'Open US consulate in Chandigarh', Punjab Gov writes to EAM
Darpan News Desk IANS, 16 Jun, 2023 01:12 PM
Chandigarh, June 16 (IANS) Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohit has written to the External Affairs Ministry (EAM) urging it to open a US Consulate in Chandigarh.
The Governor said the Punjabis are adventurous who travel all over the world. They also form a sizeable segment of the Indian diaspora in the US.
"The specialty of this segment is that its members are conscious of their roots and are in constant touch with their people back home in India. This makes a good case for a US consulate in Chandigarh, which is the nerve centre of Punjabi culture," Purohit wrote.
The Governor, who is also the Administrator of Chandigarh, referred to the demand for an additional consulate in India, which is being pressed for even in the US by influential Congressmen, which further bolsters the demand.
The letter mentions that India has five consulates in the US, while the US has only four in India.
The Governor said if a US Consulate is opened in Chandigarh, it will serve the purposes to tap the social, economic and cultural dimensions of the state, as he requested the External Affairs Ministry to pursue the matter with appropriate US authorities.
Mann claimed that Channi's nephew Jashan had allegedly sought a bribe of Rs 2 crore from the cricketer for giving him a job against an exam of Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) cleared by him.
A corruption case has been registered against him and his wife, Kamal Kapoor, after the allegations of acquiring unaccounted assets were proven in a vigilance probe. The Vigilance Bureau has been granted a three-day police remand for questioning.
The Chief Minister has also proposed the names of Kartarpur MLA Balkar Singh and Lambi MLA Gurmeet Singh Khudian for their induction as Cabinet ministers. Mann has requested the Governor to accord approval to administer oath of office to the new ministers at 11 a.m. on May 31 at the Punjab Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh.
At least 10 people were killed and 55 others injured on Tuesday after a bus plunged into a deep gorge in Jammu district, police said. According to the police, the accident took place in the Jhajjar Kotli area after the driver lost control of the vehicle which was on its way to Katra town from Amritsar.
The incident occurred on May 29. In a statement issued by Air India, the airline said that a passenger on their flight AI882 on May 29 behaved in an unruly manner.
"The police is fully committed to destroy the criminals network as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann," he added. Jarnail Singh was shot dead at Sathiala village in broad daylight by three masked assailants on May 24.
