IANS Year Ender 2025: Punjab to roll out insurance cover after crop loss, cost cuts

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Chandigarh, Dec 26 (IANS) The AAP-ruled Punjab government has been providing free 600 units of electricity to every household per billing cycle since 2022, enabling 90 per cent of them to avail the facility, besides releasing Rs 968 crore for crop loss in monsoon floods, reducing the cost of doorsteps delivery of services from Rs 120 to just Rs 50, clearing dues of six lakh employees and geared up to start an insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh for 65 lakh families.

In his year-end report, Punjab’s Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema showcased a year of robust fiscal management, infrastructure investment, and landmark digital reforms.

Saying the Finance Department is no longer a “distributor of funds” but a “driver of innovation”, he remarked that the priority of the government remains ensuring the state exchequer, which serves the common man directly. “Whether it is the Rs 968 crore released for crop loss compensation to our farmers who faced severe floods this year or loan waiver for 4,650 beneficiaries under the Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development and Finance Corporation (PSCFC), we are committed to providing a safety net for every Punjabi,” he said.

“We have even reduced the cost of doorstep delivery of government services from Rs 120 to just Rs 50, with the government absorbing the remaining cost to ease the burden on citizens,” he explained.

Talking about the provision of free 600 units of power to domestic consumers for every two-month bill cycle that started in July 2022, Finance Minister Cheema said the government “is not only providing free power to more than 90 per cent households but has also cleared all payments related to power subsidy up to September 2025, including pending dues”.

He said the Sixth Punjab Pay Commission was implemented on July 1, 2021, and the government is committed to clearing the outstanding dues of Rs 14,191 crore left unpaid by the previous government. The government has already started releasing arrears as per the structured liquidation plan in 2025-26, benefiting six lakh employees and pensioners, Cheema said.

To bolster grassroots development, the Finance Minister said the government has released Rs 292 crore under the Rangla Punjab Vikas Scheme, ensuring every constituency receives Rs 2.5 crore to address immediate local needs.

He said this year marked a massive surge in connectivity and sports infrastructure. “A mammoth project to construct 2,832 km of Plan Roads and 7,767 km of Link Roads is underway for Rs 5,338 crore. The Mandi Board is executing the construction of 12,361 km of new rural link roads with an investment of Rs 4,275 crore, and Rs 500 crore has been earmarked for developing world-class playgrounds to foster a culture of fitness and sports,” he said.

Stressing the government’s focus on education and health, the Finance Minister said in a significant move for the education sector, the government concluded negotiations for the World Bank-supported POISE programme (Punjab Outcomes-Acceleration In School Education Operation).

He said with a total outlay of Rs 2,520 crore (70:30 cost-sharing with the state), this five-year initiative aims to revolutionise learning outcomes and governance in school education. He said the state would soon provide an insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh to approximately 65 lakh families under Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana, with an estimated outlay of Rs 600 crore in this fiscal.

The Finance Minister said his department has undergone a digital metamorphosis through the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS), introducing several good practices that enhance transparency and efficiency.

He said Punjab became a pioneer in implementing the SNA-SPARSH fund flow mechanism. He said the state has earned an incentive of Rs 450 crore in 2024-25 and is eyeing another Rs 350 crore this fiscal year by optimising cash liquidity and reducing unutilized funds.

“A dedicated Pensioner Sewa Portal (PSP) now allows pensioners to track their cases, submit life certificates, and lodge grievances online, ensuring ease of living for senior citizens.

Moving away from slow manual processes, the new audit management system portal allows real-time tracking of audit memos and reports, ensuring accountability at the highest administrative levels. “By shifting to electronic vouchers for all bills across Punjab, the government has significantly reduced stationary and logistical costs while streamlining the accounting process with the Accountant General (AG),” he said, adding for the first time the Punjab Treasury Rules (PTR) have been completely overhauled to incorporate modern FinTech and IT applications, with the new rules set to be published shortly.

Concluding the year-ender, the Finance Minister said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the state has successfully balanced grassroots development with cutting-edge financial technology.

–IANS

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Bengaluru, April 7 (IANS) The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has slammed the remarks of Home Minister G. Parameshwara over the incident of molestation of two women in Bengaluru and termed the words as “irresponsible”.

Reacting to the rise in incidents of sexual assaults and harassment in Bengaluru during the night hours, Parameshwara, said on Monday with reference to the latest episode that “such incidents happen here and there in a big city”.

State unit BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra on Monday said: “Regarding the recent assault incident on a young woman in BTM Layout, Bengaluru, the irresponsible statement made by Home Minister G. Parameshwara amounts to an open admission that law and order in the state has completely collapsed.”

Since the Congress came to power in Karnataka, there has been a continuous series of crimes including murder, robbery, extortion, assaults, and rapes targeting women and children, he slammed.

