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CHANDIGARH, June 6:           With the war against drugs “Yudh Nashian Virudh” waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to eradicate drug menace from state entered 97th day, Punjab Police on Thursday arrested 134 drug smugglers and recovered 1.08 kg heroin and Rs 4.97 lakhs drug money from their possession. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 16,079 in just 97 days.           The operation was conducted on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav simultaneously in all 28 Police districts of the state.           Notably, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann has asked the Commissi...

Chandigarh, June 6: Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C informed that the Election Commission under the Chairmanship of the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi has streamlined, technology-driven system to generate Index Cards and various statistical reports after the conduct of the elections. This upgraded mechanism replaces the traditional manual methods, which were often time-consuming and prone to delays. By leveraging automation and data integration, the new system ensures faster reporting. The Index Card is a non-statutory, post-election Statistical Reporting Format developed as a suo moto initiative by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to promote accessibility of election-related data at the c...

Chandigarh, June 5:  Forty-four students from Punjab’s government schools have achieved a remarkable feat by clearing the prestigious JEE Advanced 2025 examination. These success stories highlight the transformative impact of AAP Government and Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s visionary “Sikhiya Kranti” initiative, which has made quality education and coaching accessible to underprivileged students across the state. The students and their parents expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Chief Minister and the Aam Aadmi Party government for their unwavering commitment to empowering the aspirations of common families through free coaching and educational support. Arshpreet Kaur from Amritsar, who comes from a financially weak background, credited her success in both JEE Mains a...

Chandigarh/ SAS Nagar, June 5: Punjab Minister for Local Government and Parliamentary Affairs, Dr Ravjot Singh gave a call to the public to shun the use of plastic for the protection of environment and to follow the theme of this year 'Beat Plastic Pollution'.       Chairing the State Level Function to mark the World Environment Day organised by Department of Science, Technology and Environment, Punjab,  at Indian School of Business, Mohali, Dr Ravjot Singh expressed concerns over the prevailing environmental challenges of the State and highlighted the holistic remedial actions being undertaken by the Bhagwant Singh Government to address the same in a time bound manner to make Punjab as one of the healthiest State with clean and green environment. &nb...

Chandigarh, June 5: A total of 14 candidates will contest the by-election for the 64-Ludhiana West seat of the Punjab Legislative Assembly. Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C informed that today, on the last day for withdrawal of nominations, one independent candidate, Kamal Pawar, withdrew his nomination. He said that after the scrutiny of nomination papers, 15 nominations were found valid, and with the withdrawal of one candidate, 14 candidates now remain in the electoral fray. It is noteworthy that voting will take place on June 19 from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and the result will be announced after the counting of votes on June 23.

Chandigarh, June 4: Placing special focus on the plantation to be carried out in the State, the Forest and Wildlife Preservation Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak during a review meeting at forest Complex in Sector 68 emphasized proper upkeep and maintenance of the same. The Minister was apprised that around 60 Lakh saplings would be planted under the various schemes of the department. The plantation in the State would commence from July 1st this year. Also, 382 Nanak Bagichis and 52 Pavittar Van are to be planted this year besides carrying out institutional plantation in 331 hectares. About plantation around the tubewells, the Minister was informed that out of the 13.66 Lakh tubewells in the State, saplings have been planted around 94 percent of these. The Minister appreciated ...

Chandigarh, June 4: As the “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign continues to yield encouraging results, with a significant influx of individuals seeking treatment at de-addiction centres, the Punjab Government is now mulling to introduce a skill development program aimed at facilitating the successful reintegration of rehabilitated individuals into mainstream society. A high-level meeting chaired by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state president and Employment Generation, Skill Development & Training Minister Mr. Aman Arora, along with Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh, has led to the decision to equip rehabilitated individuals with skills for mainstream reintegration. Mr. Aman Arora directed officials to set up a Project Management Unit (PMU) to oversee the skill developme...

Chandigarh, 4 June 2025: Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker S. Kultar Singh Sandhwan extended heartfelt congratulations to His Holiness Pope Robert Francis Prevost on his elevation as the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.  His ascension to the papacy marks a historic moment, as he becomes the first American to hold this sacred office. Speaker further said that his lifelong dedication to faith, service, and humanity has been an inspiration to millions across the world.  As he steps into this esteemed role, we are confident that his leadership will bring renewed hope, compassion, and unity to people of all faiths.  His commitment to peace, social justice, and the well-being of the marginalized resonates deeply with the values we cherish in the State of Punjab. Sandhwan high...

Chandigarh, June 4 : The Punjab Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has approved a major amendment to the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958, aimed at reducing compliance burdens on 95% small businesses and enhancing the ease of doing business in the state. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Council of Ministers held today at the Chief Minister’s official residence. A spokesperson from the Chief Minister’s Office disclosed that, under this progressive amendment, all establishments employing up to 20 workers will be exempted from all provisions of the Act. This move is expected to directly benefit lakhs of shopkeepers across Punjab. However, such establishments will still be required to submit relevant information to the Labour Department w...

Chandigarh, June 3: Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C informed that the Election Commission of India is now introducing a streamlined, technology-driven system to provide timely updates on the approximate voter turnout percentage trends. This new process significantly reduces the time lag associated with the earlier manual reporting methods. The initiative aligns with the Commission's commitment to ensure timely public communication, which has often been underlined by the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar on various occasions. Under the statutory framework of Rule 49S of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, Presiding Officers (PROs) are required to furnish Form 17C, detailing the account of votes recorded, to polling agents, who are nominated by the candidates and are ...