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Gurpreet Singh

Articles by Gurpreet Singh

Resumption of broken rice exports to ease Punjab’s storage woes

The ban led to a buildup of rice stocks and a sharp decline in international prices. Before the ban, India regularly exported 10 to 12 lakh tonnes of broken rice, but with the restriction in place, trade shifted to countries like Vietnam, Thailand and Pakistan.

Paddy crop lying on the road near Behbal Kalan village . (HT File)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 12, 2025 09:16 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber

Uphill task ahead for new Takht jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj

Politically aware, aggressive and vocal, Giani Gargaj will have to find a way to navigate the present Sikh politico-religious turmoil in SAD and SGPC

Newly appointed jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj (ANI)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 11, 2025 07:28 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Removal of jathedars: SAD initiates disciplinary action against dissenting leaders

The SGPC’s move to sack jathedars of Akal Takht and Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib has triggered an uproar with several SAD leaders opposing the decision and a few even tendering their resignations

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 10, 2025 08:34 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Jathedar removal deepens Sikh religio-political crisis, say experts

SGPC's removal of jathedars Giani Raghbir Singh and Giani Sultan Singh fuels Sikh outrage, deepening SAD's crisis amid factional infighting.

SGPC executive members’ meeting in Amritsar on Friday. (Sameer Sehgal/HT)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 08, 2025 08:40 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Punjab: Revenue officials call off strike but not given property registration work

The Punjab Revenue Officers’ Association had suspended the property registration work till March 7 in protest over the Vigilance Bureau (VB) action against some revenue officials in Ludhiana in a fraudulent land deal

The protesters also announced that they would not carry out property registration work till March 7 but would undertake other works such as ‘girdawari’ and mutation. (HT Photo)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 06, 2025 09:16 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Mann-farmer spat: Latest flashpoint poses a fresh challenge for AAP govt

The SKM, a conglomerate of over 30 farm unions, is on collision course with the Mann government as it has been feeling ‘left out’ lately, especially after the SKM (Non-Political), headed by BKU (Sidhupur) chief Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Kisan Mazdoor Sangarh Committee president Sarwan Singh Pandher, hogging all the limelight

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann (Punjab Police - X)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 05, 2025 09:56 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Protest in Chandigarh: SKM to go ahead with Mar 5 sit-in as talks with Mann ‘end abruptly’

Following the meeting between the Punjab government and Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the SKM leaders announced to go ahead with their call for a week-long sit-in in Chandigarh starting March 5

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 04, 2025 09:38 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Takht-constituted committee mulls starting SAD membership drive

The month-long recruitment drive organised by the leaders from the Sukhbir Badal camp ended on February 25, and the party had proposed to hold the election of the party’s office bearer on March 1, but later deferred it. So far, no new date for the party’s internal polls has been announced.

Gurpartap Singh Wadala , a member of the seven-member committee constituted by the Akal Takht on December 2 last year while pronouncing tankhah (religious punishment) to Sukhbir and other Akali leaders for mistakes committed by the party and its government from 2007-17 (HT File)

Chandigarh

Published on Mar 03, 2025 08:30 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Bedlam in House after LoP makes graft allegations against power minister

Without naming anyone, Bajwa during zero hour alleged that the ‘party fund’ was collected at the behest of a minister, triggering a sharp reaction from the AAP and cabinet minister Aman Arora.

Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa along with other Congress leaders on the second day of special session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh on Tuesday. (Ravi Kumar/HT)

Chandigarh

Published on Feb 26, 2025 08:56 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Bajwa takes on AAP government in Punjab over ‘dismal’ revenue from sand mining

Ruling party promised ₹20,000 crore annual revenue but it’s ₹288 crore averagely, he says in state assembly

Chandigarh

Published on Feb 25, 2025 09:08 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Two-day Punjab assembly session begins with tributes to former PM Manmohan Singh

Leader of opposition and Qadian Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa urged Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan to pass a resolution, recommending the highest civilian award of Bharat Ratna to Manmohan Singh.

