Chandigarh Mar 24 PTI Shiromani Akali Dal SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal set up a 12-member committee on Thursday to introspect on the results of the recently-held Punjab Assembly polls and take feedback from the grassroots level on steps needed to strengthen the partyThe SAD registered its worst-ever poll performance as it could win only three seats The Aam Aadmi Party AAP stormed to power in Punjab for the first time by winning 92 of the 117 Assembly seats in the stateBesides recommending sweeping changes to safeguard the core principles of the SAD the committee would suggest changes needed at the organisational level according to a statement issued by the partyThe panel has been set up after taking feedback from different levels in the party including its core committee MLAs candidates district presidents and Youth Akali Dal YAD and Student Organisation of India SOI members the statement saidThe committee comprises senior leaders Balwinder Singh Bhundur Charanjit Singh Atwal Bibi Jagir Kaur Prem Singh Chandumajra Maheshinder Singh Grewal Daljit Singh Cheema Sikander Singh Maluka Hira Singh Gabria Gulzar Singh Ranike Sharanjit Singh Dhillon Janmeja Singh Sekhon and Surjit Singh RakhraCheema said It seems that some big changes are required to safeguard the unique character of the SAD Many suggestions have been made in this context during the ongoing introspection exercise being conducted by the party All these suggestions as well as the feedback from the grassroots level will be taken into account while recommending changes needed to rejuvenate the party PTI CHS VSD RC

Chandigarh Feb 28 PTI A total of 91 students belonging to Haryana have so far been brought back to India from Ukraine according to a statement issued by the state government on MondayAccording to the Ministry of External Affairs MEA a total of 1396 Indians have so far been brought back from Ukraine in six flights under Operation GangaThe statement issued by the Haryana government said 91 students from the state were among those brought back to India from the war-hit European countryHaryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said his government is working day and night for the return of all the students from UkraineHe also directed the deputy commissioners DCs to immediately constitute teams of officers to contact the families of the 1786 students from the state who are in UkraineKhattar further directed them to give assurance to the families that the Centre and the Haryana government are taking all possible steps to bring back the students safelyHe told the DCs to convey to the families that they need not pay heed to the negative social media posts being spread in this regardThe chief minister said the officers appointed by the DCs should ensure all possible help to the families of the studentsThe statement said the Centre has released a list of Haryanvi students studying in UkraineAccording to the list a total of 1786 students from Haryana are studying in the European countryThe help desk set up by the Haryana government has so far received over 400 phone calls 800-900 WhatsApp messages and 800 e-mails The officers deployed at the help desk are in constant touch with the students and the MEA the statement saidKhattar is also closely monitoring the situation and is constantly taking updates from the officialsThe chief minister assured all the citizens stranded in Ukraine that they would certainly be brought back to India and urged them not to panic PTI CHS VSD RC

