Articles by "Chandigarh"
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Hello Jammu News at 10:26:00 PM 0


Chandigarh, Mar 23 :  Hours after announcing a curfew in Punjab to combat coronavirus, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said he was forced to take the extreme measure in the "larger interest" of the state.

Appealing to the people to voluntarily adhere to the curfew imposed to tackle the prevailing "war-like situation", Singh also warned of strict action against the violators.

The Punjab government on Monday clamped a curfew to fight coronavirus, making it the first state to take the drastic measure after finding that many people were ignoring the state-wide lockdown ordered by it.

In a video message addressing the people of Punjab, the chief minister said he was forced to take the stringent step "in the larger interest of the state, and in the interest of all of you", as he had received reports that people were moving around normally in towns, mohallas and cities defying the lockdown that took into effect on Monday morning.

He appealed to the people for their cooperation and said the violation of the lockdown by them was "unacceptable" and it was the responsibility of his government, and his duty as its head, to "save Punjab".

Making it clear that the curfew would be continuous, spanning 24 hours a day, the chief minister, in a statement here, said only those with emergent needs would be allowed to go out, after taking due permission from their respective Deputy Commissioners. The mobile numbers of DCs would be shared with the public.

Difficult decisions need to be taken in difficult times, Singh said, adding it had become necessary to impose and enforce curfew to "survive these tough times".

"Please listen to me, and bear with me," he appealed to the people, emphasising that "We must work shoulder to shoulder to fend off the crisis we are all facing".

"We must save our state, our people; we have children, families," the chief minister said, adding that as a small state, it was all the more reason for Punjab to take all possible steps "to preserve our population and ensure that everyone lives happily for years to come."

Punjab reported 21 positive coronavirus cases till Monday morning.
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Hello Jammu News at 7:24:00 PM 0


Chandigarh, Mar 22 :  With Chandigarh reporting six positive cases of COVID-19, the Union Territory Administration on Sunday ordered a lockdown imposing restrictions till March 31 including suspension of public transport to prevent spread of the infection.

Till 31st March, all non-essential establishments including Offices, Schools, Colleges, factories and other business establishments shall remain closed. All public transport shall also remain suspended, said an official statement here.

All are also advised to stay indoors and not to come out unless there is urgency, it said.

However, essential services including vegetable shops, ration shops, chemists etc shall remain open, it said.

The statement said that people are advised not to believe in rumours and take all preventive steps as being communicated from time to time by authorities concerned.

Earlier in the day, the Congress government in Punjab announced its decision to enforce lockdown in the entire state till March 31 in the wake of the threat of coronavirus outbreak.

Ordered statewide lock down till 31st March to check spread of Covid 19, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh tweeted.

He informed that all essential and government services would continue during the lockdown in Punjab, where 14 have so far tested positive for COVID-19.
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Hello Jammu News at 9:09:00 PM 0
President Of India Ram Nath Kovind


Chandigarh, Feb 1 :  President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday said the government is working to make minorities, especially women, self-reliant through welfare and skill development programmes, including 'Hunar Haats'.

Speaking after inaugurating the 34th Surajkund International Crafts Mela in Faridabad, he said these Haats have proved to be a strong campaign in providing employment opportunities to artisans, craftsmen and chefs. About 2.65 lakh skilled people from minority communities have been provided employment opportunities under 'Hunar Haat', he added.

Surajkund International Crafts Mela has become a platform to showcase the art-skills, talent and entrepreneurship of the people of India. For the past 33 years, the number of visitors and craftsmen in this fair has increased significantly, he said.

The president also said that the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi is a golden opportunity to convey his ideas to the country and the world.

President Kovind was accompanied by his wife Savita Kovind at the function. Haryana Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his Himachal Pradesh counterpart Jai Ram Thakur were also present.

The fair attracts tourists not only from India but all over the world. This year Himachal Pradesh is the "theme state" and Uzbekistan is the 'partner nation'.

