Manjit Singh Sidhu is CM Mann’s officer on special duty, PR

A former journalist, Sidhu was the media in-charge of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab earlier for several years

Manjit Singh Sidhu is CM Mann’s officer on special duty, PR

Manjit Singh Sidhu is CM Mann’s officer on special duty, PR

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday appointed Manjit Singh Sidhu as his officer on special duty (Public Relations). A former journalist, Sidhu was the media in-charge of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab earlier for several years. He has been associated with Mann for a long time. HTC

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2 forest employees injured in attack by land owners’ workers

HOSHIARPUR A forest guard and his support staff member were injured after being attacked by employees of a land owner, during a drive to stop illegal axing of trees in restricted private land in Arniala Shahpur village in the jurisdiction of Mehngrowal forest range on Tuesday, said Mehngrowal range officer Balwinder Kumar. The injured are forest guard Deepak Saini and helper Surjit Singh. Divisional forest officer Amneet Singh said that the land where trees were being axed was closed for felling under Section 4 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act. The land owner said forest staff had threatened his son after the family had cut some timber for personal use. Police have started investigations. HTC

Markfed to supply ration for 11 lakh people

CHANDIGARH The social security, women and child development department and Markfed inked a strategic tie up to supply dry ration for around 11 lakh beneficiaries in anganwari centres in the state. As per this agreement, Markfed will supply the dry ration in form of besan, wheat flour and other commodities to the department to prepare nutritious food to the beneficiaries in anganwari centres and other places. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann congratulated both the departments for the initiative aimed at ensuring hygienic and quality food to children along with the food given to the pregnant women, lactating mothers and others. HTC

1.8 MT paddy straw for CBG projects annually

CHANDIGARH New and renewable energy sources minister Aman Arora on Tuesday said that the state government has planned to utilise around 1.8 million tonne (MT) paddy straw in the under implementation 43 Compressed Biogas (CBG) projects per year to find a sustainable solution to stubble burning and supplement farmers’ income. Arora, while chairing a CBG Developers’ Meet here, said the state is in process of forming a core group of all stakeholders to coordinate for off-take of CBG through gas pipelines. He said Asia’s largest CBG plant of total capacity 33.23 tonne per day (TPD) has already been commissioned in Sangrur and another project of 12 TPD capacity commissioned at Khanna is under trial run. HTC

256 Chinese string rolls seized

PATHANKOT Pathankot Police have launched a drive against the illicit trading of plastic and China-made kiteflying strings throughout the city. As many as 56 shops were searched, leading to the confiscation of 265 gattus (string rollers) on Tuesday. The police have also taken legal action against 15 individuals under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, which is in contravention of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Senior superintendent of police, Harkamal Preet Singh Khakh, said that several police teams were formed to stop sale of plastic strings. HTC

Undertrial booked for making fake bail order

FEROZEPUR An undertrial has been booked for the charges of forgery by Ferozepur Police for getting his bail orders through a fake email address in the name of judicial court. In an apparent case of deceiving the jail authorities by exploiting technological means, Sunny of Amritsar, an undertrial lodged at Central Jail, Ferozepur, in connivance with his unknown accomplices, prepared an email id identical to the local judicial court and sent his forged bail orders to central jail authorities on December 23 last year. A complaint by assistant superintendent, Central Jail, Ferozepur has been filed against Sunny and his unknown accomplices. HTC