Chandigarh Dec 23 PTI Former MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura rejoined the Shiromani Akali Dal SAD in the presence of party stalwart Parkash Singh Badal on ThursdayBrahmpura was the patron of the Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led SAD SanyuktHe was against an alliance or a seat-sharing arrangement between the SAD Sanyukt and the BJP for the 2022 Punjab Assembly pollsUnion Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier said the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP was in talks with former chief minister Amarinder Singh and Dhindsa to forge an alliance with their partiesA few days ago the saffron party announced its tie-up with Amarinder Singhs party the Punjab Lok Congress for the Assembly polls due early next yearAlong with Brahmpura other SAD Sanyukt leaders who joined the Akali Dal included Ujjagar Singh Badaali Mohinder Singh Hussainpur Ravinder Singh Brahmpura -- all of whom were appointed as vice presidents of the party -- and Karnail Singh Peermohammad who was appointed as its general secretaryBrahmpura was expelled from the SAD in 2018 after he raised a banner of revolt against the party leadershipSpeaking on the occasion Brahmpura said I was on leave from my parent party just the way a soldier goes on leave before rejoining his battalion He recalled the SADs sacrifices for the panth and Punjab and said Now it is our responsibility to strengthen the party We will go from house to house to usher in a new revolution in the state SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal said if he had got the opportunity to become the chief minister five times Brahmpura had a big role to play in itBrahmpura sahab is an Akali and will always remain an Akali Today I am very happy that two brothers have joined hands again he addedMeanwhile the SAD demanded that a high court judge should monitor the probe into the recent cases of sacrilege bids in PunjabThe party announced that it would hold a Panthic Rosh Ikath at the Manji Sahib in the Darbar Sahib complex in Amritsar on January 2 to protest against the police inaction in the casesA decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the partys core committee which was presided by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and attended by Parkash Singh Badal according to a statement issued by the partyAfter the meeting Sukhbir Badal said Sikhs and Punjabis do not have any faith in the Congress government and its home minister They are convinced that the government is bent upon saving those behind the heinous cases of sacrilege and does not have any interest in uncovering the conspiracy behind these incidents He said the government had failed to unravel the conspiracy behind the cases despite the fact that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee SGPC handed over the man responsible for throwing the holy Gutka Sahib into the sarovar at the Golden Temple to policeHad this case been investigated properly the subsequent ghastly event of December 18 in the sanctum sanctorum of the Harmandar Sahib would have been averted the former Punjab deputy chief minister saidAn unidentified man was beaten to death for his alleged sacrilege attempt at the Golden Temple on December 18 PTI CHS VSD RC

Chandigarh Dec 22 PTI Shiromani Akali Dal Sanyukt leader Ranjit Singh Brahmpura will rejoin the SAD on ThursdayBrahmpura is the patron of the SAD SanyuktSAD Sanyukt general secretary Karnail Singh Peermohammad on Wednesday said Brahmpura will rejoin the SAD in the presence of Akali stalwart Parkash Singh Badal on ThursdayHe added that senior vice-president of the party Ujagar Singh Wadali will also join the SADA decision in this regard was taken on Wednesday evening Peermohammad saidHe said they were against an alliance or a seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP for the 2022 Punjab Assembly pollsAt present Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa is the president of the SAD SanyuktEarlier this month Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said the BJP was in talks with former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh and Dhindsa for electoral tie-upsRecently the BJP announced its alliance with Singhs party the Punjab Lok Congress for the upcoming Assembly pollsBrahmpura a former MP was expelled from the SAD in 2018 after he raised a banner of revolt against the party leadershipSubsequently he launched his own party the SAD TaksaliDhindsa also floated his party the SAD Democratic after he was expelled by the Akali Dal in 2020Brahmpura and Dhindsa joined hands and formed the SAD Sanyukt after dissolving their respective outfits this yearThe Punjab Assembly polls are due early next year PTI CHS VSD RC

Chandigarh Dec 22 PTI Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh took a swipe at Harish Rawat on Wednesday after the Congress leader alleged non-cooperation from his party ahead of the 2022 Uttarakhand Assembly pollsIn a tweet Singh told the former Uttarakhand chief minister You reap what you sow All the best for your future endeavours if there are any Singh faced an unceremonious exit as the Punjab chief minister in September amid a bitter power tussle with state Congress chief Navjot Singh SidhuRawat was the Punjab affairs in-charge of the Congress at that time The grand old party had then replaced Singh with Charanjit Singh ChanniIn his resignation letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi in November Singh had slammed Rawat and dubbed him as the most dubious individualThe former Punjab chief minister subsequently launched his own political partyRawat who is the campaign head of the Congress in poll-bound Uttarakhand created a flutter in the political circles on Wednesday alleging non-cooperation from his organisation and noting that he sometimes feels it is time for him to restIn a tweet in Hindi he said Isnt it strange that the organisational structure at most places instead of extending a helping hand is standing with its head turned away or playing a negative role at a time when I have to swim across the ocean of elections The powers that be have left crocodiles there People on whose orders I have to swim their nominees are tying up my hands and feet he saidI am invaded by thoughts A voice from within sometimes tells me it is enough Harish Rawat you have swam long It is time to rest the former Uttarakhand chief minister saidI am in a dilemma The new year may show me the way he added PTI CHS VSD RC

