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Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Sukhdev Dhindsa: Akali stalwart leaves behind indelible imprint on Punjab politics
Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, 89, who passed away of protracted illness in Mohali on Wednesday, remained the closest companion of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch Parkash Singh Badal for more than 40 years, holding the number two position in the party as a secretary general. Dhindsa was admitted to a private hospital in Mohali on Tuesday due to severe infection. He is survived by wife, two daughters and son Parminder Singh Dhindsa, former finance minister in the SAD-BJP government. According to the family sources, the funeral will take place in his ancestral Ubhawal village, Sangrur, on Friday. As per the medical bulletin from the hospital, Dhindsa was suffering from severe pneumonia and cardiac complications, compounded by age-related health issues. 'Despite the best efforts of the multidisciplinary medical team, he passed away at 5:05 pm due to cardiac arrest and arrhythmia,' it added. Coming from a humble peasant family, Dhindsa scaled the political ladder, starting as a village sarpanch and then becoming chairman of the district market committee. He became chairman of the cooperative bank in the home district, MLA, minister in state cabinet and finally a Union minister. He was given Padma Shri (civilian award) in 2019 that he later announced to return in solidarity with farmers who were on protest against the now-repealed three farm laws. Born on April 9, 1936, in Ubhawal village of Sangrur district, Dhindsa's political journey began as a student leader at Government Ranbir College. After completing his graduation, Dhindsa was elected the 'sarpanch' of his village. Dhindsa, who joined the SAD in 1972 after being elected as an MLA from Dhanaula as an independent candidate, becoming education minister, was the first to raise voice of dissent challenging Sukhbir Singh Badal's leadership in 2018 when the party lost the state assembly election of 2017. He became party's secretary general in 1995 when Parkash Singh Badal became party president for the first time and continued even when Sukhbir took over the party reins in 2008. In 2018, he resigned from the party, alleging that the old leaders were being sidelined. In May 2021, Dhindsa and Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, also expelled from the SAD, floated a new outfit, Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) which contested the 2022 assembly polls in alliance with the BJP. Before the Lok Sabha elections, Dhindsa merged the party with Sukhbir Badal-led SAD in March 2024. In August 2024, the SAD again expelled Dhindsa from the primary membership for allegedly indulging in 'anti-party' activities. In a condolence message, Sukhbir said the passing away of Dhindsa deeply saddened him. 'He served the Sikh panth and Punjab for many years while being in the Shiromani Akali Dal. I pray to almighty that the departed soul may rest in peace,' Sukhbir wrote on his social platform. SAD leader Naresh Gujral termed him one of the finest people. 'His contribution to Punjab and SAD can never be underestimated. He dedicated his entire life to the service of the nation,' Gujral said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed him a 'towering statesman with great wisdom and an unwavering commitment to public service'. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann acknowledged his relentless efforts for the welfare of the people. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said Punjab as well as the country lost a great leader whose loss will be felt for a long time to MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh recalled Dhindsa as a politician who enjoyed affinity with the leader across party lines. Delhi Sikh Gurdwara management Committee (DSGMC) president Harmeet Singh Kalka said that in Dhindsa's death, an era came to an end. 'A leader who was father figure for present class of politicians, used to call spade a spade and was a forthright person,' he added. Manjinder Singh Sirsa, cabinet minister in Delhi government, termed him as a leader who had seen party's rise to the pinnacle and represented it in the Centre as a Union minister in Vajpayee's cabinet. A moderate Jat Sikh in leftists' belt According to Prof Balkar Singh who retired as a head of the Sikh studies department in Panjab University, 'Dhindsa possessed a peculiar quality as a moderate Jat Sikh in the leftists' belt in Sangrur-Barnala-Mansa belt. He was down to earth. A sportsperson in his college days, he was very hard working,' said Balkar Singh, who studied with Dhindsa in Ranbir College, Sangrur. Dhindsa's emergence was catalysed diring the mid-1980s during Badal-Barnala era. 'He (Dhindsa) remained loyal to Badal Senior throughout his political career and never questioned his decisions,' said Balkar Singh. Badal loyalist Former bureaucrat Harkesh Singh Sidhu, a close associate of Dhindsa, recalled him as a leader who was loyal to the core. 'In 1985 when Surjeet Singh Barnala became CM, he offered Dhindsa the position of a minister or a speaker but he refused due to his loyalty to the Badals,' he informed. According to Sidhu, Dhindsa was elected as an MLA from Sunam in 1980 and from Sangrur in 1985. He became chairman of the erstwhile Punjab State Electricity Board in 1997, and was nominated to Rajya Sabha in 1998 to became sports minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. In 1999, he became chemical and fertilizer minster in the Centre. In 2004, he was elected to the Lok Sabha but lost to Bhagwant Mann in 2014. Dhindsa's son Parminder Singh Dhindsa has joined hands with a party faction who these days are enrolling members for the SAD.
