News / Author / Harmandeep Singh

Harmandeep Singh

Harmandeep Singh is staff Correspondent and have specialisation in investigative reporting. He covers Punjab politics, mining, crime, school education, health, medical education, administration, labour department, brain-drain and rural areas besides burning issues of Sangrur and Barnala districts.

Articles by Harmandeep Singh

Meagre diet money: Punjab players struggle to meet nutritional needs

The sports department has been giving ₹200 for the diet of residential players and ₹100 for the non-residential players for the last 10 years even as the prices of commodities have shot up many folds

Players waiting in queue for trials in Barnala. (HT Photo)

cities

Updated on May 28, 2023 12:49 AM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Barnala

Punjab proposes to replace regular medical officers with empanelled doctors in Primary Health Centres, Aam Aadmi Clinics

The Punjab state health department has proposed to replace regular MBBS doctors with empanelled doctors at primary health centres, including 400 Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs) in rural areas. The empanelled doctors are not paid a fixed remuneration but receive an incentive of INR 50 per consultation. The state government is now considering deploying empanelled doctors at regular posts by shifting regular doctors of AACs to secondary healthcare institutes. The Punjab Civil Medical Service Association, an organisation of regular doctors, has expressed concern that the move will abolish regular posts in rural areas.

Earlier there were 422 PHCs in Punjab but out of them 400 were upgraded into AACs. (Representational Photo)

cities

Updated on May 26, 2023 12:57 AM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann targets SGPC president, SAD over Gurbani telecast right

On Sunday, Mann referring to the issue of the telecast of Gurbani had offered that the state government was ready to discharge the duty of bearing all expenses for installing hi-tech equipment for the telecast of ‘Gurbani’ on all the channels.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann laying foundation stone of a sub-tehsil complex in Cheema, Sangrur, on Monday.

cities

Updated on May 23, 2023 01:14 AM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

24% seats in class 9 lying vacant in Sangrur’s ‘Schools of Eminence’

Even as the new academic session has already kick-started, Punjab government’s “Schools of Eminence” initiative is unable to fully take-off in Sangrur

560 students had qualified the screening test held to choose deserving candidates for these schools. (Representational Photo (Getty Images/iStockphoto) )

cities

Updated on May 18, 2023 12:55 AM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

Sangrur court summons Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge in defamation case

Hitesh Bhardwaj, founder of Hindu Suraksha Parishad Bajrang Dal Hind, filed a defamation case against Kharge for making defamatory remarks against Bajrang Dal.

Mallikarjun Kharge, president of India National Congress,has been summoned on July 10 by Sangrur court. (HT File)

cities

Updated on May 15, 2023 12:08 PM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

Financial independence: Stitching school uniforms to empower unprivileged women in Punjab’s Sangrur

As many as 250 unprivileged women of rural Sangrur will make a living for themselves by stitching uniforms for school children

Stitching each uniform will help the women earn <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>600. (HT Photo)

cities

Updated on May 12, 2023 11:39 PM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh

Tubewells in vogue leave canal water underutilised in Punjab’s Barnala, Sangrur, Patiala

Despite presence of groundwater to be the deepest in Barnala, Sangrur and Patiala, the canal water is being underutilised for irrigation in these districts.

The officials and employees of the water resources department organising awareness camp to encourage farmers to use canal water for irrigation purposes. (HT Photo)

cities

Updated on May 02, 2023 10:13 PM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

Death by contaminated water: NHRC orders action against Punjab water supply and sewerage board officials, 2 pvt firms

National Human Right Commission on Friday directed principal secretary of local government to take departmental action against officials of the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board and asked senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sangrur to initiate legal action against authorities of two private firms, including a telecom company after their negligence led to the death of an 8-year-old girl.

The commission also ordered compensation of <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>3 lakh to next of the deceased’s kin and directed the deputy commissioner to submit updated information along with proof within six weeks. (PTI file photo)

cities

Updated on Apr 28, 2023 11:01 PM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

Former NSUI Punjab president booked for holding PU research scholar hostage

Local police on Thursday booked former state National Student Union of India (NSUI) president Akshay Sharma for allegedly holding a Panjab University, Chandigarh, philosophy scholar hostage at the house of Daaman Bajwa, state secretary of Punjab BJP, and extorting ₹98,000 lakh from him

The accused allegedly held the scholar, identified as Kanwaljit Singh, hostage for hours and later released him after extorting money.

cities

Updated on Apr 28, 2023 01:03 AM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