India and Uzbekistan share strong cultural and diplomatic ties, the president said.

"Our geographical boundaries are not contiguous but our hearts are united together. Due to close partnership between the two countries in the areas of culture, art and agriculture, the people of Uzbekistan and India enjoy the warmth of closeness," he said.

"I am confident that the Surajkund Mela will also make an effective contribution to the economy and to the development of arts and business and this tradition will be continuously strengthened," he said.

Uzbek Ambassador to India Farhod Arziev said a delegation from Uzbekistan, comprising 100 artisans and craftsmen, are participating in the Surajkund Mela.
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Hello Jammu News at 9:24:00 PM 0
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh


Chandigarh, Jan 29 :  Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday underlined the need for high-end equipment for security forces to detect drones used by Pakistan to smuggle weapons into the border state.

The issue was discussed during a meeting convened by the CM with Congress MPs from both the Houses and to discuss budget proposals for the next fiscal and issues pending with the Centre, a government statement said.

On the Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal issue, Singh asked the MPs to push for amendment in the Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill 2019, pending in Rajya Sabha, to protect Punjab's water resources, it said.

The bill seeks to expedite and streamline resolution of inter-state water disputes through a single central tribunal instead of the existing numerous ones.

The linking of the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers through a canal has been a contentious issue between Punjab and Haryana. Punjab wants a reassessment of the volume of water in Ravi and Beas rivers while Haryana seeks completion of the SYL canal to get its share of 3.5 million acre feet of the river waters.

Last week, an all-party meeting in Punjab called for a new tribunal to assess river water availability. Saying that Punjab does not have surplus water, the parties urged the Centre to ensure that the river water from the state is not transferred to non-basin areas.

During the meeting, the CM also expressed concern over the increase in activities by the Pakistani spy agency ISI near the borders and reiterated the need for developing infrastructure that can detect various kinds of drones.

Singh said he had written to the Ministry of Home Affairs back in August 2019, when the first instance of use of suspicious drones came to light.

A GPS-fitted drone was detected to have dropped weapons and money in August last year. Earlier this month, Punjab Police found two drones used for smuggling drugs from Pakistan.

During the meeting, it was also decided that Punjab Congress MPs would urge the Centre to immediately lift food grains from the state in the wake of shortage of storage facilities and tardy procurement of wheat and rice by central agencies.

The statement said 140 lakh metric tonnes of wheat and 95 LMT of rice belonging to the central pool are currently stored in the state.

As much as 70 LMT of wheat is lying in the open (covered area plinth), including 16 LMT wheat purchased under relaxed specifications (URS) during 2019-20 and 10 LMT wheat procured in 2018-19.

The MPs urged the Punjab CM to approach the prime minister over the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices' reported recommendation to review MSP policy, dubbing it a "serious threat" to the state's farmers.

Any change in minimum support price procurement policy will adversely impact Punjab's economy, they felt, expressing the fear that the Centre would limit procurement as the first step towards putting an end to MSP purchase.

Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar said all MPs should take up in Parliament the issue of the delayed SGPC elections "to break the stranglehold of the Akalis". The tenure of the current SGPC ended in 2016.
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Hello Jammu News at 5:48:00 PM 1


Chandigarh, Aug 7  :  In the Ambala Cantonment neighbourhood where Sushma Swaraj grew up, old-timers remember her with fondness.

Right from her childhood, she was fond of taking part in debates and contests in school, those who lived close to the family home in Cantonment's BC Bazaar area recalled.

"From Class 6, she had shown an inclination towards politics and later she realised what she had aimed for, Shyam Bihari, an elderly man who lives in the same neighbourhood, told reporters after the news of the BJP leader's death on Tuesday night came in.

She was very affectionate, caring and ever ready to help. To render help to any genuine person who was in need, she did not care even if he was a supporter of a rival political party," he said.

Another man, now in his 60s, recalled that Swaraj used to fetch milk for her family in the morning, around the time he and his friends played cricket in the neighbourhood.

