Two-day Zero Waste Teej Mahotsav begins with Punjabi folk, Giddha & Bhangra
Chandigarh: Municipal Corporation's Zero Waste Teej Mahotsav celebrations began on Saturday at the Garden of Shrubs, Sector 46-C, with Mayor Kuldeep Kumar, inaugurating the two-day colorful Zero Waste Teej Mahotsav. The two-day mela dedicated to the "Har Ghar Tiranga: My Nation, My Pride" theme, featured Punjabi, Haryanvi, Rajasthani folk dances, songs, fusion of Giddha & Bhangra and Teeian de Geet by famous artists from various states. The audience present at the mela could not resist dancing to the foot-tapping beats of "Dhol" and popular Punjabi numbers. The Mayor stressed the necessity to perpetuate cultural values among the masses, especially the younger generation. He also enlightened the gathering about the social, religious and historical significance of the Teej Mahotsav. Municipal Commissioner Anindita Mitra, acknowledged the tireless efforts of the entire team in making this year's celebration memorable while maintaining cleanliness and hygiene. The festival embraced a zero-waste initiative, showcasing the civic body's unwavering commitment to sustainability. The MC team and the SHGs (Self-Help Groups) aimed to raise awareness about waste management, recycling products, composting, and community empowerment. Various services of MCC were showcased, including Fire & Emergency Services, Safaimitra, Swachh Bharat Mission, C&D Waste Recycled Products, Horticulture Waste Products, Home Composting, Prarambh- Arpan products from Floral Waste, NAYA SA, Bartan Bhandar ,Safai Mitra Equipment Stalls, and Fire Rescue Services.
Hry Governor inaugurates ICAI's two-day workshop"Parcham"
Chandigarh: Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatraya on Saturday addressed the inaugural ceremony of the two-day workshop "Parcham" organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) at the auditorium of Gurugram University and said a Chartered Accountant guides businesses on the right path, thereby enhancing their credibility. He also highlighted the need to eradicate corruption from the country and the state, stating that only then can we achieve progress. The higher our country’s tax revenue, the more we can work towards the welfare of our citizens, the Governor added. Addressing CA students, the Governor said that while money has its importance, knowledge is far more valuable, urging them to prioritise the pursuit of knowledge. During the workshop, the Governor said that at the time of India’s independence, there were only 1,700 Chartered Accountants in the country, a number that has now grown to over 60 lakh. This indicates the popularity of Chartered Accountancy as a career among the youth.
Talwara’s Harshit joins Indian Naval Academy in Kerala
Chandigarh: The Punjab Government's Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute (MRSAFPI) achieved yet another success as its Cadet Harshit Chaudhary, resident of Talwara in Hoshiarpur district, recently commenced training at the Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala in Kerala. Punjab Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training Minister Aman Arora congratulated the cadet and conveyed his best wishes for the upcoming training. This achievement adds another feather in the cap of the institute's prestigious legacy and highlights the dedication and caliber of its cadets. The Institute has seen a total of 238 cadets entering different defence training academies, with 160 successfully commissioned as officers in the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. This accomplishment underscores the institute's commitment to nurturing skilled and capable military leaders, he added. Arora informed that 15 cadets have successfully cleared the Services Selection Board (SSB) Interviews and are now anticipating their joining letters to commence training at the National Defence Academy (NDA) to pursue their journey towards becoming commissioned officers in the Indian Armed Forces. Major General Ajay H. Chauhan, the Director of the Institute, said that significant progress is ongoing at the Institute, with an additional 11 cadets scheduled to undergo the SSB interview for the Technical Entry Scheme and other entries in this month.
Pb Minister raised various issues of Social Security Department with Union Minister Annapurna Devi
Chandigarh: In a discussion with Union Minister Annapurna Devi over video conferencing, Punjab's Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister, Dr. Baljit Kaur underscored the pressing need for increased financial and operational support from the Ministry of Women and Child Development to further strengthen the welfare programs for women and children in the state. Kaur during the interaction, provided an overview of the substantial progress made in key areas, while also highlighting the challenges that require immediate attention and support. She emphasized the inadequacy of the current cost norms under the Supplementary Nutrition Program(SNP) to meet the rising prices of essential ingredients and high-calorie foods and urged the Union Minister to revise these norms to ensure that the nutritional needs of the beneficiaries are adequately met. Additionally, she highlighted the exclusion of children attending private schools from the Poshan Tracker nutrition system, advocating their inclusion to ensure comprehensive nutritional support across all educational institutions. The Minister raised concerns over delays in fund release which is stalling the completion of critical projects, including the construction of Vatsalya Sadan and a working women's hostel in SAS Nagar. She stressed the urgent need for additional funds to meet the growing demand for sponsorships and foster care services.
MoU signed for State-of-the-Art Commercial Complex in Shimla
Shimla: The Town & Country Planning, Housing and Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani presided over a event at New Delhi where the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) for the development of a state-of-the-art commercial complex at Vikas Nagar, Shimla. The Minister emphasized that the project was energy-efficient and would achieve a high green building ranking, in line with sustainable development goals set by the State Government. In addition to this, another MoU was signed between the Department of Architecture of Rajiv Gandhi Engineering College, Nagrota (Kangra) and SPA for technical knowledge sharing during the event. The Minister said that the collaboration aims to leverage SPA's extensive experience in the fields of architecture and planning to enhance the educational standards of the institution, providing a competitive edge to the students of Himachal Pradesh. He also discussed a specialization course on Hill Architecture as part of this initiative. Director SPA Delhi, Prof. V.K. Paul steered the proceedings of the MoU signing event. He also highlighted the importance of efficient planning and how this MOU would play a significant role in preserving the ecology and environment of Himachal Pradesh.
No free water in Himachal rural areas to people with annual income exceeding Rs 50,000
Shimla: All water consumers in rural areas of Himachal Pradesh will no longer enjoy the facility of free water supply as the domestic consumers with annual income above Rs 50,000 will have to pay Rs 100 per month. Besides, the commercial establishments will be billed according to kilolitre. The State cabinet which took the decision to increase the revenue and curtail the subsidies on Thursday also decided to provide metered water supply to commercial establishments like hotels and home-stays and bill them on commercial rates. "Domestic consumers with annual income above Rs 50,000 will have to pay Rs 100 per month as water bill while the business establishments like hotels would be charged as per kilolitre and the money collected will be utilised in improving the quality of drinking water," said Sukhu. However, certain underprivileged sections including widows, destitute, 'ekal nari' (single woman), handicapped and other weaker sections will continue to get water free of cost. During the past few years, hotels and home-stays have mushroomed in rural areas and these are enjoying free water facilities while the hotels in urban areas are being supplied water and electricity at commercial rates. "The Jan Shakti Department which is operating about 10,000 water supply schemes in the state is suffering revenue loss of about Rs 800 crore due to supply of free water," said an official.
Governor Punjab and Administrator UT Chandigarh Visits Sector 9 Secretariat
Chandigarh: Gulab Chand Kataria, Governor of Punjab and Administrator of UT Chandigarh, visited the Sector 9, Secretariat to meet officials on Saturday. The Administrator was welcomed with a Guard of Honour by the Chandigarh Police and was greeted by Rajeev Verma, Adviser to Administrator and Surendera Singh Yadav, DGP, along with other senior officers of the Chandigarh Administration. During the visit, the Administrator received a brief introduction to all the officers and their respective responsibilities. He was also presented with detailed overviews of Chandigarh and the various departments of the Chandigarh Administration. In his address, the Administrator emphasized that both he and all the officers are committed to serving the public impartially and encouraged the officers to remain undeterred by challenges and to feel motivated in solving problems. He noted that it is crucial to ensure that work is done in the right direction. The Administrator urged all officers to conduct regular review meetings within their departments to foster teamwork and enhance departmental efficiency. He also highlighted the importance of regular public interactions to gain a clearer understanding of departmental operations.
