Punjab

AMRITSAR: French Ambassador Thierry Mathu paid obeisance at Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib today. After visiting Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib, he was honored by the Secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Pratap Singh, Deputy Secretary Jaswinder Singh Jassi and others at the Information Center of Sri Darbar Sahib with a golden model of Sri Darbar Sahib, loi and religious books.

CHANDIGARH: The students in government schools now have the chance to excel in shooting sports, as Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond inaugurated a shooting range at Raghvir Singh Freedom Fighter PM Shri Government High School, Amloh Road Khanna, on Thursday as part of the Punjab Sikhya Kranti program. The five-target shooting range was constructed at a cost of Rs 5 lakh. This is the first shooting range built inside a government school in Ludhiana District.

CHANDIGARH: Ensuring the best possible healthcare services and well-being of pets and animals in a comfortable settings, Punjab Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, on Thursday, inaugurated the state-of-the-art In-Patient Department (IPD) ward at the Government Veterinary Polyclinic in Badal village of Sri Muktsar Sahib district. This marks the start of In-Patient Department (IPD) services for livestock at six Veterinary Polyclinics across the state.

AMRITSAR: In a major crackdown against cross-border drug smuggling amidst the ongoing anti-drug campaign ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’, Punjab Police’s Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) arrested a key drug trafficker linked to a Pakistan-based smuggler after recovering 3.105 kg heroin and two .32 bore country-made pistols along with 37 cartridges and two magazines from his possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday.

AMRITSAR: The meeting of the Interim Committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee held today under the chairmanship of Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami, strongly criticized the policy of evasion being adopted by the central government in the case of Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana and other captive Sikhs and termed this phenomenon as injustice to the minority Sikhs.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court, in an interim order, on Wednesday asked the Punjab government not to take "coercive" action against Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa till April 22.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its ongoing drive against corruption, on Wednesday, arrested Sub-Inspector (SI) Harmesh Kumar, in-charge of Police Post Kalwa, under Noorpur Bedi police station, in Rupnagar district red handed while he was accepting a bribe of Rs. 80,000.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO on Wednesday said that Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is fully prepared to meet the demand and supply of power for upcoming paddy season.

CHANDIGARH: In a significant step to safeguard run-away couples facing threats, the Punjab Government has notified a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) enabling such couples to seek protection at their nearest police station instead of knocking the doors of the Hon’ble Courts. The newly notified SOP comes as a relief for couples facing threats to their life and liberty due to societal or familial opposition.

AMRITSAR: Punjab has become the first state in India to provide reservation benefits in the appointment of law officers, a significant step towards social equality. This decision was announced by Cabinet Minister S. Harbhajan Singh ETO, who thanked Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann for implementing this policy.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state has arrested

CHANDIGARH: Lashing out at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over political vendetta, Congress leaders accompanied Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa to Mohali police station where he was summonned in connection with a case registered against him over his remark that 50 bombs had been sneaked into the state, out of which 18 had exploded and 32 are still there.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Cabinet Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar today said that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab government has made history by increasing the education budget by 12 percent for the first time in the state's history and government schools in Tarn Taran district have witnessed tremendous development under the Sikhya Kranti initiative.

CHANDIGARH: Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond on Tuesday stated that the Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has completely transformed government schools, unlike previous regimes that neglected the education sector.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing campaign against corruption, on Tuesday, arrested Constable Adarshdeep Singh, posted at CIA-2 Staff, Amritsar for demanding a bribe of Rs. 60,000.

CHANDIGARH:  Ravneet Singh Bittu, Union Minister of Railways and Food processing Industries today slammed Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for his non-serious attitude towards law and order situation in Punjab and accused him of politicizing and diverting the serious issue of security threat in border state of Punjab.

NANGAL TOWNSHIP: In a befitting tribute to Bharat Ratna Dr. BR Ambedkar on the occasion of 134th birth anniversary, Punjab's Education Minister S. Harjot Singh Bains today announced that the Government School of Eminence in Nangal has been renamed as Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar School of Eminence.

