Punjab

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at Fortis hospital in Mohali, near here, on Friday after two days of deteriorating health.

NANGAL: Punjab Education Minister S. Harjot Singh Bains today has taken swift action to save the ancient Sri Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Nangal— a revered historical site— after it was partially damaged due to the strong currents of the Sutlej River. He, along with volunteers, local youth and officials, has been reinforcing the temple's premises with revetment to prevent further damage.

CHANDIGARH: To commemorate this Teachers’ Day, the Punjab School Education Department on Friday, paid solemn respect to ‘Bharat Ratna’ Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, India’s second President, respected philosopher, and educationist. Teachers’ Day is celebrated every year to mark the latter’s birth anniversary on September 5.

KAPURTHALA: Senior Congress leader and Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh has strongly criticized the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government for its "complete failure" in handling the recent flood situation across the state.

MOHALI: Prioritizing the interests of livestock farmers affected by the floods in Punjab, the Joint Action Committee of Vets for Pay-Parity(JAC) has decided to temporarily postpone its struggle for restoration of pay-parity with medical doctors, Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) , full pay during probation period and other related demands.

CHANDIGARH: As Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann remained indisposed owing to a high fever, the Cabinet meeting scheduled on Friday was cancelled, officials said.

AMRITSAR: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee will work in a policy manner for the rehabilitation of the flood victims. For this, a committee will be formed which will draw up a framework keeping in mind the needs of the victims.

PHAGWARA: Teachers and staff of government-aided schools in Kapurthala district, who have been waiting months for their salaries, observed Teachers’ Day as a ‘Black Day’ to register their protest. C&V teachers have not received their salaries for nearly 17 months, while non-teaching staff have been without pay for the last eight months. Marking the day with black clothes, badges and ribbons, the protesting employees expressed deep resentment against the Punjab government.

AMRITSAR:  The Right Reverend Manoj Charan, Bishop of the Diocese of Amritsar, Church of North India (CNI), and Acting Deputy Moderator, CNI, and his wife, The Right Reverend Neena Charan, Bishop, Diocese of Bhopal, CNI, visited villages Garala, Chak Bala, Sufian, and Dyal Bhatti in Ajnala, expressing solidarity with the victims of the devastating floods that have ravaged Punjab, particularly the border belt of Amritsar.

CHANDIGARH: With a view to meet the contingencies in the wake of floods raging across Punjab, the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Depart has allotted a total of 33000 litre petrol, 46500 litre diesel reserves for all the petrol pumps in the State on per petrol pump basis besides, the allocation of 1320 gas cylinders on per gas agency basis.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government has undertaken special measures to ensure the safety and welfare of the elderly during the devastation caused by floods across the state. The Department of Social Security, Women and Child Development has identified 479 elderly persons from flood-affected areas. With the support of district administrations and the Red Cross Society, assistance is being extended to these elderly persons. This was disclosed by Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur.

PHAGWARA: In a humanitarian effort to aid flood-affected families, the Sarv Nauzwan Sabha (Regd.) Phagwara and Sarv Nauzwan Welfare Society (Regd.) Phagwara, with the support of Sarv Naujwan Welfare Society, distributed essential relief materials in villages around Phagwara.

PHAGWARA: Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal on Monday said that the Punjab Government and district administration are carrying out large-scale relief operations to support people affected by floods.

CHAMKAUR SAHIB: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the centre as well as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the State had both failed Punjab, even as he saluted the indomitable spirit of Punjabis who had taken the entire flood relief operations into their own hands.

SULTANPUR LODHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national Convener Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday visited flood-affected areas of Sultanpur Lodhi in Punjab's Kapurthala district, where devastating floods have caused unprecedented destruction, in the absence of indisposed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and assured villages that the government stood with impacted families.

CHANDIGARH: In order to further effectively monitor the rescue and relief operations in the flood affected villages across the state, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday directed the officers to deploy a gazetted officer in every marooned village to supervise the operations.

PHILLAUR: In a high-risk, swift operation, teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), local divers, and railway authorities successfully removed a massive plant blockage under the Gidderpindi railway bridge on the Satluj River, preventing a potential disaster in the region.

AMRITSAR: Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sahni and District Police Chief Maninder Singh reached the worst-hit areas of Ravi, which are villages beyond Ramdas , today on a tractor to take stock of the people living there.

