Punjab

AMRITSAR: During a grand seminar organized by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in Delhi to mark the 350th anniversary of the martyrdom of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji, a resolution was presented strongly demanding the release of the imprisoned Sikhs, which was supported by the audience with a show of hands and cheers.

CHANDIGARH: In a major push to promote transparency and citizen participation in tax compliance, Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Saturday announced significant enhancements to the popular ‘Bill Liyao Inaam Pao’ scheme. The scheme will now include a quarterly bumper draw, offering substantial cash prizes to incentivize public engagement.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday directed senior IAS officers and Administrative Secretaries of various departments to ensure that the ongoing procurement of paddy is carried out in a smooth and hassle-free manner during the upcoming festival of lights.

CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal today called upon Sikhs all over the world to “ recognise, expose and defeat the deep rooted conspiracy to grab control of Sikh religious institutions and to render the Khalsa Panth totally leaderless. “

PUNJAB: A fire broke out in a coach of train number 12204 Amritsar–Saharsa Garib Rath Express on Saturday morning, though no casualties were reported, officials said.

CHANDIGARH: The Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab has come under sharp attack from opposition parties after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹8 lakh. Bhullar, who was posted as DIG, Ropar Range — covering the districts of Mohali, Ropar, and Fatehgarh Sahib — was caught red-handed on Thursday in Chandigarh.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday sought the support of the United Kingdom’s legal fraternity to assist the state government in procuring rare video footages of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh.

CHANDIGARH: The maiden meeting of the recently constituted Sector-Specific Committee for the Real Estate sector, aimed at bringing positive transformation, was held at PUDA Bhawan, SAS Nagar.

CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today demanded a probe into the money trail to find out on whose behalf Deputy Inspector General of Police Harcharan Singh Bhullar was collecting ill gotten wealth and to whom it’s proceedings were being transferred.

CHANDIGARH: With paddy farmers suffering unjust cuts in Minimum Support Price (MSP) due to high moisture levels and black paddy grains, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Friday, came down heavily on the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government for its inaction and demanded immediate, unconditional paddy procurement at MSP. 

AMRITSAR: Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring today said that the arrest of a Punjab Police DIG by the CBI on Thursday and recovery of Rs five crore cash from his residence was a tight slap on the face of the Aam Aadmi Party’s claims of providing a corruption free government. 

CHANDIGARH: In a significant initiative to further enhance the road safety, the Sadak Surakhiya Force (SSF) of the Traffic and Road Safety Wing, Punjab Police on Friday launched the "Hauli Chalo" Sticker Campaign from Bhago Majra Toll Plaza on NH-5 (Mohali–Chandigarh) Highway. Notably, the campaign is being supported by Yara India and implemented by the Sadak Surakhiya Force (SSF).

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Public Works Minister S. Harbhajan Singh ETO and Water Resources Minister Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal today called on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Sh. M.K. Stalin at Chennai and extended a formal invitation to join the state-level commemorations being organised to mark the 350th Martyrdom Anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Mining and Geology Minister Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal, on Thursday, said that the amendments made in the State’s Mining Policy have started delivering visible results, strengthening legal mining activity, improving supply of sand and gravel and enhancing state revenue through transparent operations.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann will formally extend an invitation to the President of India Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend series of events being organised by the state government to commemorate 350th martyrdom day.

CHANDIGARH: The arrest of Punjab Police DIG H.S. Bhullar (Ropar Range) by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has dealt a severe blow to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s claims of running a “Kattar Imaandaar” (staunchly honest) government. The CBI action has not only rattled the state’s political circles but also exposed the deep-rooted corruption festering within the Punjab Police and the ruling establishment.

DHARAMKOT: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to tell where was the certified wheat seed which it had announced to distribute in four lakh acres of land in flood hit areas of the State. 

CHANDIGARH: Catapulting the traditional education system into the modern digital age in the state, the Punjab Government will install over 8230 cutting-edge Interactive Flat Panels (IFPS) worth Rs 98 crore in the state government schools to make classrooms more engaging, improve conceptual understanding and further enhance learning outcome, announced S. Harjot Singh Bains, Minister of School Education, Punjab. 

