In Parliament: Operationalise Halwara airport: AAP MP

Chandigarh: Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab Rajinder Gupta on Monday demanded the immediate operationalisation of the Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Kartar Singh Sarabha International Airport at Halwara, Ludhiana. Speaking during zero hour, he highlighted Ludhiana’s status as Punjab’s industrial hub, contributing over Rs 72,000 crore annually to the national output and hosting more than 1.5 lakh MSMEs. Gupta said the absence of a commercial airport was putting the region at a severe competitive disadvantage against cities like Jaipur, Indore, Surat, Rajkot and Coimbatore.

Amritsar schools well-equipped: Minister

New Delhi: The Minister of State for Jayant Chaudhary on Monday informed Parliament that government schools in Amritsar were well-equipped with projectors and computers as well as qualified computer faculty. He said the government was already providing midday-meal facility, free books and uniform, self-defence training, exposure visits, sports facilities and many educational activities to students of government schools residing in the zero-line or barbed wire areas along the India-Pakistan border in Amritsar district.

MP Sandhu seeks probe into job racket

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu on Monday urged the government to take urgent action against offshore labour networks allegedly trafficking Indian youth, particularly from Punjab. Raising the matter during zero hour, Sandhu said such trafficking was being carried out through the “Dunki route”. According to media reports cited by Sandhu, 126 Indians had travelled to Russia through these channels; 12 of them died in combat, while 18 remain deployed, and the whereabouts of 16 are still unknown.