Tag: Punjab government

  • Punjab cabinet reshuffle: Ministers in Amarinder Singh govt question decision to ‘drop’ them 

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Hours before the first cabinet expansion of the Charanjit Singh Channi-led Punjab government, a group of ministers in the previous Amarinder Singh government on Sunday questioned the apparent decision to drop them.

    Earlier, a section of Congress leaders from the state had written to party’s state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu demanding that “tainted” former minister Rana Gurjit Singh should not be included. The leaders also demanded that the cabinet berth may instead be filled up “by giving representation to a clean Dalit leader”. A copy of the letter was also sent to Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.

    In another development, ministers in the previous Amarinder cabinet Balbir Singh Sidhu and Gurpreet Singh Kangar, held a joint news conference here shortly before the cabinet expansion, and asked what was their fault that they had been dropped.

    Balbir Sidhu even broke down while asking “what is my fault?” while Kangar, too posed the same question.

    Seven new faces are likely to be inducted in the Punjab cabinet while five ministers, who were part of the Amarinder Singh-led government, are expected to be dropped, sources said.

    Pargat Singh, Raj Kumar Verka, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Rana Gurjit Singh are likely to be included in the cabinet, according to the sources.

    Amloh legislator Randeep Singh Nabha, who was learnt to be upset over being ignored for the ministerial post in the new cabinet, is expected to be given a cabinet berth and may be accommodated in place of Kuljit Nagra, who was earlier among the probable, sources said.

    However, the list of names is yet to be officially declared.

    Balbir Sidhu held health portfolio and Revenue department was with Kangar.

    Both detailed several initiatives taken for the welfare of people and said they had worked hard and left no stone unturned.

    “I want to ask party high command what is my fault and why I was excluded,” asked Balbir Sidhu, as he broke down and his voice was choked with emotion.

    “I am a soldier of Sonia Gandhi,” he said.

    “They should have asked for my resignation and I would have given it happily… People of my area are disappointed. I am not upset with losing my ministry, I have no greed for power. But I want ask what was the need to humiliate us?,” he said.

    He recalled he had made himself available round-the-clock when Covid pandemic was at its peak. He said he and his entire family too had contracted Covid earlier. He said despite performing he has been punished.

    Meanwhile, seven Congress leaders including a former PPCC chief wrote to Navjot Sidhu demanding Rana Gurjit not be included.

    Rana Gurjit Singh, after facing flak from the Opposition over allegations of impropriety in the auction of sand mining contracts, had to resign from the previous Amarinder Singh cabinet in 2018.

    At that time, he had held Irrigation and Power portfolios.

    In the letter to Sidhu, these leaders demanded to drop Rana Gurjit Singh from the proposed cabinet berth, alleging that “he is a known corrupt and tainted politician of Doaba”.

    The letter was written by Mohinder Singh Kaypee, former PPCC president, MLA Sultanpur Navtej Singh Cheema, MLA Phagwara Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, Jalandhar North legislator Bawa Henry, Chabbewal legislator Raj Kumar, MLA Sham Churasi, Pawan Adiya and Bholath legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira.

    Khaira had defected from the Aam Aadmi Party and joined Congress recently.

    “We the undersigned MLAs and leaders of Doaba wish to convey huge resentment amongst the public and the Congress cadre on the proposed inclusion of tainted Rana Gurjit Singh.

    “Needless to mention, he was dropped from the cabinet in January 2018 due to the infamous mining scandal…,” they alleged in the letter while detailing various allegations which were made against Rana Gurjit at that time.

    “We wonder why Rana Gurjit Singh is being included in Cabinet as he was dropped in January 2018 because of these charges..,” they wrote.

    They also pointed out that despite the Doaba region having approximately 38 percent Dalit population, no representation in the proposed cabinet expansion has been given to a leader from the community and demanded inclusion of a “clean Dalit face..” Six-time MLA Rakesh Pandey too expressed unhappiness over the proposed names in the expansion claiming seniors were ignored.

    Meanwhile, Balbir Sidhu said he has also written to party senior leadership including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, asking “what is my fault..”.

    Kangar recalled that when he held Power department portfolio, he had made himself available round-the-clock to the people and he used to attend to complaints related to power even late in the night and try to resolve it immediately.

