Punjab Government

Punjab has been "unjustly denied" its rightful capital, claimed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday and said that any attempt to undermine his state's claim over Chandigarh, Panjab University and its water rights will not succeed. Mann said that his government will make all-out efforts to get Chandigarh as Punjab's own capital. At present, Union Territory Chandigarh is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana. Addressing a gathering here after hoisting the national tricolour during a function on the occasion of Republic Day, the Punjab chief minister stated that despite so many sacrifices, achievements and service to the nation, Punjab does not have its own capital. "Since Independence, Punjab has been unlawfully deprived of it. To worsen the situation, conspiracies are hatched daily to deprive the state of its capital, Panjab University, of its waters and other rights. This will never be allowed," he said. Chandigarh was, is and will always remain an integral part of Punjab, an

Punjab has to fight even today to get its own rights, said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday as he slammed the Centre over the issue of MGNREGA and pending rural development funds. Mann said that his government will make all-out efforts to get Chandigarh as Punjab's own capital. At present, Union Territory Chandigarh is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana. Addressing a gathering here after hoisting the national tricolour during a function on the occasion of Republic Day, the Punjab chief minister also gave a warning to those who are trying to disturb peace in the state with their nefarious designs. He said that his government is committed to maintaining amity and mutual brotherhood at any cost. Mann also listed several initiatives, including free electricity and government jobs for youths and campaigns against drugs and gangsters, carried out by his government. He said Punjab is known as the food bowl and the sword arm of the nation. "For the country's progress, we (Punj

According to orders issued by the Department of Home Affairs, several senior officers have been transferred, while many have been promoted to higher ranks, including ADGP, IGP and DIG

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday urged AAP leaders, workers and cadres to intensify efforts to turn the second phase of the anti-drug campaign, 'Yudh Nashean Virudh', into a mass movement. He said Punjab is leading the nation's decisive fight against drugs with people's support. Addressing a Lok Milni in Bathinda, Mann said the state government has launched the second phase of the campaign to completely eradicate drugs from Punjab. He said 28,000 drug peddlers have been booked over the past year, with a conviction rate of 88 per cent, which has boosted public confidence in the drive. The enthusiasm of the people shows we are close to winning this fight. Only a mass movement, not just police action, can ensure success, he said. The chief minister said the campaign aims to protect future generations and will continue until Punjab is completely drug-free. Highlighting government initiatives, Mann said canal water has reached remote villages, farmers now receive

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami on Saturday lashed out at the AAP government over the registration of FIR in the case of 328 missing 'saroops' (sacred copies) of the Guru Granth Sahib, accusing it of interfering in the administrative rights of the apex gurdwara body with the sole purpose of gaining "political mileage" out of it. Criticising the Bhagwant Mann government for registering the case, Dhami asserted that being the president of the apex gurdwara body, he would not allow any kind of government interference in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) jurisdiction. On the question of why the SGPC was not cooperating in the police investigation in the missing 'saroops' case, Dhami said the SGPC is an elected constitutional body under the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, asserting that the entire issue only concerns the jurisdiction of the SGPC. The Aam Aadmi Party leaders have been asking the SGPC to cooperate with the Punjab Police, which is probing the matter. The ..

Any person, who is a resident of Punjab having an Aadhaar card and voter card, will be eligible to avail the benefits of this scheme

The Punjab government has extended the deadline for the one-time settlement scheme for outstanding tax dues till March 31, providing relief to traders and industry, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said on Thursday. The scheme, launched on October 1, was earlier set to end on December 31. Cheema said the extension was approved after representations from various stakeholders, including the GST Practitioners Association of Punjab, citing heavy compliance pressure and practical difficulties faced by taxpayers. So far, 6,348 applications have been received under the one-time settlement (OTS) scheme, reflecting strong participation from the trading community, he said. The government noted that overlapping tax deadlines towards the end of 2025 and delays in service of VAT assessment orders made it difficult for many businesses to assess their exact liabilities within the original timeline. The OTS scheme aims to resolve pre-GST disputes under the laws for VAT and Central Sales Tax b

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said the move to bring a resolution against the VB-G RAM G Act in the Punjab assembly was undemocratic and against the basic spirit of the Constitution, which reflected "blind opposition" politics. Addressing a press conference here, Chouhan said it is the Constitutional responsibility of states to abide by Parliamentary laws. The AAP government on Tuesday brought a resolution against the VB-G RAM G Act in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and accused the BJP-led Centre of trying to finish the MGNREGA. Punjab Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond tabled the resolution in the House for discussion during the one-day session of the assembly. Chouhan targeted opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, saying he lives in a "world of imagination" and has no connection with the realities of the country. "Speaking out whatever comes to one's mind is not responsible politics," Chouhan said. He was referring to Gandhi's recent claim that

The AAP government on Tuesday brought a resolution against the VB-G RAM G Act in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and accused the BJP-led Centre of trying to finish the MGNREGA. Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond tabled the resolution in the House for discussion during the one-day session of the assembly. Sond said that the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM G, Act will severely impact below-poverty-line families, Scheduled Caste communities, and rural labourers who depend on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for survival. Sond alleged that the Centre wanted to "finish" the MGNREGA, and demanded its restoration. According to the resolution, the state assembly deprecated the VB-G RAM G Act, which it said takes away the right to guaranteed wages/employment from poor labourers, women, and lakhs of job card-holding families of the state. It recommended that the state government take up the

