A senior assistant editor, Navneet Sharma leads the Punjab bureau for Hindustan Times. He writes on politics, public affairs, civil services and the energy sector.
Articles by Navneet Sharma
5 Punjab ministers in AAP’s first list of 8 Lok Sabha poll candidates
The ministers contesting are: Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal from Amritsar, Laljit Singh Bhullar from Khadoor Sahib, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer from Sangrur, Dr Balbir Singh from Patiala and Gurmeet Singh Khudian from Bathinda
Published on Mar 14, 2024 02:01 PM IST
At ₹3.74 lakh crore, Punjab’s debt pile set to get bigger
The state government is estimated to borrow ₹30,465 crore in the financial year 2024-25 and close the year with an outstanding debt of ₹3.74 lakh crore as per budgetary estimates (BE) and a debt to gross state domestic product (GSDP) ratio of 46:60
Updated on Mar 06, 2024 08:34 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Focus on education, agriculture in ₹2-lakh cr Punjab budget
Punjab FM Harpal Singh Cheema presents a ₹2.04-lakh crore budget for FY 2024-25, focusing on financial consolidation without new taxes or populist announcements.
Updated on Mar 06, 2024 08:26 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Punjab FM presents ₹2.04 lakh crore budget for 2024-25
The outstanding debt has been projected at ₹3,74,091 crore at the end of FY25, up from ₹3,43,626 crore as per 2023-24 revised estimates.
Updated on Mar 05, 2024 02:45 PM IST
In poll season, Punjab parties walk on eggshells around farmers’ stir 2.0
Though the farmers’ protest 2.0 is a pale shadow of the 2020-21 stir in scale and intensity, it is dominating the narrative in the state ahead of the April-May LS elections
Updated on Mar 04, 2024 07:58 AM IST
Punjab government likely to miss capex target, only 32% achieved so far
Against a full-year capex of ₹10,354 crore envisaged in the budget, the state has spent ₹3,390 crore during the April-January period of the current fiscal, according to data on key economic indicators released recently. The capital expenditure incurred so far is 32.77% of the budgeted amount for FY24.
Updated on Mar 03, 2024 06:54 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Punjab budget session: Cong MLAs raise farmers’ issue, disrupt guv’s speech
The Congress members entered the well of the House and raised slogans against the central and state governments over their handling of the issue, forcing Purohit to cut short his address. The governor had read out only a few lines from his 35-page speech amid the uproar when he discontinued his address and declared that it may be “taken as read”.
Updated on Mar 02, 2024 07:58 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
CAG blames non-release of state share by Punjab for delay in implementation of wetlands project
The project sanctioned by the Union ministry of environment, forests, and climate change in 2016-17 could not achieve its objective due to the non-release of the state share by the Punjab government even five years after it had received the central funds, according to an annual review of the working of forest divisions carried out by the office of the principal accountant general (accounts) for the financial year 2022-23
Updated on Feb 28, 2024 07:20 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Punjab registers 22% jump in tax revenue
Punjab registered a 22% year-on-year jump in tax revenue in first 10 months of the financial year 2023-24 due to robust demand and stricter compliance
Updated on Feb 23, 2024 08:58 AM IST
Punjab industry on edge as farmers take to the streets
The Punjab industry was hit hard by the 13-month-long stir against the farm laws, and the disruptions caused by the standoff between farmers’ Delhi Chalo call and the Haryana police, which is trying to stop them from heading to the National Capital, over the past two days, have refreshed their memories of the tough times they faced three years ago.
Updated on Feb 15, 2024 08:16 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Punjab: Kandi tubewell project delay vexes CAG
In its annual review of the working of public works divisions for the financial year 2022-23, the principal accountant general (audit) said the delay in allotment of works for implementation of the tubewell project is depriving the benefit of additional irrigation for 51,939 acres of land in five districts of the state and led to non-utilisation of funds.
Updated on Feb 08, 2024 09:22 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Punjab has no tech mechanism to check illegal mining, says CAG
As per the Punjab mining policy and NGT, the state should use geo-tagging, geo-fencing and electronic surveillance to check the menace, but records revealed that technology was not used by water resources dept
Published on Jan 31, 2024 11:59 PM IST
INDIA bloc gets jolts in Bengal and Punjab as TMC, AAP rule out alliances
In both Punjab and West Bengal, the state Congress chiefs have been opposed to any alliance with the dominant regional party
Updated on Jan 25, 2024 04:11 AM IST
Samagra Shiksha: Punjab proposes ₹3,000 crore action plan for school education
The Punjab government has submitted a ₹3,000-crore action plan to the Centre under the Samagra Shiksha program for quality education and infrastructure in schools. The plan includes initiatives for quality education, access and retention, and vocational education. The proposed budget for the next two financial years is ₹1,476 crore each, with an increase of 14% compared to the current year. The program is jointly funded by the central and state governments on a 60:40 sharing basis.