At times, the cricket ball hit would hit the pail, spilling the milk.

But Sushmaji never got angry at us and always used to tell us to continue playing," he said.

Swaraj went to the SD College in Ambala Cantonment and later pursued a law course at the Panjab University in Chandigarh.

Her brother Gulshan currently stays with his family at the same Ambala house.

Gauri, a domestic help at the house, was inconsolable on learning about the former external affairs minister's death.

"She was very nice. She had come here a few months ago. When she learnt that I had two daughters, she told me to give them a good education and offered any help that might be needed from her side to ensure that they got the best facilities, she said.

"We used to call Sushmaji 'buaji'. I am deeply saddened at her death. At the same time, I am also proud of the fact that she rose to such heights in her life and became a role model for millions," she said.

Dinesh Aggarwal, another Ambala Cantonment resident, recalled how Swaraj once rushed to the door late in the evening to meet him at her Delhi home.

"When I reached her Delhi residence, her aides told me madam would not meet anyone as she had just returned from a busy day in Parliament. However, when she learnt that Vicky, which is my nickname, had come from Ambala to meet her, she rushed out to meet me, he said. We talked for nearly 20 minutes." 

People from other parts of the state also expressed grief.

"I still cannot believe that she is not amongst us. Her death is a big loss to the nation," Hisar resident Lokesh Kumar said.

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij, who represents the Ambala Cantonment Assembly constituency, described Swaraj as a leader with rare qualities and said he was deeply saddened by her death.

He recalled that Swaraj was elected as an MLA for the first time at a young age of 25, and later went on to become Haryana's education minister.

"In 1977, it so happened that the ticket was first given to Som Prakash Chopra, who was jailed during Emergency. But for some reasons, when he did not enter the fray, the ticket was given to Sushmaji, who won, and the Janata Party government was formed," Vij said.

In 1990, Swaraj moved to the Rajya Sabha. Vij has been representing the Ambala Cantonment constituency since then.

The minister told PTI that Swaraj was raised by her maternal grandparents after the death of her mother.

The veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader died Tuesday night following a massive cardiac arrest. She was 67.

Swaraj was a member of the Haryana legislative assembly from 1977-82 and 1987-90.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar mourned her death."It is a personal loss for me," said in a tweet.

"Her contributions to Haryana and India will never be forgotten. My deepest condolences to her bereaved family members. May God give her eternal peace," he said.

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda too described her death a "personal loss".

"She was a person with rare qualities, ever ready to help others," he said.                [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 8:13:00 PM 0



Chandigarh, Aug 3 :  More than 1,300 resident doctors at Chandigarh's premier healthcare institute PGIMER began an indefinite strike on Saturday in protest against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill.

Except emergency and ICU services, outpatient department (OPD) services remained affected at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here.

"Resident doctors withdrew all hospital services on Saturday. But emergency and ICU services were not disrupted," PGIMER Association of Resident Doctors president Uttam Thakur said here.

Thakur said the strike would continue indefinitely until their concerns are addressed. 

"We will not hesitate to escalate by shutting down even our Emergency and ICU services if expedited measures are not taken," he said.

PGIMER authorities have advised patients that all routine services, including OPDs and elective procedure, would remain suspended till further notice.

Stating that they had no intention to cause inconvenience to patients, the protesting doctors said they had no option but to go on strike against some provisions of the NMC Bill. 

Doctors have been protesting against some of the provisions of the NMC Bill which has been passed by the Rajya Sabha.

They have been raising concerns regarding role of community health providers (CHP) vis-a-vis a trained doctors and the NEXT (National Exit Examination).

The Bill empowers the Centre to override the decisions and recommendations of the National Medical Commission and autonomous boards. 

Protesters also pointed out that the Bill would decrease the representation of elected members from 75 per cent (as was in Medical Council of India) to 20 per cent in NMC. 