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
SAD-BJP unite to oppose no-confidence motion against Kharar MC president
Mohali: In a dramatic development, leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) closed ranks to resist a no-confidence motion filed against Jaspreet Kaur Longia , sitting president of the Kharar Municipal Council (MC).Senior leaders N K Sharma, Ranjit Gill, Parvinder Sohana, Charanjit Kalewal, and BJP's Vineet Joshi voiced strong opposition to what they described as Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) "high-handedness and misuse of power." Addressing a joint press conference, the alliance leaders alleged that AAP was pressuring councillors who support SAD using administrative machinery, including the police. "AAP is attempting to hijack the democratic process in Kharar by threatening and coercing councillors," said SAD leader Ranjit Gill. "We, the SAD-BJP alliance, are united in our stand to save the duly-elected president from being ousted under duress," they Derabassi MLA and senior SAD leader, N K Sharma, accused AAP of blatant misuse of state power. "Police officers have been sent to homes and workplaces of councillors supporting SAD. This is a clear attempt to intimidate them into switching sides," Sharma claimed. BJP's Vineet Joshi and SAD leaders Parvinder Sohana and Charanjit Kalewal also condemned AAP's alleged pressure tactics and pledged full support to president crisis erupted when 18 councillors submitted a written request to the executive officer of the Kharar Municipal Council, seeking a special meeting to introduce a no-confidence motion against Longia. The signatories, including councillors from Congress, AAP, and a few independents, cited a lack of confidence in Longia's leadership and claimed that she no longer enjoyed majority group invoked relevant provisions of the Punjab Municipal Act, urging the executive officer to convene a session to allow a formal floor test. The 27-member Kharar MC is composed of eight SAD councillors, eight independents, one AAP councillor, and 10 Congress Kaur Longia was previously elected as president with the support of independent councillors, despite SAD not holding a majority on its own. With shifting alliances and political tension mounting, the no-confidence motion poses a serious challenge to the SAD-led leadership in Kharar. The president will be given a chance to prove her majority in the house as per statutory 120936432 413 |
Hindustan Times
07-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Mining policy: Now, individuals in Punjab can apply online for mining licences
Punjab government on Tuesday said that the new mining policy fundamentally shifts the control of sand and gravel resources directly into the hands of the people by allowing individual landowners to do mining after obtaining permission from the mining department. Application for mining can be submitted on the official Punjab mining portal This will effectively curb corruption and significantly increase state revenue, said finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema and mining and geology minister Barinder Goyal. Cheema and Goyal also unveiled standardised online application forms for landowner mining sites (LMS) and crusher mining sites (CRMS) on the official Punjab mining portal. Cheema said the key highlight of the new policy is the empowerment of landowners as under this revamped framework, landowners will now have the direct right to mine sand and gravel on their land without the need for auctions. 'We are committed to ensuring complete transparency and accountability in the mining sector, in contrast to the previous SAD-BJP and Congress regimes that encouraged illegal mining to fill their coffers,' Cheema said. Cheema said that the new mining policy incorporates robust technological measures to eradicate illegal mining activities with the mandatory deployment of cameras and radio frequency identification (RFID) surveillance across mining sites and transportation routes. 'This pivotal change would eliminate the role of intermediaries and potential for monopolisation, placing the power directly with the rightful owners of the land,' Cheema said. Highlighting online mining application procedures, the FM said landowners can now seamlessly apply for mining permissions through a user-centric interface that prioritises accessibility and simplicity. The applications will be processed with unprecedented expediency, ensuring that eligible landowners can commence legitimate mining operations without procedural impediments, he said Goyal said that this initiative features immediate application availability for sites already included in approved district survey reports (DSRs), alongside a streamlined pathway for landowners with mineral-bearing lands not yet included in DSRs to approach district administration or department of mines & geology through the district mining officer. 