilitating the devotees coming to the holy city to pay their reverence. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and National Convener of AAP Arvind Kejriwal said that for decades, people have been seeking holy city status for these towns. They said that there are five Takhts of Sikhs, out of which three are Akal Takht (Amritsar), Damdama Sahib (Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda) and Takht Keshgarh Sahib (Anandpur Sahib). They said that the sale and use of meat, liquor, tobacco, and other intoxicants will be prohibited in these cities to fulfil the long-pending demand of the devotees. They also said that these cities are not just religious centres but also symbols of our civilizational heritage, adding that, therefore, this demand is not confined to any single political party, community, or religion, but rather an essential step towards the preservation and global promotion of our cultural heritage. Kejriwal and Mann said that the state government will ensure the holistic development of these cities, besides accelerating religious tourism. Earlier, the House also passed another resolution to draw inspiration from Guru Tegh Bahadur's life and teachings to work towards the welfare and prosperity of the people of Punjab, promoting peace, tolerance and harmony in society. According to a resolution moved by Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, the House expressed its deepest reverence and humbly bowed down to the Sikh Guru in respect, devotion and faith. Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa also spoke about the supreme sacrifice of Guru Tegh Bahadur, saying it is a moving testament to his unwavering commitment to the principles of freedom of religion and human dignity. Notably, Bajwa raised the issues of Chandigarh, Panjab University, the pending rural development fund and the water sharing issue and said all Punjabis should come together for the state's rights. In a veiled attack on the BJP-led Centre, Bajwa said attempts were being made to ewrite history. A makeshift assembly hall was created at Bhai Jaita Ji Memorial Park in Anandpur Sahib for the special session, replicating the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh. The state government is organising an elaborate three-day event from November 23 to 25 to commemorate the ninth Sikh masters martyrdom in 1675. On November 25, the government will organise state-wide blood donation and plantation drives, Sarbat Da Bhalla congregation and a drone show. The events are also dedicated to Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Dyala, who were also martyred along with the Guru. A 360-degree mixed reality (MR) experience has been introduced by the government, aiming at bringing Guru Teg Bahadurs legacy closer to the younger generation. Thus, QR codes have been placed at the event venue, which will allow visitors to access the MR experience through a smartphone scan, bridging technology and spiritual devotion. The interactive journey blends virtual storytelling with real-world surroundings to portray key episodes from the life of the ninth Sikh Guru. The MR layer has been developed with the support of Flam, and the augmented reality technology creates immersive visuals while highlighting the teachings and sacrifice of Guru Teg Bahadur. The central feature of the experience, entitled The Eternal Flame of Sacrifice, recreates 11 significant moments from the Gurus life. These include his coronation, standing for religious freedom, his martyrdom at Chandni Chowk, and the secret cremation at Rakab Ganj Sahib. Each segment is presented with detailed visuals, authentic narration, and references from the Guru Granth Sahib and preserved historical records.
NIA starts probe into blasts at Bathinda home that injured teen & dad
Woman pilgrim goes missing in Pakistan after Guru Nanak birth anniversary visit
CHANDIGARH: A woman Sikh devotee has gone missing in Pakistan after travelling as part of the 1,932-member Indian Sikh jatha that crossed into the neighbouring country via AttariWagah on 4 November to attend the 556th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. Sources said the group of Sikh devotees returned to India yesterday, with 1,922 pilgrims accounted for, as eight members of the jatha, including Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Kuldip Singh Gargaj, had returned earlier on 9 November. However, Sarbjit Kaur, hailing from Amanipur village in Kapurthala district, did not return and went missing from the group. She did not mention her citizenship and passport number in the immigration form, raising concerns about her disappearance. It is learnt that her name was reportedly not found in the immigration records while exiting Pakistan nor in the records for re-entry into India. State and central agencies are now looking into the matter. Authorities are trying to trace her previous links to determine how, and through what means, she went missing inside Pakistan. It is also learnt that agencies are trying to trace her family members and have approached the Ministry of External Affairs and the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. Meanwhile, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee confirmed that Kaur was part of the devotees who crossed into the neighbouring country through the AttariWagah Integrated Check Post. Meanwhile, another devotee who was part of the group, 67-year-old Sukhwinder Singh from Chawke village in Bathinda district, died due to cardiac arrest at Gujranwala in Pakistan on 10 November. Earlier, at least 14 Hindu pilgrims who were part of the jatha were denied entry by Pakistan authorities at the Wagah border check post. These pilgrims, who had Indian passports but were of Pakistan origin, were then sent back, said people privy to the information. The jatha visited Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, Gurdwara Sacha Sauda in Farooqabad, and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur before it returned to India on 13 November. The Pakistani government had granted visas to 2,150 Indian Sikh devotees to attend the 10-day festival marking the 556th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
Tarn Taran Bypoll records 60.95% turnout
CHANDIGARH: Around 60.95 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in the Tarn Taran Assembly by-election in Punjab on Tuesday amid tight security, with polling concluding peacefully. This marks a decline of nearly five percentage points from the turnout recorded in the 2022 general elections for the same seat. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Punjab, Sibin C, informed that approximately 60.95 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 6 pm in the Tarn Taran Assembly constituency. He added that the final figures would be updated by Wednesday, once all polling parties return to the collection centres and data entry is completed. The CEO thanked the voters of Tarn Taran for participating in the by-election. Polling began at 7 am and started slowly but picked up pace as the day progressed, with more voters visiting booths to cast their votes. While Karanbir Singh Burj is contesting as the Congress candidate, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded Harmeet Singh Sandhu. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) nominee is Sukwinder Kaur Randhawa, while the BJP has fielded Harjit Singh Sandhu, president of the partys district unit. Independent candidate Mandeep Singh, backed by the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) led by jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh and several radical Sikh organisations including the Sikh Youth Federation (Bhindranwale), is also in the fray. Mandeep Singh is the brother of Sandeep Singh alias Sunny, an accused in the 2022 murder of Shiv Sena (Taksali) leader Sudhir Suri. Sandeep is also accused in an attack on three former police officers, two of whom were convicted in a fake encounter case in Tarn Taran, inside Patiala Jail. One of the convicted officers, Suba Singh, succumbed to his injuries on 17 September. The Tarn Taran seat fell vacant following the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal in June. The by-election is being seen as a litmus test for Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the AAP leadership, with the 2027 Assembly elections on the horizon. The poll is equally crucial for SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who, along with his wife and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, campaigned extensively for party candidate Randhawa, a retired government school principal and wife of a Dharmi Fauji (a Sikh soldier who deserted the army following Operation Bluestar in 1984). The constituency has 1,92,838 eligible voters, including 1,00,933 men, 91,897 women, and eight third-gender voters. A total of 222 polling stations were set up across 114 locations, 60 urban and 162 rural, including four model and three pink booths. According to sources, 12 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) were deployed in the constituency, marking one of the largest security deployments ever by the Election Commission for a by-election.
Punjab Police arrested three Sikhs for Justice operatives for writing pro-Khalistan slogans in Bathinda in a joint Counter-Intelligence operation.
Farmer Mohinder Kaur's four-year defamation battle against BJP MP and actress Kangana Ranaut reached a turning point as Kangana appeared in Bathinda court, apologised, and was granted bail. The 78-year-old farmer vows to continue her fight for dignity and justice.
Kangana gets bail in defamation case, says regrets 'misunderstanding', respects every mother
Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut received bail in a defamation case in Bathinda, Punjab. She expressed regret over a social media post causing misunderstanding. The case stems from a retweet concerning Mahinder Kaur, a complainant from Bathinda. Ranaut stated that every mother is respectable to her. The court has scheduled the next hearing for November 24.
