Latest news with #Sareen
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Op Shield: Punjab all set for mock drills today
With a statewide civil defence mock drill scheduled for Saturday, Punjab's special director general of police (DGP) Sanjeev Kalra said large-scale emergency situations will be simulated in all districts, starting 6 pm. Kalra said, 'The mock drill is a part of Operation Shield and is being conducted in all districts of states on the Western border.' Additional deputy commissioner (ADC), urban development, Amritsar, Amit Sareen, said, 'A blackout drill will be conducted in the district from 8 pm to 8.30 pm. Inner areas of the district will be exempted.' In Ferozepur, deputy commissioner Deepshikha Sharma said sirens will be sounded in the city and cantonment areas between 6 pm and 6.30 pm, followed by a voluntary blackout from 9 pm to 9.30 pm in the same zones. In Fazilka, DC Amarpreet Kaur Sandhu said the drill will be carried out from 6 pm to 7 pm. ADC Sareen appealed to residents to switch off all exterior lights, including automatic lights on cameras and lights running on inverters, as soon as the sirens go off at 8 pm. 'If you need to keep lights on inside the house, make sure to use heavy curtains or similar arrangements so that light does not escape outside through windows. During the blackout, the safest place is the ground floor or basement. So, practice sitting in the middle of a room on the ground floor. Try to sit in a place where there is no glass window nearby,' said Sareen. He added, 'Do not go to the rooftop, street, or any open space during the blackout. Those who are driving on the road at that time should turn off their vehicle's lights — whether it's a car, scooter, or motorcycle — and pull over to the side of the road'. Authorities of all three districts assured residents that it is a routine preparedness exercise aimed at enhancing public awareness and readiness in case of emergencies and said that there is no reason to panic.
Hindustan Times
08-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Japanese team to review mid-term forestry project in HP
May 08, 2025 08:22 AM IST A team from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) India, currently in Himachal Pradesh for a mid-term review of the forestry project. The team arrived in Kullu and reviewed the progress and implementation of the initiative in the state. (HT File) The team arrived in Kullu and reviewed the progress and implementation of the initiative in the state. Speaking to the media, JICA India chief of development operations Vineet Sareen said that the project began in 2018 and is slated to continue until 2028. 'After reviewing the work done so far, the team will outline the next phase of the project,' said Sareen. Sareen noted that the project is currently supporting 460 village forest development societies and 920 self-help groups across Himachal Pradesh. He commended the progress being made in livelihood improvement, women empowerment, and forest ecosystem management. JICA assisted 'Project for Improvement of Himachal Pradesh Forest Ecosystems Management and Livelihoods' is being implemented in six districts of Kinnaur, Shimla, Bilaspur, Mandi, Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti.
Time of India
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Pak Like A Dog Tail, One Strike Won't Do': Indian Expert's Fiery Message To PM Modi
/ Apr 27, 2025, 01:49AM IST As India weighs options to avenge Pakistan-backed attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam resort, India's strategic affairs expert Sushant Sareen urges a more assertive and calculated Indian response to Pakistan's provocations. Drawing parallels to a dog's tail that refuses to straighten, he critiques past "half-measures" like the Balakot strike and warns that symbolic gestures without sustained escalation only embolden Islamabad. Sareen argues for escalation dominance—where India must be prepared to absorb and respond decisively to Pakistani retaliation, including full-spectrum preparedness for kinetic actions. His call to action includes severing Pakistan's regional connectivity and tightening airspace regulations. Watch his interview with Times Of India's Aditi Prasad.
Hans India
23-04-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Punjab govt ‘looting' traders, says BJP
Chandigarh: The BJP blamed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab on Tuesday for 'looting' traders in the state to cover expenses of its leaders in Delhi. 'The AAP government is now using the Taxation Department as a tool for extortion,' state BJP General Secretary Anil Sareen told the media here. 'There is a saying in Punjabi: 'Eat your own, bring ours too'. That's exactly the state of affairs under the AAP government,' he said. Sareen said the AAP government issued a new directive on April 18, instructing Deputy Commissioners in the Taxation Department to ensure that each Excise and Taxation Officer (ETO) conducts four inspections every month and resolves them within a one-month timeframe. 'This would result in around 1,200 inspections across the state each month. If an average penalty of Rs 8 lakh is imposed per inspection, the monthly collection would total Rs 96 crore and annually a staggering Rs 1,152 crore,' he said. He said this would undoubtedly lead to arbitrary actions by officials and promote a culture of inspector raj and open corruption. Accompanying Punjab BJP General Secretary Rakesh Rathore, state media head Vineet Joshi, joint cashier Sukhwinder Singh Goldy and former vice-chairman of the National Minority Commission, Manjit Singh Rai, Sareen further stated that the government has unofficially instructed officers that every inspection must yield fines of Rs 8 to Rs 10 lakh. 'This isn't merely harassment of traders, it's direct robbery of their hard-earned money,' he alleged. He also referred to the economic losses suffered due to the closure of the Shambhu border and criticised the state government for 'failing' to understand the challenges of a border state, choosing instead to intimidate the business community. Sareen warned that if the government does not roll back this directive and stop 'extorting' traders, the BJP will launch a statewide agitation in protest.