'The simplified application forms minimise documentation requirements, focusing only on essential credentials including landowner details, land particulars and mining proposals,' Goyal said. State not allowed to explore potash reserves: Goyal Goyal accused the Centre of 'discriminating' against the state on the issue of exploration of potash whose reserves were discovered in Muktsar and Abohar. Goyal said Punjab is facing 'unjustifiable' treatment regarding the development of its valuable potash deposits, a mineral resource that could bring tremendous economic and agricultural benefits to both the state and the nation. 'Despite the discovery of substantial potash reserves near Muktsar and Abohar regions, an area bordering Rajasthan where similar deposits have been found, the Union government has consistently withheld necessary approvals for further exploration and development,' Goyal said here. 'Potash is a crucial mineral that is not found elsewhere in the country. Currently, India imports 100% of its potash requirements, which significantly depletes our foreign exchange reserves,' the minister said. Stating that discrimination is evident in the allocation of exploration efforts, he said while 158 drilling sites have been set up in the adjacent area in Rajasthan to determine the location, quality, and quantity of potash deposits, merely nine drilling sites have been permitted in Punjab. 'This glaring disparity was formally raised during a recent all-India mining and geology ministers' conclave in Odisha,' he said. 'I brought this matter to the attention of Union minister G Kishan Reddy, who invited me to visit the site and subsequently meet him in Delhi for comprehensive discussions,' he said. Goyal said that potash extraction would occur about 450 metres below the surface, with minimal disruption to agricultural activities thus dispelling widespread misconceptions among residents who feared their lands would be permanently acquired. The test drilling required only a negligible portion of land, one evaluation site utilised just a fraction of a 25-acre agricultural plot, he pointed out. 'The development of domestic potash resources would significantly advance national self-reliance, substantially reducing India's dependence on international markets and conserving valuable foreign exchange,' he said To be sure, according to the assessment made by the Geological Survey of India (GSI), the reserves are not likely to be harnessed, at least for the next few years. Officials said the assessment made by the central agency so far says it may not be economically viable to mine potash as the mineral has a low concentration of 7-10%.
Indian Express
28-04-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Be available on cellphone 24×7, Punjab Govt tells officers and employees
The Punjab government Sunday asked all its officers and employees not to switch off their mobile phones after office hours, on weekends, and holidays, and to be available for work even after office hours. In the order signed by the special secretary (Personnel), the Punjab Government said that if an official or employee is not available on the phone, it becomes a hindrance in completing essential administrative work and providing services and facilities to the general public. 'It has come to the notice that many officials are not available on their mobile phones after office hours. Their phones are either switched off, are in flight mode, out of coverage area or even on call diversion. Some works related to administration require immediate indulgence of the government. Hence, the availability of officers related to these works becomes necessary,' said the order. 'All Special Chief Secretaries, Additional Chief Secretaries, Financial Commissioners, Principal Secretaries and Secretaries are directed to ensure that all officers of your department are available on cell phones after office hours and on holidays to complete essential office administrative work so that these works can be completed in a timely manner,' it added, A similar order was passed by former chief minister Amarinder Singh in the first year of his term in 2017. At that time, the government said the phone bills of employees are paid or reimbursed to ensure that they are available for 24 hours. The employees' phone bill has always been a bone of contention between the government and them. While the former SAD- BJP government introduced phone allowance for government staff in 2012, the Amarinder Singh dispensation in 2020 drew up a plan to rationalise expenditure by halving the cellphone allowance of its employees. The move was expected to help the government save about Rs 40 crore annually. The state had been spending Rs 101.2 crore annually on employees' mobile allowance. The allowance was then halved, and the cellphone allowance of Group A employees was reduced from Rs 500 to 250 per month. For group B employees, it was reduced to Rs 175 from Rs 300 per month. Similarly, for Group C and D employees, it was reduced from Rs 250 to Rs 150 every mont