Morinda sacrilege: A day after, accused’s uncle among two more booked

President of the internal management committee, Parmatma Singh, and another person have been booked in a separate case related to the recent sacrilege incident at the Gurdwara Kotwali Sahib in Morinda. Singh, who is the uncle of the sacrilege accused Jasvir Singh, reportedly asked Jassa Singh to upload a video claiming that no sacrilege had occurred. The two have been charged under Section 153 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. The motive behind the incident remains unclear. The accused Jasvir has been remanded in police custody.

cities

Updated on Apr 26, 2023 02:11 AM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Morinda

Dispose of Baba Hira Singh Bhattal Institute property to pay employees’ salary: High court

he petitioners were among 100 employees, who have been waiting for their salaries for the last 41 months as the institute is facing a severe financial crisis. Employees of the institute had filed writ petitions complaining about non-payment of their salary since December 2019.

The court of justice Anil Kshetarpal has also ordered the department to restrain the institute from disposing of its property before the petitioners get paid. (Shutterstock)

cities

Updated on Apr 26, 2023 01:57 AM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

Attack on law students: AAP leader booked for criminal conspiracy

A day after the attack and firing on law students, Sangrur police on Thursday booked an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, Sandeep Bansal alias Monu Choudhary, and his partner Munish Garg

Video grab of the attack on two law students in Sangrur. (HT)

cities

Updated on Apr 21, 2023 01:15 AM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

Two temporary teachers face termination for ‘attacking’ Punjab education minister’s car

The two temporary Punjab teachers given show-cause notice are Sukhchain Singh, the state convener of the EGS volunteer’s union, and Sandeep Singh.

The teachers, including Sukhchain Singh, denied the charge and said on April 11, there was an inordinate delay in the meeting, for which they were protesting. (File Photo)

cities

Updated on Apr 15, 2023 12:43 AM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

Despite rain, crop yield likely to improve in Sangrur

Despite hailstorm and rain, Sangrur district in Punjab is expected to see a rise in wheat crop yield compared to last season, with an average yield of 45-50 quintals per hectare. Flattened crops are yielding between 20-40 quintals, while standing crops are meeting expected numbers. Last year's yield of 41.74 quintals per hectare was the lowest in a decade, and this year's yield is expected to be the second lowest.

According to the local agriculture department, the average yield per hectare is likely to remain between 45 and 50 quintals per hectare. (HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Apr 12, 2023 12:43 AM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

Punjab govt school enrolments up by 4.36%

The trend is promising, as the admission process at Punjab govt schools will continue for three more months with results of Classes 8 and 10 pending

Since admissions for the current academic session began on April 1, 29.22 lakh students have enrolled in Punjab government schools, up from 27.95 lakh in 2022-23. (HT File Photo)

cities

Updated on Apr 08, 2023 11:08 PM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

Punjab vigilance grills ex-minister Singla in disproportionate assets case

Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Tuesday grilled former minister and Congress MLA Vijay Inder Singla for four and half hours for allegedly having assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The vigilance asked him about his properties and the affidavit that he summoned before election while contesting 2022 assembly polls. (HT File Photo)

cities

Published on Mar 21, 2023 09:37 PM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

Secondary-level healthcare facilities: ₹500 cr required for infra upgrade, Mann govt proposes only ₹39 crore

Against the requirement of ₹500 to fill infrastructural gaps in secondary-level healthcare institutes in Punjab, the state government has proposed an outlay of ₹39 crore in the 2023-24 budget presented by the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government on March 10.

According to compilation of requirements sent by districts, the state health department requires over <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>500 crore to upgrade infrastructure in district hospitals, sub-divisional hospitals and community health centres across the state. (Representational Photo (AFP file photo) )

cities

Updated on Mar 17, 2023 09:48 PM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh

Ex-Congress MLA Goldy reaches vigilance office but finds no official to quiz him

Sangrur Former Congress MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy’s hearing before Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) was deferred on Thursday at the eleventh hour

The bureau had started an inquiry into all the development works carried out in Dhuri during his tenure as MLA for having assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. (HT File Photo)

cities

Published on Mar 16, 2023 09:41 PM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh

Punjab VB summons ex-Congress MLA Goldy in disproportionate assets case

Former Dhuri MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy to appear before VB on Thursday; 10 former Congress ministers and four former party MLAs are already in Punjab Vigilance Bureau’s crosshairs for corruption

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has summoned former Congress Dhuri MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy for questioning in a disproportionate assets case on Thursday. (HT file photo)

cities

Updated on Mar 15, 2023 03:47 PM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh

Punjab vigilance summons ex-Congress minister Vijay Inder Singla in DA case

Singla, who is the seventh former minister under the VB scanner for disproportionate assets, has been summoned to the bureau’s Sangrur office on Thursday

Former Punjab minister and Congress MLA Vijay Inder Singla was on Tuesday summoned by the state vigilance bureau in connection with a disproportionate assets case. (HT file photo)

cities

Updated on Mar 14, 2023 07:05 PM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh

Pvt firm backs out, diagnostic test facilities hit at 100 Aam Aadmi Clinics

Krsnaa Diagnostics pushing for long-term contract in Punjab Aam Aadmi Clinics, civil surgeons told to make arrangements for test facilities

The lab diagnostic services are already in doldrums at 404 Aam Aadmi Clinics opened in Punjab on January 26 this year as the health department is yet to finalise the modalities for carrying out clinical tests.

cities

Published on Mar 02, 2023 12:09 AM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh

War on Drugs: In 12 years, retd official lost property to son’s addiction in Punjab’s Sangrur

Hardyal Singh, 70, says the family lost everything from its savings to 25 acres he owned to his son Jaskaran Singh’s addiction

Jaskaran Singh was 19 when he had gone to pursue masters of computer application (MCA) at a private college in Mandi Gobindgarh, where he started taking heroin in 2011. (Representational image)

cities

Published on Mar 01, 2023 02:34 AM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh

Punjab plans to start ‘CM Ki Yogshala’ on lines of Delhi govt

The Punjab government is planning to start ‘CM Ki Yogshala’ on the lines of the discontinued ‘’Dilli Ki Yogshala’, which was run by Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi.

The government has already started the process to hire manpower on a contractual basis to run this programme and the department of medical education and research has selected five cities. (Representational Photo (Getty Images/iStockphoto) )

cities

Published on Feb 24, 2023 08:02 PM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

All parties reach consensus, decks cleared for Sangrur medical college

The dispute over the land of Sant Attar State Institute of Medical Sciences at Mastuana Sahib in Sangrur is likely to end as all parties reached a consensus on Tuesday.

The college is the first mega project of the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab. (Representational Photo (Getty Images/iStockphoto) )

cities

Published on Feb 21, 2023 10:38 PM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh

Bootleggers assault 35-year-old man in Punjab’s Sunam

The victim, Sonu Kumar, a resident of Jagatpura Basti in Sunam, is currently undergoing treatment at AIMS, Bathinda. He has suffered over twelve fractures to his feet, legs, wrists, arms and fingers apart from dozens of stitches, officials said

The accused attacking a man who they alleged was a police informer in Sunam. (Videograb)

cities

Updated on Feb 21, 2023 01:29 AM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

Punjab saw 15-fold jump in school dropout rate in last 4 years

The state has witnessed a massive spike in the dropout rate at secondary level in government schools

The dropout rate is much higher than the national average. (HT File photo)

cities

Published on Feb 13, 2023 10:48 PM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

Row erupts as MLA’s husband inaugurates projects in Punjab’s Sangrur

Row erupted after Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday objected to the inauguration of development projects allegedly by Mandeep Singh Lakhewal, husband of Sangrur MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj.

The BJP alleged that Lakhewal has taken over the charge of inaugurating various projects in the constituency. (HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Feb 08, 2023 10:06 PM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

Rural healthcare in doldrums: 75% shortage of specialist docs in CHCs across Punjab

Rural healthcare facilities in Punjab are reeling under severe shortage of specialist doctors, including paediatricians, surgeons, obstetricians, gynaecologists and general physicians.

The minister said the shortfall increased in the last 18 years. (HT file photo)

cities

Published on Feb 04, 2023 11:15 PM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh

Serving entire block all alone, doc now put on round-the-clock duty in Punjab’s Sangrur

Bathinda health department on Wednesday told a lone doctor of the entire Bhagta block to perform round-the-clock emergency services at the Community Health Center (CHC), Bhagta along with out-patient department services.

The doctor is already performing emergency and OPD services at the center. (Representational Photo)

cities

Published on Feb 01, 2023 10:55 PM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

Testing facilities fail to kick-off at Aam Aadmi Clinics in Punjab’s rural areas

Even five days after the inauguration of 400 more Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs) in Punjab, the testing facilities in the rural areas failed to kick off as the health department is yet to finalise the modality for carrying out clinical tests at AACs.