Kangana Ranaut apologises for social media post on woman farmer, granted bail by Bathinda court
CHANDIGARH: BJP MP and actress Kangana Ranaut on Monday was granted bail after appeared before a court in Bathinda in a deformation case filed against her by an elderly woman farmer Mahinder Kaur over an alleged derogatory remark made by her during the 2020-21 farmers' protest. Kangana said she had apologised for her social media post against the woman. Talking to the media after appearing in the court, Kangana said, This is just a misunderstanding. I had only retweeted a meme and did not intend to hurt specifically anyone. I have already discussed the matter with Mahinder Kaurs husband and apologised to him as she was not present today. During the farmers protest, several memes were being circulated, and one of them was retweeted by me inadvertently. Raghbir Singh Behniwal, counsel for the complainant Kaur, contested Kanganas claim, saying, Kangana Ranaut told the court that she had retweeted by mistake and not targeted anyone. But my clients husband Labh Singh has said she has never apologised in the past. Kangana also moved an application seeking permanent exemption from personal appearance on security grounds, which we opposed. The case has now been transferred from the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class to that of the Judicial Magistrate First Class (Special Court), with the next hearing scheduled for November 24. Last month, the court had dismissed a petition filed by the actor, seeking to appear through video conference. Judicial magistrate first class Lakhbir Singh had directed Kangana to appear before the court in person on October 27. She arrived at the court under tight security, escorted by police officials. Narinder Singh, Superintendent of Police, said the police had established barricades and strengthened security around the court complex. Our main focus is to ensure that law and order remain intact so that no mischievous elements attempt to create any disturbance, he said. The case pertains to a tweet by Kangana during the farmers protest, in which she shared a photograph of Mahinder Kaur, an elderly woman farmer from Bahadurgarh Jandian village in Bathinda, comparing her with Bilkis Bano, the elderly woman who became a symbol of the Shaheen Bagh protests. Kangana had allegedly claimed that such women were available for Rs 100 to join protests. The remark drew widespread criticism, prompting Kaur to file a defamation complaint in January 2021, alleging that her dignity and reputation had been harmed. In 2022, a judicial magistrate in Bathinda had issued a summons, directing Kangana to appear before the court. Later that year, she approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking the quashing of the defamation complaint and the lower courts summoning order. But the high court found no merit in the petition and dismissed it. Then the actress approached the Supreme Court. On September 12 this year, the apex court declined to entertain her plea. Thus Kanganas counsel chose to withdraw the special leave petition (SLP) in the matter. Last year, a woman constable from the CISF had slapped Kangana during a mandatory security check at the Chandigarh airport over her controversial remarks related to the farmers protest.
Punjab: 122 stubble burning cases recorded on October 26; highest single day spike this season
CHANDIGARH: Punjab recorded 122 new cases of stubble burning, marking the highest single-day spike this year. This takes the total count this season to 743. This is the first time in 2025 that the state recorded farm fire incidents in three digits. Approximately 58 per cent of the total 31.7 lakh hectares of paddy have been harvested across the state till now. In the coming days, crop residue might increase as farmers harvesting the crop after November 2 will have a limited window to sow wheat. As per the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) data, Tarn Taran and Amritsar districts contributed the bulk of cases, as many farmers continued to disregard the state government's appeal to stop crop residue burning. Of the 122 crop residue incidents, nearly 70 were reported from the south Malwa region. The highest farm fire incidents were reported from Tarn Taran at 224, followed by Amritsar 154, Ferozepur 80, Sangrur 47, Patiala 39, Gurdaspur 38, Kapurthala 29, Mansa, Moga and Ludhiana 8 respectively, Barnala 6, Maelrkotla 4, Hoshiarpur 3 and SBS Nagar 2. Meanwhile, Pathankot and Rupnagar districts have not reported any stubble-burning incidents so far. The state has seen a sharp jump in stubble-burning cases in the past week, from 353 cases recorded till October 20 to 390, the data showed. This comes even as data from the Centres Decision Support System (DSS) showed the estimated contribution of stubble burning to Delhis pollution touched a season-high of 3.71 per cent on Sunday. Farm fires can contribute up to 35 per cent of Delhis total PM 2.5 levels when stubble burning touches its peak, usually in the first week of November. 241 stubble burning cases in Punjab from September 15 to October 18: Data Agriculture scientists have cautioned that farmers are more likely to resort to burning crop residue to prepare fields quickly as the time window of wheat sowing is shrinking. According to the Punjab Agricultural University, wheat sowing must ideally be completed by November 15 to ensure optimal yield. Till now, only 58 percent of the total 31.7 lakh hectares under paddy has been harvested, while farmers harvesting after November 1 will have a very limited window to sow wheat, which may lead to a surge in stubble burning in the coming days, said an official of the Punjab agriculture department. Meanwhile, paddy harvesting in Amritsar and Tarn Taran has touched the 85 per cent mark, but in Muktsar, Ferozepur, Barnala, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Mansa and Ferozepur districts, known for high-yield paddy cultivation, which contributes the most to stubble burning, is still below 50 per cent mark. Punjab Police have so far registered 266 FIRs against farmers for violating stubble-burning norms. Of these, 73 FIRs have been lodged in Tarn Taran alone, the district reporting the highest number of farm fire incidents. The farmers have been booked under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant. Fines amounting to Rs 16.80 lakh have been imposed as environmental compensation in 329 cases, of which Rs 12 lakh has been collected. Also, 296 red entries have been marked, including 108 in Tarn Taran and 68 in Amritsar, in the land records of farmers who burnt crop residues. A red entry bars the farmers from getting loans against their farmland or selling it. The total area under paddy cultivation in Punjab this year is 31.72 lakh hectares. Till October 26, 56.50 per cent of this area had been harvested. Punjab saw 10,909 farm fires in 2024 as compared to 36,663 in 2023, marking a 70 per cent drop. The state recorded 49,922 farm fire events in 2022, 71,304 in 2021, 76,590 in 2020, 55,210 in 2019 and 50,590 in 2018, with many districts, including Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda and Amritsar, reporting a large number of stubble-burning incidents.
Data shows over 5,300 acres of land washed away in Punjab during recent floods
CHANDIGARH: More than 5,300 acres of land were washed away in 15 out of the 23 districts in Punjab during the floods that ravaged the state in August and September. Teams from the Union Government are expected to visit the state to assess the losses caused due to the floods. Sources said that the state government has completed the special girdawari of the flood-affected areas in the state, and found that 5,307 acres of land have been washed away due to heavy flow of water in the Ravi, Beas and the Sutlej rivers. The highest loss was in the Amritsar district, where around 1,515 acres were washed away, followed by the Ferozepur district, which lost 1,101 acres, as per data with the revenue department of the state government, said sources. Land was not washed away in Bathinda, Faridkot, Mansa, Muktsar, Sangrur, Barnala, Malerkotla, and Fatehgarh Sahib districts. In the past many decades, no one has ever witnessed or heard that such huge portions of land being washed away. A second assessment was done as when we got the initial data, no one could believe it. Now the affected land owners will be given compensation by the government, said an officer. It is learnt that, as per the norms from the State Disaster Response Fund, the owners who lost land will get a compensation of Rs 19,000 per acre. Sources added that most of the washed-away land was owned by private individuals, highlighting that the land had been encroached first and was later allotted to people by the successive state governments. Not only were these lands inside what was once a riverbed, but it was also at a throwaway price, prompting people to buy the land when the risk of floods was not grave. However, after many decades, rivers were in spate, which increased the risk of floods. Sources pointed out that illegal mining also contributed to the land being washed away, as both the AAP-led state government and the BJP-led central government have been at loggerheads over the issue of illegal mining in the riverbeds. Sources added that deep craters were developed on the affected land, making it uncultivable for another three to four years. They further said the central government teams will be visiting the state as the Punjab government has already submitted a memorandum requesting Rs 12,905 crores in compensation for flood-related losses. The Centre is assessing the extent of the damage and to verify the estimate sent by the state government, a team of experts from the union government will soon visit the state, said an officer. Earlier, the state government had drafted a memorandum seeking Rs 13,300 crore from the Centre for compensation and reconstruction, but was finally scaled down to Rs 12,905 crore.