Updated on Jan 19, 2024 07:34 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Despite buoyancy, Punjab’s own tax revenue share below pre-Covid level
The state’s own tax revenue (SOTR), which has grown at 17% in the past two years, as a proportion of overall tax revenue of Punjab is below the pre-goods and services tax and pre-Covid levels.
Updated on Jan 17, 2024 06:30 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Take decisive steps to discipline Sidhu, Punjab Cong leaders urge Yadav
Will speak to Sidhu, says new Congress Punjab affairs in-charge after party leaders object to former state party chief’s rallies
Updated on Jan 10, 2024 06:12 AM IST
2024 LS polls: Punjab Cong leaders air their views in meeting with party bosses, no decision on truck with AAP
The meeting in which Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal held discussions with more than 30 members of the party’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) for Punjab saw the state leaders forcefully put forth their views for and against the alliance
Updated on Dec 27, 2023 08:14 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
2024 LS polls: Growing chorus against tie-up with AAP, Punjab Congress leaders to meet party bosses
The 31-member PAC, which includes top leaders of the state Congress, will meet the party’s central leadership, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Rahul Gandhi, and general secretary KC Venugopal, in Delhi
Updated on Dec 26, 2023 08:04 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
HT explainer: What do 3 Punjab bills sent for President’s consideration entail
As Purohit kept the bills pending following a row with the AAP government over the special session, the latter petitioned the Supreme Court, which ruled that governors cannot be at liberty to keep bills pending indefinitely without any action. The governor later decided to send three bills for the President’s consideration, and their fate now hangs in the balance.
Updated on Dec 09, 2023 05:40 AM IST
Punjab governor reserves 3 bills for Prez’s consideration
The controversial bills, which have been at the centre of the latest row between Purohit and the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, include the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and The Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
Updated on Dec 07, 2023 05:54 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Punjab governor reserves 3 Bills for President’s consideration
Bills, which have been at the centre of the latest row between governor Banwarilal Purohit and the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP govt in Punjab are the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
Published on Dec 06, 2023 03:12 PM IST
Punjab governor Purohit gives assent to one of 5 pending bills
The assent come days after top court declared the June 19-20 session as constitutionally valid and asked the governor to take decisions on bills that were passed during the sitting
Updated on Dec 01, 2023 07:48 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Oppn corners Punjab govt over OPS implementation, pending DA
Raising the issue during the zero hour on the concluding day of the two-day winter session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, leader of opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa said that finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema had in November 2022 announced the revival of OPS for the state employees, but the government was still to implement the scheme.
Updated on Nov 30, 2023 08:36 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Punjab CM seeks quick assent to bills, governor says ‘under active consideration’
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann wrote to governor Banwari Lal Purohit requesting him to grant assent to pending bills forthwith in keeping with the ‘constitutional obligation’ and the spirit of democracy as elucidated in the order of the Supreme Court
Updated on Nov 25, 2023 07:48 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Cases pile up: 8 months on, Punjab NRI commission remains headless & memberless
The commission, set up to protect and safeguard the interests of NRIs in the state and recommend remedial measures for their welfare, does not have a chairman or member
Updated on Nov 22, 2023 09:10 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
States and their governors
Three state governments are at the SC arguing against the inordinate time taken by their Governors to sign bills. Which are the states and what are those bills?
Published on Nov 10, 2023 08:50 AM IST
2024 LS election: EC’s ‘Iss Vaar 70 Paar’ drive to increase turnout in Punjab
Punjab, which saw a tepid response with 65.9% turnout in the 2019 parliamentary elections, has drawn an elaborate voter turnout implementation plan to tackle elector apathy through interventions focused on constituencies with low female voter turnout, migrant inhabitants and urban pockets.
Updated on Nov 08, 2023 09:52 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Punjab guv Purohit softens stand, says will examine pending bills on merit
Move comes days after Mann govt decided to move apex court against Purohit for withholding three money bills that were to be tabled in the assembly
Updated on Oct 30, 2023 06:02 AM IST
Punjab to give NCERT’s state education achievement survey a miss
The school education dept says they are focused on conducting baseline tests under ‘Mission Samarth’ to identify the learning gaps of children of classes 3 to 8 in government schools
Updated on Oct 28, 2023 07:02 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Punjab governor fires another missive, questions AAP govt’s fiscal management
In a two-page letter, governor Banwarilal Purohit has asked chief minister Bhagwant Mann to explain additional borrowing and utilisation for purposes other than creation of capital assets along with accurate data, pointing to variation in feedback from CAG and figures given by the CM
Published on Oct 17, 2023 03:13 PM IST