The department has directed the local health department to manage with the nearby healthcare facilities for carrying out tests of patients visiting the Aam Aadmi Clinics. (HT File Photo)

cities

Published on Feb 01, 2023 09:30 PM IST

ByHarmandeep Singh, Sangrur

Copy

Whatsapp Twitter Facebook Linkedin

Harmandeep Singh

Harmandeep Singh is staff Correspondent and have specialisation in investigative reporting. He covers Punjab politics, mining, crime, school education, health, medical education, administration, labour department, brain-drain and rural areas besides burning issues of Sangrur and Barnala districts.

The sports department has been giving ₹200 for the diet of residential players and ₹100 for the non-residential players for the last 10 years even as the prices of commodities have shot up many folds

On Sunday, Mann referring to the issue of the telecast of Gurbani had offered that the state government was ready to discharge the duty of bearing all expenses for installing hi-tech equipment for the telecast of ‘Gurbani’ on all the channels.

Even as the new academic session has already kick-started, Punjab government’s “Schools of Eminence” initiative is unable to fully take-off in Sangrur

Hitesh Bhardwaj, founder of Hindu Suraksha Parishad Bajrang Dal Hind, filed a defamation case against Kharge for making defamatory remarks against Bajrang Dal.

As many as 250 unprivileged women of rural Sangrur will make a living for themselves by stitching uniforms for school children

Despite presence of groundwater to be the deepest in Barnala, Sangrur and Patiala, the canal water is being underutilised for irrigation in these districts.

Local police on Thursday booked former state National Student Union of India (NSUI) president Akshay Sharma for allegedly holding a Panjab University, Chandigarh, philosophy scholar hostage at the house of Daaman Bajwa, state secretary of Punjab BJP, and extorting ₹98,000 lakh from him

he petitioners were among 100 employees, who have been waiting for their salaries for the last 41 months as the institute is facing a severe financial crisis. Employees of the institute had filed writ petitions complaining about non-payment of their salary since December 2019.

A day after the attack and firing on law students, Sangrur police on Thursday booked an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, Sandeep Bansal alias Monu Choudhary, and his partner Munish Garg

The two temporary Punjab teachers given show-cause notice are Sukhchain Singh, the state convener of the EGS volunteer’s union, and Sandeep Singh.

The trend is promising, as the admission process at Punjab govt schools will continue for three more months with results of Classes 8 and 10 pending

Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Tuesday grilled former minister and Congress MLA Vijay Inder Singla for four and half hours for allegedly having assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Against the requirement of ₹500 to fill infrastructural gaps in secondary-level healthcare institutes in Punjab, the state government has proposed an outlay of ₹39 crore in the 2023-24 budget presented by the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government on March 10.

Sangrur Former Congress MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy’s hearing before Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) was deferred on Thursday at the eleventh hour

Former Dhuri MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy to appear before VB on Thursday; 10 former Congress ministers and four former party MLAs are already in Punjab Vigilance Bureau’s crosshairs for corruption

Singla, who is the seventh former minister under the VB scanner for disproportionate assets, has been summoned to the bureau’s Sangrur office on Thursday

Krsnaa Diagnostics pushing for long-term contract in Punjab Aam Aadmi Clinics, civil surgeons told to make arrangements for test facilities

Hardyal Singh, 70, says the family lost everything from its savings to 25 acres he owned to his son Jaskaran Singh’s addiction

The Punjab government is planning to start ‘CM Ki Yogshala’ on the lines of the discontinued ‘’Dilli Ki Yogshala’, which was run by Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi.

The dispute over the land of Sant Attar State Institute of Medical Sciences at Mastuana Sahib in Sangrur is likely to end as all parties reached a consensus on Tuesday.

The victim, Sonu Kumar, a resident of Jagatpura Basti in Sunam, is currently undergoing treatment at AIMS, Bathinda. He has suffered over twelve fractures to his feet, legs, wrists, arms and fingers apart from dozens of stitches, officials said

The state has witnessed a massive spike in the dropout rate at secondary level in government schools

Row erupted after Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday objected to the inauguration of development projects allegedly by Mandeep Singh Lakhewal, husband of Sangrur MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj.

Rural healthcare facilities in Punjab are reeling under severe shortage of specialist doctors, including paediatricians, surgeons, obstetricians, gynaecologists and general physicians.

Bathinda health department on Wednesday told a lone doctor of the entire Bhagta block to perform round-the-clock emergency services at the Community Health Center (CHC), Bhagta along with out-patient department services.

Even five days after the inauguration of 400 more Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs) in Punjab, the testing facilities in the rural areas failed to kick off as the health department is yet to finalise the modality for carrying out clinical tests at AACs.

Join Hindustan Times

Create free account and unlock exciting features like