Ludhiana News
The Indian Express profiles health workers from different districts of Punjab, who were among the first to receive the Covid-19 vaccine on Saturday.
Apart from doubts over the vaccine’s safety, the other reason for the low target rate was a glitch in the Co-WIN digital platform which was used to register beneficiaries and inform them about vaccination sites.
“When the party refused to heed our advice and instead asked us to defend the hated agricultural laws, we decided to listen to our conscience and quit the party, which we made with our own hands in Punjab,” said two of the senior members.
The foundation was laid by Finance Minister Manpreet Badal after Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who was scheduled to do the honours, cancelled the plan at the last minute over health issues.
On January 6, Punjab government had issued an order saying that classes for students from Class 5 onwards will start from January 7 onwards.
Participants in the rally were mostly from the Punjabi community. The previous solidarity rallies were held on December 10, 20, 24 and 31 with themes of Simran, Sewa, Chardi Kala and Nirbhau Nirvair (without fear without hate).
The entire baraat including the groom sat on dharna, raising slogans against the farm laws.
”Yes, I facilitated the meeting of Baba Lakha Singh with Union Agriculture Minister as he (Lakha Singh) too wants the issue to be resolved soon and everyone is trying his/her bit as we are genuinely concerned with farmers who are protesting on roads,” said BJP leader Dr Kamaljit Singh Soi.
Police said that the man, identified as Balwinder Singh (36), was a ‘drug addict’ and used to ‘quarrel with family often’.
Jagmohan Singh Patiala, working committee member of the All India Kisan Sangrash Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), said it was an unanimous decision of the SKM not accept anyone as mediator.
Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory Jalandhar has further said that “migratory birds play an important role in the transmission of avian influenza virus resulting in low as well as highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Chairman Valmiki directed the officials of Municipal Corporation and Municipal Committees to check if the guidelines of the government regarding safai sewaks and sewermen were being followed.
“Maybe some tantrik (sorcerer) is involved and the child was sacrificed. There are stab marks on the body near the chest. The child was killed and body was dumped here later,” said DSP.
“It cannot be ruled out if they were conspiring to carry out an attack on Halwara airbase or some other major terror activity but things will be clear only after their interrogation,” said the SSP.
As the dharna progressed outside Yadwinder Singh Shanty’s house, Sukhdev Singh Guram was doing a meeting with few other protesters not far away from the spot.
Dr Rajesh Bhaskar, Punjab’s nodal officer for Covid-19, said, “This is a mock exercise to prepare ourselves for mass vaccination drive.
CM Amarinder had issued an appeal on Friday asking farmers not to disrupt state’s telecom services as internet network was important for many working from home, to hospitals, for online education and many other services in day to day life.
Surjit Kumar Jyani, the chairman of BJP’s 8-member panel to interact with farmers, was called by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Delhi on November 28 and he came back to his village Kathera in Fazilka district on December 24.
Venue where PM Modi’s screening was being held, was ransacked by farmers. Five BJP workers injured in Bathinda, Kotkapura event folds up in 30 minutes and nearly four farmers injured during police action.
Effigies of PM Narendra Modi were also burnt at some mandis, while most preferred to observe a silent protest with posters that read ‘Kale kanoon vapas lawo (scrap black laws)’.
“Jungle”, a short Punjabi film released online, has brought back into focus the plight of those young farmers from Punjab, who want to leave their land for better life in the US and Canada.
Both unions are based in Punjab. BKU (Ugrahan) has a large base in Malwa region while KMSC is more active in Majha Punjab. Their protest stages will stay separate as before, but the evening media briefing will be done jointly.
“Our union organised programmes to pay tributes to farmers in 98 villages of Punjab on Sunday. We will continue to pay them tributes by organising these programmes in 15 districts of Punjab till December 24,” said Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, general secretary of BKU (Ugrahan).
The industrialists said they had had a video conference meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and an in-person meeting with Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Prakash, where they had requested them to enforce a ban on steel export.
A few among them held A4 size sheets with messages in support of farmers and seeking repeal of the controversial farm laws. The group was led by Navkirat Kaur (8), a Class 4 student, who carried the donation box in her hands.