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Public Works Minister S. Harbhajan Singh ETO and Water Resources Minister Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal today met Karnataka Chief Minister Sh. Siddaramaiah at Bengaluru to extend a formal invitation for the 350th Martyrdom Anniversary of the Ninth Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, to be held at Sri Anandpur Sahib next month.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker S. Kultar Singh Sandhwan paid floral tributes to Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Ji on the occasion of His 355th birth anniversary at Punjab Vidhan Sabha Secretariat. He was accompanied by MLA Rana Inder Partap Singh, MLA Fauja Singh Sarari,Secretary Punjab Vidhan Sabha Ram Lok Khatana and other staff members.

CHANDIGARH: A day after a confrontation between Chandigarh Police and Punjab Police over the custody, Janata Party president Navneet Chaturvedi, who allegedly forged the signature of legislators on nomination papers for the lone Rajya Sabha seat, on Wednesday moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking protection from arrest in the criminal case registered against him. 

PHAGWARA: In the flood-affected areas of Baupur Mand, under the guidance of Rajya Sabha member Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, efforts are underway to level and restore farmlands damaged by the floods. People from different parts of the country have been sending assistance for this noble cause and Volunteers from across the country have been contributing to this humanitarian mission. However, everyone was surprised when two young men traveled 550 kilometers on a motorcycle to reach Nirmal Kutia in Sultanpur Lodhi.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has fulfilled its promise to provide compensation/relief to flood victims before Diwali (within 30 days) by releasing the first installment of ₹209 crore for the state. Out of this, ₹3.50 crore will be distributed to flood victims in Sangrur district. Today, Punjab's Finance and Planning Minister Harpal Singh Cheema initiated the compensation distribution by handing over sanction letters to eight flood-affected families in the Dhuri constituency.

PHAGWARA: In view of the upcoming Diwali festival, Civil Surgeon Dr. Sanjeev Bhagat has appealed to the public to celebrate an eco-friendly and drug-free Diwali, emphasizing the importance of health, safety, and environmental protection. Dr. Bhagat highlighted that the smoke emitted from firecrackers is extremely harmful to health, as it contains various toxic chemicals that can cause respiratory and other ailments. He urged people to refrain from bursting crackers and instead celebrate the festival in an environmentally responsible manner by observing a “Green Diwali.”

BATHINDA: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today flagged off trucks carrying 500 quintals of certified seed for the flood affected farmers of Ajnala constituency even as he condemned chief minister Bhagwant Mann for making a mockery of compensation by releasing only Rs 1.16 crore to the farmers of Ajnala.

DIRBA: Punjab’s Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema, announced today that the Punjab Government is highly serious about protecting the state from floods permanently. To this end, plans are in place to clean, deepen, and widen the Ravi and Sutlej rivers, which fall under the state’s jurisdiction, while permission has been sought from the Central Government to clean the Beas River, designated as a Ramsar site. 

BENGALURU: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday showcased the state as the most preferred investment destination and urged the captains of industry to invest in Punjab to give fillip to their business. 

PHAGWARA: Civil Surgeon Kapurthala, Dr. Sanjeev Bhagat, emphasized that children are the future of the nation and ensuring their good health is of utmost importance. He stated that the government has launched the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) for children aged 0 to 18 years, under which around 30 types of illnesses are identified and treated free of cost at government and empaneled hospitals. This program, he added, has proved to be a boon for economically weaker families who are unable to afford medical treatment for their children.

PHAGWARA: Acting on the directions of Punjab Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh and under the supervision of the Civil Surgeon, Kapurthala, the Food Safety Wing of Kapurthala carried out an extensive inspection drive across Phagwara city and various rural areas of the district. The inspection team, led by Dr. Harjot Pal Singh, Assistant Commissioner (Food), and Mrs. Mahik Saini, Food Safety Officer, visited several prominent sweet shops to ensure compliance with food safety standards ahead of the festive season.

CHANDIGARH: Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur informed that the Punjab Government has released a total amount of ₹8.76 crore for 1,718 beneficiaries from backward classes and economically weaker sections under the Ashirwad Scheme during the current financial year 2025-26.

CHANDIGARH: Chandigarh Police today submitted a report to the Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission on the action taken so far in the suicide case of Haryana Police ADGP Y. Puran Kumar. As per the report, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted and the investigation is currently in progress.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police has initiated legal action following receipt of complaints from sitting Members of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha (MLAs) regarding the alleged forgery of their signatures on nomination papers submitted by one Navneet Chaturvedi r/o Jaipur, Rajasthan, claiming to be the National President of the Janata Party, for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Punjab.