    When he held Revenue department, he digitized entire record, said Kangar.

    However, both Balbir and Kangar said they congratulate those who are being inducted and assured their full support to the new team led by Charanjit Singh Channi, who recently became the chief minister after unceremonious exit of Amarinder Singh.

  • Congress leaders write to Sidhu against inclusion of ‘tainted’ Rana Gurjit Singh in Punjab cabinet 

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Hours before the first cabinet expansion of the Charanjit Singh Channi-led Punjab government, a section of Congress leaders from the state on Sunday wrote to party’s state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu demanding that “tainted” former minister Rana Gurjit Singh should not be included.

    The leaders also demanded that the cabinet berth may instead be filled up “by giving representation to a clean Dalit leader”.

    The copy of the letter was also sent to Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.

    Seven new faces are likely to be inducted in the Punjab cabinet while five ministers, who were part of the Amarinder Singh-led government, are expected to be dropped, sources said.

    Pargat Singh, Raj Kumar Verka, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Kuljit Nagra and Rana Gurjit Singh are likely to be included in the cabinet, according to the sources.

    However, the list of names is yet to be officially declared.

    After Channi, Sidhu and other leaders held deliberations over days with the party’s senior leadership to finalise the names for the first cabinet expansion, it appears to have hit another hurdle with seven Congress leaders including a former PPCC chief writing to Sidhu demanding Rana Gurjit not be included.

    Rana Gurjit Singh, after facing flak from the Opposition over allegations of impropriety in the auction of sand mining contracts, had to resign from the previous Amarinder Singh cabinet in 2018.

    At that time, he had held Irrigation and Power portfolios.

    In the letter to Sidhu, these leaders demanded to drop Rana Gurjit Singh from the proposed cabinet berth, alleging that “he is a known corrupt and tainted politician of Doaba”.

    The letter was written by Mohinder Singh Kaypee, former PPCC president, MLA Sultanpur Navtej Singh Cheema, MLA Phagwara Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, Jalandhar North legislator Bawa Henry, Chabbewal legislator Raj Kumar, MLA Sham Churasi, Pawan Adiya and Bholath legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira.

    Khaira had defected from the Aam Aadmi Party and joined Congress recently.

    “We the undersigned MLAs and leaders of Doaba wish to convey huge resentment amongst the public and the Congress cadre on the proposed inclusion of tainted Rana Gurjit Singh.

    “Needless to mention, he was dropped from the cabinet in January 2018 due to the infamous mining scandal…,” they alleged in the letter while detailing various allegations which were made against Rana Gurjit at that time.

    “We wonder why Rana Gurjit Singh is being included in Cabinet as he was dropped in January 2018 because of these charges..,” they wrote.

    They also pointed out that despite the Doaba region having approximately 38 percent Dalit population, no representation in the proposed cabinet expansion has been given to a leader from the community.

    Among MLAs from Doaba region proposed to be inducted in the cabinet include Pargat Singh and Rana Gurjit Singh.

    “It is amusing that all three ministers proposed to be included in the cabinet from Doaba region are Jat Sikhs and one OBC…, whereas there is an approximately 38 percent Dalit population in this region,” they wrote.

    “Therefore, we all request you to immediately drop Raja Gurjit Singh from the proposed Cabinet expansion and instead include a clean Dalit face in view of the upcoming elections,” they said in the letter.

    Khaira later told reporters that “(By including Rana) we are deliberately giving handle to the opposition to point fingers. By bringing him in cabinet, what impression will it give”.

    In another development, Amloh legislator Randeep Singh Nabha is also learnt to be upset over being ignored for the ministerial post in the new cabinet.

    Six-time MLA Rakesh Pandey too expressed unhappiness over the proposed names in the expansion alleging seniors were ignored.

  • Punjab cabinet finalised, CM Charanjit Singh Channi to meet Governor Banwarilal Purohit

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will meet Governor Banwarilal Purohit this afternoon as the list of legislators for the new cabinet has been finalised, sources said.

    Channi is expected to meet the governor at 12:30 pm and the oath-taking ceremony for the new ministers is likely to take place Sunday, they said.

    The development comes hours after Channi returned from Delhi having held a final round of discussion with the party high command on the faces to be included in the new cabinet.

    ALSO READ | BKU thanks Punjab CM Channi for support, but says won’t share stage with political parties

    The sources said seven fresh faces are likely to find place in the Channi-led cabinet and five MLAs who were ministers in the Amarinder Singh government are likely to be dropped.

    Channi was summoned to Delhi by the Congress high command on Friday to discuss the cabinet expansion.

    The visit came within hours of him returning from the national capital.

  • Seven new faces likely in Punjab cabinet; five from Amarinder govt may not find place

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Seven new faces are likely to be inducted in the Charanjit Singh Channi-led Punjab cabinet while five ministers who were part of the Amarinder Singh-led government are expected to be dropped, sources said Saturday With the list of ministers for the new cabinet finalised, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi Saturday met Governor Banwarilal Purohit at Raj Bhavan here around 12:30 pm.

    After meeting the governor, Channi told reporters the oath-taking ceremony for the new ministers will take place at 4:30 pm on Sunday.

    His meeting with the governor came barely hours after he returned from Delhi having held a final round of discussion with the party high command on the cabinet formation.

    ALSO READ | BKU thanks Punjab CM Channi for support, but says won’t share stage with political parties

    Pargat Singh, Raj Kumar Verka, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Kuljit Nagra and Rana Gurjit Singh are likely to be included in the cabinet, according to the sources.

    The party is also learnt to have decided to retain Vijay Inder Singla, Manpreet Singh Badal, Brahm Mohindra, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Arunu Chaudhary, Razia Sultana and Bharat Bhushan Ashu from the Amarinder Singh government.

    However, five legislators — Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Gurpreet Singh Kangar and Sunder Sham Arora — who were ministers in the Amarinder Singh-led cabinet are likely to be dropped, the sources said.

    A consensus on the names for the Channi-led cabinet was reached during his meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other senior party members in the national capital.

    Channi was summoned to Delhi by the Congress high command on Friday to discuss the cabinet formation.

    The visit came within hours of him returning from the national capital.

    A total of 18 MLAs can be included in the cabinet, including Chief Minister Channi and two his deputies Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and OP Soni.

  • Anirudh Tewari is new Punjab Chief Secretary, Vini Mahajan shunted: Sources

    Tewari is a 1990-batch IAS officer and is currently holding the position of the Additional Chief Secretary of Development, Food Processing and Horticulture.

  • Punjab government issues directions to remove posters of former CM Amarinder Singh from buses

    By PTI

    CHANDThe Punjab government has issued directions to the state-owned PRTC to remove posters from buses with pictures of former chief minister Amarinder Singh.

    Charanjit Singh Channi took over as the chief minister of the state, replacing Singh, on Monday.

    Posters carrying pictures of the chief minister are pasted on state-owned buses.

    These posters highlight the welfare schemes and achievements of the state government.

    A letter to remove posters of the former CM was issued by the Public Relations Department director to the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) in Patiala on Monday.

  • Nine IAS, two PCS officers transferred in Punjab

    By ANI

    CHANDIGARH: Soon after the new Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi assumed office, nine Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officers and two Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officers were transferred in the state on Tuesday.

    As per an order released by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, IAS officers Tejveer Singh, Dilip Kumar, Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, Kamal Kishor Yadav, Mohammad Tayyab, Sumeet Jarangal, Isha, Harpreet Singh Sudan and Showkat Ahmad Parray and PCS officers Mankanwal Singh Chahal and Anil Gupta were given new postings.

    Newly-appointed Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday held his first Cabinet meeting. 

  • Did my best, fulfilled 89.2% promises, wrote Amarinder Singh in letter to Sonia Gandhi before resigning as CM

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: Hours before he formally submitted his resignation on Saturday to the Punjab Governor, Captain Amarinder Singh had written to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, apprising her of his decision, while expressing anguish at the political events of the last about five months, which he said were clearly “not based on full understanding of the national imperatives of Punjab and its key concerns.”

    Amarinder had written in his letter to Sonia, indicating his apprehension of instability in Punjab as a result of the political developments in the state unit of the Congress, “Notwithstanding my personal anguish, I hope this will not cause any damage to the hard-earned peace and development in the state, and that the efforts I have been focusing during the last few years, would continue unabated, ensuring justice to one and all.”

