Vishal Rambani
A principal correspondent, Vishal Rambani is the bureau chief at Patiala. He covers politics, crime, power sector, environment and socio-economic issues, with several investigative stories to his credit.
Articles by Vishal Rambani
GST scam: VB pegs annual loss at ₹225cr from Mandi Gobindgarh
UPDATED ON FEB 23, 2021 09:14 AM IST
Mohali sessions court on Monday took up case for framing charges against 13 people; next hearing on March 5
Civic polls: 9 hurt in stone-pelting in Rupnagar, booth capturing alleged in Samana
By Vishal Rambani, Patiala/ropar
UPDATED ON FEB 15, 2021 01:25 AM IST
Polling passed off peacefully in Patiala, Ropar and Fatehgarh Sahib districts, except some skirmishes and an instance of stone pelting in which nine persons were injured
SHO suspended after illegal liquor factory unearthed in Punjab’s Rajpura
By Vishal Rambani | Hindustan Times, Patiala
UPDATED ON DEC 09, 2020 07:50 PM IST
Show-cause notices to SP, two DSPs and CIA in-charge for laxity in checking spurious liquor trade
Haryana Police use tear gas, water cannons but fail to stop Punjab farmers from entering state
By Vishal Rambani | Hindustan Times, Shambu (Patiala)
UPDATED ON NOV 26, 2020 01:00 PM IST
Farmers break through multi-layer barricades at Shambu barrier on Punjab-Haryana border and head for Delhi
Punjabi University V-C Ghuman resigns
By Vishal Rambani | Hindustan Times, Patiala
UPDATED ON NOV 18, 2020 09:44 PM IST
Ghuman was under pressure as his loyalists had turned foes and launched an indefinite protest against him over issues like timely payment of salaries and some of his administrative decisions
Rail blockade: Coal stocks drying up, power crisis deepens in Punjab
By Vishal Rambani, Patiala
PUBLISHED ON NOV 08, 2020 11:19 PM IST
Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, which otherwise sells power at this time of the year, is forced to buy it from the national grid, that too at 20% hiked prices
Of 10,000 farm fires in Punjab this year, 25% recorded in last 2 days
PUBLISHED ON OCT 22, 2020 10:37 PM IST
Punjab has better air, Delhi blaming state for very poor AQI wrong: PPCB
PUBLISHED ON OCT 13, 2020 10:21 PM IST
Sacrilege sparks tension in Punjab’s Sirhind, villagers block highway
By Vishal Rambani, Fatehgarh Sahib
PUBLISHED ON OCT 13, 2020 01:37 AM IST
Punjab sees six-fold rise in incidents of stubble burning in first 20 days of harvesting
By Vishal Rambani and Mohit Khanna, Patiala/ Ludhiana
UPDATED ON OCT 10, 2020 05:44 AM IST
Prime Minister Modi gave away land to China to salvage his image, says Rahul Gandhi
By Vishal Rambani | Hindustan Times, Patiala
UPDATED ON OCT 06, 2020 03:42 PM IST
On concluding day of three-day Punjab visit, says the whole country is being assaulted, so no big deal if he was pushed recently on his way to Hathras in UP
Modi weakening govt procurement system to benefit businessmen friends, Rahul Gandhi tells Punjab farmers
By Vishal Rambani and Avtar Singh | Hindustan Times, Sangrur
PUBLISHED ON OCT 05, 2020 06:30 AM IST
ON DAY 2 Addressing rally in Sangrur district, says Congress will join the fight of the farmers till the illogical, black laws are scrapped
Punjab farmers resort to early stubble burning for sowing veggies
By Surjit Singh and Vishal Rambani, Amritsar/patiala
UPDATED ON SEP 30, 2020 03:59 AM IST
Rules go up in smoke as farm fires rage in Punjab
By Surjit Singh and Vishal Rambani | Hindustan Times, Amritsar/Patiala
UPDATED ON SEP 29, 2020 12:02 AM IST
Compared to 159 farm fires reported in the state till September 28 last year, as many as 520 incidents, most of them from Majha, have been witnessed during the corresponding period this time.
