OVER 91% LICENcED ARMS DEPOSITED
Complying to directions of Election Commission of India (ECI), as many as 3,54,075 licensed weapons have been deposited in the state ahead of Punjab Assembly Elections, scheduled to be held on February 20.
Giving details, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Dr S Karuna Raju on Wednesday said that this is 91.10 percent of the total 3,90,275 licensed weapons in the state. Also, 27 without licenses weapons were also seized in the State, he added.
“Some of the persons having licenced weapons, including security personnel at nationalised or private banks and other persons facing security issues, will have to approach the Deputy Commissioner for any genuine exemptions and complaint redressal,” he said.
VALUABLES SEIZED AFTER CODE ENFORCEMENT
Punjab CEO Dr S Karuna Raju on Wednesday informed that after the Model Code of Conduct came into force in the state for Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections, various enforcement teams, including state nodal officers, Narcotics Bureau, BSF, among others, have seized valuables worth Rs 46.66 crores in violation of code till January 18, 2022.
The surveillance teams have seized 6.60 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs two crore, while the enforcement wings have also recovered psychotropic substances amounting to Rs 44.49 crores besides confiscating unaccounted cash of Rs 1.74 crore, he added.
2376 IDENTIFIED AS POTENTIAL TROUBLEMAKERS
Chandigarh: Punjab’s poll panel has identified as many as 1088 vulnerable hamlets, besides 2376 persons as probable sources of trouble. “Out of these persons, preventive action has already been initiated against 1129, while remaining would also be brought to book,” said the state CEO Dr S Karuna Raju. He also informed that from a security point of view, 725 persons have been bound down under preventive sections of CrPC Act. “As many as 2221 cases of non-bailable warrants have been executed, while execution in 191 cases is under process,” said CEO adding that as many as 6,339 nakas are operational across the State.
3 RETURN TO congress FOLD
Three leaders — Inderjeet Singh Khokhar, Parminder Singh Rehal, and Khushwant Singh Ruby — on Wednesday returned to the Congress party fold in support of the Mohali’s sitting legislator and Congress candidate Balbir Singh Sidhu.
All three leaders had switched their loyalties to AAP-Azaad alliance during the previous MC election in Mohali, but returned back to the party fold “after getting disillusioned from the way of working and policies of Kulwant Singh and expressing full faith in Balbir Sidhu’s leadership”. Meanwhile Harjeet Kaur, who fought MC poll on AAP-Azaad alliance, also joined Congress party.