Daily honorarium of Home Guards enhanced from Rs. 675 to Rs. 883 per day in Himachal
Shimla: Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday said that the State Government has decided to enhance the daily honorarium of Home Guards from Rs. 675 to Rs. 883 per day which would benefit about 5000 Home Guard personnel of the State. Thakur said that the jawans of Home Guards were getting a monthly honorarium of Rs. 20258 and would now get Rs. 26492 per month there by ensuring an increase of Rs. 6234 per month. He said that the State Government on this decision would be spending about Rs. 3 crore per month and about Rs. 34 crore per annum. He said the State Government has already implemented the recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission to all its employees.
HP Governor inaugurates National Faunal Repository of Himalaya cum Museum of ZSI
Shimla: Dedicating the "National Faunal Repository of Himalaya cum Museum” to the Nation at Solan on Saturday, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said that there was a need to make serious efforts to bring our rich tradition and heritage in front of everyone. Appreciating the efforts of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), High Altitude Regional Centre, Solan in this direction, he said that their hard work on documentation of fauna species on the verge of extinction in the Himalayan region was really commendable. Addressing the scientists, the Governor said that there was a need to undertake such research and heritage institutions. He added that the ZSI has been working since the last many years and explored many heritage sites but still has much to do. He said that our heritage was so rich and it was challenging to document it. Unfortunately, for the last several years, we have not made concerted efforts in this direction, but now works were being made in this direction, he said. He added that there was a need to bring this 'treasure' to the public and also preserve them for future.
Punjab Vigilance Bureau registers case for misappropriation of Rs 6.66 cr of panchayat funds
Chandigarh: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has booked 17 people, including two 'sarpanches' and a junior engineer, for allegedly misappropriating panchayat funds to the tune of Rs 6.66 crore. A Punjab Vigilance Bureau spokesman said the funds were received in lieu of acquisition of gram panchayat lands pertaining to five villages --Akari, Sehra, Sehri, Takhtumajra and Pabra, in Patiala district under the Amritsar-Kolkata Integrated Corridor Project. Among 17, two were 'sarpanches' (village heads), eight 'panches' of Akari and Sehari villages and two panchayat secretaries. The spokesperson further said 10 firms have also been booked for supplying materials and labour under the name of development works in villages Akari and Sehri.
Rs 9.60 lakh fine charged in 20 cases of thefts by PSPCL
Ludhiana: The Enforcement wing of Punjab state power corporation limited (PSPCL) has imposed a fine of Rs 9.60 lakh to 20 consumers for theft and unauthorized use of electricity during a raid conducted at sub division Sahnewal. A spokesperson of PSPCL said six teams of the enforcement wing checked various connections. During the raid, the teams checked around 150 connections and found a total of 20 cases of direct theft in Sahnewal, Khanna and Gobindgarh areas. Consumers have been charged Rs 9 lakh fine. Punjab power minister Harbhajan Singh said that the government is committed to control the menace of power theft in the state.
SGPC to mark Panja Sahib massacre centenary in October
Chandigarh: To mark the first centenary (100 years) of saka (massacre) of Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib (now in Pakistan) that took place on October 30, 1922, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has decided to take a special jatha (group) of pilgrims to Pakistan besides organising a special Gurmat Samagam (religious congregation) at Gurdwara Sri Manji Sahib Diwan Hall, Amritsar. As a part of the SGPC plans to mark this historic occasion, different Gurmat Samagams wll be held in India and Pakistan, booklets and literature will be prepared in different languages on the martyrs of Saka Sri Panja Sahib for its distribution, besides religious competitions dedicated to the centenary will also be conducted in the schools and colleges. Notably, the incident took place at the Gurdwara located at Hasan Abdal in Punjab province of Pakistan on October 30, 1922. SGPC president Harjinder Singh, who chaired the meeting, said: “Before the event, an SGPC delegation will meet officer-bearers of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and officials of departments concerned in the Pakistan government.” He said that the visa fees and expenses of pilgrims visiting Pakistan on this occasion will be borne by the SGPC’s dharam prachar committee. He said that a two-day congregation will be held at Manji Sahib Diwan Hall in Amritsar on October 29 and 30 besides a congregation at Anandpur Sahib on October 22.
CEO Invest Punjab invites industries and investors to set up projects in State
Chandigarh: "Ease of Doing Business in Punjab", this is the sector in which the State has emerged as a role model worth emulating for the other States. The State has set an example of time-bound approvals for industrial projects and offers a pro-industry culture of innovation and technology-driven enterprise. Not only this, the top-notch infrastructure and excellent connectivity add to the strength of the State. And it's so easy to start your business in Punjab with the help of Invest Punjab - a one-stop office for all approvals and clearances". Kamal Kishor Yadav, the CEO of Invest Punjab while inviting the industry and investors to the state highlighted that the state government is focusing on strengthening businesses and improving government transparency. “Recognizing that trust is the foundation on which legitimacy of public institutions is built and on which success of public policy depends, Punjab is steadily working towards enhancing co-operation between industry and public institutions, the result of which is clear in our reforms. We offer a completely online and transparent system to the industry for granting clearances and incentives,” he said in a statement.