Navjot Singh Sidhu is an asset for Congress, says party’s Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Rawat
By Vishal Rambani | Hindustan Times, Patiala
UPDATED ON SEP 28, 2020 04:45 PM IST
Rawat sees a bigger role for ‘charismatic’ Sidhu in the run-up to the 2022 assembly elections
No option but to burn stubble, say farmers as doctors worry about Covid
By Vishal Rambani | Hindustan Times, Patiala, Patiala
UPDATED ON SEP 24, 2020 04:38 PM IST
Fear patient load will increase as virus impacts lungs and pollution from the burning fields can severely affect people’s health
As paddy harvesting starts, Punjab farmer unions adamant on burning straw if not paid for disposal
By Vishal Rambani, Patiala
UPDATED ON SEP 23, 2020 01:48 AM IST
43 incidents of farm fires detected in state, mostly in Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts, by Punjab Remote Sensing Centre
ED launches parallel probe into multi-crore GST evasion racket
PUBLISHED ON SEP 22, 2020 07:19 PM IST
Rattled by missing ‘saroops’ episode, SGPC starts door-to-door counting of holy book
By Vishal Rambani, Patiala
UPDATED ON SEP 11, 2020 03:53 AM IST
Senior excise officials among 7 more booked in GST scam
By Vishal Rambani | Hindustan Times, Patiala, Patiala
UPDATED ON SEP 07, 2020 12:32 AM IST
Vigilance probe reveals ‘rampant corruption’; FIR includes the name of a divisional excise and taxation commissioner
PSPCL, cops slug it out over power
By Vishal Rambani | Hindustan Times, Patiala
UPDATED ON AUG 28, 2020 12:25 AM IST
After electricity of a police station was disconnected over pending bills, the police department set up a check-point right outside the PSPCL headquarters on the Mall Road on Thursday. Over four dozen employees, including a chief engineer, were challaned
Rebel SAD leader Dhindsa set to float new party today
By Vishal Rambani | Hindustan Times, Patiala
UPDATED ON JUL 07, 2020 01:31 AM IST
IN THE MAKING: Says Punjabis need a platform to save the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and other institutions; outfit likely to be named ‘Shiromani Panthik Dal’
Punjab Ex-servicemen Corporation under scanner, CM orders probe into allegations of irregularities
By Vishal Rambani | Hindustan Times/Patiala, Patiala
UPDATED ON JUN 25, 2020 04:38 PM IST
Objections raised over contractual employees above the age of 60 being allowed to continue service when as per rules the age of retirement is 58; it has been flagged that the financial controller of the organisation is not a qualified chartered accountant
PSPCL in trouble as govt holds back subsidies for free power to farm sector
By Vishal Rambani | Hindustan Times/Patiala
UPDATED ON JUN 22, 2020 07:08 PM IST
Till June 15, out of the ₹3,923 crore subsidy it had to pay, the Punjab government gave ₹1,840 crore in cash to PSPCL
IAS officers’ ACR taken out of mayors’ purview in Punjab civic bodies
By Vishal Rambani | Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, Patiala
PUBLISHED ON JUN 19, 2020 10:42 PM IST
An ACR is a confidential report, accessing the performance, character, conduct and qualities of the member of service, and helps in their career advancement
Illicit liquor trade probe: ED officer meets police, VB, excise officials
By Vishal Rambani | Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, Patiala
PUBLISHED ON JUN 17, 2020 12:55 AM IST
The ED is conducting the probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and looking into at least 11 FIRs registered in various police stations in Patiala, Khanna and Ludhiana
Punjab govt juggles improvement trust funds, Oppn cries foul
By Vishal Rambani | Hindustan Times, Patiala, Patiala
UPDATED ON JUN 14, 2020 11:30 PM IST
BAIL OUT: Local bodies dept okays plan to shift Rs 15 crore from Amritsar Improvement Trust to its Patiala counterpart
Man running shell firms made ₹70 cr via forged GST bills, held
By Vishal Rambani | Hindustan Times, Chandigarh
PUBLISHED ON JUN 13, 2020 12:40 AM IST
MANDI GOBINDGARH SHOCKER: The 52-year-old kingpin’s two accomplices, in whose names he got registered several bogus companies, also arrested
Illicit liquor trade in Punjab under ED lens
By Vishal Rambani & Gagandeep Jassowal | Hindustan Times/Patiala, Patiala/jalandhar
UPDATED ON JUN 12, 2020 12:12 PM IST
The ED wing at Jalandhar has shot off letters to Punjab Police seeking records, including FIRs, investigation findings, bank details related to illicit liquor trade cases, it is learnt.
Boparai leading race for PSPCL posts, CM may take decision today
By Vishal Rambani | Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, Patiala
PUBLISHED ON JUN 10, 2020 11:23 PM IST
A panel of chief secretary Karan Avtar Singh, principal secretary (power) Anirudh Tiwari, and power finance corporation chairman RS Dhillon selected four names from among 72 engineers who had applied for the said posts.