New Indian Express
22-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Punjab opposition parties accuse AAP-led govt of unleashing 'tax terrorism' on trading community
CHANDIGARH: The opposition parties in Punjab including the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)- led government of unleashing "tax terrorism" on the trading community. The opposition alleged that the government had directed all excise and taxation officers (ETO) of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) wing to carry out at least four raids every month. Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed that the AAP government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is trying its best to destroy the medium enterprises by raiding the premises. "The government has issued orders to conducted 1000 raids every month," he claimed. "Shiromani Akali Dal appeals to traders to oppose this government hooliganism, otherwise it will spoil the business environment in the state. We ourselves will start a public movement against these raids and demand abolition of the Inspector State and re-implementation of the 'relief' scheme initiated by the Akali government,'' he said. Badal added that the 'Rahat' scheme had eased the intervention of tax officers in commercial locations by allowing traders to pay tax of Rs 5,000 for a turnover of Rs 25 lakh to Rs 20,000 for a turnover of Rs 1 crore. "This is essential for the safety of the trading community, who are already facing gangsterism and forced extortion." Punjab BJP General Secretary Anil Sareen said that the government has devised a plan to loot the traders to cover the expenses of its leaders from Delhi. "The AAP government is now using the taxation department as a tool for extortion.'' "There is a saying in Punjabi: 'Eat your own, bring ours too.' That's exactly the state of affairs under the AAP government,'' he said. Sareen alleged that on April 18, the AAP government issued a new directive instructing Deputy Commissioners in the taxation department to ensure that each ETO conducts four inspections every month. "This would result in around 1,200 inspections across the state each month. If an average penalty of Rs 8 lakh is imposed per inspection, the monthly collection would total Rs 96 crore and annually a staggering Rs1,152 crore,'' he claimed. Sareen warned that if the government does not roll back this directive and stops forcibly extorting traders, the BJP will launch a statewide agitation in protest. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring alleged that finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema had directed all 250 excise and taxation officers (ETO) of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) wing to carry out at least four raids each in a month. He added that the ETOs were asked to collect at least Rs 8 lakhs during each raid. The Ludhiana MP pointed out that this translates to 1,000 raids with Rs 80 crore in penalties every month, leading to collection of Rs 960 crore annually. He said the state government, already at the verge of bankruptcy, has now resorted to a novel way of 'robbing and looting' the traders. Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal president Amit Kapoor also alleged that the govt has set aggressive monthly raid targets for excise and taxation officers (ETOs), under which each officer was expected to conduct multiple raids resulting in hefty penalties. "With 250 ETOs in the state, nearly 1,000 raids will be carried out every month. This is nothing short of organised extortion, projected to squeeze around Rs 1,000 crore annually from the trading community,'' Kapoor alleged. Senior spokesperson of AAP, Punjab, Neel Garg criticized the BJP for its baseless allegations against the Punjab government's taxation policies. Garg accused the BJP of perpetuating "tax terrorism" nationwide while hypocritically accusing the AAP government of similar practices. Presenting comprehensive data, Garg showcased AAP's unparalleled achievements in revenue collection and public welfare. "It is laughable that BJP leaders, who institutionalized tax terrorism in India, are accusing Punjab's AAP government of spreading the same,' Garg said. He highlighted the BJP's imposition of GST on essential items like milk, curd, and educational materials, as well as worship materials for temples and gurdwaras. "The BJP, which promised no taxes when it came to power, has instead burdened the common man with a complex GST structure that harasses small traders and shopkeepers," he added. Taking aim at SAD-BJP, Garg accused them of fostering "mafia raj" that siphoned public funds for personal gains. "Under AAP, every rupee of tax collected is spent on public welfare—not private pockets,' he said.
