Gurpreet Singh Nibber is an Assistant Editor with the Punjab bureau. He covers politics, agriculture, power sector, environment, Sikh religious affairs and the Punjabi diaspora.
Articles by Gurpreet Singh Nibber
Treasury, Oppn exchange barbs after Cong MLA Sadique's song in Punjab assembly
The last day of the budget session of Punjab assembly was witness to some amusing moments. First-time Congress MLA Mohd Sadique, a legendary folk singer of the state, crooned a few lines after a request from chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and due permission of the assembly speaker.
Updated on Jun 29, 2012 09:28 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
'Diversion' of funds issue leads to noisy scenes
Noisy scenes were witnessed in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Monday on the issue of "diversion" of central government funds to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore.
Updated on Jun 26, 2012 03:15 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
As mark of protest, BJP to 'keep mum' in House
As a mark of protest, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), coalition partner of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab, has decided to maintain silence in the vidhan sabha during the budget session, which begins today.
Updated on Jun 19, 2012 12:53 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
SAD, BJP 'divided' over mayor share
The tried-and-tested 'two-mayors-each' arrangement between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is apparently under threat.
Updated on Jun 13, 2012 11:30 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
R100-crore plan to keep VVIPs airborne
Backed by the go-ahead of the cabinet sub-committee on civil aviation, the Punjab directorate of civil aviation has come up with an ambitious Rs 100-crore plan to build its fleet of aircraft for VVIPs, including governor, chief minister and deputy chief minister.
Updated on Jun 12, 2012 11:03 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
SAD-BJP coalition retains all four municipal corporations
Continuing with the momentum created by its win in the January 30 Punjab assembly polls, the SAD-BJP coalition made a clean sweep of municipal corporation elections with majority in all four local bodies in the state. Reports of coalition supporters' involvement in violence and rigging poured in during the day, while the main opponent Congress rank and file watched helplessly as the ruling coalition raced towards victory.
Updated on Jun 11, 2012 10:51 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
MC polls in four cities peaceful, says Punjab election panel
Even as polling for four municipal corporations of Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala on Sunday was marred by many incidents of booth-capturing and violence, the Punjab election commission said it was "peaceful barring some stray incidents".
Updated on Jun 10, 2012 08:25 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Power tariff hike put off due to MC polls?
The Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) has delayed the announcement of power tariff for the 2012-13 financial year. It is learnt that the tariff would be announced after the elections to four municipal corporations, scheduled for June 10.
Updated on May 31, 2012 12:54 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
SGPC trust running medical college is public authority: SIC
The State information commission, Punjab in a directive given last week, ruled that Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) managed Guru Ram Dass Charitable trust is a public authority, and directed it to appoint a public information officer.
Updated on May 29, 2012 04:14 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
It's grain gain for govt, not farmers
With wheat procurement for the central pool touching a record 123 lakh tonnes, the Punjab government is laughing all the way to the bank. Farmers, however, are not feeling so good.
Updated on May 14, 2012 01:25 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
An electricity-surplus Punjab? Fat chance
The Punjab government's dream to make the state power surplus will have to wait. Promoters of the 1,980 MW super critical Talwandi Sabo thermal power plant have pushed forward the deadline to commission the first unit of 660 MW by nine months - from November 8, 2012 to August 8, 2013.
Updated on May 11, 2012 12:39 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Disaster mgmt centre: Punjab’s loss, HP’s gain
Less than two years ago, Punjab wasted an opportunity to set up the National Disaster Response Force Centre by failing to provide land for the purpose.
Updated on Apr 18, 2012 12:14 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Sikhs to have own law for registering marriages
The union cabinet on Thursday decided to bring in a bill allowing the registration of Sikh marriages under the Anand Marriage Act, 1909, which would enable members of the community to get themselves registered as Sikhs in the marriage certificate.
Updated on Apr 13, 2012 10:59 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber and Harkirat Singh, Chandigarh
Centre cuts kerosene quota, state prunes list
With the Centre slashing Punjab's quota of subsidised kerosene for the public distribution system (PDS) by 63%, the state government has decided to check pilferage, ascertain the actual demand and then approach the union government with a proposal for a revised quota.
Updated on Apr 12, 2012 12:19 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Punjab govt sticks to arhtiya route for payments
Despite the union food ministry's directions on direct payment, the Punjab government is paying the minimum support price (MSP) for wheat to farmers through commission agents (arhtiyas).
