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
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
Punjab governor terms 2-day assembly session ‘illegal’
AAP says session legitimate; Vidhan Sabha secretary releases tentative date-wise programme of the business to be transacted by the House
Updated on Oct 14, 2023 08:22 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Punjab governor objects to AAP govt calling extended assembly session
In a letter to the secretary, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, the governor’s secretariat wrote that any such extended budget session called by the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government from October 20-21 is bound to be illegal, and any business conducted during it is “unlawful, and ab-initio void”.
Published on Oct 13, 2023 12:54 PM IST
Amid debt row, Punjab cuts back its borrowings in third quarter
It has projected a market borrowing of ₹7,500 crore in the October-December period. Of this amount, ₹3,500 crore will be raised in October, ₹2,500 crore in November, and ₹1,500 crore in December, according to the indicative borrowing calendar shared by the state government with the Reserve Bank of India
Updated on Oct 13, 2023 09:32 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Punjab debt: CM tells governor 57% of ₹47,107-cr loan spent on paying interest
With legacy debt of ₹2.82 lakh crore at the end of the financial year 2021-22, which is projected to touch to ₹3.47 lakh crore in FY-2024, Punjab is among the most indebted states in the country.
Published on Oct 03, 2023 02:39 PM IST
Khaira’s arrest escalates AAP-Cong rift in Punjab
The arrest of Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira, a fierce critic of the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, does not augur well for the alliance between the two parties in Punjab for parliamentary polls next year.
Updated on Sep 29, 2023 07:42 AM IST
Pending RDF: Matter sub-judice, wait for SC decision, Punjab governor tells CM Bhagwant Mann
Governor Banwarilal Purohit has had frequent run-ins with Mann over the past year. Debt being a politically sensitive subject, Purohit’s query on details of the utilisation of debt raised by the state government is set to further rankle the ruling Aam Aadmi Party
Updated on Sep 23, 2023 01:07 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Punjab Congress divided on tie-up with AAP
Of the seven Congress MPs, at least four have favoured the party’s alliance with the AAP in the state; Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Congress Legislature Party leader Partap Singh Bajwa have been opposing the tie-up in Punjab
Published on Sep 19, 2023 12:53 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Punjab eyes tapping into Pathankot, Hoshiarpur’s eco-tourism potential
Punjab government invites private sector to invest in theme parks, wellness resorts, hotels and other hospitality facilities
Published on Sep 09, 2023 12:52 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
No alliance with Cong in Lok Sabha polls in Punjab, says AAP minister
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring reiterated that the national leadership of the party has told the state unit to prepare for fighting all 13 Lok Sabha seats
Updated on Sep 07, 2023 12:35 AM IST
Punjab AAP minister rules out alliance with Congress in state
Cabinet minister Anmol Gagan Maan said the Aam Aadmi Party will contest all 13 Lok Sabha seats under chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s leadership without any seat-sharing
Updated on Sep 06, 2023 03:48 PM IST
Punjab Congress rules out any truck with AAP
The strong opposition of state unit leaders comes amid India bloc’s resolve at Mumbai meet to fight elections together
Updated on Sep 06, 2023 01:01 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
At ₹1,713 cr, Punjab’s GST collection sees a spike of 31%
In the first five-month (April-August) period, the GST revenues are 28.20% higher this year than the collection during the same period last year, rising to ₹8,524.17 crore from ₹6,648.49 crore
Updated on Sep 05, 2023 12:35 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
₹7,553-crore FDI in 4 yrs: Punjab at 12th spot, but behind Haryana
Punjab has received a cumulative foreign direct investment (FDI) of ₹7,552.89 crore (US $ 1,013.60 million) in the last four years
Updated on Aug 30, 2023 01:09 AM IST
Punjab Governor threatens President's Rule in letter to CM Mann
The governor's actions have been criticized by the Aam Aadmi Party, which accused him of working like the BJP's spokesperson.
Updated on Aug 26, 2023 04:31 AM IST
Navneet Sharma, Chandigarh
Punjab governor warns CM, asks him to reply to his letters else face the music
In a strongly worded letter, Banwarilal Purohit says he is pained to point out that there is reason to believe failure of the constitutional machinery in Punjab; adds though he is yet to decide on recommending President’s rule under Article 356 and initiating criminal proceedings under Section 124 of the IPC, he wants information sought in earlier letters besides steps taken to tackle drug issue
Updated on Aug 25, 2023 04:49 PM IST