Karam Prakash is a Patiala-based senior correspondent covering several districts of Malwa region of Punjab. He writes on various domains, including health, agriculture, power and education.
Articles by Karam Prakash
Assault case: Matter in court, Colonel refuses to appear before Punjab SIT
Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath has asked SIT to defer proceedings till the outcome of his petition before Punjab and Haryana high court for a CBI probe into the assault.
Published on Mar 26, 2025 03:19 PM IST
Patiala: Colonel Bath’s kin lift protest after invite from CM Mann
The Colonel and his son Angad were allegedly assaulted by 12 cops over a parking dispute in Patiala on the intervening night of March 13 and 14
Published on Mar 25, 2025 08:58 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Attack on Colonel: Punjab Police file fresh FIR after outrage, name cops
A three-member high-level special investigation team (SIT) has also been set up to conduct probe in a “fair and expeditious manner”; Army officer’s family to get security
Published on Mar 22, 2025 09:26 AM IST
Punjab: NH-52 traffic restored as Khanauri protest site cleared
Farmers had been staging a sit-in at Shambhu and Khanauri barriers since February 13 last year after their march to Delhi was blocked by security forces at Shambhu and Khanauri border points.
Published on Mar 22, 2025 09:02 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Punjab: Traffic resumes at Shambhu after 1 year, over 1,000 detained amid statewide stir
Police: Khanauri border to be cleared today; protesters cane-charged near Gidderbaha; need to reopen roads to protect state’s economy, says AAP
Published on Mar 21, 2025 09:34 AM IST
Karam PrakashVishal Joshi, Patiala/bathinda/amritsar/rohtak
{Patiala assault} Punjab orders magisterial probe, Colonel’s kin reject move, demand CBI inquiry
The incident took place on the intervening night of March 13 and 14, when Colonel Bath and his son were at a roadside eatery near Government Rajindra Hospital Patiala
Published on Mar 21, 2025 09:22 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Patiala assault: No cop named in FIR yet, colonel to move HC; kin, veterans to protest outside SSP & DC offices
Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath, currently posted at Army Headquarters in New Delhi, was discharged from the Command Hospital in Chandimandir on Wednesday
Published on Mar 20, 2025 06:46 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Punjab: Cops clear Shambhu, Khanauri blockades, detain over 450 farmers
Barring minor scuffles, no major untoward incident; farmers backstabbed, says Opposition, Bhagwant Mann’s government defends police action
Published on Mar 20, 2025 06:06 AM IST
12 Patiala cops suspended for assault on army colonel yet to be named in FIR
The medical report of Government Rajindra Hospital (copy with HT), where the injured colonel and his son Angad Singh were taken, reveals that the duo had not ‘consumed alcohol’ refuting the claims made in filed on the statement of the eatery owner
Published on Mar 19, 2025 07:42 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
3 inspectors among 12 cops suspended for thrashing colonel, son in Patiala
Patiala SSP apologises, says a departmental probe has been initiated against 12 cops and a report will be submitted in 45 days
Published on Mar 18, 2025 09:52 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
‘Suspicious financial transactions’ in firms linked to Majithia, says SIT probing 2021 drug case
Majithia appeared before the SIT, led by deputy inspector general (Ropar range) HS Bhullar, at Patiala police lines and was grilled for over six hours.
Published on Mar 18, 2025 08:58 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Punjab: 12 cops suspended for thrashing army colonel, son in Patiala
Colonel Pushpinder Bath, who is undergoing treatment at the Military Hospital in Patiala and is posted at army headquarters in New Delhi, was kicked in the face
Updated on Mar 17, 2025 04:32 PM IST
Punjab SMOs to get lessons in management
Doctors are performing surgeries well but when it comes to running hospitals efficiently, things are not same as they were never trained for hospital administration, says Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh
Published on Mar 17, 2025 08:46 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Punjab fares poorly in screening people with non-communicable diseases
Punjab is at the 27th place among 28 states and eight union territories in the country. Ironically, the state could achieve only 10% of the given target until March 12, leaving the remaining target almost impossible up to March 31— a cut-off date for the year 2024-25.
Published on Mar 16, 2025 05:40 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Over 70% AACs in Punjab rebranded as Ayushman Arogya Kendras
An official familiar with the rebranding process revealed that after the Centre stopped releasing National Health Mission (NHM) funds in 2023, Punjab had to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Union ministry of health and family welfare to re-brand AACs.
Published on Mar 12, 2025 09:08 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Punjab govt mulls handing over hospitals to pvt players amid shortage of specialists
Pilot project in pipeline, patients to get free services as govt will pay service providers, says health minister; it will be a public-private partnership, he adds
Published on Mar 09, 2025 08:42 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
‘Dictatorial’ tactics: Pandher likens Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann to PM Modi
Sarwan Singh Pandher-led KMM, along with SKM (Non-Political) have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year, after security forces did not allow them to march to Delhi to press for their various demands.
Published on Mar 06, 2025 09:08 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
One-year-old girl tests positive for HMPV in Patiala
The HMPV is a respiratory virus that can cause mild to severe illness. The vulnerable group includes young children, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems
Published on Mar 03, 2025 08:44 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Will empanel private psychiatrists to overcome shortage: Dr Balbir
To overcome the shortage of psychiatrists, the Punjab government is mulling to empanel private ones. The severe shortage of psychiatrists may also come in the way of the government’s ongoing anti-drug drive.
Published on Mar 02, 2025 06:38 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Punjab women’s panel chief says live-in relationships like termites, destroy social fabric
Punjab state women commission chairperson Raj Lali Gill, who was in Patiala to chair the Lok Adalat at Police Lines, said, not only young men and women but also some married individuals are engaging in live-in relationships, which are “weakening the social fabric”.
Published on Feb 28, 2025 10:55 PM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Punjab brings down age for OOAT treatment for drug addicts to 16
This means addicts aged 16 and above will no longer need to be admitted at rehab centres and can get treatment while living at their own homes and attending school as normal. Until now, OOAT treatment was allowed only for those above the age of 18 while underage addicts had to be admitted to rehab centres throughout their treatment, with an attendant present.
Published on Feb 28, 2025 09:18 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Woman drug peddler house demolished in Patiala
Patiala admin demolished the house of alleged drug peddler Rinky with 10 FIRs; similar action in Rupnagar against a couple involved in drug trade.
Published on Feb 28, 2025 08:54 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Punjab government to hire rehabilitated drug addicts as counsellors at OOATs
The department has already directed all the civil surgeons to submit names of recovered drug addicts holding a graduate degree in any subject.
Published on Feb 27, 2025 07:36 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Punjab forms panel to probe private rehab centres run by doctor accused of misappropriating drugs
Dr Amit Bansal, a resident of Chandigarh, who was running 22 private de-addiction centres across Punjab, was arrested in the first week of January after a vigilance probe found that drugs meant for inmates at rehabilitation centres were being misappropriated sold in the black market to persons not enrolled in de-addiction programmes.
Published on Feb 27, 2025 07:18 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Hospitals directed to ensure free medicine availability
Punjab health department mandates civil surgeons to ensure patients receive prescribed medicines and display complaint numbers at healthcare centres.
Published on Feb 25, 2025 09:28 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Forged certificates: Health dept promotes doctors against whom it had requested police action
The health department had sought action against these doctors based on the findings of the Punjab and Haryana high court constituted special investigation team (SIT) that probed the 2008-09 doctors’ recruitment scam.
Published on Feb 23, 2025 05:12 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Four US deportees with criminal past land in police net
Two persons in Patiala and a Haryana man held in connection with murder cases, while Ludhiana man has 2 FIRs against his name
Published on Feb 17, 2025 08:14 AM IST
Karam Prakash/Tarsem Singh Deogan, Patiala/ludhiana
Punjab: Key meet between farmers, Centre today
Farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year
Published on Feb 14, 2025 04:45 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Punjab: Dallewal to take part in central panel’s Friday meet on farmers’ demands
Making agriculture sector profitable is must to stop youth’s emigration from the country, says Dallewal who addressed the mahapanchayat from his bed in a tractor-trolley
Published on Feb 13, 2025 06:50 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Punjab govt’s anti-drug drive sparks data privacy concerns
The Punjab government’s anti-drug programme has allegedly breached the privacy of drug addicts by requesting the Punjab health department to share personal details of thousands of active drug users registered in outpatient opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) clinics without their consent
Published on Feb 12, 2025 05:48 AM IST