    Amarinder expressed his personal satisfaction at having done his best for the people as chief minister of Punjab, which, as a border state, “has many geo-political and other internal security concerns, which I tried to handle effectively without any compromise.” He said he was happy that the state remained fully peaceful, and there was complete communal harmony with no ill-will towards anyone.

    ​ALSO READ | Hope Amarinder Singh will not take any step which may harm Congress: Rajasthan CM Gehlot

    While Sonia Gandhi herself may be personally aware of some of the things achieved in the last four and a half years, “the people of Punjab are looking up to the Congress for its mature and effective public policies, which not only reflect upon good politics, but also address the concerns of the common man that are specific to this border State,” he wrote while informing the Congress President about his decision to demit the office of the Chief Minister, Punjab, after completing nine-and-half years as such from 2002 to 2007 and 2017 to September 2021. 

    Referring to the numerous challenges faced by him over the last four-and-half years in fulfilling the promises made by the Punjab Congress in the Punjab Elections 2017, he pointed out that these notwithstanding, of the total promises made, his Government had fulfilled 89.2 per cent, while work was in progress on the remaining commitments.

    On the issue of the sacrilege cases and the subsequent police action of 2015, Amarinder said his government, which was committed to ensuring justice in the matter, had established a Judicial Commission of Enquiry headed by Justice (Retd) Ranjit Singh, whose report was received on  August 16, 2018. The report was accepted and full legal action was taken thereon, he said, sharing details of the same.

    He pointed out that despite legal hurdles and refusal of CBI to return the cases, which were transferred to them by the SAD-BJP Government, his government had succeeded in filing ten challans, while twenty four persons had been charge-sheeted, fifteen Police Personnel suspended, and ten civilians arrested. 

    ALSO READ | Rajasthan CM’s OSD Lokesh Sharma resigns after ‘controversial’ tweet on Punjab Congress crisis

    “The criminal proceedings in these cases are currently underway and I am sure that in due course justice will be done in due course,” he said.

    With regard to the controversial Power Purchase Agreements that were signed by the previous government for the purchase of expensive power to ensure affordable supply to the people of the state, Amarinder said his government had invested Rs 3709 crore in electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure from 2017-21 and released about Rs 11,000 crore per annum to the benefit of 22 lakh SC/BC consumers, and 14 lakh farmers. “For the first time, we supplied subsidised power to the industry at annual cost of over Rs 2000 crore,” he said, adding that “Further, the review of the PPAs is currently under way.”

    Talking about the farmers, whom he described as the backbone of Punjab’s economy, Amarinder wrote that in line with its commitment to provide debt relief and repeal statutory provisions of attaching their properties, his government had given debt relief of Rs 4,624 crore to 5.64 lakh farmers and Rs 526 crore to 2.68 lakh farm workers.

    Referring to his personal promise to the people of Punjab to break the back of drug peddlers and smugglers in the State, he said he had done so relentlessly by establishing a Special Task Force (STF) in this regard. 

    Pointing to his Government’s 3-pronged strategy titled EDP – Enforcement, De-addiction and Prevention, he said as a result, 62,744 persons had been arrested, 202 OOAT clinics established, 6,28,083 Drug Abuse Prevention Officers (DAPOs) registered and 9,51,202 Buddy Groups formed.

  • Punjab CM Amarinder Singh says scrap farm laws talk to farmers to find way forward

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: One year after the farm laws were passed by the parliament, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today, wearing a #nofarmers_nofood# badge, demanded immediate scrapping of the legislations by the Centre and calling for detailed discussions with the farmers to find a way forward.

    Pointing out that many farmers had died in these protests, Amarinder said it was high time the Central Government realised its blunder and withdrew the legislations in the interest of the farmers and the nation.

    He was inaugurating the third state level virtual Kisan Mela organised by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. The 2-day mela is centered on the theme: ‘KARIE PARALI DI SAMBHAL, DHARTI MAA HOVE KHUSHHAL”, in line with the state government’s focus on eliminating stubble burning.

