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Punjab government to hold special assembly session against replacement of MGNREGA with VB G RAM G
CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government will convene a special session of the state assembly next month to protest the replacement of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB G RAM G), which it views as the union governments attempt to hit the livelihoods of the poor. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said, The BJP government at the Centre is trying to hit the livelihoods of the poor by replacing the MGNREGA scheme. A special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha will be called in the second week of January to raise the voice of Punjabis against this oppression. The decision to convene the special assembly session was taken by the partys top leaders, including AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, on Thursday evening. Kejriwal is currently on a three-day tour of the state. The previous special session of the Vidhan Sabha, held on November 24, was prorogued by the Governor on December 17. Meanwhile, several unions have begun protesting against the replacement of MGNREGA with VB G RAM G. Lachman Singh Sewewal, general secretary of Punjab Khet Mazdoor Unions, said protests were held yesterday in Bathinda, Moga, Muktsar, Faridkot, and Sangrur, where effigies of the Central Government were burnt. He added that the change in the scheme would remove assured employment in rural areas and was being introduced to erase the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi. The VB G RAM G Bill was recently introduced in Parliament and passed amid protests by opposition MPs. Since the new funding model will require states to contribute financially, its implementation could pose a challenge for cash-strapped states like Punjab. Punjab AAP spokesperson Neel Garg alleged that the union government has relied on hollow slogans and political theatrics to mislead the public while systematically eroding welfare guarantees for the poorest. This is not merely a change of name, nor about removing Mahatma Gandhis name. The real issue is that the Centre has effectively sounded the death knell for MGNREGA and is trying to hide its anti-labour agenda behind manufactured TV debates and distractions, he said. Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said the move was not a routine policy adjustment but a direct assault on Mahatma Gandhis legacy and a calculated rollback of one of independent Indias most transformative social security legislations. He warned that shifting MGNREGA from 100% central funding to a 60:40 CentreState cost-sharing formula would place an unbearable fiscal burden on financially stressed states. This decision arms the Centre with another tool to discriminate against opposition-ruled states by arbitrarily curtailing funds. It strikes at the foundation of cooperative federalism and threatens a crucial employment lifeline for rural India, Bajwa asserted. Highlighting Punjabs financial challenges, he said the BJP has consistently squeezed opposition-ruled states by withholding the Rural Development Fund (RDF) and delaying GST compensation. Punjab and several other states were forced to fight for their legitimate GST dues. In such a hostile fiscal environment, imposing additional financial liabilities will only push cash-starved states deeper into distress, he added. Bajwa emphasised that the BJPs policy shift would disproportionately harm societys most vulnerable sections. Dalits, landless labourers, and marginalized rural workers will bear the brunt of this regressive decision. This is not reformit is ideological vandalism and an unapologetic attack on social justice, he stated. The Shiromani Akali Dal also expressed concern over the Centres proposal to institute a 60:40 cost-sharing ratio, calling it fundamentally unacceptable as it diluted the core essence of the scheme and undermined its primary objective of guaranteeing livelihood security through wage employment in rural areas.
Punjab rural polls: Warring calls AAP win stolen glory
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring accused AAP of manipulating the rural mandate, claiming the party was asking in stolen glory. He asserted that AAP did not sweep the elections but rather stole them, a fact known to all parties and the public.
Haryana Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to commemorate Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji's 350th martyrdom year. The state government, in collaboration with religious committees, organized numerous events, including processions, a grand congregation attended by the Prime Minister, blood donation camps, and essay competitions, honoring the Guru's legacy and teachings.
Punjab rural polls: SAD show hints at south Malwa revival
Shiromani Akali Dal has shown signs of revival in southern Malwa, securing control of Bathinda and Muktsar zila parishads and a significant number of panchayat samitis. The party's strong performance in Bathinda, represented by Harsimrat Kaur Badal, highlights its resurgence in rural areas.
Punjab rural polls: BJP gets 1 vote in Bhagwant Mann's village
In Punjab's rural elections, the BJP secured a meager seven zila parishad seats and 73 panchayat samiti zones, with one village registering a single BJP vote. Despite its urban base, the party actively expanded its rural presence, facing no hostile reactions unlike previous polls. Significant resources were deployed for visibility, though electoral success remained limited.
Punjab's countryside has delivered a decisive verdict, with the Aam Aadmi Party dominating rural polls, securing a significant majority of zila parishad and panchayat samiti seats. This outcome signals AAP's deep appeal in villages, while the Congress faces a stark reality check. The BJP made tentative gains, and the SAD saw symbolic victories.
Arvind Kejriwal highlighted that AAP's victory in rural polls was fair, noting 261 seats won by AAP with margins under 100 votes, while opposition parties secured 319 such seats. He cited several close contests across districts, including Congress winning by as few as three votes in multiple zones, to underscore the integrity of the election process.
