Punjab

Yudh Nashian Virudh: Punjab Police raids 494 drug hotspots in statewide ops

The Punjab government has also constituted a 5-member Cabinet Sub-Committee, led by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, to monitor the war on drugs

Schools in Jalandhar get bomb threat; evacuation ordered, searches on

A bomb threat sent into panic several schools here on Monday, with authorities evacuating students and launching anti-sabotage actions. Nothing suspicious has been found so far, an officer said. "We were told that there had been some fault in the electricity and we were asked to pick up our children from the school," a parent told reporters. ACP (North) Sanjay Kumar, who was at KMV School, said, "A threat was received on the school principal's email that the building would be blown up." He said the police searched the school premises immediately after the information was received. "Anti-sabotage team also carried out a check in the premises, but nothing suspicious was found so far," Kumar said. He said there were other schools which received similar bomb threats. The Cyber Police teams are tracking the source of the mail, he said. On December 12, several schools in Amritsar were hit by a bomb threat, which later turned out to be a hoax.

Suspended Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu seeks security from Punjab CM

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 ...

Multiple schools in Amritsar receive bomb threats, students evacuated

Several schools here received bomb threat emails on Friday, triggering the evacuation of students and prompting the authorities to launch anti-sabotage checks. Panic-stricken parents rushed to schools to pick up their children while the district administration ordered the closure of all schools across Amritsar. "Some schools across the city and rural belt have received a suspicious email. A Gazetted Officer is deployed at each school and anti-sabotage checks are underway. The Cyber Police Station is tracking on a war footing the source of the mail," Amritsar Commissioner of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said in a statement. In the past, a few students were found responsible for such "mischief". There is no need to panic as police are fully alert, the officer said. Earlier, a local DAV Public School student was detained for sending a bomb threat email to his school. He was let off after he and his parents submitted a written apology.

Punjab Congress sends legal notice to Navjot Kaur for 'defamatory' remarks

Senior Punjab Congress leader and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Tuesday served a legal notice on suspended party leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu, asking her to apologise for making "defamatory" remarks against him or face legal action. In the notice, Randhawa, who is also the party's in-charge for Rajasthan, took an exception to Kaur's statements in the media levelling corruption charges against him. Navjot Kaur is the wife of former Punjab Congress president and ex-India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu. On Monday, the Punjab Congress suspended Kaur from its primary membership for her Rs 500 crore for chief minister's chair remark that sparked a political row. In the legal notice served on Kaur, Randhawa's counsel said, On December 7 and 8, you made false, baseless, and defamatory statements against my client during your media interactions, which were widely broadcast and reported across electronic media, print media, and social platforms. Specifically, you alleged that my client

Punjab Congress suspends Navjot Kaur over '₹500 cr for CM chair' remark

The Punjab Congress on Monday suspended Navjot Kaur Sidhu from its primary membership after her "Rs 500 crore for chief minister's chair" remark sparked a political row. Reacting to her suspension, Kaur launched an offensive against Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, alleging, "I refuse to stand with an insensitive and irresponsible, morally dishonest and corrupt president." She said on X, "I stand up for all my brothers and sisters who have been hurt by his incompetence and irresponsible behaviour. I refuse to accept him as the President. I wonder why CM is shielding him." In her post, Navjot Kaur accused Warring of splitting the Congress "into pieces" and ingratiating with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to evade arrest in numerous cases, and alleged his involvement in the SC/ST Act arrest case, bus body cases and the 2500-acre-land-grabbing case. "CM Bhagwant Mann, clarify why you are saving him?" she asked. "Raja Warring, what say??? You and your team was just

Japanese firm Toppan Speciality Films to invest Rs 400 cr in Punjab

Japanese company Toppan Speciality Films on Wednesday signed an agreement with the Punjab government to invest Rs 400 crore in the state as part of its expansion plan, according to an official statement. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who is on a 10-day visit to Japan and South Korea, said Toppan Speciality Films Private Limited (TSF) and Invest Punjab have also agreed to support and collaborate to launch a skilling excellence centre in Punjab. This will be pivotal for strengthening industry-relevant skills and enhancing employability opportunities in Punjab, the statement quoted Mann as saying. The chief minister said it will give a thrust to imparting training aligned with current and emerging industry needs. Likewise, he said, it will also focus on high-end and technical skills not widely available and impart training certifications to meet industry and global standards. TSF will also provide financial assistance, technical inputs, training support, and curriculum design based o

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann announces ₹16,209 cr road projects across state

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

Govt to modernise SCL Mohali with Rs 4,500 cr investment: Ashwini Vaishnaw

The government plans to invest Rs 4,500 crore to modernise state-owned chip company Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL) over the next three years, union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Friday. Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), is the only integrated device manufacturing facility in the country providing end-to-end solutions for the development of Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), opto-electronics devices, and Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) devices. The minister said that the centre has requested the Punjab government for a 25-acre parcel of land to support the expansion. "SCL will be modernised with an investment of Rs 4,500 crore over a period of the next three years," Vaishnaw said at the device handling ceremony here. He said SCL will play a significant role in realising the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for semiconductors and assured that there is no question o

World Bank approves funding for 2 projects in Punjab, Maharashtra

World Bank on Wednesday said it has approved funding for two projects in India that will benefit more than 60 lakh people by using innovative digital solutions to improve the quality of education in Punjab and boost incomes for small and marginal farmers in Maharashtra. The World Bank Board of Executive Directors on November 25 approved two projects in India that will benefit more than 6 million people by using innovative digital solutions to improve the quality of education in Punjab state and boost incomes for small and marginal farmers in Maharashtra state, World Bank said in a statement. The Punjab Outcomes-Acceleration in School Education Operation (POISE) programme (USD 286 million) will help improve quality education in Punjab with the aid of technology to track learning outcomes. It will ensure 13 lakh students are enrolled in primary schools, and more than 2.2 million students are enrolled in secondary schools. In addition, 59 lakh students will be supported in early ...