241 stubble burning cases in Punjab from September 15 to October 18: Data
CHANDIGARH: Punjab has recorded 241 stubble burning incidents so far this season, with Tarn Taran district accounting for the biggest share at 88 as farmers continue to ignore government appeals to stop burning crop residue, according to official data. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is often blamed for the rise in air pollution in Delhi after the paddy crop is harvested in October and November. As the window for sowing the Rabi crop -- wheat -- is very short after paddy harvest, some farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear the crop residue. Punjab recorded 241 stubble burning incidents from September 15 to October 18, an increase of 125 from 116 on October 11, according to Punjab Pollution Control Board data. Tarn Taran witnessed the highest number of farm fires at 88, followed by Amritsar at 80, Ferozepur at 16 and Patiala at 11, the data showed. The exercise of recording farm fire incidents will continue till November 30. Fines worth Rs 5.60 lakh have been imposed as environmental compensation in 113 cases so far. Of the total amount, Rs 4.15 lakh has been recovered. The data showed that a total of 132 FIRs -- 50 in Tarn Taran and 37 in Amritsar -- have been registered. The cases have been registered under Section 223 (disobedience of order duly promulgated by a public servant) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The state authorities also marked 87 red entries, the maximum in Tarn Taran and Amritsar, in the land records of farmers who burnt crop residue. A red entry bars farmers from getting loans against their farmland or selling it. The farm fire incidents are taking place despite the state government launching an extensive campaign to highlight the ill effects of stubble burning and benefits of crop residue management machinery. Punjab recorded a total of 10,909 farm fires in 2024 as compared to 36,663 in 2023, a 70 per cent drop. The state recorded 49,922 farm fires in 2022, 71,304 in 2021, 76,590 in 2020, 55,210 in 2019 and 50,590 in 2018, with Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda and Amritsar accounting for a large number of these.
Haryana ASI Sandeep Lather's suicide case: FIR against IPS Y Puran Kumar's wife Amneet, 3 others
The FIR names four people as accused -- including deceased IPS officer Y Puran Kumar's wife and IAS Amneet P Kumar, his gunman Sushil, and Bathinda Rural MLA Amit Ratna. Lather died by suicide on October 14, accusing late officer Kumar of corruption. Read on to know more on this.
Dalit IPS officers death: Haryana transfers Rohtak SP, family refuses autopsy
CHANDIGARH: The family members of Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar has accused the Chandigarh Police of not consulting them before shifting his body to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) for autospy. Amit Rattan, AAP MLA from Bathinda (Rural) and brother-in-law of the deceased officer, said, The Chandigarh Police have shifted the body without asking us. Injustice is being done with the family. Four days after Kumars death, the Haryana government on Saturday took first action in the case by transferring Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya and appointed Surinder Singh Bhoria in his place. Bijarniya, a 2015-batch IPS officer, was among the police officers named in the final note recovered from Kumars pocket. The Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission has taken suo motu congnisance and sought a report from Chandigarh DGP Sagar Preet Hooda. Hooda on Saturday visited the residence of Amneet P Kumar, the IAS officer wife of the deseased, and said that the police requested the family to get the post-mortem done as early as possible. The post-mortem will be conducted only after the family gives its consent, Hooda said. No matter how influential culprit may be, action will be taken: Haryana CM on death of Dalit IPS officer Asked why the family is yet to give its consent for the autopsy, Hooda said they have some grievances. When questioned why the police have not added the names of the alleged suspects in the FIR, he said, An SIT headed by an IG-rank officer has been formed. The autopsy will be conducted at the PGIMER, for which a board, comprising a magistrate, forensic experts, and doctors, has been set up. After the registration of the FIR, Amneet on Friday had sought its amendment to accurately reflect the names of all the accused. In a letter to Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur, Amneet also sought an amendment of the diluted sections of the SC/ST Act, which have been added to the FIR. In his eight-page final note, Kumar named eight senior IPS officers, including Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur and Bijarniya, for allegedly harassing and maligning him.
CHANDIGARH: The body of deceased Haryana IPS officer, Y Puran Kumar, who committed suicide, has been shifted to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) for postmortem autopsy by the Chandigarh Police. The family of the officer accused the police of shifting the body without consulting them and said they had not given consent for the autopsy . The medical board hasn't conducted the autopsy yet. The body was kept at the Government Multi-Specialty Hospital in Sector 16. Amit Rattan, AAP MLA from Bathinda (Rural) and brother-in-law of the deceased officer, said, The Chandigarh Police have shifted the body without asking us. Five days have passed since a senior IPS officer died, but we have not got justice yet. DGP of Chandigarh Police, Sagar Preet Hooda, today visited the residence of Amneet P Kumar and, after meeting the family, he said that the police have requested the family to get the post-mortem done as early as possible. The post-mortem will be conducted only after the family gives its consent. Asked why the family members have not given their consent till now, Hooda said they have some grievances, which are being discussed. When questioned why the police have not added the names of the alleged suspects to the FIR lodged in the case, he said an investigation is underway. A special investigation team headed by an IG-rank officer has been formed for the probe, said Hooda. He further said, The autopsy will be conducted at the PGIMER for which a board has been constituted comprising a magistrate, forensic experts, and doctors. Also, Videography and photography will be done. Hooda, however, said the post-mortem will be conducted only after the family gives its consent. After the registration of the FIR, Kumar's wife, Amneet, on Friday, had claimed it contained 'incomplete information', and sought its amendment to accurately reflect the names of all the accused. In the column meant for naming the accused, the FIR mentions as per the 'final note'. In a letter to Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur, Amneet also sought an amendment of the diluted sections of the SC/ST Act which have been added to the FIR. In his eight-page 'final note', Kumar named eight senior IPS officers, including Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur and Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya, for allegedly harassing and maligning him. Kumar, a 2001-batch Indian Police Service officer, allegedly shot himself dead at his Sector 11 residence here on Tuesday. He had left behind a 'final note' accusing eight senior police officers of blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation, and atrocities. Haryana government considers DGP replacement amid controversy over dalit IPS officer's death Chandigarh Police on Friday constituted the six-member SIT headed by IG Pushpendra Kumar for a prompt, impartial, and thorough investigation into the officer's death in a time-bound manner. Kumar was recently posted as Inspector General of the Police Training Centre in Rohtak's Sunaria. Four days after Kumar died, the Haryana Government took its first action in the case by transferring Superintendent of Police of Rohtak Narendra Bijarniya on Saturday and appointed Surinder Singh Bhoria in his place. The order issued today said that Bijarniya's posting orders would be issued separately. Bijarniya, a 2015-batch IPS officer, was among the police officials named in the final note recovered from Kumars pocket. Meanwhile, Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has written a letter to senior IAS officer Amneet, the wife of deceased IPS officer Kumar. Sonia expressed deep sorrow and solidarity with the bereaved family. The news of the tragic death of your husband and senior IPS officer, Mr Y. Puran Kumar, is both shocking and deeply saddening. My heartfelt condolences to you and your entire family in this time of immense difficulty, she wrote. She added, The passing of Y. Puran Kumar is a reminder to us that even today, the prejudiced and biased attitude of those in power deprives even the most senior officials of social justice. I and Millions of people in the country stand with you on this path to justice. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi have also condemned Kumars suicide and the circumstances that drove him to take the drastic step. While two Congress MPs, Deepinder Hooda Member of Parliament from Rohtak in Haryana, Randeep Singh Surjewala Rajaya Sabha Member of Parliament and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi Member of Parliament from Jalandhar in Punjab, today met the family members of the deceased officer and assured full support to them. Haryana Transport Minister, Anil Vij met the family. The death of Kumar has brought national attention to questions about caste bias and workplace harassment.
Court asks Kangana Ranaut to appear in person on October 27
Bathinda: A court here on Monday directed actor and MP Kangana Ranaut to be present in person on October 27 in a defamation case, rejecting her plea for appearing through video-conferencing. The defamation case stems from the actors retweet consisting of her own comment about complainant Mahinder Kaur of Bahadurgarh Jandian village in Punjabs Bathinda Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Max Hospital hosts walkathon to promote wellness on World Heart Day
Excelsior Correspondent BATHINDA, Sept 29: In order to raise awareness on heart health and promoting wellness among the residents on World Heart Day, Max Super Speciality Hospital, organized a walkathon today. The event was organized in collaboration with Lalit Welfare Association and witnessed active participation from over 300 individuals, making it a resounding success. The function was kicked off by ADC Poonam Singh Bathinda and Omraj, Unit Head Max Hospital Bathinda with an energetic 5km walkathon that set the tone [] The post Max Hospital hosts walkathon to promote wellness on World Heart Day appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
A pilot study uncovered alarming levels of lead and uranium in children's blood and groundwater across Bathinda, Rupnagar, and Chandigarh. Over a quarter of blood samples exceeded WHO lead limits, while Bathinda's groundwater showed widespread uranium contamination. The Human Rights Commission declared this a grave public health crisis, directing urgent action plans, medical provisions, and industrial inspections.
New Ferozepur-Delhi Vande Bharat Train Announced; Bathinda, Patiala Among Key Stops | Details
Railway Minister Vaishnaw proposed a Vande Bharat Express from New Delhi to Ferozepur Cantt via Bathinda and Patiala to boost connectivity.