Chandigarh

Published on Feb 24, 2025 12:46 PM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber

Ministers, farmers hold discussions on MSP law

Two years after farm unions ended their massive protest on Delhi’s borders, they are back on the streets demanding guaranteed prices for their crops

Agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan greets fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal. (PTI)

India News

Published on Feb 23, 2025 05:46 AM IST

ByZia Haq, Gurpreet Singh Nibber

Paddy farmers in dilemma over seed selection amid last season’s losses

The out-turn ratio of paddy to rice is the percentage of rice yield that is extracted from paddy after milling. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) mandates an OTR of 67%, meaning that from every 100 kg of paddy, 67 kg of rice should be obtained.

Workers unload paddy as the freshly procured paddy starts arriving at a local grain market in Amritsar on Thursday. (ANI File)

Chandigarh

Published on Feb 21, 2025 09:48 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber

Panthic convention calls for Sikh unity, opposes Giani Harpreet’s removal

Giani Harpreet Singh advocates for diplomatic solutions for Sikhs abroad and calls for unity within the community amid ongoing challenges.

Speaking at the All India Panthic Convention organised by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) in New Delhi on Wednesday, Giani Harpreet Singh expressed concerns over pressure on Sikhs living abroad to give certain statements. (HT File)

Chandigarh

Published on Feb 20, 2025 07:46 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Former SGPC chief Kirpal Singh Badungar quits Akal Takht-constituted panel

Five of the seven members of the committee met at Bahadurgarh near Patiala on Tuesday and decided to approach the Akal Takht, seeking clarity on the purpose of the committee. Dhami and Badungar abstained from the meeting.

Former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Kirpal Singh Badungar announced his resignation from the Akal Takht-constituted seven member panel for SAD reorganised, a day after Harjinder Singh Dhami resigned as the SGPC president and offered to quit as the head of the panel. (HT Photo)

Chandigarh

Published on Feb 19, 2025 08:52 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Guest Column | Natural stupidity vs artificial intelligence

In a world where tech giants battle for supremacy, we need clear regulations and ethical boundaries; AI should be embraced for breakthroughs in medicine and science, not feared as a threat to livelihoods

The real purpose of technology should be assistance—helping humans accomplish things beyond their physical capabilities. (Shutterstock)

Chandigarh

Published on Feb 16, 2025 05:28 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Bagga

Not a Singhu 2.0 but farmers’ Shambhu, Khanauri standoff still a force to reckon with

The current agitation led by Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher didn’t get a full-fledged support of other key farmer unions, but it prompted the SC to form a panel to study their demands and the Centre to invite them for talks

Veteran farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who was on an indefinite hunger strike since November 26, agreed to accept medical aid after the Centre invited farmers for talks. (HT File)

Chandigarh

Published on Feb 14, 2025 09:28 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

To check stubble burning: 500-cr plan for crop residue mgmt in the works in Punjab

A ₹500-crore outlay is being prepared for crop residue management (CRM) in Punjab to handle paddy stubble both in-situ and ex-situ during the upcoming kharif (paddy) harvest, set to begin in October

A <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>500-crore outlay is being prepared for crop residue management (CRM) in Punjab to handle paddy stubble both in-situ and ex-situ during the upcoming kharif (paddy) harvest, set to begin in October.

Chandigarh

Published on Feb 10, 2025 07:08 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber

5 out of 11 Sikh faces victorious in Delhi assembly elections

In the 2020 Delhi assembly elections also 11 Sikhs had contested, out of which two – both belonging to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) -- had won. Then, SAD an alliance partner of the BJP had backed out of the polls at the last moment protesting against the Citizens Amendment Act passed by the BJP government.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann leaves AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal’s residence in New Delhi after a meeting on Saturday. (Vipin Kumar/HT)

Chandigarh

Published on Feb 09, 2025 09:06 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Punjab: Takht panel seeks clarity on membership drive from Bhundar

The next meeting has been fixed for February 11, in which, according to Gurpartap Singh Wadala, who is part of the Takht committee, Bhundar will be asked if the membership drive initiated by the party was as per last year’s edict of the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs.

Shiromani Akali Dal working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar

Chandigarh

Published on Feb 05, 2025 06:06 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Segregation of broken rice : Centre’s pilot project to improve foodgrain quality

Also, ethanol producers might get cheaper raw material as in the wake of short supply of maize, industry has been demanding rice as an alternative source. Four states, Punjab, Haryana, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have been asked to mill 10,000 tonnes of paddy each and segregate broken rice.

