Latest Punjab News

• Vigilance nabs senior assistant for taking bribe of Rs.20,000 • Tandrust Punjab Mission successful in safeguarding saving soil health • PSIEC announces mega auction of industrial & commercial properties during festival season in different parts of Punjab • Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa formally initiates Dera Baba Online Yuva Utsav competition • Deception attempt by FBO foiled in Sunam Vigilance nabs senior assistant for taking bribe of Rs.20,000 Chandigarh, October 4, 2019: Punjab Vigilance Bureau nabbed a Senior Assistant (SA) posted at Tehsil Office, Jalandhar red handed accepting bribe of Rs.20,000. Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau (VB) said Senior Assistant Rajan Chauhan was nabbed red handed on the complaint of Hemant Kumar of Jalandhar city. The complainant has approached the VB alleging that the accused SA was demanding Rs 20,000 to register mutation of land in the name of his father and uncle. After verifying his information, the vigilance team laid a trap and the accused SA was arrested on the spot while taking bribe of Rs. 20,000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses. He informed that a case under prevention of corruption act has been registered against the accused at VB police station Jalandhar and further investigation was under progress. *** Tandrust Punjab Mission successful in safeguarding saving soil health Chandigarh, October 4, 2019: Tandrust Punjab Mission, the flagship programme of State government has served its purpose in a big way by successfully safeguarding the soil health through optimising the use of chemical fertilizers, informed KS Pannu, Director Tandrust Punjab Mission. Giving details, Pannu informed that it was observed that farmers in Punjab were using fertilizers in excess of the recommendations of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Therefore, the matter was taken up in mission mode under Tandrust Punjab Mission during last three crops. As a result, the consumption of Urea which was 15.43 Lac ton in Kharif 2017 reduced by 86000 tonnes to 14.57 Lac tons in Kharif 2018. The consumption of Urea further decreased by 82000 tonnes to 13.75 Lac tons in Kharif 2019. The cumulative reduction in usage of Urea within two years of launch of Tandrust Punjab Mission is 168000 tonnes, said he and added that this has resulted in rendering savings of Rs. 100.80 crores to the farmers. Pannu futher informed that as per the recommendations of PAU, Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) is not required to be added to Paddy crop, as the farmers add the same in the wheat crop which leads to retaining of Phosphorous in the fields for a period of one year. However, farmers of Punjab had been unnecessarily and unknowingly using DAP in the Paddy crop. Therefore, a special awareness campaign was launched in Kharif 2018 through audio visual aids and by holding large scale camps at the village level. Resultantly, the consumption of DAP which was recorded as 2.21 lac ton in kharif, 2017 reduced by 46000 tonnes in kharif, 2018 to 1.75 lac tonnes. Similarly, it further reduced to 1.42 lac tonns in kharif 2019, giving a net reduction of 33000 tonnes in kharif, 2019. The cumulative reduction in usage of DAP in two seasons is 79000 tonnes. Thus, farmers saved Rs. 115 crore in kharif 2018 and further saved a sum of Rs. 82.50 crore in 2019 with total savings by avoiding the usage of DAP being to the tune of Rs.197.50 crore. Generating savings of Rs. 100.80 crores on urea and Rs 197.50 crore on DAP, Tandrust Punjab Mission has managed to successfully retain nearly Rs.300 crore in the farmers kitty coupled with preserving soil health.This reduction in cost for curtailing the use of fertilizer does not include reduction in the cost of labour to add the fertilizer in the fields, said Pannu. Detailing the modus operandi for curtailing usage of chemical fertilizers, he said print media advertisements were taken up on a large scale in the State to make the farmers aware about the advantages of optimum use of fertilizer and electronic media campaign was launched through IFFCO. Besides, a large number of field camps were organized with the farmers and the dealers of fertilizers to ensure that the farmers add only the recommended dose of fertilizers. Moreover, TV and Radio talks were undertaken to achieve the objective. Regular meetings too were held at the State level by Secretary Agriculture with fertilizer companies and district heads of Agriculture Department to monitor the campaign, said he. *** PSIEC announces mega auction of industrial & commercial properties during festival season in different parts of Punjab Chandigarh, October 4, 2019: The Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation Ltd. (PSIEC) would hold auction of Industrial plots and Commercial Sites in different Focal Points developed in the State of Punjab during on-going festival season. Disclosing this here today, the Industry and Commerce Minister Sunder Sham Arora said that advertisement for this purpose would be