The administration’s approach to such incidents appears to suggest that there is nothing unusual about them, and they do not need to be taken seriously. This is the sorry state of law and order in the state. The Home Minister’s statement downplaying the harassment of a young woman in broad daylight as a “routine incident” has tarnished the image and dignity of the state on an international level. His remarks reflect nothing but his incompetence, Vijayendra slammed.

“It is extremely unfortunate that the Home Minister routinely brushes off serious incidents with casual remarks, as he has done with the BTM Layout case. The Chief Minister must take moral responsibility and make a public statement about the failure of law and order in the state.

“This statement by the Home Minister clearly proves that the Congress government has completely failed in maintaining law and order and in protecting women. As long as this government remains in power, peace and safety for the people of the state will remain a distant dream,” he added.

Responding to a media query about the sexual harassment case that came to light on Sunday, Parameshwara said, “I have advised the Bengaluru Police Commissioner to remain vigilant every day. Police patrolling must be carried out effectively and in a disciplined manner in all localities of Bengaluru city.”

He added: “Public attention naturally gets drawn when such incidents are reported. We will not ignore them — the police department is working continuously.”

“Such incident happens here and there in such a big city, but we will take appropriate legal action in each case,” he stated.

A video showing two young women being targeted by a man in the early hours in a residential locality went viral on social media, raising serious concerns over women’s safety in Bengaluru.

The 17-second video shows two women walking down a deserted street flanked by houses on both sides. A tall, well-built man approaches from behind, pushes one of the women aside, sexually harasses the other, and then escapes. The video also captures the visibly shaken women standing briefly to catch their breath before quickly leaving the scene.

The incident occurred at around 2 a.m. on April 4 in the jurisdiction of the Sadduguntepalya police station. The video went viral on Sunday. Police have registered an FIR based on a complaint filed by a local resident and have launched a search for the accused while collecting additional evidence.

–IANS

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Zubeen Garg death case: Manager, festival organiser arrested by SIT

Guwahati, Oct 1 (IANS) The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the death of Assamese singer Zubeen Garg has arrested North East India Festival (NEIF) chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and the singer’s manager Siddhartha Sharma, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

Mahanta was taken into custody at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport soon after his return from Singapore, where the festival was being held.

Sharma, on the other hand, was apprehended from a residential apartment in Gurugram late Tuesday night.

Both were flown to Guwahati in the early hours of Wednesday and are currently being interrogated by the SIT, police sources said.

The arrests mark a major turn in the high-profile case surrounding the sudden demise of Garg, who passed away in Singapore on September 19.

The singer was reportedly on a yacht outing when he developed breathing complications while swimming, following which he was rushed to a hospital but could not be revived.

Singapore authorities listed “drowning” as the cause of death in the preliminary death certificate. To ensure a thorough investigation, the Assam government has set up a 10-member SIT headed by Special DGP M.P. Gupta.

The team has already questioned several individuals associated with the festival, including members of the Singapore Assam Association and others who had travelled from India for the event.

Notices were earlier served to Mahanta and Sharma, asking them to depose before the SIT, but both allegedly failed to cooperate, prompting the issuance of a ‘lookout notice’.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier stated that Interpol was approached to help track down Mahanta and Sharma after they did not respond to repeated summons. He had assured that every possible legal step would be taken to get to the bottom of the case, given the widespread public outcry and allegations of a possible conspiracy behind Garg’s untimely end.

With the two key figures now under arrest, the SIT is expected to intensify its probe to piece together the events that led to the singer’s tragic death abroad.

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Toxic cough syrup claims another life in Nagpur hospital, toll rises to 22

Bhopal/Chhindwara, Oct 9 (IANS) The death toll from the toxic Coldrif cough syrup tragedy in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district has risen to 22, following the death of five-year-old Mayank Suryavanshi.

Mayank, a resident of Khajri Antu village, was admitted to a hospital in Nagpur in critical condition and succumbed late Wednesday night to suspected kidney failure.

Officials confirmed that Mayank’s death is linked to the consumption of Coldrif, a cough syrup manufactured by Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharmaceuticals. The syrup has been found to contain diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic industrial solvent that can cause acute kidney damage and death, especially in children.

The tragedy has triggered a massive investigation and public outcry. The Madhya Pradesh Police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the deaths and have arrested Sresan Pharma’s owner, Ranganathan Govindrajan, from Chennai.

The drug manufacturing unit in Kanchipuram has been sealed, and authorities are working to obtain transit remand to bring Govindan to Chhindwara for further interrogation.

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The deputy chief minister has also removed Naresh Gonnade, Chief Medical and Health Officer of Chhindwara, on Wednesday. Also, Parasia-based Dr Praveen Soni was arrested for alleged negligence, though his arrest has sparked protests from the Indian Medical Association, which has threatened an indefinite strike in the district.

The Coldrif syrup was reportedly prescribed to children suffering from common colds and coughs. However, lab tests revealed dangerously high levels of DEG and other banned chemical combinations, including Paracetamol, Chlorpheniramine, and Phenylephrine, which lack warning labels and pose serious health risks.

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