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said more than 85,000 drug smugglers were arrested in the state in the last three and a half years. Since the government assumed office in 2022, the highest priority has been given to its fight against the drug menace and registered about 63,000 cases against the contraband smugglers, Mann said. Reviewing the performance of the police department, the chief minister noted that sustained enforcement, tighter investigations and zero political interference are translating into outcomes on the ground. In 2025, since the 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' (war against drugs) was launched, police registered 30,144 FIRs and arrested 40,302 smugglers, Mann said in an official statement here. Mann claimed the drive, launched on March 1 this year, has been successful to a considerable extent. The AAP leader said a multi-pronged strategy based on three principles of enforcement, de-addiction and prevention was formulated to combat the drug menace. "Likewise

Punjab government has begun shifting temporary kiosks and street vendors selling liquor, meat, eggs, tobacco and other non-vegetarian items from the old walled city of Amritsar, which has recently been declared a holy city, officials said on Saturday. Officials of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation said a detailed survey has identified around 150 temporary shops and stalls operating within the walled city. These include meat shops, pan-bidi kiosks and carts selling boiled eggs, particularly in areas such as the Old Telephone Exchange near Shastri Market and Katra Jaimal Singh. Several other locations, including Hathi Gate, Lohgarh Gate, Hakiman Gate, Bhagtanwala Gate, Guruwali Gate, Guru Bazaar, Lahori Gate, Namak Mandi and surrounding areas were also found to have vendors selling non-vegetarian food and tobacco products, officials said. Amritsar Hotel and Restaurant Association president Surinder Singh said that excise department has not issued liquor vend licences within the wall

Navjot Kaur Sidhu, who has been suspended from the Congress following her "Rs 500 crore for chief minister's chair" remark that sparked a political row, has sought security cover from Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. She also questioned the chief minister's "silence" over the issues she raised with Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, and accused him of "facilitating liquor and mining mafia". Navjot Kaur is the wife of former Punjab Congress president and ex-India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu. Following the "Rs 500 crore for chief minister's chair" remark, the Punjab Congress suspended her from its primary membership. In a post on X on Friday night, she said, "CM Bhagwant Mann ji, I think I need some security now, or else you will be responsible. And kindly answer why there is no response from your side on my issues raised before the Honourable Governor of Punjab? Why are you facilitating the liquor and mining mafia?" Along with it, she also posted a copy of the memorandum ...

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said the Punjab government will construct 44,920 km of road stretches in the state with an outlay of Rs 16,209 crore. Addressing mediapersons here, Mann claimed this would be the biggest ever road project undertaken by the state, adding that tenders will be issued in this regard. The project includes construction of 2,829-km Public Works Department (PWD) roads and 18,545 km of rural link roads, at a total cost of Rs 7,727 crore. Additionally, 22,291-km road stretches under the Punjab Mandi Board, and 1,255 km of urban roads under various civic bodies will be constructed at a cost of Rs 7,697 crore and Rs 785 crore, respectively, he said. A total sum of Rs 16,209 crore will be spent on constructing quality roads across the state, Mann said, adding that he has directed contractors not to compromise on the quality of materials and work. He further said villages will pass resolutions stating they are satisfied with the materials used for the ro

Facing cross-party backlash in Punjab, the Centre steps back from proposal to alter Chandigarh's administrative structure. Archis Mohan reports

Punjab witnessed 743 stubble burning incidents from September 15 till October 26, with 122 cases on Sunday marking the highest single-day spike this season, official data showed. Tarn Taran and Amritsar districts contributed the bulk of cases, according to Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) data, as many farmers continued to disregard the state government's appeal to stop crop residue burning. The state has seen a sharp jump in stubble-burning cases in the past week, from 353 cases recorded till October 20 to 390, the data showed. According to the data, the highest farm fire incidents were reported from Tarn Taran at 224, followed by Amritsar 154, Ferozepur 80, Sangrur 47, Patiala 39, Gurdaspur 38, and Kapurthala 29. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is often blamed for the rise in air pollution in Delhi-NCR. As the window for the Rabi crop, wheat, is very short after paddy harvest in October-November, some farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off crop ...

A Punjab police officer said that after sensing a disruption in the signal between the drone and its base station, the drones are programmed to return to the point where they took off

The control room, utilising satellite data, will detect stubble burning incidents and immediately inform the Sub-Divisional Magistrate official of the area where the stubble burning is detected

The share of Madhya Pradesh has seen a steep surge in farm fire incidents in recent years, accounting for 35 per cent of total in the country

More than 30,500 drug smugglers have been arrested across Punjab over the last 205 days as part of the state government's ongoing anti-narcotics campaign, officials said on Tuesday. The 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' or war against drugs campaign, launched to eradicate the menace of drugs from Punjab, completed 205 days on Monday. The Punjab Police on Monday conducted raids at 395 locations, leading to the arrest of 81 drug smugglers after registration of 59 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. With this, the number of drug smugglers arrested so far has reached 30,540 in 205 days, they said. More than 150 police teams, comprising over 1,100 police personnel, under the supervision of 74 gazetted officers, conducted these raids across the state on Monday. The raids resulted in the recovery of 922 grams of heroin, 4 kg of poppy husk, 336 intoxicant tablets/capsules and some drug money from the possession of the arrested smugglers. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has asked the ...

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday said his government is holding awareness camps for farmers and also giving them crop resident management (CRM) machinery to check stubble burning incidents in the state. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is often blamed for the rise in air pollution in Delhi after harvesting of the paddy crop in October and November. As the window for the Rabi crop -- wheat -- is very short after paddy harvest, some farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue for sowing of the next crop. Replying to a question on stubble burning, Mann said his government will make efforts to check farm fires in the state. Invoking teachings of Guru Nanak Dev, whose timeless verse 'Pawan Guru, Pani Pita, Mata Dharat Mahat', Mann said the government is making farmers aware against the crop residue burning incidents. Motivational camps are being held and CRM machinery will be given to them, he said while speaking to reporters here. Replying