Senior IPS officer Sharad Satya Chauhan has been appointed as the Punjab vigilance chief as the state government shifted six IPS officers in a reshuffle.
It will now be called the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.
Punjab cabinet minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal was told he is left with only NRI Affairs portfolio as the administrative reforms department he was holding for the past nearly 21 months did not exist, according to a government notification.
It was not immediately known whether the deportees were in shackles, as the previous batch was.
Punjab Police conducted raids and search operations at 1,274 immigration firms across the state to protect aspiring immigrants from falling prey to unscrupulous travel agents. The massive operation, carried out on the directions of Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, was a response to the recent deportation of illegal Indian immigrants by the US. Many of the deportees from Punjab and Haryana have alleged they were duped by travel agents who promised legal entry to the US but instead used the "donkey route" - an illegal and risky pathway. Police have registered 24 FIRs against travel agents and arrested seven. The operation was conducted under the Punjab Travel Professionals' Regulation Act, 2012, which mandates travel agents to obtain a license, maintain records, and comply with other regulations. The police advised citizens to verify travel agents' credentials before entrusting them with documents and money.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has vowed to take strict action against travel agents involved in sending youth from the state abroad through illegal routes. He said the government is identifying those involved and will introduce a law to control illegal immigration. Saini also commented on the recent Delhi elections, praising the BJP's victory and criticizing former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
Daljit Singh, one of the 116 illegal Indian immigrants deported from the US on Saturday night, has claimed that they were handcuffed with their legs chained during the journey. Singh, who traveled via the 'donkey route', an illegal and risky pathway used by migrants to enter the US, said that he was deceived by a travel agent who promised him a direct flight to the US. The C-17 aircraft that landed at the Amritsar airport on Saturday was the second batch of Indians to be deported by the Donald Trump administration as part of its crackdown on illegal immigrants. A third plane carrying 157 deportees is expected to land at the Amritsar airport on Sunday.
Several Indian immigrants, including 30 from Punjab, were deported from the US after being apprehended at the border. They had paid hefty sums to travel agents who promised them a better life in America, only to be met with illegal crossings and harsh detention conditions. Their dreams are now shattered, leaving them with heavy debts and a bleak future.
A US military aircraft carrying 112 Indian deportees landed at the Amritsar airport late on Sunday night, marking the third such flight in recent weeks. The deportees, who hail from various states across India, will be allowed to return home after completing necessary immigration procedures. The deportations are part of a crackdown by the Donald Trump administration against illegal immigrants.
The obsession for migrating to the US is visible mostly in Majha and Doaba regions of Punjab, he further said.
'Prime Minister Modi should sit with Trump and find a solution to this issue.'
The India Investment Centre, at present under the finance ministry, will find a new home with the newly constituted non-resident affairs ministry.
As many as 700 Indian students, mostly from Punjab, are facing deportation from Canada after the authorities in that country found "admission offer letters" to educational institutions to be fake.
A senior cabinet minister in the Punjab government and his delegation came under attack in New York as hundreds of Sikhs protesting his visit allegedly threw stones and hurled a shoe at the leaders, following which the police took two youths into custody.
Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal Thursday said the state government will provide free legal assistance to around 700 Indian students who are facing deportation from Canada.
Fernandes was hospitalised in July after suffering a fall while doing yoga at his house.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday allocated portfolios to the new ministers, keeping 14 departments with himself and giving home affairs to deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and health to other deputy O P Soni.
India has strongly "objected" to the remark on the Golden Temple by popular American television host Jay Leno, terming it "quite unfortunate".
'It will begin with 16 specified countries. It will be extended later to 70 countries,' says Minister for NRI Affairs Jagdish Tytler.
The four-day event, which will conclude on March 11, saw many foreign aircraft companies display their flying machines. Rediff.com's Venkata Sathish gives a preview.
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