    ​ALSO READ | Border unlock: Hope for commuters as Haryana government panel set to engage with farmers

    “Till date, the Indian Constitution has been amended as many as 127 times, so why can it not be amended once again to scrap the farm laws and resolve the imbroglio resulting from them,” asked the Chief Minister. “What is the problem in doing it a 128th time,” he demanded to know from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre, which was out to ruin the farmers.

    What is happening with the farmers today was extremely sad, given the immense contribution made by them to India’s development and progress, said Amarinder, calling for immediate revocation of the laws, which he said were detrimental to the interest not just of the agricultural community but the entire country.

    Recalling that he had been asked by the Centre to stop Punjab’s farmers from going to Delhi last November, he said he had refused point blank to do so, as protest is the democratic right of farmers. “Why should they not protest? How can I stop them,” he asked, making it clear that he continues to stand with the  farmers in their fight against the draconian legislations, with his government continuing to give compensation and jobs to the families of the deceased farmers.

    ​ALSO READ | Protesting farmers misread my statement, says CM Amarinder Singh

    Noting the contribution of Punjab and its farmers to the country’s growth, Amarinder said the state, with only 1.53 per cent of total geographical area of India, produces about 18 per cent of the country’s wheat, 11 per cent paddy, 4.4 per cent cotton and 10 per cent milk. For the past many decades, Punjab has been contributing about 35-40 per cent of wheat and 25-30 per cent of rice to the central pool, he said, expressing pride in the achievements of the state’s farmers.

    Amarinder pointed out that the state had attained a record wheat productivity (5188 kg per hector) and production (182.6 lakh tons) during 2018-19. It also achieved a record rice productivity (4366 kg/ha) and production (133.8 lakh tons) during 2017-18.

    ​Record cotton productivity (827 kg lint/ha) was also achieved during 2019-20, he added, giving full credit for these achievements to the hardworking farmers of Punjab and the improved agricultural technologies developed by PAU.

    He who recalled that he had been attending  farmers melas since 1970, stressed on the importance of Agriculture as the lifeline of Punjab, and urged farmers to take full advantage of PAU’s advancements in technologies, seeds etc. He underlined the importance of continued research to keep pace with the developments in agriculture the world over.

    Citing Israel’s success in use of drip irrigation for judicious use of the fast-depleting water table,  Amarinder said Punjab’s ground water level had been continuously going down. The state’s diversification programme was linked to ensure minimal use of water, he added.

  • Election casts shadow on Punjab’s farm fire measures

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH:  From appointing 8,000-plus nodal officers to providing farm machinery and announcing fiscal incentives to forming a dedicated task force, Punjab has set an ambitious target of cutting down incidents of farm fire by half this time.

    Rough estimates suggest that over 220 lakh tonne of stubble is produced in Punjab. While 50 lakh tonne is diverted to biomass power generating plants, 100 lakh tonne of the remaining 170 lakh tonne is of concern.

    Over 8,000 nodal officers at village-level across the state will monitor farm fires in the current season of paddy harvesting, officials said. Similarly, 76,626 advanced agri-machines will be available for farmers to take care of stubbles in 20 lakh hectares of land. Under the Crop Residue Management scheme, the agriculture and farmers’ welfare department has sanctioned 31,970 machinery for individual farmers, primary agriculture cooperatives societies, panchayats, so far.

    Director Agriculture Sukhdev Singh Sidhu said the department has already approved 10,297 applications till date for purchase of agri-machines. Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Muktsar Sahib, Tarn Taran, Moga and Mansa were identified as hotspot districts, he said, adding the government was making all out efforts to deploy a special task force for enforcement and regulatory measures there.

    Fiscal incentives worth Rs 25 crore will be given to 50 industries, including sugar mills, pulp and paper mills, distilleries and breweries, on a first-come-first-served basis who use paddy straw as fuel. They will be given panchayat land on lease for 33 years for storage of paddy straw, said sources. The animal husbandry department was told to devise modalities for using paddy straw as cattle fodder.

    What, however, remains to be seen is implementation of the plans given that Punjab is going to polls. “This year, stubble burning can start as early as mid-September due to early sowing in some parts of the state amidst the pandemic. But with the state elections early next year, it will be difficult task for the government to make sure that the farmers do not burn paddy straw in their fields and to take action on erring farmers,’’ said an official.