Army team defuses explosives at Bathinda youths house after fidayeen plot exposed
CHANDIGARH: A contingent of the Indian Army today reached Jeeda village in Bathinda to defuse explosives stored in the house of 19-year-old Gurpreet Singh, a self-radicalised youth, after two high-intensity explosions took place at his residence on September 10. The blasts left the accused Gurpreet and his father, Jagtar Singh, injured. In preliminary questioning, the Punjab Police have claimed that Gurpreet, a law student, was influenced by radical Islamic ideologies and was planning a fidayeen attack. Sources said the police learnt about the blast a day later, after Gurpreet was admitted by his family to a private hospital and the hospital staff alerted the police about the nature of his injuries. Gurpreets right hand had to be amputated due to the explosion, while his father, a farmer, suffered severe injuries in the second blast. An officer, on condition of anonymity, claimed that Gurpreet was influenced by Pakistan-based propaganda videos which alleged that Kashmiris were being harassed and humiliated. Thus, he wanted revenge and planned to carry out a suicide attack. He was using a fake identity to follow Islamic radical content on social media, the officer claimed. Gurpreet was formally arrested on Wednesday after being discharged from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Bathinda and was produced before a district court via video conference. Another police official said that an expert explosives team of the Indian Army had reached the village today and was defusing the explosives as they had their own equipment to do so. The accused Gurpreet was arrested when he was discharged from the hospital and yesterday we produced him in court and took a seven-day remand. We will now be questioning him on his motive to make the human bomb and plan the fidayeen attack, where he wanted to attack and if there were any other people he was in touch with. Also, who inspired him to do all this, the official said. Besides the Punjab Police, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Indian Army are investigating the matter, as officials from all the security agencies reached the village and gathered evidence. Sources further added that Gurpreet was also treated at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh as he had a history of psychiatric issues. Senior Superintendent of Police of Bathinda, Amneet Kondal, said that a multi-pocket vest was recovered from the house and the mobile phone of the alleged accused Gurpreet had clues hinting that he was planning a suicide attack. She added that the accused was planning to travel by bus from Bathinda to Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir on September 11, which has a strategic base of the Indian Army. In the initial questioning, Gurpreet said that becoming a human bomb was on his mind and thus he purchased a wide range of explosive chemicals and the vest online. He mishandled the chemicals at his house and thus a high-intensity explosion took place last week on the eve of his scheduled travel to Kathua. Before he could undertake any operation, Gurpreet was indoctrinated, she claimed. She further said, All we have found so far is that Gurpreet was influenced by watching digital content. She added that a deputy superintendent of police-rank official from Kathua had visited Bathinda to gather details of the case.
Monsoon likely to completely withdraw from Punjab, Haryana and HP by September 25
CHANDIGARH: While the monsoon has started withdrawing from the country from September 14-15, it is expected to withdraw completely from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh by September 25. The rainfall was seven per cent above the long-period average (LPA) this year in the country. Notably, it was significantly above normal in the region too, as it also witnessed floods. From June 1 to September 16, Punjab received 618.0 mm of rain against the LPA of 413.3 mm for the aforementioned period, marking 50 per cent surplus of rain. Neighboring Himachal Pradesh received 1,010.9 mm against the LPA of 692.1 mm, with 46 per cent more rain. Haryana witnessed 565.1 mm against the LPA of 405.7 mm, marking 39 per cent surplus. A bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) today stated that the rains have receded from the southwestern parts of Punjab, comprising Fazilka, Muktsar, and Bathinda districts, and from the adjoining district of Sirsa in Haryana. The line of withdrawal of the southwest monsoon now passes through Bhatinda, Fatehabad, Pilani, Ajmer, Deesa and Bhuj, it added. Light to moderate rain in Himachal Pradesh is expected to continue until September 22 as the IMD has termed the monsoon activity as 'vigorous' during the past 24 hours, with light to moderate rain at most places and heavy to very heavy rain at a few places. While Punjab experienced light to moderate rainfall in some areas of Pathankot and Kapurthala districts and heavy rains in Ropar district, moderate rain occurred at isolated places in Haryana. The monsoon activity in both states has been termed as 'weak'. The IMD has predicted isolated to scattered showers in some parts of these states until September 19 and added that these conditions are favourable for further withdrawal of the monsoon from a few more parts of Punjab and Haryana during the next two to three days. Meanwhile, the water level recorded this morning at Pong Dam on the Beas River was 1,393.50 feet, three and a half feet above the maximum level. The inflow was 130,344 cusecs, and the outflow was 55,020 cusecs. It has been more than a month that the level at the dam has remained above the upper limit of 1,390 feet due to heavy rains in the catchment area. The mean outflow in September during the last 10 years ranged between 9,622 cusecs and 14,852 cusecs, as per information available with the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). The water level at Bhakra Dam today was 1,676.14 feet, four feet below the maximum level of 1,680 feet. The inflow was 87,337 cusecs, and the outflow was 50,000 cusecs. The mean outflow during this month over the last 10 years was between 16,781 cusecs and 32,351 cusecs.
Punjab panchayats pass resolutions asking migrant labourers without documents to leave
CHANDIGARH: Following in the footsteps of Maharashtrawhich has often been in the spotlight for targeting outsiders amid the Maha Marathi rowseveral panchayats in Punjab are now passing resolutions directing migrant labourers to leave their villages. Around 27 villages in Hoshiarpur district have passed such resolutions, announcing that they will no longer issue residence verification (residence certificates) to migrant labourers in their respective areas. Migrants without valid documents issued in Punjab are being asked to leave within a week. According to the resolutions, those without proper paperwork will not be allowed to reside in these villages. These decisions come in the wake of the gruesome murder of a five-year-old boy in Hoshiarpur on September 9, allegedly by a migrant worker. The incident has triggered growing resentment against migrant populations across various parts of the state. The Chabbewal Panchayat passed its resolution on Sunday. Charanjit Singh, a panchayat member and husband of sarpanch Reena Sidhu, confirmed that many other villages in the region have either passed similar resolutions or are in the process of doing so. There is unity among villages across communities and castes on this issue, he added. On September 13, a meeting was held in Bajwara village, attended by sarpanches from around 27 hamlets, including Chak Sadhu, Nandan, Singhpur, Bassi Bahian, Dada, Kila Baroon, Allahabad, Bilaspur, and Anandgarh. A joint resolution was passed stating that panchayats would no longer attest any official documents of migrant workers lacking valid identity proof issued by the Punjab government. It was also resolved that such migrants would not be allowed to stay in the villages. A formal request was submitted to Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain for administrative support in implementing these resolutions. Similar decisions were also reported from Jaja and Zahura villages in the Tanda sub-division. Bajwara sarpanch Rajesh Kumar alias Bobby Mahe said: Migrants without valid identity documents have been asked to vacate the villages. Those already living here with documents such as Aadhaar or PAN have been informed that their relatives arriving from outside will not be eligible for any verification by the panchayat. He further stated that migrant workers residing on rent would only be allowed to do so if their landlords submit a written undertaking to the panchayat, taking full responsibility for them. Mahe claimed that around 200-250 migrant labourers currently live in Bajwara. He alleged that many of them have illegally encroached upon panchayat land, building permanent houses with electricity meters and water connections without paying rent or obtaining legal permission. A complaint regarding these encroachments was reportedly submitted to the Deputy Commissioner on September 8. He added that approximately 25 panchayats in the district have passed resolutions to withhold document verification for migrants since the September 9 incident. The Baddla Panchayat's resolution specifically mentioned members of the Gujjar community, who are also migrants. It instructed that any migrant with criminal records must report to sarpanch Kamlesh Rani. The resolution further stated that individuals with Aadhaar cards showing Baddla village as their address must submit photocopies of their documents to the sarpanch. Additionally, farmers employing such workers are required to provide written details about them. In Purhiran village, which also has a significant migrant population, a similar resolution was passed. Elsewhere, two village panchayats in Bathinda districtDeepes and Gehari Bhagipassed comparable resolutions. The Deepes village panchayat even held a protest, declaring that outsiders will not be permitted in the village. Labourers were instructed to stay near tube well motors rather than inside the village. Farmers hiring migrants must also ensure that their police verification is completed. In Gehari Bhagi, the diktat was even more extreme. The resolution stated: Migrants cannot purchase property or homes in the village. They are prohibited from registering voter IDs or Aadhaar cards with village addresses. They may only reside in tube wells or farm huts, not within village residential limits. Farmers employing them will be held entirely responsible and must ensure police verification. Even Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Sidhu Pur backed the resolutions, claiming that migrants, particularly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, are disrupting the social fabric of the region. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann responded to the village panchayats' stance by cautioning against any form of discrimination. He said, Tomorrow, Punjabis with businesses in Raipur (Chhattisgarh) or Kolkata could be targeted the same way. There cannot be such discrimination. Earlier this year, in July, the Lakhanpur Garcha Patti village panchayat in Fatehgarh Sahib district ordered all illegally residing migrants to vacate within a week. The resolution cited harassment of women and children by migrants loitering in the area. Sarpanch Barinder Singh Binda said that while migrants initially came to work in fields, many had permanently settled near canal banks in unauthorized shanties. Last year, similar controversial measures were adopted by Jandpur and Mundo Sangtia village panchayats in SAS Nagar district. On November 24, the Jawaharke village panchayat in Mansa district went even further by passing a resolution that prohibited residents from marrying migrants. The panchayat warned that any resident violating the order would be expelled from the village.