"The ambiguity of the term 'Person connected with modern medical profession' needs to be clarified. What are the checkpoints to ensure that the Community Health Providers (CHPs) will restrict to limited practice; and what will be the consequences if they exceed their prerogative," Thakur asked.

"We believe that the deficiencies of the current healthcare system cannot be fulfilled by undertrained healthcare providers. It will infact overburden the system by having to deal with the consequences of mismanaged cases," he said.

The bill takes away the autonomy of the institutes of national importance in deciding their curriculum, he said.                                                   [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 8:34:00 PM 0


Chandigarh, Jun 21 :  The maximum temperatures on Friday hovered close to the normal limits in Haryana and Punjab, a MeT department official said.

In Haryana, Ambala recorded a high of 38.4 degrees Celsius, Karnal settled at 38 degrees, Hisar recorded 37.5 degrees and Narnaul's maximum temperature settled at 36 degrees, he said.

Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a maximum of 38.2 degrees Celsius, the weatherman said.

Likewise, Amritsar in Punjab recorded a maximum temperature of 38.2 degrees Celsius, Patiala settled at 37.4 degrees and Ludhiana at 36 degrees, the official said.            [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 5:50:00 PM 0


Chandigarh, Feb 21 :  Former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal Thursday said that his successor Amarinder Singh's only aim was to put him behind bars.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch was reacting to the chief minister's address in the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday wherein he vowed to punish those guilty of the "horrendous" 2015 sacrilege incidents in the state.

"I am prepared to go to jail as their (state government) only aim is to arrest me... I am not afraid of being arrested," the five-time chief minister told media here.

"After reading what Amarinder had said in the assembly, I straightaway came from my village to Chandigarh... I told the DGP that I am available for arrest... I am prepared to go to any jail in the country," Badal said, adding that his fight against the policies of the Congress would continue.

Winding up the discussion on the Governor's address in the ongoing Punjab budget session here, Singh spoke on incidents of sacrilege of religious texts and said that they occurred because of the "failure of the law and order system" during the SAD regime.

"What was that (sacrilege incidents). It was a failure of the law and order system," Singh had said while pointing out that the Badal government had failed to accept even their own Commission's report into the sacrilege incidents.

Amarinder had further informed the House that the Special Investigative Team formed to probe sacrilege and police firing incidents was doing its work and that he would take the findings of the Ranjit Singh Commission report to their logical conclusion.

However, Badal termed the SIT and the Commission set up by the Congress government as a "drama" and asserted: "Amarinder's only goal is to put me in jail." 

The SAD leader further said that the Congress wanted to take control of the Sikh shrines in the state.

"A person who is CM should keep himself away from such things," he added.

However, if there were any shortcomings in the probe of sacrilege incidents by the SAD-BJP combine government, then I apologise for it, Badal said further.

On February 18, the SIT probing the police firing at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura on anti-sacrilege protesters, had arrested Inspector General Paramraj Singh Umranangal on the basis of evidence that he was in command and the procedure adopted to open fire was not correct.

Two persons were killed in the police firing in Behbal Kalan of Faridkot district.

The SIT set up to probe the case had last month arrested former Moga district police chief SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma who led a police party that allegedly opened fire at the anti-sacrilege protesters.

Sharma's arrest was the first in the case after SIT was formed last year after his name was added along with other police officers in an FIR registered at the Baja Khana Police Station in Faridkot for murder and attempt to murder.

Their names were added on recommendations of the Ranjit Singh commission report.

The state government had formed a five-member SIT, headed by Prabodh Kumar, Director, Bureau of Investigations (BOI), to probe sacrilege and related police firing incidents.              [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 9:42:00 PM 0


Chandigarh, Feb 16 :  The Shiromani Akali Dal Saturday asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi to expel Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu from the party for calling for dialogue with Pakistan even after the Pulwama terrorist attack in which 40 CRPF jawans died.

Though Sidhu had condemned the "cowardly" attack by a Pakistan-based terror group, he had also called for dialogue to find a "permanent solution" to end the bloodshed.

Sidhu, who had attended the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan as Pakistan prime minister last year, had said, "For a handful of people, can you blame the entire nation and can you blame an individual?" 

SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said if the Congress president does not sack Sidhu, it would mean his statement was "made at the direction of Rahul Gandhi".

"I want to ask Rahul Gandhi if he will sit quietly... Every patriotic Indian is asking if Rahul will respect their wishes and rise above politics. Sidhu should be sacked promptly," he said.

The Akali leader said the credibility of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh was also on test.

"Punjabis are eager to know whether the words he (Singh) uttered in Vidhan Sabha yesterday about the stooges of Pakistan army chief are true. If so, the CM should not wait for Rahul Gandhi's assent to remove Sidhu from his cabinet," said Majithia.

"Navjot Sidhu apparently does not know even now that Pakistan is the fountainhead of terrorism. Even the US has condemned the Pulwama attack and said on record that it was conducted by Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad," he said.

Groups like Jaish were also responsible for Pathankot, Deenanagar and Uri attacks, the Akali leader said.                                PTI
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Hello Jammu News at 12:26:00 PM 0

Eighteen years after the 'honour killing' of Canada-born Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu, her mother and uncle, accused of the murder, have been extradited to India by Canadian authorities, police said Thursday. A team of Punjab Police has been dispatched to Delhi to bring the duo to the state for presenting them in a court in Sangrur, they said.


Chandigarh, Jan 24 (PTI) Eighteen years after the 'honour killing' of Canada-born Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu, her mother and uncle, accused of the murder, have been extradited to India by Canadian authorities, police said Thursday. A team of Punjab Police has been dispatched to Delhi to bring the duo to the state for presenting them in a court in Sangrur, they said. 

Jaswinder's mother Malkit Sidhu and uncle Surjit Badesha had been charged with the murder. A case in this regard had been registered at Amargarh police station in Sangrur.

"They will be handed over to our team (Punjab Police) at the Delhi airport today," Sangrur Senior Superintendent of Police Sandeep Garg told PTI over phone.

"They will be brought to Sangrur and then presented in a court," he said.

A Canadian court had in 2016 stopped the extradition of Malkit and Surjit to India to face trial for the honour killing of Malkit's daughter over concerns that they may not get justice in the country.

However, the Supreme Court of Canada ordered the extradition of the duo in 2017, but the decision was later stayed after the accused sought judicial review of the decision.

Their plea for staying the extradition proceedings was rejected by a court in Canada in December 2018, finally paving the way for their extradition to India.

Jaswinder, better known as Jassi, had fallen in love with Sukhwinder Singh Mithu, an autorickshaw driver, after she visited Punjab. She was the resident of Maple Ridge, British Columbia.

Both got married against the wishes of Jassi's affluent family in 1999. 

Jassi, 25 at that time, and Mithu were reportedly attacked by contract killers on June 8, 2000 at village Narike of Malerkotla in Sangrur. 

The police had said that the contract killers were hired by Jassi's mother and uncle.

Jassi's body was dumped in a drain with her throat slit, while Mithu was severely attacked and left to die. He, however, survived. 

The Punjab Police registered a case in this connection in July 2000 and named Malkit and Surjit in the FIR for allegedly conspiring to kill Jassi.

In May 2002, the police contacted Canadian authorities for the extradition of Malkit and Badesha.

On the extradition of his wife's alleged killers, Mithu said he was very happy and demanded strict punishment for them.


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Hello Jammu News at 5:30:00 PM 0


Chandigarh, Jan 16 :  Punjab Congress on Wednesday suspended its MLA from Zira from the party on the charge of indiscipline, days after his public outburst at an event. 

The state unit had earlier issued a show cause notice the legislator Kulbir Singh Zira after he had alleged inaction against contractors selling illicit liquor.

"Kulbir Singh Zira has been suspended from the primary membership of the party for indiscipline," Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar told reporters here on Wednesday. 