Chandigarh Sep 29 PTI Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi asked officials on Wednesday to check the rampant corruption in the local government department and the unplanned and haphazard construction across the stateSignificantly the local government department is under minister Brahm Mohindra who is considered close to former chief minister Amarinder SinghChanni called for all-out efforts to provide basic amenities to the people of the stateReviewing the functioning of the local government department he asked the principal secretary of the department A K Sinha to issue detailed guidelines to the municipal councils to allow construction of houses only in the urban areas in accordance with the building plans duly approved by the authorities concerned an official statement saidChanni also said corruption is rampant at different levels in the department and it must be checked immediately as there are several complaints from the common people about harassment for getting their work doneHe directed the principal secretary to personally ensure that people are given the best civic amenities such as potable water supply street lighting sewerage roads and parks etcThe chief minister also stressed on the need to make a provision for at least 35-foot roads in the colonies so as to enable people to have hassle-free road connectivityHe said the plans of those colonisers who kept narrow 20-foot roads should not be approvedChanni also asked the principal secretary of the local government department to put in place an effective mechanism to redress the grievances of the public on priority PTI CHS VSD RC

Chandigarh Sep 22 PTI Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday defended the use of a chartered flight by him to travel to Delhi a day after the Opposition raised questions over itTo a question on his visit to the national capital on a chartered flight on Tuesday Channi asked reporters What is the problem if the son of a poor man boarded a jet However he refused to reply to a question on whether the government will foot the billChanni was in Jalandhar where he was asked about his visit to Delhi by reportersThe chief minister along with his deputies Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa OP Soni and Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu went to Delhi on a chartered flight on Tuesday to discuss the expansion of the new Punjab cabinet with the partys central leadershipSidhu uploaded a photo of him with Channi and Randhawa standing next to the chartered planeThe Congress leaders drew flak from the Opposition for travelling to Delhi on a chartered flightTaking a swipe at them the Shiromani Akali Dal said Congress leaders opt for private jets for travelling just 250 km to Delhi while the Aam Aadmi Party said the grand old party has not been able to give up its royal habitsRaveen Thukral media advisor to former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh also took potshots at the Congress leaders for travelling to Delhi on a chartered flight PTI CHS VSD RC

Chandigarh Sep 20 PTI Newly sworn-in Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi issued directions to all government officers and employees on Monday to ensure their presence during office timingsHe directed them to reach office by 9 am and remain available for the public till the office hours in the evening according to an official statementThe move is aimed at bringing discipline in government offices the statement saidChanni was sworn in as the chief minister of Punjab on Monday He was administered the oath by the governorStressing on the need to bring transparency in government offices Channi directed all officers and employees to deal with the grievances of people on priorityTo ensure availability of all the government officers and employees in the offices during official hours the administrative secretaries and department heads should conduct surprise checks twice a week to keep vigil on the employees working under them he saidThe chief minister also asked the administrative secretaries and department heads to keep a close watch on the activities and records at their officesMeanwhile after paying obeisance at the Gurdwara Sri Katalgarh Sahib in Chamkaur Sahib earlier in the day Channi said justice would soon be done in the 2015 sacrilege incidentsHe said he is a devout Sikh of Guru Sahib and cannot tolerate that culprits responsible for the desecration of a religious text are roaming around freelyIn an official statement the chief minister also announced Rs 50 crore for the development of the Chamkaur Sahib constituency which he currently represents in the AssemblyIn a brief speech he also highlighted a theme park that would be inaugurated on November 6 PTI CHS VSD RC