CHANDIGARH: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura, who represents the Khadoor Sahib Assembly constituency, was sentenced on Friday to four years of imprisonment in a case related to the molestation and assault of a Dalit woman. Additional Sessions Judge of Tarn Taran, Prem Kumar, handed down the sentence in connection with the 2013 assault and molestation case. Lalpura was convicted on September 10. Subsequently, he was arrested and remanded into custody. According to the victims counsel, Amit Dhawan, the case was registered under Sections 323, 324, and 354 of the IPC, along with provisions of the SC/ST Act. In total, 12 persons were convicted: seven have been arrested, one is deceased, one is already lodged in Tihar Jail, and three others, who are wanted in connection with the case, are still absconding. The victim told the media that she was satisfied with the verdict, as she had to fight a long and difficult battle against the accused. At the time of the 2013 incident, Lalpura was working as a taxi driver. The incident occurred at a wedding hall in Tarn Taran, where the victim was allegedly caned by police personnel from the Tarn Taran police station, along with Lalpura. She was also molested during the police assault. Lalpura was arrested days after another AAP MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra from Sanaur was booked for rape and cheating. He escaped from the custody of Patiala police from Karnal in Haryana. In June this year the state vigilance bureau had arrested Raman Arora, AAP MLA representing Jalandhar (Central) constituency in a corruption case. A corporation official was also involved in the case. In February, 2023 Amit Rattan Kotfatta MLA representing Bathinda (Rural) constituency was arrested in a graft case. In 2022, a few months after the AAP government came to power, the then health minister and Mansa MLA Vijay Singla was arrested on corruption charges. These arrests have dented the image of the ruling party. A senior AAP leader on condition of anonymity said that all these controversies have hurt the public perception of the government which now needs to be improved. On the other hand, the party leadership claimed that the arrests of these legislators are evidence enough that the government is committed to zero tolerance for wrongdoing. Spokesman of Punjab AAP, Neel Garg said that, he law has taken its own course Lalpura's case. The incident for which he was sentenced took place before he became an MLA. Our stand is clear. We'll not defend any person involved in wrong doings, he added.
Doctors save life of old man, perform mechanical thrombectomy at Max Hospital
Excelsior Correspondent BATHINDA, Sept 11: Doctors at Max Super Speciality Hospital today saved the life of a 70-year-old man suffering from an acute pulmonary embolism, a serious and potentially fatal condition caused by a blood clot blocking the blood vessels in the lungs. The patient was rushed to the hospitals emergency department in a critical state, presenting with sudden shortness of breath and a brief loss of consciousness. Tests revealed dangerously low oxygen levels, extremely high lung artery pressure and [] The post Doctors save life of old man, perform mechanical thrombectomy at Max Hospital appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
SC to hear Kangana Ranaut's plea for quashing defamation case related to 2020-21 farmers' protests
NEW DELHI: The SC is scheduled to hear on September 12 the appeal filed by actor-turned-politician, Kangana Ranaut, challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court's rejection of her plea seeking quashing of a case. The case pertains to her alleged defamatory remarks in connection with the 2020-21 farmers' protests. As per the causelist, a two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta is scheduled to hear the appeal of Ranaut. The actor-turned-politician has moved the top court, after the Punjab and Haryana HC, in its August 1 order, dismissed Ranauts plea for quashing the complaint, filed by one, 73-year-old Mahinder Kaur from Bahadurgarh Jandian village in Punjabs Bathinda district. The Bollywood actor has also moved the apex court challenging the summoning order issued by a Bathinda magistrate on February 22, 2022. Kaur, in her complaint alleged that Ranaut had allegedly made false imputations and remarks against her by referring to her as the same dadi; namely Bilkis Bano, who had been part of the Shaheen Bagh protest and featured in international media coverage, including the 'Time' magazine. Kaur further claimed that she had no connection to the Shaheen Bagh protester referenced in the tweet and that the comparison (by her) was incorrect, defamatory, and injurious to her reputation. She filed the complaint against Ranaut under Sections 499 and 500 (Defamation) of the now-repealed Indian Penal Code (IPC) arose from a retweet by the actor. Earlier the Punjab and Haryana HC, while dismissing Ranauts plea, noted in its order that the magistrate had duly applied mind to the material on record before issuing the summoning order. The HC had rejected Ranauts plea, as it held that the commission of an offence under Sections 499 and 500 of the IPC was prima facie established and that the filing of the complaint could not be considered mala fide.
CHANDIGARH: The AAP-led Punjab Government is set to introduce a new policy allowing farmers to remove sand from flood-hit fields, and to sell extracted sand for additional income. Punjab Incharge of AAP Manish Sisodia, today announced that the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government is set to bring major relief for farmers affected by the recent floods. The state government will soon announce a policy to allow farmers to freely remove sand deposited in their fields due to the floods, ensuring agricultural activities can resume without delay. Sisodia said, The floods have destroyed crops, damaged homes, and claimed livestock. But the biggest concern of our farmers right now is the sand left behind in their fields, which could make future farming impossible. We have taken their feedback seriously. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has already discussed this issue with officials and assured that a clear policy will be announced in the next few days to allow farmers to remove the sand from their fields without any bureaucratic hurdles. He added that the decision will not only help farmers prepare their land for the next sowing season but also provide them with an opportunity to sell the sand if it can be used for construction purposes. AAP, BJP trade charges over cause of Punjab floods as Congress blames both for collective failure This will be a double relief, the land will be cleared for crops, and farmers can also earn some income from selling the sand, Sisodia said. He claimed that the Mann government has been working round-the-clock to support people affected by the floods. All our ministers, MLAs, and volunteers have been on the ground providing relief. I personally visited many districts and villages, met with farmers, understood their problems, and assured them that the government stands firmly with them, he said. Sisodia pointed out that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and other senior leaders spoke to the Chief Minister, no concrete financial assistance has been announced yet. Punjabs rightful dues of over Rs 60,000 crore, including Rs 58,000 crore of GST, are pending with the Centre. If this amount had been released earlier, relief and rehabilitation work could have progressed much faster. I urge the Prime Minister to release Punjabs dues before his visit on September 9 , he said. Punjab Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that 504 cattle or buffaloes, 73 sheep and goats and 160 pigs have perished across 14 districts. These districts include Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Barnala, Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Tarn Taran, Patiala, Jalandhar, Rupnagar and Moga. Additionally, 18,304 poultry birds died in Gurdaspur, Rupnagar and Fazilka due to the collapse of poultry sheds. He further said that approximately 2.52 lakhs animals and 5,88,685 poultry birds were affected by the floods. Khudian added that 481 teams have been deployed to provide treatment and arrange medicines for affected livestock. Till now, 22,534 animals have been provided treatment. He further said that the department has distributed relief supplies, including over 12,170 quintals of feed and 5090.35 quintals of green fodder, dry fodder and silage, to support livestock in flood-affected districts, in collaboration with the district administration and social organisations. Uromin licks are also being supplied to the animals to boost their immune system. Principal Secretary Animal Husbandry Rahul Bhandari said that the department has already released a total of Rs 31.50 lakh for the treatment of animals affected by the floods. Meanwhile Rajya Sabha Member, Sanjay Singh and Punjab Panchayat Minister, Tarunpreet Singh Sond visited flood-affected border villages of Fazilka district on September 7. Singh said that Punjab has been battling floods for nearly a month, yet the Centre continues to wait for reports instead of providing immediate relief. He expressed hope that during his visit to Punjab on September 9, the Prime Minister will announce a substantial relief package for the affected areas. He said that even though the Union Agriculture Minister had earlier visited Punjab, no relief has been provided so far. While Sond stated that relief operations in the district are being carried out with full speed. He added that as water levels begin to recede, the administration is gearing up for the next set of challenges. These include the risk of waterborne diseases and assessment of damages. He emphasised that medical teams, veterinary units, and district administration officials are actively working in the affected villages to ensure that every person in need receives relief supplies.