Jakhar said Zira should not have aired his grievance at a public function. He could have raised his matter at party forum.

On January 12, Zira had left his party embarrassed after he boycotted a district level function in protest against alleged inaction against contractors selling illicit liquor in Ferozepur.

He had even accused some police officers including one of an IG rank of being in cahoots with such liquor contractors.                                   PTI
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Hello Jammu News at 2:40:00 PM 0


Chandigarh, Jan 12 : Five persons were killed after a tractor trolley overturned in Punjab's Amritsar district on Saturday, the police said.

The incident took place in the morning at Vallah in Amritsar district when the tractor trolley carrying labourers was on its way to a construction site, Amritsar Assistant Commissioner of Police Jaspreet Singh.

The front wheel of the tractor got dislodged and it overturned near a canal, he added.

The police suspect that construction material including heavy iron pipes, which were being transported in the trolley when it overturned, may have inflicted serious injuries on the labourers leading to their deaths.             PTI
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Hello Jammu News at 2:10:00 PM 0



Chandigarh, Jan 11 : Cold weather conditions continued in most parts of Punjab and Haryana even though there was slight improvement in night temperature in some areas, the weather department said Friday.

Gurdaspur in Punjab was the coldest place in the region with a minimum temperature of 3.9 degrees Celsius, an official said.

In Punjab, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala braved cold weather conditions at 9.2 degrees Celsius, 7.2 degrees Celsius and 8.6 degrees Celsius respectively.

While, the minimum temperature in Pathankot settled at 7 degrees Celsius, it was 9.1 degrees Celsius in Halwara, 5.5 degrees Celsius in Adampur, 9 degrees Celsius in Bathinda and 9.2 degrees Celsius in Faridkot, the weatherman said.

The Union Territory of Chandigarh recorded a low of 8.2 degrees Celsius.

In Haryana, Ambala recorded a low of at 8.7 degrees Celsius, Hisar 6.2 degrees Celsius and Karnal 6.6 degrees Celsius.

Rohtak, Bhiwani and Sirsa recorded their minimums at 5.8 degrees Celsius, 6.3 degrees Celsius and 8.8 degrees Celsius respectively.

Commuters faced inconvenience due to low visibility caused by fog at a few places, including Ludhiana, Hisar and Ambala.            PTI
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Hello Jammu News at 2:36:00 PM 0

Four workers of a marriage palace died of suspected asphyxiation in Punjab's Tarn Taran district, police said Saturday. Prima facie it seemed that they had died because of inhaling carbon monoxide as they had kept burning coal in a storeroom of the marriage palace to keep themselves warm during the winter night, Tarn Taran Deputy Superintendent of Police (City) Sucha Singh said.


Chandigarh, Dec 15 (PTI) Four workers of a marriage palace died of suspected asphyxiation in Punjab's Tarn Taran district, police said Saturday.

Prima facie it seemed that they had died because of inhaling carbon monoxide as they had kept burning coal in a storeroom of the marriage palace to keep themselves warm during the winter night, Tarn Taran Deputy Superintendent of Police (City) Sucha Singh said.

However, one worker was admitted to a local hospital, where his condition was stated to be critical, police said. 

The door of the store room where the five workers had slept was found to be closed, police said.

The bodies were spotted Saturday morning by another worker, who had come for preparation of a wedding ceremony, police said.

All of them were working as sweepers and caterers at the marriage palace.

The exact cause of the death would be known after post-mortem, police said, adding that investigation was underway.


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Hello Jammu News at 12:52:00 PM 0

Punjab and Haryana braved cold weather conditions Saturday, with the Met Department recording Adampur the coldest place in the region at 3 degrees Celsius. Bathinda (3.5), Pathankot (5), Amritsar (5.6), Ludhiana (7.9) and Patiala (8.6) districts of Punjab had a cold start to the day. Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, recorded a minimum of 6.8 degrees Celsius.


