Punjab News

Dhuri (Sangrur), July 20: Slamming the BJP leaders for creating unnecessary obstacles in developmental projects of state, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on a Sunday warned these leaders to refrain from such cheap tactics to jeopardize development in the state. Addressing the gathering after distributing funds worth Rs 3.07 crore for development works in Dhuri assembly segment, the Chief Minister said that the Ministry of Railways had approved Railway Over Bridge for the city the payment for which is to be made by the state government. However, he said that a senior leader of BJP from the state, visited the city, and issued a statement to scuttle the project for his vested political interests. However, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that such type of theatricals will not be t...

Shehna (Barnala), July 19 : Slamming previous regimes in the state for sheltering those involved in heinous crimes of sacrilege, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday said that the newly introduced law will ensure exemplary punishment for such offenders. Addressing a gathering after virtually dedicating public libraries, the Chief Minister reiterated his government’s commitment to curbing sacrilege. He shared that on Monday, the government introduced the Punjab Prevention of Crime Against Religious Scriptures Bill, 2025, in the Vidhan Sabha. Bhagwant Singh Mann emphasized that this sensitive and critical issue affects all Punjabis and has far-reaching implications for both present and future generations. The Chief Minister asserted that stringent punishment is nece...

Chandigarh/Amritsar, July 18, 2025: The Punjab Horticulture Department organized a two-day State-Level Pear Show and Seminar at Maharaja Farm, District Amritsar. The event was formally inaugurated by Shri Mohinder Bhagat, Minister for Defence Services Welfare, Freedom Fighters, and Horticulture, Punjab, who attended as the Chief Guest. While addressing the gathering, Shri Mohinder Bhagat emphasized that the Punjab Government is making concrete and consistent efforts to develop the horticulture sector and enhance farmers’ income. He said that events like the pear competition are an important part of these initiatives. Such shows, exhibitions and seminars not only boost farmers’ knowledge but also help build market linkages that contribute directly to their economic upliftment. The ...

Chandigarh, July 18 The Patiala GST division has recorded an impressive 40 percent growth rate in GST collection during the first quarter of fiscal year 2025-26, outpacing all other divisions in Punjab. This was disclosed during the quarterly review meeting of the Excise and Taxation department, chaired by Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema. Following Patiala division in growth were Ropar division with 34.97 percent and Amritsar division with 30.26 percent. The department has also successfully met its excise revenue targets, bolstered by intensified enforcement efforts that have effectively curbed the illicit liquor trade. While Patiala division led in growth rate, Ludhiana division registered the highest gross GST collection across the state...

CHANDIGARH, July 17:           With the war against drugs “Yudh Nashian Virudh” waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to eradicate drug menace from state completed 138 days, Punjab Police on Thursday arrested 113 drug smugglers and recovered 1.5 kg heroin, 5 kg opium and 31,237 intoxicant pills from their possession. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 22,377 in just 138 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 aske...

CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, July 17:           Amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar has busted a cross-border illegal arms smuggling module with links to Pakistan and arrested one of its operative after recovering 10 .30 bore sophisticated pistols along with magazines from his possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Thursday.           The arrested person has been identified as Harjinder Singh, a resident of village Dall in Tarn Taran. The latter is a notorious narcotics smuggler with two cases pertaining to NDPS act has been registered against...

CHANDIGARH, July 16:           With the war against drugs “Yudh Nashian Virudh” waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to eradicate drug menace from state completed 137 days, Punjab Police on Wednesday arrested 116 drug smugglers and recovered 532 grams heroin, 51 kg poppy husk and Rs 39,570 drug money from their possession. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 22,226 in just 137 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 h...

Sultanpur Lodhi (Kapurthala), July 16: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday called upon the people to take a pledge to curb the depletion of groundwater and control environmental pollution. Addressing a gathering during an event to mark the 25th anniversary of the cleaning of the holy Kali Bein, the Chief Minister said that although Punjab is known as the land of rivers, the state is currently facing a severe water crisis, making water conservation a major challenge. He highlighted that since assuming office, his government has revived 15,947 water channels across the state, enabling water to reach even the remotest villages. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that at the time he took charge, only 21% of canal water was being utilized for irrigation in Punjab. However, the...

Chandigarh, July 15: Punjab Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond today launched a scathing attack on previous governments during a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, accusing them of promoting drug abuse and protecting drug traffickers in the state. Participating in a discussion on the issue of drugs, Sond alleged that both the Akali-BJP alliance and the Congress governments had actively supported drug peddlers, resulting in widespread addiction among the state's youth. He read out excerpts from media reports highlighting the busting of an illicit liquor factory in Khanna and the arrest of a notorious drug dealer, Gurdeep Rano, from the Payal constituency, presenting them as concrete evidence of past governments’ complicity. “Before 2007, synthe...