Gurpreet Singh Nibber is an Assistant Editor with the Punjab bureau. He covers politics, agriculture, power sector, environment, Sikh religious affairs and the Punjabi diaspora.
Articles by Gurpreet Singh Nibber
Expecting price rise, Punjab farmers hold on to wheat stocks
Anticipating increase in wheat prices, farmers are holding on to wheat stocks more than their requirement for sowing in the upcoming season and for their personal use
Updated on Apr 30, 2024 07:22 AM IST
Tardy wheat lifting: Punjab officials fail to keep pace with arrivals
Lifting essentially means moving the produce to storage points or rail heads for transportation to consuming states. Slow lifting not just leaves the grains at risk for damage due to weather vagaries, it also hinders the procurement process for farmers next in the queue.
Updated on Apr 27, 2024 07:58 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Efforts on for zero farm fire goal: Punjab to Centre
Last year, Punjab claimed to have brought down farm fires by 26% (from 49,922 in 2022 to 36,623 in 2023). However, the area on which farm fires were reported (as recorded by satellites) went up —from 15 lakh acres in 2022 to 19 lakh acres in 2023.
Updated on Apr 26, 2024 07:30 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Amritpal to contest LS polls from Khadoor Sahib: Counsel
The latest development has triggered speculations that the Shiromani Akali Dal may field him from Khadoor Sahib, the only Lok Sabha constituency out of 13 in Punjab from where the Akalis are yet to declare a candidate, or support him as an Independent.
Updated on Apr 25, 2024 06:22 AM IST
Rail roko at Shambhu: Week on, movement of food grains hit, ethanol industry in a quandary
Agriculture department says if protest continues, supply of fertilisers, especially urea and di-ammonia phosphate will be impacted
Updated on Apr 24, 2024 08:40 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Denial of ticket to son: Sulking Dhindsa to decide next move after meeting supporters
Upset over denial of ticket to his son from the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patron Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said on Thursday that he will hold a meeting with his supporters in Sangrur on Saturday on his next move
Updated on Apr 20, 2024 05:48 AM IST
SAD fields Hindu faces from Amritsar, Patiala, looks to go beyond Panthic image, emerge as ‘voice of Punjab’
Out of seven candidates declared by SAD on Saturday, two are Hindu faces. The party has fielded a former leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Anil Joshi from Amritsar, and its loyalist and a money-bag realtor NK Sharma from Patiala.
Updated on Apr 19, 2024 08:08 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Punjab readies for glut of wheat crop after slow start to procurement
According to director agriculture Jaswant Singh, the wheat crop will be ready to be harvested across the state and mandis will witness arrivals at the same time leading to a glut-like situation
Updated on Apr 16, 2024 06:44 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
LS Polls: Chandumajra is Anandpur Sahib pick, Daljit Cheema fielded from Gurdaspur as SAD announces first list
The Akali Dal has fielded NK Sharma from Patiala, Anil Joshi from Amritsar, Bikramjit Singh Khalsa from Fatehgarh Sahib, Rajwinder Singh from Faridkot and Iqbal Singh Jhoonda from Sangrur.
Updated on Apr 14, 2024 08:14 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Day after son, daughter-in-law join BJP, SAD removes Sikander Singh Maluka as Maur halqa in-charge
Sikander Singh Maluka said that he had tried to stop his son, Gurpreet Singh Maluka, and daughter-in-law, Parampal Kaur Sidhu, from joining the saffron party but in vain.
Updated on Apr 13, 2024 07:56 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh NibberVishal Joshi, Chandigarh/bathinda
Start paddy sowing from June 18 onwards: PAU
As per PAU’s findings, between 1998 to 2018 period, the average annual rate of fall in the water table of the state was 0.53 metres. The situation in some central districts is worse, where the rate of dip in the water table is more than 1 metre per annum
Updated on Apr 10, 2024 06:10 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Senior leader Jhundan stakes claim for SAD’s Sangrur ticket
Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and two-time MLA Iqbal Singh Jhundan (62) has staked claim for the party ticket from the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency amid reports of party considering the name of former finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa (50) from the prestigious seat
Updated on Apr 08, 2024 07:18 AM IST
Punjab wheat yield set to hit all-time high this rabi season
According to Punjab Agricultural University vice-chancellor SS Gosal there was no pest attack and untimely hailstorms and winds affected the crop only in limited pockets, which will boost the yield.
Updated on Apr 06, 2024 08:36 AM IST
Punjab: Cheema, Chandumajra vie for SAD ticket from Anandpur Sahib
Two senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders – former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra and former minister Daljit Singh Cheema – are staking claim for the party ticket from the Anandpur Sahib Parliamentary segment
Updated on Apr 04, 2024 08:48 AM IST
What happened between SAD and BJP?
A last-ditch effort by the two allies to reconstitute their 25-year alliance (followed by a three-year break) has fallen through. What now?
Updated on Apr 03, 2024 10:31 PM IST
Poll talk @HT: Focus on winning hearts than seats in Punjab, Sukhbir tells BJP
In an interview to Hindustan Times, Akali leader cautions one-time ally against “aggression to capture the numbers” in the border state
Published on Apr 03, 2024 12:29 PM IST
FCI allows Punjab to use open plinths for wheat storage for the last time
The FCI gave a leeway due to lack of storage space even as the Centre has mandated storage of food grains in covered godowns to save grains from the vagaries of the weather.
Updated on Mar 30, 2024 08:28 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
SAD looks to resurrect its core strength – ‘panth’ & peasantry
With possibilities of a tie-up between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) laid to rest, the latter sees it a chance to resurrect its core strength --- the ‘panth’ and farmers
Updated on Mar 27, 2024 08:48 AM IST
SAD’s hints it may go solo in Lok Sabha polls
The resolution said ‘the party’s principles are over politics’ and it sought to resolve the issues concerning Punjab and the Sikhs as a pre-requisite for an alliance with the saffron party, hinting that “no alliance was possible at this stage.”
Updated on Mar 23, 2024 09:02 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Tie-up delay: SAD in wait-and-watch mode in Punjab
SAD hopeful of alliance with BJP but has also asked its carders to be in poll mode on all 13 LS seats
Updated on Mar 17, 2024 08:56 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh :
Two years of AAP govt in Punjab: Dip in farm fires, diversification still remains a challenge
In the past two years, several meetings have been held between chief minister Bhagwant Mann and farm bodies’ representatives for discussions on peasantry demands but have failed to bring out a positive outcome.
Updated on Mar 16, 2024 09:06 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
2 years of AAP govt: Providing jobs, a ‘work in progress’ in Punjab
While 11,467 jobs were provided in the education department, 8,853 vacancies have been filled in the home department, 4,737 in the local bodies department, 4,564 in power, 2,124 in revenue and 1,086 in health.
Updated on Mar 16, 2024 08:00 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Assembly budget session adjourned sine die, three days ahead of schedule
Speaking during zero hour, CM Mann accused Centre of not involving state govt while inaugurating projects in Punjab
Updated on Mar 13, 2024 06:06 AM IST
Rural roads repair work hit due to non-release of RDF, says Agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian in question hour
Sultanpur Lodhi legislator raised the issue and said that many roads were damaged in his constituency during last year’s floods and are in urgent need of repairs.
Updated on Mar 12, 2024 08:24 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Punjab farmers set to take the wheel of improved, easy-to-use surface seeders
PAU's improved surface seeder aids in crop residue management, weed control, and efficient wheat sowing post-paddy harvest, benefiting farmers in Punjab.
Updated on Mar 11, 2024 09:10 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Punjab budget session question hour: No teacher in 26 Chabbewal, Garhshankar schools, says Congress MLA
Education minister Harjot Singh Bains told the House that the govt is making efforts to ensure full strength of teachers in ‘kandi’ belt schools
Updated on Mar 08, 2024 08:04 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
No mention of AAP’s pre-poll promises in Punjab budget: Bajwa
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday presented the state budget for 2024-25 with a total outlay of ₹2.04 lakh crore
Updated on Mar 07, 2024 06:28 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Sukhdev Dhindsa merges his party SAD (Sanyukt) with SAD after 4 years
The merger took place almost four years after Dhindsa and his son, former finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, were expelled from the party in February 2020 for alleged anti-party activities, after which they floated the SAD (Sanyukt)
Updated on Mar 06, 2024 08:40 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Punjab: ₹13,784 crore for agri sector, major chunk to be pumped into free power for tubewells
Out of the total allocation, a major chunk 67% ( ₹9,330 crore) has been reserved for free power to agricultural tubewells. The state has over 14 lakh tubewells which support at least 70% of the agricultural land.
Updated on Mar 06, 2024 08:18 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann’s ‘lock the opposition in House’ remark triggers uproar
Heated exchanges ensued after CM’s statement with Bajwa taking exception said that protests and walkouts are their right under the democratic system
Updated on Mar 05, 2024 07:48 AM IST
Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh