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
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
BJP leader Bittu alleges vendetta after police action against his three aides
A day after arresting bizman, cops booked Bant Singh Doburji for ‘fraud’ in Ludhiana, while Rajesh Attri was held under SC/ST Act in Patiala
Published on Feb 11, 2025 07:48 AM IST
Will participate in Feb 12 unity meet, says Sarwan Singh Pandher
Kisan Mazdoor Morcha will join the February 12 meeting in Chandigarh, supporting unity against the NPAFM, amid ongoing farmer protests.
Published on Feb 11, 2025 06:38 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Punjab: Farmers’ ‘unity talks’ hit fresh roadblock
SKM's unity talks in Chandigarh face delays as protesting unions haven't responded. Key demands, including MSP guarantees, remain contentious.
Published on Feb 10, 2025 07:48 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
In a first, Amritsar admn starts delivery of cooked meals to TB patients
Amritsar launches a project to deliver high-protein meals to 5,053 TB patients at home, aiding recovery and planning statewide expansion.
Published on Feb 09, 2025 09:02 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala
Water table depleting rapidly in Punjab, 67% wells register dip
Of the 174 wells monitored in Punjab over the past five years, 67.2%, or 117 have registered a dip in water level, according to a data shared by Union minister of state for Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary in the Rajya Sabha on February 3
Published on Feb 06, 2025 09:04 AM IST
Mohali OOAT centre: 23k tablets missing, drug issued to dead patient, shows report
An inquiry report pertaining to the Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) centre at a community health centre (CHC) in Mohali has pointed to a number of anomalies, such as “missing” buprenorphine tablets in bulk, increased daily dose for addicts “without doctor’s approval” and even “disbursement of drugs to a deceased patient”
Published on Feb 06, 2025 08:52 AM IST
Karam Prakash, Patiala:
Punjab sees warmest Jan in 6 yrs; avg temp touches 19° C
Punjab experienced its warmest January in six years, with major cities across the state reporting higher-than-usual daytime temperatures
Published on Feb 03, 2025 08:00 AM IST