Updated on Apr 10, 2012 01:32 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
PSERC, power corpn lock horns
The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL or Powercom) and the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) are at logger-heads over open-access consumers.
Updated on Apr 06, 2012 12:51 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
SGPC executive panel can operate, says apex court
The Supreme Court has ordered that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) could function for the time being with the executive committee constituted in November 2010.
Updated on Mar 31, 2012 11:21 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Badal for rewriting Constitution for more rights to states
Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has demanded setting up of a constituent assembly to rework constitution of the country. He said this in the light of giving more powers to the states, so as to strengthen the federal system.
Updated on Mar 28, 2012 12:28 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Zirakpur-Bathinda stretch to be widened; 5 toll plazas enroute
Travel on the 217-km National Highway No 64 from Zirakpur to Bathinda is expected to be smoother within two to three years, but at a price. The road-widening project cleared by the union cabinet committee on infrastructure on Friday, entails toll tax barriers at five places enroute.
Updated on Mar 27, 2012 12:47 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Leaders of UPA, NDA mingle at Badal's oath ceremony
As Parkash Singh Badal took oath as Punjab chief minister for the fifth time, leaders of political parties allied to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) could be seen mingling with each other at Banda Singh Bahadur war memorial at Chappar Chirri, 15 km from Chandigarh.
Updated on Mar 14, 2012 11:26 PM IST
None | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
UPA-NDA allies mingle at Badal’s oath ceremony
Trinamool leaders meet Advani, Gadkari. Gurpreet Singh Nibber reports.
Updated on Mar 14, 2012 09:33 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
For cabinet berths, Badal prefers experience
A number of big names of Shiromani Akali Dal who were cabinet ministers in the outgoing coalition government may have lost in the assembly elections, but the party has no dearth of experienced hands who would take oath as ministers at Banda Bahadur memorial in Chappar Chiri today.
Updated on Mar 14, 2012 10:50 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
For cabinet berths, Badal picks experience
A number of big faces of Shiromani Akali Dal who held the rank of cabinet ministers, in the previous coalition government of SAD-BJP, may have lost recently held assembly elections in Punjab, but the party has no dearth of experienced hands who would take oath as cabinet ministers at Banda Bahadur memorial in Chappar Chirri tomorrow.
Updated on Mar 13, 2012 10:37 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Told to simply reach two digits, BJP delivers
"Don't do as badly as in the 2002 elections (three seats). Just reach double figures," was what the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) wanted from its alliance partner, the BJP. The latter did its job by winning 12.
Updated on Mar 07, 2012 12:31 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber & Rajeev Bhaskar, Chandigarh
BJP did the job, as SAD desired; crossed double digit
"Don't do as badly as in the 2002 elections (three seats). Just reach double figures," was what the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) wanted from its alliance partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The latter did its job by winning 12 seats.
Updated on Mar 06, 2012 08:03 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber & Rajeev Bhaskar, Chandigarh
Steadily they went sweeping!
“What’s happening here?” an inquisitive safai karamchari sweeping a verandah of the shopping centre in sector 17 probed a group standing under the office of election commission of India at 7:55am.
Updated on Mar 06, 2012 03:59 PM IST
None | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Punjab jittery as MP joins elite wheat club
Madhya Pradesh’s announcement to appreciably increase its wheat contribution to the central pool has triggered fear of a glut in Punjab.
Updated on Feb 23, 2012 09:07 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
Punjab jittery as MP joins elite wheat club
After Madhya Pradesh announced in a meeting with union food secretary that it would procure 65 lakh tonne of wheat in the coming Rabi marketing season, officials from Punjab are a worried lot, as more procurement in other states means glut in Punjab.
Updated on Feb 23, 2012 05:44 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
77% turnout in Punjab, 70% in Uttarakhand
Political analysts would be hard pressed to explain a record turnout for what was billed as a “no-wave” election” in Punjab. Punjab mandate 2012 | Wild cards make it too close to call in Punjab | Congress expects sweeping win
Updated on Jan 31, 2012 01:56 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Dehradun/chandigarh
Confident, Sukhbir predicts SAD win
Meet Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of the "party of common peasants". Sporting a stylish Breguet wristwatch, the Shiromani Akali Dal chief, while flying from Dhuri to Amargarh, announces, "I am the astrologer. We will win 60 seats in Malwa and 15 each in Doaba and Majha."
Updated on Jan 24, 2012 01:00 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh