Statewise Current Affairs Capsule - Punjab

February 2021

Punjab CM launches 'Har Ghar Pani, Har Ghar Safai' mission

 Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh virtually launched the 'Har Ghar Pani, Har Ghar Safai'
mission as part of the government's campaign to accomplish the goal of 100 per cent potable piped water
supply in all rural households by March next year.
 The Chief Minister also inaugurated one Mega Surface Water Supply Scheme covering 85 villages in the
Moga district, 144 new water supply schemes for 172 villages, 121 Arsenic, and Iron removal plants.
 The scheme will benefit more than 1.6 lakh residents from 155 villages in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and
Gurdaspur districts by helping replace groundwater with surface water supply for drinking, besides resolving
the problem of arsenic affected habitations.
 The scheme is being funded by the World Bank, Jal Jeevan Mission of GoI, NABARD, and State Budget.
 The Chief Minister also formally launched 10 new large multi-village surface water supply schemes at a cost of
Rs.1,020 Crore. The scheme will cover 1,018 villages in the water quality affected areas of districts Patiala,
Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, and Tarn Taran.

Punjab becomes 13th State to complete ONOR Card

 Punjab has become the 13th State in the country to successfully undertake “One Nation One Ration
Card system” reform.
 The State has become eligible to mobilise additional financial resources of one thousand five hundred and
sixteen crore rupees through Open Market Borrowings.
 12 other States which have completed this reform are Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka,
Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh.
 The implementation of One Nation One Ration Card System ensures availability of ration to beneficiaries
under National Food Security Act and other welfare schemes at any Fair Price Shop across the country.
Punjab Cabinet approves mission ‘Lal Lakir’ in all villages
 The Punjab Cabinet approved implementation of mission ‘Lal Lakir’
 It aimed at facilitating villagers to monetise property rights and availing benefits provided by government
departments, institutions and banks in all villages across the state.
 ‘Lal Lakir’ refers to land that is part of the village ‘abaadi’ (habitation) and is used for non-agriculture purposes
only.
 Under the mission, the right of record of properties within ‘Lal Lakir’ in the villages of the state will be prepared
with the cooperation of the government of India under the SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with
Improvised Technology in Village Areas) scheme.
 This will enable mapping the land, households, habitation and all other areas falling within ‘Lal Lakir’.

March 2021:

Punjab govt to create integrated technology solution for DBT schemes

 Punjab Government has decided to create a robust and integrated technology solution to implement
and review the progress of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes in the state to ensure
accountability, transparency, and responsiveness.
 An in-principle approval to this project was accorded at the maiden meeting of the Advisory Board of the
Punjab State DBT Cell, chaired by the Chief Secretary, Ms Vini Mahajan, at Chandigarh.
 The Board also decided to ensure that the financial requirements for the development of such a system
will be taken care of by the government.

April 2021:

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 Statewise Current Affairs Capsule - Punjab

Punjab CM assured ex-gratia, govt job for family members of martyr sepoys Prabhjit and Amardeep Singh
 Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has announced ex-gratia compensation of 50 lakh
rupees, along with a government job each to the family of Sepoy Prabhjit Singh and Sepoy Amardeep
Singh of 21 PUNJAB, who laid down their lives in the line of duty.
 Both the soldiers were reported killed in an avalanche in Siachen glacier.
 Captain Amarinder Singh said that their utmost dedication to defend the country's unity and integrity,
even putting their lives at risk, would inspire their fellow soldiers to perform their duties with far more
devotion and commitment.
 Sepoy Prabhjit Singh hailed from Village Hakamwala in Mansa district and is survived by his parents and
one elder brother.
 While Sepoy Amardeep Singh, a native of village Karamgarh in Barnala District, is survived by his father
and a younger sister.
Punjab Govt pays Rs.10,085 cr online directly to farmers for buying wheat
 With wheat harvesting in full swing in Punjab and Haryana, farmers, for the first time, have started
receiving minimum support price (MSP) payment directly in their bank accounts under the Direct
Benefit Transfer Scheme (DBT).
 The government data shows Rs.5,385 crore has been transferred so far in the ongoing procurement
season by the Central and State procurement agencies to farmers against purchase of their crops in
both the States.
 In Punjab, Rs.2,600 crore has been paid to accounts of farmers till April 20 under the scheme.
 In Haryana, Rs.2,785 crore have been transferred directly to the accounts of farmers.
 Punjab Food Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu said “under the DBT scheme payments more than Rs.2,600
crore has been paid to the accounts of farmers till April 20”.

May 2021:

Punjab CM Capt Amarinder's Eid gift: Muslim-dominated Malerkotla becomes new district
 Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced the creation of a new district of Malerkotla,
carving the state’s only Muslim-majority town from Sangrur district.
 Adjoining Amargarh and Ahmedgarh will also form part of Punjab’s 23rd district, according to the
announcement at a state-level event on Eid-ul-Fitr.
 According to Malerkotla, which is 35 km from the Sangrur district headquarters, a district status was a pre-
poll promise by the Congress.
Punjab CM announces special development grant of Rs 10 lakh to every village achieving 100 percent
vaccination
 Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh announced a special development grant of Rs 10 lakh
to every village that achieves 100 per cent vaccination target under the State Government's 'Corona-
Mukt Pind Abhiyan'.
 He was interacting virtually with Village Panchayats represented by more than 2,000 heads and members
across over 4,000 live locations in the rural parts of the state through LED screens.
 About 'Corona-Mukt Pind Abhiyan':
 Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, while announcing the scheme, said that there is a "need
to avoid the kind of situation that was prevailing in the villages of Uttar Pradesh".