The Union ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution initiated a pilot project last week to segregate broken rice from the stocks handed over to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) by rice millers. This has been done to improve the quality of foodgrain (rice) supplied to consumers and to ease storage woes under public distribution. (Representational image)

Chandigarh

Published on Feb 03, 2025 06:44 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

SAD asks Dhami-led Takht panel to supervise membership drive

Confirming the development party spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said: “The party has given all rights to (SGPC chief) Dhami to take decisions and take forward the work of supervising the membership drive.”

SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami, SAD working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar and senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema during the party’s working committee meeting in Chandigarh on Friday. (HT Photo)

Chandigarh

Published on Feb 01, 2025 08:06 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Gurdwara elections body likely to hold SGPC polls in June

The Gurdwara Elections Commission has set April 16 as the date for finalising the electoral rolls, after which it would write to the union ministry for home to announce the election.

A SAD delegation last week had met justice SS Saron (retd), commissioner gurdwara elections, last week who extended the last date for filing objections from January 24 to March 10. (HT File)

Chandigarh

Published on Jan 30, 2025 10:51 PM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Crackdown on illegal immigrants: US agents’ visit to gurdwaras sparks concern

Sikh organisations have also flagged their concerns terming such actions as a threat to the sanctity of their faith.

US Immigrations and Customs (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents detain a person in Tucson, Arizona. (REUTERS)

Chandigarh

Updated on Jan 28, 2025 06:35 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Navrajdeep Singh, Jalandhar

Wheat flour rates soar to ₹40- ₹60/kg in Punjab due to grain shortage

The rise in wheat flour rates has led to a rise of ₹10-15/kg in the rates of other byproducts, with refined wheat flour (maida) costing ₹45/kg in the retail market. If the situation prevails, the prices of other food items, including bread, may also see a rise.

Punjab has 85 large-scale roller flour mills which process 2 lakh tonnes of wheat into flour and other byproducts every month. (HT File)

Chandigarh

Updated on Jan 25, 2025 07:26 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Wadala included in committee to oversee SAD’s membership drive

Shiromani Akali Dal includes rebel leader Gurpartap Singh Wadala in membership drive committee, but he calls it a “farce” undermining Akal Takht's authority.

Rebel Akali leader Gurpartap Singh Wadala (HT Photo)

Chandigarh

Updated on Jan 24, 2025 08:08 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Centre’s open market scheme to ease Punjab’s storage pangs

Punjab’s storage woes may soon ease with the Union ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, announcing an open market sale scheme (OMSS) to offer subsidised rice to stakeholders, including ethanol producers, traders and cooperatives

Chandigarh

Updated on Jan 23, 2025 08:20 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber

Punjab stares at storage pangs ahead of wheat procurement

At least 145 lakh tonnes of foodgrain is already stored in state godowns and around 115 lakh tonnes of freshly shelled rice is ready to find its way into granaries

The state government is expecting to procure 120 lakh tonnes of wheat starting from April 1, (HT File)

Chandigarh

Updated on Jan 22, 2025 05:36 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Sukhbir gets first membership as SAD launches drive

SAD’s working president Bhundar inaugurated the drive by handing over membership copies to Maheshinder Singh Grewal and Suchha Singh Langah. The membership drive started across the state.

The Shiromani Akali Dal initiated its new membership drive from Muktsar on Monday with senior leader Sukhbir Singh Badal receiving the first membership slip at Badal village. He received the slip from a local leader. (HT)

Chandigarh

Updated on Jan 21, 2025 06:18 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh

Spice of Life | Reflect, reconnect to sift relevant from irrelevant

For the organisation, we are merely a number, and the show will go on without us. So why not ensure our show goes on as well?

My family, who silently supported me through the years, now brings me joy in small, everyday moments. (HT File)

Chandigarh

Updated on Jan 20, 2025 06:34 AM IST

ByGurpreet Singh Bagga

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Gurpreet Singh

The ban led to a buildup of rice stocks and a sharp decline in international prices. Before the ban, India regularly exported 10 to 12 lakh tonnes of broken rice, but with the restriction in place, trade shifted to countries like Vietnam, Thailand and Pakistan.