Chandigarh, Dec 15 (PTI) Punjab and Haryana braved cold weather conditions Saturday, with the Met Department recording Adampur the coldest place in the region at 3 degrees Celsius.

Bathinda (3.5), Pathankot (5), Amritsar (5.6), Ludhiana (7.9) and Patiala (8.6) districts of Punjab had a cold start to the day.

Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, recorded a minimum of 6.8 degrees Celsius.

In Haryana, Hisar and Karnal recorded the minimum temperature at 7 and 6.4 degrees Celsius. Ambala had a low of 8.3 degrees Celsius and Narnaul 4.6 degrees Celsius.

Fog reduced visibility at several places including Ludhiana, an official said.


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Hello Jammu News at 12:26:00 PM 0

The temperatures dropped at many places in Punjab and Haryana Thursday, a day after rains lashed the two states. Bathinda in Punjab was the coldest place in the two states recording a minimum temperature of 4.3 degrees Celsius. Rains lashed several places in the two states, including Chandigarh, Wednesday, a Meteorological (MeT) Department official said here.


Chandigarh, Dec 13 (PTI) The temperatures dropped at many places in Punjab and Haryana Thursday, a day after rains lashed the two states.

Bathinda in Punjab was the coldest place in the two states recording a minimum temperature of 4.3 degrees Celsius.

Rains lashed several places in the two states, including Chandigarh, Wednesday, a Meteorological (MeT) Department official said here.

He said many places in Haryana and Punjab received rains during the night too.

Halwara 5.3 degrees Celsius, Faridkot 6 degrees Celsius, Adampur 6.5 degrees Celsius, Amritsar 6 degrees Celsius and Ludhiana 6.2 degrees Celsius too experienced a cold night.

However, the minimum temperatures in Patiala 9.6 degrees Celsius, Pathankot 11.2 degrees Celsius and Gurdaspur 8 degrees Celsius settled within the normal limits, he said.

In Haryana, Hisar experienced a cold night recording a low of 7.9 degrees Celsius, Sirsa 7.2 rees Celsius and Narnaul 7.2 degrees Celsius also recorded below normal minimums.

Ambala 10 degrees Celsius, Karnal 9 degrees Celsius, Bhiwani 10.4 degrees Celsius and Rohtak 11 degrees Celsius recorded above normal minimums.

Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a minimum temperature of 9.7 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, after the rains, the maximum temperatures at most places in the two states dropped sharply Wednesday.

Patiala in Punjab had recorded a maximum temperature of 13.6 degrees Celsius, eight notches below normal limits. 

Karnal in Haryana had registered a maximum of 18 degrees Celsius, down four notches while Chandigarh's maximum had settled at 16.3 degrees Celsius, six degrees below normal limits.


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Hello Jammu News at 6:14:00 PM 0


Chandigarh, Oct 12 (PTI) In a major crackdown on drug peddlers, the Haryana Police Friday arrested one person and seized 100 kg cannabis leaves allegedly being smuggled in a car in Jhajjar district, officials said. 

On a tip-off, a police team signalled a car bearing Delhi registration number to stop. On checking, the team found five bags of cannabis leaves weighing 100 kg, a spokesman of the state police department said.

Police arrested the driver who was later identified as Rajesh, a resident of Basai Enclave in Gurgaon, he said.

During preliminary investigation, it was revealed that Rajesh and his accomplice were also engaged in illegal trade of liquor smuggling, he said.

"A case under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act had been registered against them in city police station, Bahadurgarh," he said.

The accused was produced before the court from where he was sent in judicial custody.

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Hello Jammu News at 6:09:00 PM 0


Chandigarh, Oct 12 (PTI) Online diagnostic startup Healthians Friday announced the launch of its operations in Punjab.


Healthians will be making an investment of Rs 10 crore in the state by 2020. The investment will be made towards hiring, establishing operations in the state, and creating awareness about wellness and preventive care, it said.