June 2021:

Punjab govt launched “Udaan Scheme” to provide sanitary pads

 Punjab Social Security Minister Aruna Chaudhary launched the women-empowerment oriented
'Udaan Scheme' on the occasion of International Menstrual Hygiene Day, under which sanitary pads of
Rs 40.55 crore would be distributed free of cost annually to needy women and girls.

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 Statewise Current Affairs Capsule - Punjab

 Chaudhary stated the main objective of the scheme is to protect women and girls from menstrual
hygiene related diseases and spread awareness about menstrual hygiene.
 At the launch ceremony, a total of one lakh packets of sanitary pads were distributed at all 1,500 online
locations as well as at anganwadi centres in the state.
Punjab Cabinet gave nod to Create SPV for Surface Water Supply Scheme
 The Punjab cabinet gave its nod for the creation of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for operations and
maintenance of large multi-village surface water supply schemes across the state.
 The move is aimed to ensure supply of potable water on a long term sustainable basis in rural areas of
water quality affected districts.
 This SPV -- Punjab Rural Water (Utility) Company -- under the Water Supply and Sanitation department
will be a utility company.
 The cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, also accorded approval to open an account in
the name of the SPV, with seed money of Rs 25 crore allocated from the World Bank funds (64 per
cent) and state budget (36 per cent), to support its functioning in the initial five years, it said.
Punjab CM formally inaugurated recently announced district Malerkotla
 Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh virtually inaugurated Malerkotla as the 23rd district of
the state and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth Rs 548 crore in Malerkotla city.
 Amarinder stated he had promised to upgrade Malerkotla as a district during his previous tenure in 2005
but it could not materialise then for some reasons.
 He had made a formal announcement about this decision on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr on May 14 this
year.

Punjab became 1st state to roll out NFC-based “eIDs”

 Electronic Identity Cards (eIDs) have been introduced in numerous countries.
 Punjab Government has also initiated the usage of eIDs equipped with Near Field Communication
(NFC) technology for their officers/employees through one of its prominent entities viz.Punjab Mandi
Board.
 Chairman Punjab Mandi Board Lal Singh stated that these eIDs are equipped with NFC technology-a
standard-based wireless communication technology, allows data exchange between devices that are
a few centimeters apart and will be used as a primary authentication tool.
 The NFC operates at 13.66 MHz and transfers data at up to 424 Kbits/ seconds.
Punjab’s Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi launches a special Mobile App "Khedo Punjab"
 Punjab Sports and Youth Services Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi launched a special Mobile
App "Khedo Punjab" for putting the Sports Department and all the Sports persons of State of Punjab on
Digital platform.
 Rana Sodhi informed that this is the first time in the history of the Sports Department that the
department has launched a mobile app.
 He stated that with the launch of Mobile App, the current sports persons and the budding players will be
in a position to register online and can choose any game of their interest besides identifying their
International, National and State goals, which will finally help in building competitive enthusiasm.
About Khedo Punjab:
 After the “Padho Punjab” initiative, the state education board is all set for “Khedo Punjab” to
promote sports among the students at government schools.
 The aim of the project is to involve students into sports to keep them away from drug abuse and to
encourage them towards fitness.
 As per the guidelines, the schools shall start their day by conducting morning assembly with drum, yoga
and PT.

July 2021:

Punjab waives off of Rs 590 cr of loans of labourers, landless farmers

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 Statewise Current Affairs Capsule - Punjab

 Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has decided to waive loans worth Rs 590 crore under the
farm debt relief scheme for farm labourers and the landless farming community.
 Captain Amarinder Singh has informed that his government will pay off loans to the tune of Rs 520 crore
of 2,85,325 members of the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS). It will provide relief of Rs
20,000 per member.
 It will cover only Consumption Loan to the members of the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies
advanced by District Central Cooperative Banks in the state of Punjab through Primary Agricultural
Cooperative Societies.
 So far, loans worth Rs 4624 crore have been waived of as many as 5.64 lakh farmers under the scheme.
 In addition, the Punjab government has written off loans of up to Rs 58.39 crore of 6405 beneficiaries by
the SC Corporation and Rs 20.71 crore of 1225 beneficiaries by the BC Corporation.
Punjab begins AABR system for effective screen of hearing loss in newborn
 To manage hearing loss in newborn and young children, Punjab government launched an automated
auditory brainstem response system (AABR) under universal newborn hearing screening programme.
 By doing so, Punjab has become the first state in the country to introduce the system.
 Punjab health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu stated the initiative will help in effective screen of hearing
loss in newborn and young children.
 Sidhu mentioned that after diagnosing the hearing disability in a child, the state government also
provides free of cost cochlear implant which is a surgically implanted neuroprosthesis that provides a
person with sensorineural hearing loss a modified sense of sound.

September 2021:

Punjab CM Amarinder launches 'Innovation Mission Punjab' to boost start-up sector

 Chief Minister Amarinder Singh launched 'Innovation Mission Punjab' (IMPunjab), a public-private
partnership that brings in global investors and experts to catalyze start ups.
 Chief Minister stated that the Mission will unleash Punjab's growth potential and create a thriving
economy by generating jobs and inviting investment.
 The Mission will mobilise a global pool of ambassadors and partners for investment, mentorship and
market access, informed Amarinder Singh, while adding the mission will also leverage the strength of the
Punjabi diaspora, allowing them to partake in this renewed growth story of the state besides running
focused programmes to encourage entrepreneurship amongst women.

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