Politically aware, aggressive and vocal, Giani Gargaj will have to find a way to navigate the present Sikh politico-religious turmoil in SAD and SGPC

The SGPC’s move to sack jathedars of Akal Takht and Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib has triggered an uproar with several SAD leaders opposing the decision and a few even tendering their resignations

SGPC's removal of jathedars Giani Raghbir Singh and Giani Sultan Singh fuels Sikh outrage, deepening SAD's crisis amid factional infighting.

The Punjab Revenue Officers’ Association had suspended the property registration work till March 7 in protest over the Vigilance Bureau (VB) action against some revenue officials in Ludhiana in a fraudulent land deal

Following the meeting between the Punjab government and Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the SKM leaders announced to go ahead with their call for a week-long sit-in in Chandigarh starting March 5

The month-long recruitment drive organised by the leaders from the Sukhbir Badal camp ended on February 25, and the party had proposed to hold the election of the party’s office bearer on March 1, but later deferred it. So far, no new date for the party’s internal polls has been announced.

Without naming anyone, Bajwa during zero hour alleged that the ‘party fund’ was collected at the behest of a minister, triggering a sharp reaction from the AAP and cabinet minister Aman Arora.

Ruling party promised ₹20,000 crore annual revenue but it’s ₹288 crore averagely, he says in state assembly

Leader of opposition and Qadian Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa urged Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan to pass a resolution, recommending the highest civilian award of Bharat Ratna to Manmohan Singh.

Two years after farm unions ended their massive protest on Delhi’s borders, they are back on the streets demanding guaranteed prices for their crops

The out-turn ratio of paddy to rice is the percentage of rice yield that is extracted from paddy after milling. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) mandates an OTR of 67%, meaning that from every 100 kg of paddy, 67 kg of rice should be obtained.

Giani Harpreet Singh advocates for diplomatic solutions for Sikhs abroad and calls for unity within the community amid ongoing challenges.

Five of the seven members of the committee met at Bahadurgarh near Patiala on Tuesday and decided to approach the Akal Takht, seeking clarity on the purpose of the committee. Dhami and Badungar abstained from the meeting.

In a world where tech giants battle for supremacy, we need clear regulations and ethical boundaries; AI should be embraced for breakthroughs in medicine and science, not feared as a threat to livelihoods

The current agitation led by Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher didn’t get a full-fledged support of other key farmer unions, but it prompted the SC to form a panel to study their demands and the Centre to invite them for talks

A ₹500-crore outlay is being prepared for crop residue management (CRM) in Punjab to handle paddy stubble both in-situ and ex-situ during the upcoming kharif (paddy) harvest, set to begin in October

The next meeting has been fixed for February 11, in which, according to Gurpartap Singh Wadala, who is part of the Takht committee, Bhundar will be asked if the membership drive initiated by the party was as per last year’s edict of the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs.

Also, ethanol producers might get cheaper raw material as in the wake of short supply of maize, industry has been demanding rice as an alternative source. Four states, Punjab, Haryana, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have been asked to mill 10,000 tonnes of paddy each and segregate broken rice.

Confirming the development party spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said: “The party has given all rights to (SGPC chief) Dhami to take decisions and take forward the work of supervising the membership drive.”

The Gurdwara Elections Commission has set April 16 as the date for finalising the electoral rolls, after which it would write to the union ministry for home to announce the election.

Sikh organisations have also flagged their concerns terming such actions as a threat to the sanctity of their faith.

The rise in wheat flour rates has led to a rise of ₹10-15/kg in the rates of other byproducts, with refined wheat flour (maida) costing ₹45/kg in the retail market. If the situation prevails, the prices of other food items, including bread, may also see a rise.

Shiromani Akali Dal includes rebel leader Gurpartap Singh Wadala in membership drive committee, but he calls it a “farce” undermining Akal Takht's authority.

Punjab’s storage woes may soon ease with the Union ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, announcing an open market sale scheme (OMSS) to offer subsidised rice to stakeholders, including ethanol producers, traders and cooperatives

At least 145 lakh tonnes of foodgrain is already stored in state godowns and around 115 lakh tonnes of freshly shelled rice is ready to find its way into granaries

SAD’s working president Bhundar inaugurated the drive by handing over membership copies to Maheshinder Singh Grewal and Suchha Singh Langah. The membership drive started across the state.

For the organisation, we are merely a number, and the show will go on without us. So why not ensure our show goes on as well?

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