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The Punjab government has urged Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to approve an ordinance that entails a long-pending measure to end the exploitation of thousands of outsourced employees and pave the way for their direct contractual engagement with the state government. The Punjab State Outsourced Personnel Transition to Contractual Engagement Ordinance, 2026, was approved by the state Cabinet on July 13, 2026. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said here on Saturday that the Bhagwant Mann-led state government has consistently prioritised employment generation and workers' welfare, and accused the previous Congress and Akali Dal-BJP regimes of "institutionalising contractor-based exploitation". Cheema said, "The ordinance, which was approved by the Punjab Cabinet on July 13, 2026, will facilitate the transition of thousands of long-suffering outsourced workers -- including sanitation workers, sewer workers, and power board staff -- into direct contractual engagement with the state ...
Amid a tussle over the party's state leadership, Congress leaders considered close to former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Saturday started arriving at party leader Rana Gurjit Singh's residence, where a meeting has been scheduled with AICC state in-charge Bhupesh Baghel. Baghel also reached Rana Gurjit's residence at around 12.15 pm. Ending days of suspense, Channi and senior Congress leaders close to him decided to finally meet Baghel on Saturday and apprise him of party workers' "sentiments". Channi, along with senior leaders Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Gurpreet Singh Kangar, along with several other leaders, have reached Rana Gurjit's residence. It was not clear if Baghel would interact with all the leaders present or only a select number of them. Leader of Opposition and senior party leader Partap Singh Bajwa, who was invited by Rana Gurjit Singh, and former deputy chief minister O P Singh will be present at
A committee set up by the Centre to examine the content of the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer film 'Satluj' is learnt to have recommended that the ban on its public access through online streaming platforms should remain as the film allegedly goes against India's sovereignty and integrity, government sources said on Saturday. The Honey Trehan-directed film depicts the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who investigated the cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab between 1984 and 1994, and was abducted and murdered by the state police in 1995. It was pulled from the OTT platform ZEE5 for viewers in India two days after its release on July 3 after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting cited security concerns. Subsequently, the ministry set up an inter-department committee (IDC) under the IT Rules 2021 for a detailed examination of the film and recommend the future course of action. The issue turned political in Punjab, with the Shiromani Gurdwara ...
Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh's long-delayed film "Punjab '95", which released in India on streaming service ZEE5 under a new title "Satluj", has become unavailable on the platform just two days later. The film, based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, was stuck in censorship for over three years. The Honey Trehan-directed movie was released without any cuts on Friday, but on Sunday evening the platform shared a statement to inform viewers that it's no longer available in India. "In light of the current developments, 'Satluj' will be unavailable in India until further notice. We remain committed to exploring every appropriate avenue through due process to bring the film back to our audiences at the earliest opportunity," the streamer said in a statement. The OTT platform said the response to 'Satluj' since its release has been truly overwhelming. "We are deeply grateful to every viewer who chose to subscribe, watch and champion the film. Your love and support
The AAP government in Punjab, which had been opposing the Viksit Bharat Guarantee Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-G RAM G), has notified the rural employment scheme, which will come into force from July 1 in the state. The Bhagwant Mann government had convened a special session of the Punjab Assembly last December which had unanimously passed a resolution against the VB-G RAM G Act. "In order to align the rural development framework with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 by providing an enhanced statutory wage employment guarantee of one hundred and twenty five (125) days in each financial year to such rural households whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work; "And to focus on employment, growth, convergence and saturation, the government of Punjab is pleased to notify the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) [VB-G RAM G] Scheme, Punjab 2026, under the provisions of the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevik
Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon has written to Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers J P Nadda, urging him to ensure an uninterrupted and timely supply of DAP and urea fertilizers during the ongoing paddy sowing season in the state. In his letter, Dhillon mentioned that the issue was discussed in detail during his meeting with the Union minister on June 6. With the paddy sowing season now fully underway across Punjab, he requested that the supply of these crucial fertilizers be further enhanced to meet rising demand. Dhillon stated that the central government is already aware of the seriousness of the issue and has been supplying fertilizers as required. However, he drew the Union minister's attention to the fact that fertilizer demand in Punjab reaches its peak during June and July. Any shortage during this critical period forces farmers to stand in long queues outside cooperative societies and fertilizer outlets. Such delays can disrupt sowing operations, adverse
Three workers, including a father and son, died while two others were hospitalised after allegedly inhaling toxic fumes following a gas leak during sewage line cleaning at a tool manufacturing unit in Ludhiana on Monday, officials said. The incident occurred at a factory on RK Road in Industrial Area-A, where the workers had been called to clean a sewage line. According to officials, the workers were suddenly overcome by toxic fumes while carrying out the cleaning operation. Three of them died on the spot, while two others lost consciousness and were rushed to a hospital. Doctors said the conditions of the two hospitalised workers in stable. Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma said an FIR has been registered against the factory management for alleged negligence. "The investigation will determine responsibility and ascertain the exact nature of the gas involved, which has not yet been confirmed," Sharma said. Police said they will also examine whether mandatory safety protocols were
Jalandhar-based RTI activist Simaranjit Singh was shot dead by unidentified armed individuals near the gate of Maheru village under the Satnampura police station area on Saturday, police said. Jalandhar Range DIG Naveen Singla said a 32 bore pistol was found near the body of Singh, while a 12 bore rifle was found in an SUV parked near the crime spot. He was shot from a close range in his head. "We are scanning CCTV footage and have formed multiple teams of police for tracing the assailants who will be arrested soon," the DIG said, adding that if needed, help will be sought from counter intelligence for solving the murder case. Singla, along with Kapurthala SSP Gaurav Toora, rushed to the spot after getting the information about the murder. Police also recovered two mobile phones belonging to the victim near his body. A case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered, the DIG added. Singh, an advocate by profession, was known for filing RTIs and pub
The Punjab government on Friday launched a campaign to remove stray dogs from public spaces, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asserting that the state will follow the Supreme Court order in letter and spirit. "The Punjab government will strictly follow, in letter and spirit, the Supreme Court order given on May 19, 2026. As per the SC orders, we will remove stray dogs from all high footfall public spaces so that children, senior citizens and families can move freely without fearing for their safety," Mann said in a post on X on Friday. "We will create and maintain an adequate number of dog shelters where they can be cared for properly," Mann wrote, promising legally-permissible measures including euthanasia in cases involving rabid, incurably ill or demonstrably dangerous and aggressive dogs, which may pose a threat to human life and safety, He said the measures will be taken strictly in accordance with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the ABC (Animal Birth Control) ...
Vedanta Ltd has said that its subsidiary Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd (TSPL) has been held liable to pay approximately Rs 127 crore, plus applicable late payment surcharge, to Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) following a Supreme Court judgment. In a regulatory filing on Thursday, Vedanta said the Supreme Court has set aside the judgment passed by the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL), and has restored the order passed by the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC). By the said order, the apex court has upheld the alleged penalty on TSPL for misdeclaration of availability for January 2017 in terms of the Grid Code, along with the applicable Late Payment Surcharge, the filing said. Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd is a 1,980 MW super-critical coal-based thermal power plant located at Banawala in Mansa district, Punjab. The filing further said that TSPL will pay an amount of approximately Rs 127 crore and applicable Late Payment Surcharge to PSPCL. TSPL supplies 1
The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday conducted fresh searches against Punjab industries minister Sanjeev Arora and some others allegedly linked to him as part of a money laundering investigation, officials said. Arora's official residence in Chandigarh and a real estate company in Gurugram (Haryana) were among the five premises that were raided, they said. The action was taken under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the officials said. In April, the ED had raided Arora and entities linked to him under the civil provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Arora had then said that he would fully cooperate with the probe agencies and that he was confident that the truth will prevail. The MLA from Ludhiana West was raided by the ED in 2024 too in a money laundering case linked to alleged misuse of industrial land for residential projects. Arora was then a Rajya Sabha MP.