Beas river records highest-ever inflow; BBMB ensures controlled release of Bhakra Dam in Punjab
CHANDIGARH: The Beas river has recorded its highest-ever inflow of water this year, touching 11.70 billion cubic meters (BCM) between July 1 and September 5. Despite the unprecedented inflow, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) maintained a controlled release of not more than one lakh cusecs. BBMB chairman Manoj Tripathi said this years inflow was 20% higher than in 2023, when Beas received 9.52 BCM, and well above the previous highs of 7.94 BCM in 1988 and 5 BCM in 2019. This years inflow is unprecedented. Never before has the Beas carried such volumes, he said. At the Bhakra Dam, the reservoir recorded an inflow of 9.11 BCM. Tripathi noted that the highest inflow had been in 1988 at 9.52 BCM, followed by 8.59 BCM in 2019. The inflow this year is almost equivalent to those years, he added. Importantly, the water level has not crossed the maximum permissible mark of 1,680 feet. In 1988, the level had gone above 1,685 feet, but this year it is around 1,679 feet, Tripathi said. He explained that a rule curve for water regulation was introduced last year after the 2023 floods, in consultation with the Central Water Commission (CWC). The rule curve prescribes how much water should be stored at a given date, based on historical inflows and IMD data. We are strictly adhering to it, he said. Referring to the Pong Dam, Tripathi said that despite receiving the maximum inflow this year, the release was kept at 1.51 lakh cusecs, lower than in 2023. Even though the inflows were above one lakh cusecs for several days, we avoided sudden discharges of 22.5 lakh cusecs. The releases have been gradual, controlled, and done with the consent of all partner states, strictly following the rule curve, he explained. He also clarified that water release decisions are not arbitrary but are taken by a technical committee comprising BBMB members, chief engineers of partner states, and the CWC. Yesterday, 85,000 cusecs were released from Bhakra, and today, after inputs from Ludhiana, the outflow was reduced to 75,000 cusecs, Tripathi said. Sources said the Ludhiana deputy commissioner had sent an SOS to BBMB after reports that embankments along the Sutlej were facing breaches. The Ludhiana administration has since sounded an alert, with embankments in the eastern part of the district under heavy pressure due to the strong river flow. Villages including Sasrali, Boont, Rawat, Hawas, Seera, Boothgarh, Mangli Tanda, Dheri, Khawajke, Khassi Khurd, Mangli Kadar, Mattewara, Mangat, and Meharban are at risk of flooding if the embankment weakens further. Meanwhile, the Pong Dam water level stood at 1,394.71 feet, with inflows reducing to 1,05,950 cusecs and outflows at 99,763 cusecs. The flood situation in Punjab remains grim, with the death toll rising to 43. As many as 1,948 villages are inundated, impacting 3.84 lakh people. Of these, 21,929 have been evacuated, while crops on 1.72 lakh hectares (4.32 lakh acres) have been destroyed. According to official figures, the highest casualties have been reported from Hoshiarpur (7), Pathankot (6), Barnala and Amritsar (5 each), and Ludhiana and Bathinda (4 each). Three persons are missing in Pathankot. Punjab is facing one of its worst flood disasters in decades, caused by overflowing riversSutlej, Beas, Ravi, and Ghaggaralong with torrential rains in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
Punjab, Haryana Receive More Rain; Relief Work Underway In Flood-Hit Areas
Chandigarh, Sep 2: A fresh spell of rain lashed several parts of flood-hit Punjab and Haryana where swollen rivers have inundated large tracts of land and disrupted normal life, officials said on Tuesday. According to the weather department, several places in the two states received rain during the 24-hour period ending 8:30 am Tuesday. Among other places in Punjab, Amritsar received 18.3 mm rain, Patiala 70.5 mm, Bathinda 5 mm, Faridkot 1 mm, Gurdaspur 32.8 mm, Mansa 10 mm while [] The post Punjab, Haryana Receive More Rain; Relief Work Underway In Flood-Hit Areas appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Heavy rains lash several parts of Punjab, Haryana
CHANDIGARH: Rains lashed several parts of Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory Chandigarh on Monday, with Ludhiana logging the highest rainfall of 216.70 mm. According to the Met department here, several places in Punjab and Haryana received rain during the 24-hour period ending 8:30 am Monday. Among other places in Punjab which received rain included Amritsar (24.1 mm), Patiala (80.4 mm), Pathankot (3.6 mm), Bathinda (3 mm), Faridkot (10.2 mm), Gurdaspur (2.7 mm), SBS Nagar (112.7 mm), Mohali (64 mm), Mansa (42 mm) and Rupnagar (82.5 mm). Chandigarh, the joint capital of both states, received 76.5 mm of rainfall. Among other places in Haryana, Ambala recorded 48.4 mm, Hisar (11.8 mm), Karnal (12.8 mm), Narnaul (66 mm), Rohtak (13.4 mm), Sirsa (130 mm), Panchkula (57 mm), Panipat (33 mm) and Gurugram (9.5 mm). Punjab is under the grip of massive floods, caused by the swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets due to heavy rain in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Villages worst-affected by the floods were in Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar districts. Relief and rescue operations by the NDRF, Army, BSF, Punjab Police and district authorities continued on a war footing in the affected areas.
CHANDIGARH: The flood situation in Punjab has worsened due to incessant heavy rainfall, causing major rivers including the Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, and Ghaggar to swell. Out of Punjabs 23 districts, 22 have been affected so far. A total of 1,312 villages are impacted, nearly 3 lakh acres of standing crops have been inundated, and 26 people have lost their lives. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the release of Rs 60,000 crore in state funds that he claims are pending with the Union Government. Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian confirmed that the 1,312 affected villages include, 93 in Amritsar, 26 in Barnala, 21 in Bathinda, 1 in Fatehgarh Sahib, 92 in Fazilka, 107 in Ferozepur, 324 in Gurdaspur, 86 in Hoshiarpur, 55 in Jalandhar, 123 in Kapurthala, 26 in Ludhiana, 4 in Malerkotla, 77 in Mansa, 35 in Moga, 81 in Pathankot, 14 in Patiala, 2 in Rupnagar, 22 in Sangrur, 1 in SAS Nagar, 3 in SBS Nagar, 74 in Muktsar and 45 in Tarn Taran. Emergency response teams from the state machinery, along with NDRF, SDRF, the Army, and Punjab Police, are working round-the-clock to protect lives and property. Additional Chief Secretary and Financial Commissioner (Revenue), Anurag Verma, after inspecting villages along the Sutlej River in Ferozepur district, reported that nearly 3 lakh acres of land have been affected and around 1.25 lakh people are impacted by the floods. He added that the government has ordered a special girdawari (crop damage assessment) to provide compensation for crop losses. District authorities have been instructed to gather accurate loss data, and compensation will be disbursed per CM Manns directives. Currently, six NDRF teams are deployed in Gurdaspur and one each in Fazilka, Ferozepur, Pathankot, and Amritsar. Two SDRF teams are operational in Kapurthala. The Army, Navy, and Air Force are assisting in Kapurthala, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, and Pathankot, while BSF teams are engaged in Gurdaspur and Ferozepur. Punjab Police and Fire Brigade are also assisting in Kapurthala and Ferozepur. Additionally, 15 boats in Kapurthala, 12 in Ferozepur, and 4 in Pathankot are engaged in evacuations, with airlifting operations carried out where required. So far, 26 people have died in the floods, including an irrigation department employee who fell into the Ravi River last week while trying to open flood gates at the Madhopur barrage. Sources said that the Ghaggar River is also overflowing due to excess water from the Markanda and Tangri rivers. Water levels at Chika (Haryana), Khanauri (Sangrur), and Sardulgarh (Mansa) are very high, though still below the danger mark. CM writes to PM Modi In his letter to Prime Minister Modi, CM Mann said that Punjab is facing one of its worst flood disasters in decades, with around 1,300 villages and lakhs of people affected. He said heavy rains and dam releases caused severe flooding in Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Amritsar, Pathankot, Ferozepur, Fazilka, and Hoshiarpur. He noted that nearly 3 lakh acres of mainly paddy crops are submerged just weeks before harvest. Losses of livestock have also deeply affected rural families. The Chief Minister emphasized that Punjab has suffered a permanent revenue loss of Rs 49,727 crore due to the GST replacing VAT, with no compensation granted. Additionally, reductions in RDF and MDF have cost the state over Rs 8,000 crore, and the scrapping of PMGSY projects worth Rs 828 crore has further hurt development. He also slammed the existing State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms, calling them grossly inadequate. Current compensation for crop loss exceeding 33% stands at Rs 17,000 per hectare (or Rs 6,800 per acre). Mann stated the state government already tops this up to Rs 15,000 per acre, but given the extent of devastation, at least Rs 50,000 per acre should be provided. He urged a revision of SDRF norms and assured the Centre that Punjab would continue contributing its 25% share as per scheme guidelines. The Punjab government has extended school holidays till September 3. Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the decision was taken on CM Manns instructions to ensure student safety. He urged parents to prioritise their childrens well-being and requested teachers to stay in touch with district administrations to support community efforts. Schools were originally closed from August 27 to 30.