The Aam Aadmi Party has achieved a significant victory in Punjab's zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections, securing a majority of seats. This win is being hailed by party leaders as a clear endorsement of their government's policies and a testament to their growing influence in rural areas.
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NT Reporter Porvorim Chandigarh hold all the cards heading into the final day of their Cooch Behar Trophy (Elite Group D) clash after carving out a hefty 149-run first-innings lead over Goa at the GCA Academy ground, before the hosts offered some resistance with the bat late on Day 3. Replying to Goas 308, Chandigarh [] The post Goa trail by 43 runs appeared first on The Navhind Times .
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CHANDIGARH: The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has swept the zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections across the state. Of the 2,838 panchayat samitis, the AAP won 1531, Congress 612, Shiromani Akali Dal 445, BJP 83, BSP 28 and independents 144. The ruling party also won 218 zila parishads, while the Congress bagged 62, SAD 46, BJP 7, BSP 3 and independents 10. AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal said his party's strong showing in these polls showed that people in rural areas have put their stamp of approval on the Bhagwant Mann-led government. He said the verdict reflects peoples trust in the Mann governments politics of work spanning the Yudh Nashe Virudh (war against drugs), irrigation reforms, reliable electricity, road construction, employment, education and healthcare. Kejriwal said, Around 70 per cent of the seats in both the zila parishads and block samitis have been won by the AAP. In political terms, what is usually described as an anti-incumbency factor, I believe has instead turned into a pro-incumbency factor. People are very happy with the work done by the government and that is why they have endorsed it so strongly. Citing detailed figures, he said, There are 580 seats across Punjab that were won with a margin of less than 100 votes. Out of these 580 seats, the AAP won 261 seats by a margin of less than 100 votes, while the opposition won 319 seats. If there had been any misuse of machinery or pressure tactics, all it would have taken was a single phone call to a DC or an SDM, and those 319 seats won by the opposition could easily have gone in our favour. We did not do that. We wanted to see the true will of the people. He claimed that such close results clearly showed that the government had not interfered in the electoral process. For a ruling party, it is not difficult to swing a seat decided by one, four or five votes if there is any interference. The fact that this did not happen shows that people have genuinely endorsed the work of the present government, he said. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also said that the opposition's hue and cry was baseless, claiming that the results show that the entire process of election was transparent, free and fair. In Dhuri, Congress won by nine votes, in Jhunir it won by 30, in Bharatgarh by 40 votes and even in the area represented by former CM Charanjit Singh Channi, who indulged in a lot of tantrums to mislead people, Congress had won comfortably. If the government had indulged in high-handedness, like the previous regimes, then the Congress and SAD would not have won these seats, he asserted. Polling was held on December 14 to elect members for 347 zones of 22 zila parishads and 2,838 zones of 153 panchayat samitis. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said even AAP leaders know how these elections were fought and how the administration and police were misused like in the previous byelections. He pointed out that one senior police officer is under probe on allegations of directing his junior staff to prevent opposition candidates from filing the nomination papers. He said that despite the AAP governments abuse of power, the Congress candidates managed to do reasonably well. If the Congress could provide such an impressive fight when the odds were heavily against us, imagine what we can achieve once it will be a level playing field during the 2027, he noted, while expressing confidence that the party will stage a comeback.