The company has raised multiple rounds of funding from various investors including Yuvraj Singh's investment venture YouWeCan, the company added. 

Healthians will be hiring over 300 phlebotomists, people trained to draw blood from a patient for clinical or medical testing, and support staff in the state by March 2019. 

Our vision is to employ the power of science and technology to add 10 healthy years to every Indian's life. With the launch of our services in Punjab, we bring the best in wellness and preventive diagnostics to the residents of the state, with world-class technology and impeccable service , Healthians CEO and founder Deepak Sahni said. 

The services are priced at least 40 per cent cheaper than the industry rates, he added. 

The company that started with Delhi NCR in 2015, now has operations in 21 cities of 6 states including Sonipat, Meerut, Lucknow, Kanpur, Dehradun, Jaipur, Panipat, Ambala, Karnal, Mohali, Panchkula, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, among others.

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Hello Jammu News at 5:50:00 PM 0


Chandigarh, Oct 12 (PTI) The SAD on Friday asked the Punjab government to immediately disburse Rs 3,000 per acre to farmers for managing paddy straw, while asserting that it would stand by the peasants and not allow the state to register cases against them.

The burning of paddy straw in open fields after harvesting is the main reason of air pollution in the state and in adjoining Delhi-NCR.

Former minister and senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia claimed it was shocking that instead of offering money to the farmers to manage paddy straw or engaging machines to deal with it free of cost, the Congress government had shifted this responsibility to peasants and was now intimidating them with threats of cases and jail terms.

Urging the farmers to unite for countering these "repressive tactics", Majithia said the SAD rank and file would stand with them and protest any move to penalize farmers.

Blaming the Congress government for "failing" to take steps to avoid burning of paddy stubble in the state, the SAD leader said the government had a full year to tackle the issue, but has aggravated it.

"The government first delayed paddy transplantation by 10 days through a dictatorial order which has reduced the window for sowing of wheat and gives very little time to farmers to manage paddy straw," he said.

"The government then placed orders for 14,000 machines like happy seeder and super straw management systems but only around 500 machines have been received at subsidised rates," he said.

Majithia asked the Congress government how it could "victimise" farmers when it had been given Rs 665 crore by the Centre to generate awareness on stubble burning and boosting use of subsidized machinery.

The only option left for the state was to compensate farmers for the cost incurred by them in managing paddy straw, he said.

Alleging that the Congress government only believed in "hype and had zero performance" to its credit, Majithia said the government had announced formation of a one million paddy straw challenge fund last year to come up with technology solutions to manage crop residue.

"Nothing has come out of it. Similarly the government has failed to encourage biomass plants or make arrangements for paddy straw to be used as fuel in kilns and other such measures," he said.

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Hello Jammu News at 5:27:00 PM 0


Chandigarh, Oct 12 (PTI) Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda on Friday alleged that the NDA government has "scaled down" a rail coach manufacturing unit approved by the UPA dispensation in Sonipat district to a refurbishing and rehabilitation factory.


He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of a Rs 500-crore rail coach refurbishing and rehabilitation factory in Sonipat, during his visit to Sampla in Rohtak district on Tuesday.

However, he said, the previous UPA government in 2013 had approved a "full-fledged" coach manufacturing unit at a cost of Rs 3,500 crore.

"After nearly six years, instead of starting the project approved during our time, what the Modi government has done is scaled down the project," he told reporters in Chandigarh.

"I raise strong objection to what the Narendra Modi government has done," the Rohtak MP said.

Hooda said now "no manufacturing will take place" at the unit and it will be reduced to a repair factory.

"The Centre is not giving anything much to Haryana, but what has been approved even that is being taken back," Hooda, son of former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, alleged.

He said he had attended the unveiling of a 64-foot-tall statue of peasant leader Sir Chhotu Ram in Sampla on Tuesday by Modi, but opted out of another function of the prime minister nearby because "no provision had been made for my speech despite I being an MP from the area".

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