CHANDIGARH: The flood situation in Punjab has worsened due to incessant heavy rainfall, causing major rivers including the Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, and Ghaggar to swell. Out of Punjabs 23 districts, 22 have been affected so far. A total of 1,312 villages are impacted, nearly 3 lakh acres of standing crops have been inundated, and 26 people have lost their lives. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the release of 60,000 crore in state funds that he claims are pending with the Union Government. Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian confirmed that the 1,312 affected villages include, 93 in Amritsar, 26 in Barnala, 21 in Bathinda, 1 in Fatehgarh Sahib, 92 in Fazilka, 107 in Ferozepur, 324 in Gurdaspur, 86 in Hoshiarpur, 55 in Jalandhar, 123 in Kapurthala, 26 in Ludhiana, 4 in Malerkotla, 77 in Mansa, 35 in Moga, 81 in Pathankot, 14 in Patiala, 2 in Rupnagar, 22 in Sangrur, 1 in SAS Nagar, 3 in SBS Nagar, 74 in Muktsar and 45 in Tarn Taran. Emergency response teams from the state machinery, along with NDRF, SDRF, the Army, and Punjab Police, are working round-the-clock to protect lives and property. Additional Chief Secretary and Financial Commissioner (Revenue), Anurag Verma, after inspecting villages along the Sutlej River in Ferozepur district, reported that nearly 3 lakh acres of land have been affected and around 1.25 lakh people are impacted by the floods. He added that the government has ordered a special girdawari (crop damage assessment) to provide compensation for crop losses. District authorities have been instructed to gather accurate loss data, and compensation will be disbursed per CM Manns directives. Currently, six NDRF teams are deployed in Gurdaspur and one each in Fazilka, Ferozepur, Pathankot, and Amritsar. Two SDRF teams are operational in Kapurthala. The Army, Navy, and Air Force are assisting in Kapurthala, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, and Pathankot, while BSF teams are engaged in Gurdaspur and Ferozepur. Punjab Police and Fire Brigade are also assisting in Kapurthala and Ferozepur. Additionally, 15 boats in Kapurthala, 12 in Ferozepur, and 4 in Pathankot are engaged in evacuations, with airlifting operations carried out where required. So far, 26 people have died in the floods, including an irrigation department employee who fell into the Ravi River last week while trying to open flood gates at the Madhopur barrage. Sources said that the Ghaggar River is also overflowing due to excess water from the Markanda and Tangri rivers. Water levels at Chika (Haryana), Khanauri (Sangrur), and Sardulgarh (Mansa) are very high, though still below the danger mark. CM writes to PM Modi In his letter to Prime Minister Modi, CM Mann said that Punjab is facing one of its worst flood disasters in decades, with around 1,300 villages and lakhs of people affected. He said heavy rains and dam releases caused severe flooding in Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Amritsar, Pathankot, Ferozepur, Fazilka, and Hoshiarpur. He noted that nearly 3 lakh acres of mainly paddy crops are submerged just weeks before harvest. Losses of livestock have also deeply affected rural families. The Chief Minister emphasized that Punjab has suffered a permanent revenue loss of Rs 49,727 crore due to the GST replacing VAT, with no compensation granted. Additionally, reductions in RDF and MDF have cost the state over Rs 8,000 crore, and the scrapping of PMGSY projects worth Rs 828 crore has further hurt development. He also slammed the existing State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms, calling them grossly inadequate. Current compensation for crop loss exceeding 33% stands at Rs 17,000 per hectare (or Rs 6,800 per acre). Mann stated the state government already tops this up to Rs 15,000 per acre, but given the extent of devastation, at least Rs 50,000 per acre should be provided. He urged a revision of SDRF norms and assured the Centre that Punjab would continue contributing its 25% share as per scheme guidelines. The Punjab government has extended school holidays till September 3. Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the decision was taken on CM Manns instructions to ensure student safety. He urged parents to prioritise their childrens well-being and requested teachers to stay in touch with district administrations to support community efforts. Schools were originally closed from August 27 to 30.
Flood situation remains grim in eight districts of Punjab; dams near capacity
CHANDIGARH: The flood situation remained grim in eight districts of PunjabPathankot, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, and Amritsaras district administrations, with the help of the Army, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), continued relief and rescue operations. The water levels at Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams have already crossed the maximum limits, while at Bhakra dam, it is only nine feet short of full capacity. More than 300 government schools are likely to be affected by flood in these areas. The Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers, along with seasonal rivulets, rose following heavy rains in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, inundating large stretches of farmland and villages in Punjab. At Bhakra dam, the water level was recorded at 1671.85 feet, just nine feet below the maximum level of 1680 feet, with inflow at 38,583 cusecs and outflow at 52,584 cusecs. Pong dam stood at 1,393.36 feet, exceeding its maximum capacity of 1,390 feet, with inflow at 57,183 cusecs and outflow at 94,845 cusecs. Ranjit Sagar dam, which has a maximum limit of 527.91 meters, was at 525.49 meters, registering an inflow of 56,572 cusecs and outflow of 1.01 lakh cusecs. At Shahpur Kandi dam, the water level touched 399.60 meters against a maximum of 405 meters, with outflow at 89,932 cusecs. Punjab flood crisis deepens: rivers overflow, dams exceed limits, villages submerged Sources said if heavy inflows continue for another day or two, the increased release of water from reservoirs to maintain safe levels could worsen flooding in low-lying areas. In the Ramdass area of Amritsar district, around 40 villages have been submerged after the Dhussi Bandh on the Ravi river breached at three points, allowing water to enter nearby habitations. Army personnel are using vehicles and boats to rescue stranded people. Police have been making loudspeaker announcements urging residents to move to safer places as water continues to enter villages at high speed. Locals expressed concern that the rising waters could soon overflow into the Sakhi Nullah, posing a direct threat to Ajnala town. The highway is acting as a temporary barrier, but its capacity to hold back water is weakening. Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said that with water levels rising and more villages submerged, tractors and army vehicles are being used for rescue as roads have become impassable. She added that additional NDRF teams from Bathinda were on their way and more army assistance was being mobilised. Sawhney herself had to abandon her vehicle and switch to a tractor to oversee operations. The situation in Ferozepur district also remained serious, with over 2,000 people rescued from affected villages in the past 48 hours. Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma said 12 relief camps have been set up at Bagge Wala, Bare Ke, Dulchi Ke, Fatte Wala, Joege Wala, Dona Mathar, and Madi Ke. Meanwhile, the Punjab Education Department has begun assessing the damage caused to schools. Preliminary reports suggest over 300 senior secondary and elementary schools have been affected. The state government had already declared holidays from August 27 to 30. Sources said many government schools in Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, and Fazilka districts were inundated. Schools in Amritsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Ropar, and Nawanshahar districts have also been affected. Furniture and other infrastructure in schools are likely to have been damaged, and safety checks will need to be conducted before classes can resume, said an official.
