Chitleen K Seth was part of Hindustan Times’ nationwide network of correspondents that brings news, analysis and information to its readers. She no longer works with the Hindustan Times.
Articles by Chitleen K Sethi
Profile of a gangster: Jaipal, ex-cop’s son, wanted for Rocky’s murder
Now in his mid-30s, Jaipal is one of the most dreaded and sharpest gangsters of the region. He is wanted in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan; and now in Himachal Pradesh too, after he was named as prime accused in the May 1 murder of gangster-politician Jaswinder Singh ‘Rocky’ near Parwanoo on the Shimla-Chandigarh highway.
Updated on May 04, 2016 05:15 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
I’m small fry, go to Chhotepur for ticket: Phoolka video highlights cracks in AAP
The first rumblings of serious discontent within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) seem to be coming to the fore. Senior advocate HS Phoolka, who is considered to be a close confidant of AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal released a video on Friday saying that no one should approach him for the ticket (for the upcoming assembly polls in Punjab).
Updated on Apr 30, 2016 05:05 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
Norms to the wind, Badal nod for private ‘CT University’ after Rakhra push
Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has ratified the creation of another private university in Punjab even as it does not comply with the basic conditions, thanks evidently to a push by the state’s higher education minister, Surjit Singh Rakhra.
Updated on Apr 28, 2016 09:10 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
Regulatory panel for pvt varsities: Political pressure stalls move
What is the worth of a state minister’s statement made on the floor of the house? Going by Punjab higher education minister Surjit Singh Rakhra’s example, it seems nothing. On September 21 last year, the minister, during the assembly session, had assured the house that the state government would set up a regulatory commission to monitor the working of private universities in the state, adding that the bill for setting up the commission would be tabled in the next session.
Updated on Apr 14, 2016 07:25 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
SYL canal: AAP sacks lawyer for siding with Haryana against Punjab in SC
Within hours of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government filing written submissions in the Supreme Court siding with Haryana over the Sutlej-Yamuna Canal (SYL) issue, the government booted out its counsel saying his submissions were “unauthorised”, adding that he was an appointee of the previous Congress government. The Kejriwal government said it would make fresh submissions in the court on the matter.
Updated on Apr 10, 2016 11:29 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
Punjab vigilance books two candidates in paper leak case
The Punjab vigilance bureau has booked two candidates who allegedly bought and selectively leaked question papers to other candidates appearing in the entrance test conducted by Panjab University, Chandigarh, for recruitment as sub-divisional officer (SDO) in the department of local government.
Updated on Apr 09, 2016 09:53 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
Punjab to ‘help’ pvt varsities keep philanthropy promise
The Punjab government, led by a rather philanthropic chief minister, has decided to “help” private universities in the state develop the villages adopted by them.
Updated on Apr 06, 2016 11:07 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
Pilibhit fake encounter: ‘Will seek death penalty for guilty cops’
In July 1991, Balwinderjit Kaur, 21, was two months pregnant when she undertook the pilgrimage to Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra, with her family.
Updated on Apr 05, 2016 11:16 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
Hot favourite? At Rs 1.7cr, only 3.4% of AAP’s donations from Punjab!
It’s one thing to be a hot favourite, and quite another to put your money where your heart is. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has emerged a powerful third force in Punjab for the coming assembly polls, is still waiting for Punjabis to loosen their purse strings for it.
Updated on Apr 02, 2016 05:57 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
Punjab goes back on linking of water, power bills scheme
In what had been touted as a “consumer-friendly” step to streamline the collection of water and sewerage charges in the state, the Punjab government, in a populist move, has rolled back its decision to link the collection of these charges with power bills of urban consumers.
Updated on Mar 30, 2016 12:33 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
Anil Joshi made to withdraw bill on physios
In what brought to the fore the growing dissonance between Punjab local bodies minister Anil Joshi and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, the deputy CM virtually forced the former to withdraw a bill that aimed at regulating the working of physiotherapists in the state through the creation of a physiotherapy council.
Updated on Mar 23, 2016 03:48 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
Punjab assembly passes bill on settlement of agri loans from arhtiyas
“As per the Bill, the interest payable on the debt shall be calculated at such rate as may be notified by the government,” he said, adding “the interest payable on the debt shall be simple interest calculated on yearly basis”.
Updated on Mar 23, 2016 12:04 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
Punjab govt recruitment tests at PU under VB scanner after paper leaks
A Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) preliminary inquiry has revealed selective leaks of question papers of recruitment tests for gazetted and non-gazetted officers by an organised gang. The paper’s price is Rs 20 to Rs 30 lakh.
Updated on Mar 22, 2016 09:52 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
INLD MLAs try to storm Punjab House, Cong MLAs pay back in same coin
In an unprecedented series of events, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLAs from Haryana tried to enter the Punjab assembly over the SYL issue demanding dismissal of the SAD-BJP government in Punjab.
Updated on Mar 18, 2016 09:47 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi and Rajesh Moudgil, Chandigarh
Taking loan to pay back loan, Punjab headed for debt trap: CAG
Despite the tall claims made by the SAD-BJP government, the principal accountant general presented an abysmal picture of Punjab finances while issuing a loud and clear warning — the state is headed for a major debt trap as half of the financial liability of whopping Rs 1.12-lakh crore has to be paid back in the next seven years.
Updated on Mar 15, 2016 05:32 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
HT Q&A with Punjab finance minister: ‘Won’t be a please-all budget!’
He is raring to go. Presenting his fifth budget next week — last for this term of the Punjab assembly— finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa is upbeat that despite the economic slowdown he will be able to scrape through a decent budget for Punjab.
Updated on Mar 10, 2016 06:27 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi
Guv Kaptan Singh Solanki backs Punjab on river water rights
Punjab governor Kaptan Singh Solanki on Tuesday reiterated the state’s right over its river waters during his speech on the opening day of the assembly budget session amid a walkout by the Congress.
Updated on Mar 09, 2016 09:03 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
To counter Cong on SYL, Punjab govt to take resolution route
The treasury benches are all set to bring a resolution opposing any move to share Punjab river waters with Haryana. The SAD -BJP move is expected to take the wind out of the Congress sails opposing the alliance over the issue.
Updated on Mar 08, 2016 10:53 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
SAD, BJP ready ammo to counter Congress fire
The Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance is ready with ammunition to counter Congress’ offensive over sharing of river waters with Haryana in the budget session.
Published on Mar 08, 2016 11:29 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
Kejriwal, Mayawati to cross paths in Punjab on March 15
Delhi CM to be in Punjab on March 15; BSP supremo also to address a rally in Nawanshahr the same day
Updated on Mar 04, 2016 10:45 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
Futuristic farmers: Goat getter of Punjab
In search of greener pastures after left with just 2 acres in inheritance, Moga farmer Sukhchain Singh switched to goatery. The stigma attached to it didn’t matter, for soon he was in profit and other farmers were following him like a herd of sheep. Goat is a difficult animal to handle, he says, but even in other businesses, Lord is thy shepherd
Updated on Feb 13, 2016 12:36 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Rama (moga)
Futuristic farmers 4: Not cattle class anymore
For marginal farmers, finding an alternative to farming is not an option any more. It has become a question of survival. Lurking among success stories are the tales of struggle — those first few tentative steps when the risk of falling looms large just before you break into a sprint.
Updated on Feb 06, 2016 04:04 PM IST
Chitleen K Sethi, Kohara (ludhiana)
Futuristic Farmers-4: Milking profit, not cattle class anymore
For marginal farmers, finding an alternative to farming is not an option any more. It has become a question of survival. Lurking among success stories are the tales of struggle — those first few tentative steps when the risk of falling looms large just before you break into a sprint.
Updated on Feb 06, 2016 04:07 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Kohara (ludhiana)
HT SPECIAL: A honey trap that’s worth it
It’s all about money, honey. That’s what they say, apparently. For this bee-keeping family of Punjab, money and honey have become synonymous, quite literally! Simranjeet Singh, the young scion of a large extended family — 50 members are into beekeeping across the state — can’t remember when his father or his uncles last tilled their 10 acres of land for wheat or paddy
Updated on Feb 04, 2016 07:33 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Ugani (patiala)
Futuristic farmers-1: Riding pigs to prosperity
At a time when the much-debated agrarian crisis is pushing farmers to the edge, they are the seedlings of agri-entrepreneurship nurtured by sheer dint of hard work and ingenuity. Beginning today, Hindustan Times will carry a series on futuristic farmers who are the face of a rainbow revolution that Punjab desperately needs
Updated on Feb 03, 2016 07:06 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Kishanpura (rupnagar)
With eye on elections, sarpanches empowered to give old-age pension
In a decision taken with an eye on the next assembly elections, from this month-end, for over 16 lakh old-age pensioners in Punjab, village sarpanch will be the king. The first lot of the increased pension (from Rs 250 to Rs 500) will be disbursed through sarpanches following the state government’s recent decision to go back to the system of distributing pension through the village head.
Updated on Jan 23, 2016 09:19 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
Punjab has only paper tiger act to regulate immigration
According to the Act, all travel agents must be registered; though an unconfirmed count puts the number of travel agents in the state at around 20,000, the number of those registered with the government is less than 200; which means majority of them are illegal.
Updated on Jan 19, 2016 09:42 AM IST
HindustanTimes | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
Soaking in the sun, Kejriwal smells a win in Punjab
He is not the underdog or the outsider in Punjab any more. As Arvind Kejriwal, Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP’s) national convener and Delhi chief minister, moved across three villages in Gurdaspur, visiting families of the Pathankot terror attack, Punjab’s air smelt of victory to him.
Updated on Jan 13, 2016 07:36 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Amritsar/gurdaspur
Controversial cop Salwinder Singh in news mostly for wrong reasons
Salwinder Singh, 52, the controversial Gurdaspur superintendent of police (SP) who is being questioned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) after he was abducted and let off by Pakistani terrorists a day before the Pathankot airbase attack, does not have many admirers in the state police.
Updated on Jan 11, 2016 10:49 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Chitleen K Sethi, Chandigarh
When terror checked in: Reconstructing the Pathankot air base attack
HT investigates and reconstructs the audacious attack on the Pathankot air base that has tested India’s response and its relations with Pakistan.
Updated on Jan 10, 2016 01:06 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Harinder Baweja and Chitleen K Sethi