CHANDIGARH: Trouble is brewing in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as the relationship between Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and party supremo Arvind Kejriwal appears increasingly strained. What was once projected as a model of Delhi-Punjab political harmony now shows visible cracks, with mistrust widening between the state leadership and the central command.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister S. Hardeep Singh Mundian, on Thursday, informed that 1902 villages across 22 districts have been affected due to unprecedented floods in the state, impacting a population of over 3.84 lakh people in 15 districts. He said that to accommodate the affected population, 196 relief camps are operational, registering an increase of 29 camps compared to yesterday. Extensive damage has also reported to standing crops over 1.71 lakh hectares of farmland across the state, with Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Kaputhala and Mansa among the worst hit districts.

AMRITSAR: In a major initiative to support flood-affected families in Punjab, the staff and faculty of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) have contributed nearly Rs 50 lakh, equivalent to one day’s salary, to the GNDU Relief Fund. The move was undertaken under the guidance of Vice-Chancellor Prof Karamjeet Singh, while Registrar Prof K.S. Chahal has been tasked with coordinating the effort.

FAZILKA: A central team deputed by the Government of India to assess the flood-affected regions of Punjab commenced its visit today from Fazilka district.

AMRITSAR: Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today visited the bordering areas of Punjab, touring the flood-hit villages of Ajnala in Amritsar, Dera Baba Nanak and Gurdaspur district. He was accompanied by BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh.

CHANDIGARH: Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa today appealed to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is visiting Punjab, to announce a comprehensive relief and rehabilitation package for the state’s flood-affected farmers and farm labourers.

CHANDIGARH: To deal with the situation caused by the devastating floods in Punjab, Members of Parliament from the Aam Aadmi Party have announced that they will use their Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) funds for flood relief works. Along with this, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs of AAP are standing shoulder to shoulder with people in the flood-affected regions.

KAITHAL: Following the order of the district administration, the female sarpanch of Kichhana has been removed from her post. The woman sarpanch is accused of working as Asha Worker with the post of sarpanch.

PATHANKOT: The Punjab Government led by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann stands shoulder to shoulder with the families of those who have lost their lives during the ongoing floods that have ravaged the State.This was disclosed by the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Forest & Wildlife Preservation Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak today at District Administrative Complex, Malikpur while handing over cheques of financial assistance to the tune of Rs. 4 Lakh each to the family members of four persons who have lost their lives in the floods. There were total 8 such people who lost their lives.

CHANDIGARH: On the eve of Teachers’ Day, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains today extended warm greetings to the teaching fraternity and expressed gratitude to all teachers who shape young minds and future of the nation, while paying tribute to Bharat Ratna recipient and former President Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. Teachers’s Day celebrated on September 5, in honour of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan's birthday.

PATIALA: PSPCL suffered losses to the tune of Rs.46 crores as per initial estimate for damage to its infrastructures across Punjab due to floods in 12 districts. These include damaged distribution transformers, uprooted electric poles, and overhead transmission lines and flooded sub-stations. The maximum damage has been in the border zone amounting to Rs.25 crores.

CHANDIGARH: With the India's agrarian heartland passing from unprecedented times, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian urged Union Agriculture Minister Sh. Shivraj Singh Chauhan for an immediate relief and massive financial package to address the devastating impact of floods, besides, demanding enhanced compensation to support affected farmers after over four lakh acres of state’s agricultural land submerged, threatening both state and national food security.

AMRITSAR: Acting Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib and Jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj, today visited several flood-affected villages in the Ajnala border area of Amritsar district.

CHANDIGARH: The Honorary Consul General of India in England Mr. J.M. Meenu Malhotra today visited the Punjab State Information Commission (PSIC) headquarters in Chandigarh. He held an insightful meeting with the Chief Information Commissioner of Punjab Mr. Inderpal Singh Dhanna and State Information Commissioner Mr. Harpreet Sandhu. They discussed the importance of international cooperation in governance and transparency in length and width.

PHAGWARA: As floodwaters continue to batter parts of Kapurthala and Phagwara, the crisis has laid bare deep cracks in preparedness and response, leaving thousands of residents struggling for relief while political blame games intensify.

CHANDIGARH: In a coordinated crackdown based on timely intelligence amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Amritsar Commissionerate Police has arrested three individuals involved in cross-border organised arms and hawala network, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Thursday.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Thursday called upon the Government of India to demonstrate the same humanitarian spirit towards Punjab as it has shown in extending aid to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. He questioned the Union Government's priorities, asking why relief materials were swiftly dispatched to Afghanistan, while flood-affected Punjab is facing delays in receiving financial and humanitarian assistance.