released in the second week of October 2019 covering industrial plots of various sizes in the Focal Points at Abohar, Amritsar, Batala, Goindwal Sahib, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Mandi Gobindgarh, Mohali, Nawanshahar, and Pathankot. Arora further stated that considering the demand of entrepreneurs and inhabitants of the respective areas, commercial sites of varying sizes in the first phase would also be put to auction in the Industrial Focal Points covering Amritsar, Mohali, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar. Besides, commercial areas in Industrial Focal Points at Derabassi, Chanalon, Nangal and Khanna are also being planned keeping in view the aspirations of industry. The commercial sites in these areas would be put to auction in the second phase. Gurpreet Singh Bassi, Chairman, PSIEC informed that PSIEC shall be soon auctioning key commercial chunk of land located in Phase IX, Mohali in close vicinity to Airport road which is expected to bring in more world class brands in the State. This 2.5 acres of land situated adjoining Bestech Mall would encompass shopping complex/ multiplex. Vini Mahajan, Additional Chief Secretary, Industries and Commerce added that the PSIEC has also planned the disposal of available residential plots developed in the different Focal Points covering Amritsar, Chanalon, Patiala, Bathinda, Goindwal Sahib, Ludhiana, Nangal, Pathankot, Malout, and Tanda. The advertisement for this purpose would be floated during the ongoing festival season and modalities for sale of residential properties are being finalized. Besides, petrol pump sites planned in the Focal Points in different parts of Punjab would also be put to auction in near future by PSIEC. *** Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa formally initiates Dera Baba Online Yuva Utsav competition Chandigarh, October 4, 2019: The Dera Baba Nanak Online Yuva Utsav competitions to be held by the State Government in commemoration of the 550th Prakash Purb of Sahib Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, formally commenced today with the Cooperation and Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa launching the official website in his office at the Punjab Civil Secretariat. The minister said that competitions would be held in 13 categories in which any student of college/university of the country would be eligible to participate provided that he/she is under 25 years of age. He also said that in the Group Category- 3 competitions pertaining to Shabad Group, Dhadhi, Kaveeshri, In Solo Category-Shabad Solo, Poetry Recitation, Poetry Singing, Declamation, Writing, Painting, Calligraphy, Photography, Digital Poster and Sketch (Line Art), would be held. The winners in all the categories would get prizes worth Rs. 15.90 lakh. The unique part is that all the students would showcase their talent on the website www.derababanamakutsav.com by uploading their performances. At the time of declaration of the results by judges, the reactions received on the social media would also be taken into account. Randhawa further said that the subject of each category would be associated with Sahib Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. He also said that any of the students or team can submit their entry online and be a part of the competitions. The results would be announced on the 5th November. The teams bagging first three positions in the group category would get Rs. 71000, Rs. 51000 and Rs. 31000 prize money whereas those winning first three positions in the solo category would be richer by Rs. 51000, Rs. 31000 and Rs. 21000.The educational institution arriving at the number one spot would get cash prize of Rs. 1.01 lakh and 'Baba Nanak 550th Best Trophy'. The teams and students bagging first 3 positions would get a chance to perform during Dera Baba Nanak Utsav. Among others present on the occasion included MLA Davinder Singh Ghubaya, Registrar Cooperative Societies Vikas Garg, MD Punjab State Agricultural Development Bank Charandev Singh Mann, MD Punjab State Cooperative Bank Dr.S. K. Batish, Coordinator of Dera Baba Nanak Utsav Amarjit Singh Grewal, Dr. Nirmal Jaura and Kanwaljit Singh Rana. *** Deception attempt by FBO foiled in Sunam Chandigarh, October 4, 2019: The vigilance of Food Safety Team Sangrur prevented the flow 169 litres of misleading spurious desi ghee into market, informed KS Pannu, Commissioner Food and Drug Administration Punjab. Giving details, Pannu said that the food safety team raided the premises of R V Agro in Sunam late Thursday evening. The officers discovered 270 half kilogram jars of unlabelled desi ghee stacked in 9 boxes at the rate of 30 jars of 500ml in each box. Similarly 34 unlabelled jars of 1 litre each too were found on the spot. Besides, 13 jars of Punjab Fresh Shudh Desi Ghee of 1 kg each and 2 jars of Shri Permanand Ghee of 500 ml each were discovered. The labels of multiple brands like Alto Ghee and Shri Permanand Desi Ghee were also found in the premises. Entire stock of ghee and labels was seized, informed Pannu. ***