CHANDIGARH: The firing incident on a Petrol pump in Majitha turned out to be a major embarrassment for the AAP government as police alleged to have been trying to downplay the violent incident.

PHAGWARA: A 48-year-old man was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs when he was irrigating the fields in Kang Sahibu village under Nakodar Sadar police station of the district on Friday.

PHAGWARA: The Nakodar Sadar police have booked a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) on the charges of firing, endangering life and criminal conspiracy.

AMRITSAR: One employee of a Petrol Pump in Majitha in Amritsar district was killed and two injured in a indiscriminate firing by unidentified miscreants last last night.

CHANDIGARH: Under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Public Works Department has achieved remarkable results through its ongoing campaign for transparent administration and anti-corruption measures, said Cabinet Minister S. Harbhajan Singh ETO in a press communique issued here.

KAPURTHALA: Four teen aged boys drowned in river Bear while swimming to celebrate Baisakhi near village Verowal in district kapurthala today.

AMRITSAR: The officiating Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib and Jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj, has advised Punjab Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains to support the resolution of long-pending Sikh issues instead of interfering in internal Sikh affairs.

TALWANDI SABO: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today said party workers had decided to bring the SAD back to power in 2027 and made it clear that once this was done no gangster or drug smuggler would remain in Punjab besides assuring government jobs for Punjabis only.

CHANDIGARH: Sunil Jakhar, the Punjab president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has sharply criticized the Shiromani Akali Dal, urging it to engage in self-reflection before casting aspersions on others. In a scathing rebuke, Jakhar condemned the Akali Dal’s recent actions, accusing the party of undermining the revered authority of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the highest temporal seat of Sikhism. He described these moves as a profound betrayal that has deeply hurt the sentiments of Punjabis across the board.

CHANDIGARH: BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh today launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress, accusing them of deliberately working together to disturb peace in Punjab. He said both parties are turning a blind eye to Pakistan-sponsored terrorist activities and are instead resorting to fear-mongering for petty political gains.

SANGRUR: Strongly criticizing the recent statement made by Leader of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa, Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Sunday said that as a constitutional officeholder, Bajwa is duty-bound to provide any solid information he possesses to the Punjab Police to ensure the safety and security of the people of the state.

CHANDIGARH:  Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring today condemned the attempts of the Aam Aadmi Party government to silence and intimidate the Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa for flagging the security concerns in the state.

CHANDIGARH: Giving a big relief to the Punjabis, Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led government has approved a One-Time Relaxation (OTR) policy regarding non-construction fees and outstanding allotment amounts for allottees of the state's Improvement Trusts. This decision will provide substantial relief to allottees and waive the interest charged.

CHANDIGARH: Amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police has averted a possible targeted terror attack in the border state by busting a terror module being operated by Germany-based Gurpreet Singh alias Goldy Dhillon with the arrest of its two key operatives and recovered one 2.8 Kg improvised explosive device (IED) containing 1.6 Kg RDX along with a remote control from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Sunday. The operation was conducted jointly by teams of Counter Intelligence Ferozepur and State Special Operating cell, SAS Nagar.

TALWANDI SABO: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal on Sunday said party workers had decided to bring the party back to power in 2027 and made it clear that once this was done, no gangster or drug smuggler would remain the state, besides assuring government jobs for Punjabis only.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Governor and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria today extended heartfelt greetings to all Punjabis living in country and abroad on the eve of Ambedkar Jayanti.

AMRITSAR:  With peace being the need of the hour in view of the recurrence of vehement natural disasters, conflicts and violence the world over, the Christian community of Amritsar united to hold a ‘Palm Sunday Peace Procession’ under the auspices of the Diocese of Amritsar (DoA), Church of North India (CNI), on Palm Sunday, which is annually celebrated as ‘Peace Day’.

CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab termed the election of Sukhbir Singh Badal as the president of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a complete farce. AAP Senior Leader Harpal Singh Cheema said, “Akali Dal can never move forward under the leadership of Sukhbir Singh Badal. What they got today is not a genuine leader but a fake president chosen solely on the basis of power, family control, and money.