Max Hospital raises awareness on Childrens Eye Health and Safety
Excelsior Correspondent BATHINDA, Aug 26: Aimed to raise awareness about childhood vision problems, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and encouraging timely medical intervention to help prevent blindness and other associated eye-health issues in children Max Super Speciality Hospital, Bathinda observed a childrens eye health and safety month. Stressing upon the need for early detection, Dr Kashish Gupta, senior Consultant, Ophthalmology, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Bathinda, said, Children often dont realise they are experiencing vision problems, routine eye exams can [] The post Max Hospital raises awareness on Childrens Eye Health and Safety appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
AAP revives old land scheme to plug revenue gap; Congress dubs it selling family silver
CHANDIGARH: After the land pooling scheme had to be withdrawn , now the cash-strapped Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab Government is set to reintroduce the more than two decades old Optimum Utilisation of Vacant Government Lands (OUVGL) Scheme in a new format - OUVGL Scheme 2.0 - as a potential scheme to earn much-needed revenue. Interestingly, it is the same policy which was first introduced by the then SAD-BJP Government in 1997, as AAP has been hitting out at both SAD and BJP for anti-people policies. Sources said most of the unutilised government land was encroached upon by unscrupulous elements and all department heads had been instructed to identify all vacant and unutilised land, including the encroached, within a few days. The government will first get the pool of land ready and then, based on the demand for housing for commercial or industrial use, get it developed at various places. Under the OUVGL Scheme 2.0 all prime unutilised state government properties are proposed to be transferred to Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) which will develop these properties into residential, commercial and industrial areas before auctioning them, said an official. Sources further pointed out that last week Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha took a meeting of all administrative secretaries to discuss how to implement this scheme and identify land or properties that can be transferred to PUDA for auctioning in the near future. The state government proposes to fund its populist schemes, including implementation of the Rs 1,100 per month for women, from the money it gets from this scheme and also use revenue for capital expenditure. Between April and July this year, the expenditure was Rs 41,352.80 crore but the government could only manage to get Rs 30,662.64 crore in revenue. Thus the revenue deficit in four months was around Rs 10,690.16 crore. The state government has raised a loan of Rs 12,191.52 crore during this period to meet its expenses. Under the land pooling scheme, the government was targeting a revenue of Rs 8,000 crore during this fiscal, but it has been withdrawn now. In the past, both SAD-BJP and Congress governments have also earned revenue under this OUVGL scheme. Punjab Congress President and Member of Parliament from Ludhiana, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, said that the OUVGL is an admission of bankruptcy in Punjab. After being forced to withdraw the land looting scheme the @AAPPunjab government has now come out with another idea of selling the family silver to make up for the huge financial losses it has subjected the state to, through the Optimum Utilization of Vacant Government Lands (OUVGL). This only proves that the AAP government has proved to be an economic and financial disaster for Punjab and pushed the state towards bankruptcy. You only sell the family silver once you have turned completely bankrupt after exhausting/squandering away all other resources, he wrote on X. Meanwhile, in another related development, in order to reinforce fiscal discipline and maximise revenue realisation, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema announced that the Punjab Excise Commissionerate has intensified efforts to recover long-pending excise arrears inherited from previous SAD-BJP and Congress governments. The department has already recovered Rs 1.85 crore in the current financial year 202526, and permission has been granted to sell 27 properties with a combined base value of Rs 20.31 crore (at Collector Rate), marking a significant step toward financial accountability. Cheema said that the auction process for these properties is now underway. As part of this recovery drive, 14 properties located in Muktsar, Fazilka, and Mansa districts will be auctioned during the first two weeks of September, he added. He said that six properties in Mansa and Bathinda districts, comprising agricultural and commercial, residential land with a base price of Rs 5.4 crore, will be auctioned on September 4. On September 8, four agricultural properties in Muktsar with a total base price of Rs 4.89 crore will go under the hammer. Another set of four agricultural properties in Muktsar and Fazilka, valued at Rs 1.99 crore, will be auctioned on September 11. He also announced that eight additional properties will be auctioned later in September, ensuring sustained momentum in the recovery campaign. He emphasised that the government anticipates substantial revenue recovery from 67 pending arrears cases within this financial year alone.
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Bathinda MP, has urged External Affairs Minister Jaishankar to address the US visa freeze for truck drivers. This follows a fatal crash involving a Punjabi trucker. Marco Rubio announced the pause due to safety concerns. Badal fears this will affect Punjabi families who dominate the trucking industry.
COAS Dwivedi Visits Chetak Corps At Bathinda Military Station
Bathinda, Aug 14: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi on Thursday visited the Chetak Corps at the Bathinda Military Station and the iconic Nagi War Memorial at Sriganganagar, officials said. During his visit, Gen Dwivedi was briefed by the general officer commanding, Chetak Corps, on the operational readiness of the units and the formations deployed in the sector, the prevailing security situation, training activities, and operational logistics, an official release said. General Dwivedi then laid a wreath at [] The post COAS Dwivedi Visits Chetak Corps At Bathinda Military Station appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Here's why Punjab govt struggles to raise revenue to fund its populist schemes
CHANDIGARH: After scrapping the controversial land pooling scheme, the cash-strapped AAP-led Punjab government seems to have landed itself in trouble. It is presently struggling to raise revenue to fund its populist schemes. In order to secure a loan to fund the schemes, the government has asked the Housing and Urban Development Department to prepare an inventory of the Rs 20,000 crore worth of property belonging to the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) for auctioning. The properties to be auctioned, after consultations with the Finance Department, includes residential, commercial and industrial sites in Mohali. This matter was discussed at a recent meeting headed by Chief Secretary KAP Sinha. However, GMADA at present owes a loan of nearly Rs 5,000 crore to financial institutions. Interestingly, out of the eight urban development authorities, only GMADA and the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority are financially viable in the state. The other six housing authorities, Amritsar, Bathinda, Patiala, Jalandhar, Anandpur Sahib (Urban) and Dera Baba Nanak, are allegedly unable to even meet their expenditure. Sources further said that a part of the total inventory could be used to raise a loan from financial institutions to fund populist schemes, such as providing Rs 1,100 monthly assistance to women above 18 years of age. Defending the move, sources claimed that this kind of practice is not new, as previous governments had also mortgaged assets of the state to raise loans and had even pledged future income to raise resources. During the SAD-BJP rule, the then government had raised a loan of Rs 2,000 crore by mortgaging its properties to banks. Later, the properties were transferred to the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) for auction after developing them under the optimum utilisation of vacant government land scheme. On the other hand, sources said that the decisions on proposals received from deputy commissioners of some districts for increasing the collector rates have been kept in abeyance for the time being. While the government has increased the collector rates by 550 per cent in 12 districts, the proposals sent by administrations of some of the remaining districts to the state revenue department have so far not been implemented. The Ludhiana administration had sent a proposal to increase the collector rates by 2540 per cent, which is still awaiting approval. In Bathinda, the rates have been increased by five per cent, but the approval for a further increase in some of the posh areas is awaiting clearance from the revenue department. It is learnt that the state government allegedly wanted to increase the revenue collection from stamps and registration to Rs 7,000 crore this year, compared to Rs 5,750 crore earned last year. Sources said that the government is yet to issue a notification to scrap the land pooling scheme, which was scrapped amid opposition from farmers unions. The notification is being prepared, said an official, adding that the government is likely to summon a cabinet meeting for scrapping the policy. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has decided to continue its protest against the land pooling policy until an official notification regarding its withdrawal is issued. The farmer leaders have asked the state government to clarify the issue by August 20, or they would be forced to intensify their struggle. Senior SKM leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said the farmers rally, to be held on August 24 in Samrala regarding the land pooling policy and other demands of farmers and labourers, would be held as announced.
Max Hospital introduces CORI surgical robot for joint replacement surgeries
Excelsior Correspondent BATHINDA, Aug 8: Max Super Speciality Hospital today announced the launch of CORI surgical robot, a state-of-the-art robotics-assisted platform for joint replacement surgeries. With this launch, Max Hospital, Bathinda, has become a robotics-equipped facility offering advanced knee and hip replacement surgeries. Addressing a press conference, Dr Dilveer Brar, Director Orthopedics & Joint replacement at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Bathinda said, This new robotic navigation technology allows patients to benefit from the combination of human insight and the experience [] The post Max Hospital introduces CORI surgical robot for joint replacement surgeries appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