After total shutdown call by students, Panjab Univ to remain shut today

After the protesting students pressing for announcement of Senate polls gave a call for a complete shutdown of Panjab University on November 26, the varsity authorities have declared a holiday on Wednesday. The authorities have announced the closure of all teaching, non-teaching and office activities on the campus on Wednesday. Also, the examinations scheduled on the Panjab University (PU) campus for Wednesday have been postponed. "This is for the information of the public in general and the students in particular that the exams on November 26, 2025, in examination centres CHD40, CHD41, CHD43 and CHD44 situated on PU campus, Sector 14, and shifted to DAV College, Sector 10, Chandigarh, stand postponed. The fresh dates for the conduct of these exams will be notified later," a PU statement said. Earlier, the varsity authorities had said that November 26 would remain a working day, and all teachers and department heads must remain present in their respective departments from 9 am to 5

Stubble burning incidents decline in Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana: Agri secy

Stubble burning incidents in Delhi-NCR, Punjab and Haryana have reduced this year due to government support for farm machinery and other measures, Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi said on Monday. The government has provided farmers with relevant equipment and necessary interventions to tackle the problem, Chaturvedi told reporters on the sidelines of an event. "Certainly...because of the policy of providing machineries and in-situ and ex-situ measures, the incidents of stubble burning in Delhi-NCR, Punjab and Haryana have reduced," he said. There have hardly been incidents of stubble burning in the last ten days, he said. Stubble burning by farmers in northern India after harvesting has been a major contributor to severe air pollution in Delhi and surrounding areas during winter months. When asked about other pollution sources, Chaturvedi said other ministries were better placed to comment. "If there are other reasons (for pollution), other ministries are best to say," he

Explained: Why Centre is bringing Bill to 'detach' Chandigarh from Punjab

The Centre's bid to place Chandigarh under Article 240, enabling direct presidential regulation and an independent administrator, has triggered rare political unity in Punjab against the proposed move

Centre's bid to name an independent Chandigarh administrator irks Punjab

The Centre has proposed to include the Union territory of Chandigarh under the ambit of Article 240 of the Constitution, which empowers the president to make regulations for the UT and legislate directly. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2025 will be introduced in the upcoming Winter session of Parliament, beginning December 1, 2025, as per a bulletin of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The Bill seeks to include the Union territory of Chandigarh in Article 240, in alignment with other UTs without legislatures such as Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, and Puducherry (when its Legislative Assembly is dissolved or suspended). This opens the door to an independent administrator in the UT of Chandigarh, like when it had an independent chief secretary in the past. The move to bring this Bill has evoked sharp reactions from Congress, Akali Dal and the AAP. According to the bulletin, the government has also proposed a provisional ...

Punjab govt suspends SSP for 'failing' to take action against gangsters

The Punjab government on Saturday ordered the suspension of Amritsar (Rural) SSP Maninder Singh for his alleged failure in taking strict action against gangsters. While ordering his suspension, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said in a statement that no laxity of any kind will be tolerated in action against gangsters. This is the major action taken by the AAP government against an IPS officer. The AAP government has been facing flak from opposition parties over the issue of law and order, following extortion bids and firing incidents by gangsters and criminals. During campaigning for the Tarn Taran bypoll, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal had vowed to rid the state of gangsters and also warned them to leave the state within a week.

MP set to take 1st spot from Punjab in stubble-burning, reports 1,052 fires

Madhya Pradesh logged 1,052 stubble-burning incidents in a single day, taking its season total to 3,569 between September 15 and November 11, placing it just behind Punjab's 4,507 cases

SC seeks report from Punjab, Haryana on stubble burning, air pollution

The Supreme Court has asked Punjab and Haryana to detail steps taken to curb stubble burning as Delhi's air quality worsens, with the court set to hear the matter again on Monday

Punjab collects ₹15,683.59 crore in net GST from April to October

Punjab has recorded a 21.51 per cent increase in net Goods and Services Tax collection up to October 2025, alongside a robust 14.46 per cent growth in October alone, Finance Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said on Sunday. He lauded the state's performance despite Punjab being hit by massive floods this year and the recent rationalisation of tax rates under GST 2.0. Giving the details of the growth, the Finance Minister said that the state collected Rs 15,683.59 crore in net GST from April to October 2025, compared to Rs 12,907.31 crore during the same period in the previous fiscal year (FY), with an impressive gain of Rs 2,776 crore. By contrast, the growth rate up to October 2024 in FY 2024-25 was a modest 3.80 per cent, he added in an official statement. The state's net GST collection for October 2025 stood at Rs 2,359.16 crore, marking a significant rise from Rs 2,061.23 crore in October 2024, registering Rs 298 crore increase that reflects the State's

Punjab records 283 stubble burning cases, highest single-day spike

Punjab on Wednesday saw the season's highest single-day spike in stubble burning with 283 instances, official data showed. The latest addition took the total farm fire count since September 15 to 1,216. Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Sangrur and Ferozepur districts accounted for the bulk of crop residue burning cases, according to Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) data, as many farmers continued to disregard the state government's appeal to not set the crop residue on fire According to the data, the highest farm fire incidents were reported from Tarn Taran at 296, followed by Amritsar, 173, Sangrur, 170, Ferozepur, 123, Patiala, 73, Bathinda, 61, and Kapurthala at 48. 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 residues. According to PPCB data, the total area under paddy ...

Massive fire breaks out at rubber factory warehouse in Punjab's Jalandhar

Assistant Divisional Fire Officer (ADFO) Maninder Singh said that around 10 fire brigade vehicles are tackling the fire