New Delhi: India on Monday reported 170 coronavirus infections, taking the total number of cases to 4,46,80,094.
The death count stands at 5,30,721 with one more fatality reported from Madhya Pradesh. While the active cases declined by 52 to reach 2,371.

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According to the health ministry, active Covid-19 cases now constitute about 0.01 per cent of the total number of infections. The Covid-19 recovery rate in the country has increased to 98.80 per cent.

In a major breakthrough against trans-border narcotic smuggling networks, a joint team of Border Security Force (BSF) along with state police arrested two drug cartel kingpins and recovered 31.02 kg heroin here from Punjab’s Fazilka district.

The security forces succeeded in making the arrest and recovery of such a huge consignment of narcotics following an operation launched on the intervening night of January 5-6. “During night intervening January 5 and 6, 2023, alert BSF troops noted suspicious movement in AOR (Area of Responsibility) of Border Outpost Chakmira, 55 Bn, Abohar sector and fired upon the suspects,” the BSF said in a statement.

Following the footprints from the border fence, officers and troops cordoned of the area and followed up evidence leading upto the border village, it said.
“The hard work of BSF staff in joint work with police resulted in the arrest of two persons and recovery of 31.02 kg of narcotics from the suspects in district Fazilka,” mentions the statement.

The BSF, which is responsible to guard the 3,323 km India-Pakistan border, said the state police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) and launched a further investigation to break forward and backward linkages.

BSF’s Punjab Frontier is responsible to safeguard the 553 km long tough and challenging India-Pakistan International Border of Punjab. During many challenges including inclement weather conditions and smuggling, valiant BSF personnel guard the borders round the clock with utmost dedication and unflinching spirit.

During the year 2022, BSF troops of the Punjab Frontier have maintained extremely high level of alertness and vigil. Resultantly, the BSF has successfully detected and captured 22 drones and seized 316.988 kg heroin, 67 weapons, 850 rounds of live cartridges, killed two Pakistani intruders and apprehended 23 Pakistani Nationals in different incidents.

Displaying a humanitarian approach, the BSF has also handed over nine Pakistani Nationals to Pakistan Rangers, who had inadvertently crossed the International Border.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sambit Patra on Saturday lashed out at the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government.

Addressing a Press conference in Delhi, Patra said, “The budget given by the Delhi government is continuously being published in the newspapers, you will be surprised that none of their ‘Big Ticket Announcements’ are being implemented on the ground.”

He further said, “The Delhi Government had announced the ‘Employment Budget’. There was a promise to provide employment to 20,000 people but the ‘Outcome Budget’ is saying that till date no work has been done on it. There are only big words, no work.”

Slamming Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, he said, “They had a promise of digital classroom but nothing like this is there in any school yet. Nothing happened on the subject of Geographical Labs, a promise to subsidise school uniforms but the Outcome Budget reports that only 37 per cent of children have received the benefit in eight years.”

On CCTV promise by Delhi Chief Minister, Patra said, “Only 60 per cent of the CCTV work in Delhi has been completed and the Delhi government itself is saying today that out of this 60 per cent only half of the CCTVs are functional. This is the truth of Arvind Kejriwal ji – saying something, doing nothing.”

Punjab Minister Fauja Singh Sarari resigned from the Cabinet on Saturday, months after he was embroiled in a controversy over an audio clip in which he allegedly discussed ways to “trap” some contractors in order to “extort” money.

Sarari has resigned from the cabinet of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, confirmed a senior leader of the ruling Aam Admi Party (AAP).

AAP’s Punjab unit spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang said Sarari has resigned from the cabinet, citing “personal reasons”.

Sources said Patiala Rural MLA Dr Balbir Singh was likely to replace Sarari, who held portfolios including horticulture and food processing.

A purported audio clip of an alleged conversation between Sarari and his former close aide, discussing ways to “trap” some contractors involved in food grain transportation through some officials to “extort money” from them, had surfaced in September.

Sarari (61), a retired policeman, was elected to the Punjab Assembly from Guru Har Sahai in Ferozepur. He had defeated SAD candidate Vardev Singh by 10,574 votes.

Earlier in May, barely two months after the AAP had stormed to power winning 92 of the 117 assembly seats in Punjab, Health Minister Vijay Singla had been sacked from the state cabinet over alleged graft charges. Opposition parties in the state had been demanding Sarari’s sacking and arrest. He, however, had rubbished allegations against him.

The Congress and the BJP had questioned why the AAP government had not taken action against him after the audio clip surfaced about four months ago.

After the arrest of former Punjab minister Sunder Sham Arora last year by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau for allegedly offering a bribe of Rs 50 lakh to one of its officers to help him settle cases against him, the opposition had accused the AAP government of adopting double standards over the issue of corruption and asked why Sarari was not being arrested in the audio clip issue.

Arora was a minister in the Congress government and had joined the BJP in June last year.

In July 2022, the Bhagwant Mann government had carried out its first cabinet expansion inducting five party legislators, including Sarari. After that, the strength of the state cabinet had reached 15, including the chief minister.

There are 18 berths in the cabinet, including the chief minister.