ED conducts fresh raids in dunki route case
CHANDIGARH, Dec 18: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted fresh searches in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation in a case linked to illegally transporting Indians to the US through the dunki route, officials said. The federal probe agency had in July conducted the first round of raids and recently attached assets worth Rs 5 crore of some travel agents after identifying some alleged accused operatives who were behind this illegal racket. Thursdays [] The post ED conducts fresh raids in dunki route case appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Ticket Refunds Are The Responsibility Of The State Association (UPCA): BCCI
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia: After the fourth T20I between India and South Africa was abandoned due to excessive fog and poor visibility, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia said that the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) is the competent authority to oversee a full refund for ticket holders. The abandonment of the match sparked frustration among spectators, who are expecting a refund for their tickets. Under the BCCI's refund policy, spectators are eligible for reimbursement (minus fees) if a match is cancelled or abandoned before a single ball is bowled. That is under the domain of the state cricket association, which is UPCA. So, this games hosting state is the UPCA. So, they will be able to tell you about this, and they are the competent authority. Everything in ticketing is done by the state association, as the BCCI just gives them the hosting rights and all these things are taken care of and are under the domain of the state association, Saikia told IANS on Thursday. Repeated inspections by on-field umpires K.N. Ananthapadmanabhan and Rohan Pandit, along with reserve umpire J.R. Madanagopal, didnt yield the desired outcome as the game was eventually called off at 9.30 pm. Due to the match being abandoned at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, India holds a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, with the fifth and final game set to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday. The abandonment of the fourth T20I has reignited debate over the BCCIs scheduling of international games in winter months, particularly with this series against South Africa seen as a part of vital preparation ahead of the Mens T20 World Cup in February-March. This was the first time a T20I was staged in Lucknow in December, and it now carries the unwanted distinction of hosting Indias first major international match abandoned due to excessive fog. Indias seam-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya was even spotted wearing a mask in the middle, underscoring the severity of fog and the Air Quality Index (AQI), which remained hazardous. The scheduling of fixtures in North Indian winters has long been a contentious issue, and Saikia felt Wednesdays game being abandoned in Lucknow was just an exceptional situation. No, it is a solitary weather situation. Normally we have this kind of weather in the month of January. This time it is quite early, number one, and number two, we had a match in Dharamsala also the other day. Dharamsala is a much colder place. So you cannot predict fog, and rain. Nowadays cricket is a throughout the year annual event for 12, and we have to have the matches. When we saw that there were big disturbances from fog in northern India in the month of January, we already restructured our domestic cricket matches. That's why there is a big gap between Ranji Trophy matches in North India. If you look at our schedule, we have bifurcated the Ranji Trophy matches into two parts. During the first part of January, we are not scheduling any matches in North India from last year onwards, if you follow that. This Lucknow incident is an exceptional weather condition. We had three matches in North India - one in Chandigarh, Dharamshala and one in Lucknow - all are in the same build, he elaborated. Saikia also gave an example of how prior advice on smog affecting New Delhi after Diwali had led to the national capital hosting the second Test against the West Indies in October, instead of the originally decided series opener against South Africa. If we had got any sense that there will be something like this, you can take the example of rescheduling or swapping of the Test match in New Delhi. If you look at the West Indies match, the second Test was played in New Delhi. In fact, the second Test was scheduled to happen in Kolkata. Saikia also gave an example of how prior advice on smog affecting New Delhi after Diwali had led to the national capital hosting the second Test against the West Indies in October, instead of the originally decided series opener against South Africa. Also Read: Live Cricket Score I don't think Lucknow always has this kind of fog at this part of the time. Maybe in the first part of January, it is normal, but we are still in the second or third week of December. We still have 15 days time to be in that situation. That is one of the tough things we saw yesterday, and for this, we cannot have any kind of rescheduling, he concluded. Article Source: IANS
Dense Fog Disrupts Flights Across North and East India, Airlines Issue Advisories
Airlines including Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet issue advisories as dense fog and poor visibility disrupt flight operations in Delhi, Chandigarh, Patna, and other regions.
Dense fog and reduced visibility have led to numerous IndiGo flight cancellations across major Indian airports on December 18th. The airline is prioritizing safety amidst winter operational challenges, with many affected flights originating from or destined for Chandigarh. Passengers are advised to check their flight status and allow extra travel time.
Fog conditions may impact flight operations in northern and eastern India
NEW DELHI : Dense fog conditions that could cause poor visibility may impact flight operations at Delhi and some airports in Northern and Eastern India over the next few days. The fog impact was minimal on Thursday, with ten flights cancelled from Indira Gandhi International Airport, including one international flight. A total of 69 flights suffered delays of multiple hours, and many of them could eventually be added to the cancelled list, said a spokesperson at Delhi airport. In an official statement issued late Thursday night, Air India said, Over the next few days, potential dense fog conditions resulting in poor visibility may impact flight operations at our primary hub in Delhi and at a few airports in Northern and Eastern India, with a cascading effect on some other cities across our network. The airline urged the public to check flight status on the Air India website before heading to the airport. Air India has taken several proactive measures to mitigate fog-related disruptions. However, despite our efforts, if dense fog leads to sudden cancellations or prolonged delays, our ground colleagues will be available round-the-clock to make alternative arrangements. The FogCare initiative allows passengers booked on flights that are likely to be affected during the fog window to receive advance alerts on their registered phone numbers, with the option to change their flights without any additional payment or seek a full refund without penalty. IndiGo, in a statement, said that low visibility and fog over Chandigarh around midnight have impacted flight schedules at the airport. Flights cannot take off when visibility is below 125 metres. They may, however, be able to land when visibility is up to 100 metres. AQI improves to very poor, fog to stay this week
IndiGo flight Status December 18: Check list of cancelled flights from major Indian Airports today
IndiGo cancelled flights today: At least 11 flights were cancelled at Chandigarh Airport today due to dense fog and low visibility, Indigo said in a statement. At the Delhi Airport, the flight operations continue to be normal. For the past few days, flight operations have been disrupted owing to the adverse weather conditions in northern India.
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