Chandigarh Mar 25 PTI Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said former MLAs will now get pension for only one term doing away with the practice of drawing the benefit for each term served by them An MLA gets a pension of around Rs 75000 per month for one term Thereafter an additional 66 per cent of the pension amount is given for each subsequent term More than 250 former MLAs are getting pension at present Ex-MLAs in Punjab even if they have won twice five times or ten times they will now get pension for one term only said Mann in a video message while adding that several MPs are also getting pension for remaining MLAs earlier The CM said money saved from it will be spent on the welfare of people Our political leaders including MLAs seek votes from you with folded hands by saying that give us a chance to serve you Mann said addressing people But you will be surprised to know that several MLAs who won thrice four times or five times and then after losing the elections or after not getting tickets for contesting the polls get lakhs of rupees in pension per month Mann said Somebody gets Rs 350 lakh and somebody gets Rs 450 lakh and somebody gets Rs 525 lakh as pension It puts a financial burden of crores of rupees on the exchequer Mann said A reduction will also be made in their family pensions as well Mann stated Mann said he has given necessary directions to the officers concerned in this regard A few days ago SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal who is 11-time legislator had said he will not accept pension as an ex-MLA The nonagenarian had asked the Punjab government and the Vidhan Sabha speaker to divert his pension to some social work preferably to help some needy girl students in their education Had Badal decided not to forego the pension he would have received more than Rs 5 lakh per month as pension Meanwhile Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira welcomed the decision I welcome the decision of one pension to ex-MLAs taken by BhagwantMann particularly in view of the colossal debt of Rs 3 Lac Cr on which were paying an annual interest of Rs 30 K One pension is justified as lots of MLAs have virtually contributed their lifetime in politics said Khaira in a tweet Congress MLA and former minister Pargat Singh too hailed the move I welcome the one MLA-one pension decision of BhagwantMann Govt This will reduce the burden on Punjabs finances As the main opposition we will continue to play a constructive and responsible role Punjab comes first to us said the Jalandhar Cantt MLA Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former minister Daljit Singh Cheema also welcomed the decision of the AAP government PTI CHS VSD RDK RDK

Chandigarh [India], March 12 (ANI): Additional Director General of Police (security) has ordered the withdrawal of security cover of 122 former MPs and MLAs in Punjab.

Jalandhar (Punjab) [India], January 3 (ANI): Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Monday said that he will ask Sports Minister Pargat Singh to help specially-abled chess player Malika Handa.

Chandigarh [India], December 21 (ANI): After Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia was booked in a drug case, Punjab Cabinet Minister Pargat Singh on Tuesday said that everyone is treated equally before the law.

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], December 9 (ANI): Punjab Higher Education and Languages Minister Pargat Singh on Thursday condoled the demise of eminent Punjabi poet Fatehjit who passed away after a brief illness.

Jalandhar (Punjab) [India], December 6 (ANI): An expert panel will be formed by the state government with all the major sports members to encourage sporting activities on a large scale, said Punjab Sports Minister Pargat Singh on Sunday.

New Delhi [India], December 5 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Raghav Chaddha on Sunday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was indulging in horse-trading and trying to purchase AAP leaders but even a volunteer of his party could not be bought by the BJP.

Chandigarh Nov 29 PTI Punjab Education Minister Pargat Singh on Monday dared his Delhi counterpart Manish Sisodia to provide not only locations but several other vital parameters of 250 schools in the national capital for comparing them to those in Punjab Upping Punjabs ante on the Delhi governments claim of having a better school education infrastructure Singh asked Sisodia to provide not merely the locations of schools but several other key parameters for the comparison of schools in the two states on the National Performance Grading Index NPGI 2021 Singh demanded details like the number of students and permanent teachers vacancies on teachers posts besides their class 10 results of all 250 schools whose locations had been provided earlier by the Delhi minister for their comparison with schools in Punjab Sisodia had released the locations of 250 Delhi government schools on Monday after Singh in response to his Delhi counterparts Thursday invite for joint visits to 10 schools each in the two states for the comparison had on Friday said that he would rather compare 250 schools rather than merely 10 I will not let you get away like this said Singh in an apparent bare-it-all mood Sisodia on Sunday had released a list of 250 schools claiming that they had been transformed by the AAP government in five years and had urged Punjab to do the same to compare reforms and developments in schools by both the governments On Monday the Delhi education minister asked Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to name 250 schools in the state transformed by his regime Hours after Sisodia threw the challenge Singh in a series of tweets dared him to provide various key parameters of Delhi schools and not merely their locations for comparison on the NPGI scale I think you were in such a hurry to respond that you didnt even read what I had written I had said we would compare on the parameters of the National Performance Grading Index 2021 said Singh in a tweet He asked Sisodia to provide school-wise enrolment numbers permanent teachers and vacancies 10th results and the names of principals Singh also asked Sisodia to mention the figures from 2013-14 to 2019-20 so that everyone has a clear picture Singh said he had also asked for the same information earlier as well but I wonder what are you hiding But I will not let you get away like this said Singh When there is a decline in the number of students what education reform are you doing When there are no principals who are you sending on training When students are failing in 10th who is going for higher education Why talk about infrastructure when there are no new schools he said in another tweet Singh doubted that Sisodia might be reluctant to discuss these points I will request ArvindKejriwal to give the complete list Let us decide once for all who is real and who is fake Aam Aadmi said Singh in another tweet Responding to Sisodias Thursday invite for joint visits to 10 schools each in Delhi and Punjab Singh had on Friday tweeted I welcome the Hon Edu Education Minister of Delhi Shmsisodias suggestion to compare Punjab govt schools with Delhi Schools However we will take 250 schools each of Punjab and Delhi instead of 10 schools We will compare the schools on the NPGI scale We will have a debate on school infrastructure and the number of smart classrooms We will debate about the development of schools in rural and border areas of the state Singh had then said PTI CHS SUN RAX RAX

New Delhi Nov 26 PTI Ahead of the assembly polls in Punjab AAP leader and Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday called upon his Punjab counterpart Pargat Singh for presenting a list of 250 government schools which have been improved in the five years of the Congress government for a public comparison of their education models Punjabs Education Minister Pargat Singh has accepted my challenge for a debate on improvement in 250 schools in Delhi and Punjab I am waiting for a list of 250 schools in Punjab which have improved in the past five years Sisodia tweeted in Hindi I will also submit a similar list of Delhi schools We both will then visit these schools together and invite the media so that people can form an opinion about schools in Delhi and Punjab and the education models of two states Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is also visiting Mohali tomorrow He will meet the teachers in Punjab who have been agitating for their demands Who can talk better about improved situation in schools other than teachers he added Sisodia had on Thursday invited his Punjab counterpart for a public debate on the education models under the two governments He had also proposed a joint visit to 10 government schools each in Punjab and Delhi Responding to his invite Singh tweeted earlier in the day I welcome the Hon edu Minister of Delhi Shmsisodias suggestion to compare Punjab govt schools with Delhi Schools However We will take 250 schools each of Punjab and Delhi instead of 10 schools Punjab will go to assembly polls early next year PTI GJS SMN

New Delhi Nov 25 PTI Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia Thursday invited his Punjab counterpart Pargat Singh for a public debate on the education models of the two governmentsHe also proposed a joint visit to 10 government schools each in Punjab and DelhiId like to invite Education Minister of Punjab Pargat Singh Official to jointly visit 10 Delhi government schools which we have reformed in last five years and 10 Punjab govt schools which his government has reformed in five years Sisodia tweetedThen lets have a public debate on the education models of Delhi and Punjab he said on Twitter PTI GVS NSD NSD