Page 2 - Punjab Government

Punjab forms 24 advisory panels to boost industry, attract investment

The Punjab government on Friday announced the setting up of sector-wise advisory panels which will work towards preparing a roadmap to make the state a hub of industries and commerce. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal launched 24 industrial advisory committees at an event here. Addressing a gathering, Kejriwal said that industry leaders will work with the AAP-led state government to shape sector-specific policies to drive growth, job creation and ease of doing business in Punjab. Kejriwal, former chief minister of Delhi, alleged that before AAP came to power in Punjab, the era was dominated by extortion, where industrialists were coerced by political leaders to give up stakes in their businesses. As a result, industries fled the state, and Punjab was pushed into a crisis, particularly with the drug menace, Kejriwal alleged further. Highlighting the progress made since 2022, Kejriwal said the government under Bhagwant Mann has

Punjab announces public holiday on July 31 on Udham Singh's martyrdom

Holiday on July 31: Punjab has declared a public holiday on July 31 to mark Udham Singh's martyrdom anniversary. The government has issued a notification declaring a shutdown in the state

Punjab becomes first state to launch evidence-based anti-drug curriculum

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will inaugurate the programme on August 1

Anti-sacrilege bill will deter future desecration of scriptures: Punjab CM

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said the Anti-sacrilege Bill will ensure that no such heinous crime takes place in the future by making provision of the sternest punishment against culprits. Mann stated this while participating in a debate on the 'Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scripture(s) Bill 2025' on the concluding day of the Special Session of the Punjab Assembly here. The House on Tuesday decided to refer the Bill, which was introduced on Monday, to a Select Committee of the Assembly for seeking views of all stakeholders. Mann said the Guru Granth Sahib is the living Guru, who is highly revered by one and all across the globe. He said the 'Guru Granth Sahib' is a lighthouse of peace and tranquility for the entire mankind, and the Punjab government is "fully alive" to the deep emotional hurt caused by the incidents of sacrilege against the holy 'granths' in the past. He said it is unfortunate that some forces had even gone to an extent of committing

Punjab, Haryana agree on solution talks over Sutlej-Yamuna canal: CR Paatil

Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil on Thursday said the government is committed to assisting both Punjab and Haryana in finding a balanced solution to the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal dispute, noting that both parties have agreed to move forward with a solution-oriented approach. The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti had convened a meeting here on Wednesday to discuss the long pending inter-state water dispute. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini besides senior officials from both states, and representatives from the Centre attended the meeting. Paatil, who chaired the discussions, said the Ministry is providing all possible cooperation to both states for the equitable and coordinated management of water resources. "In Delhi, a significant meeting was held regarding issues related to the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal. The Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, is committed to assisting both states in finding a balanced solution. In the meetin

Punjab govt to introduce anti-sacrilege law in special Assembly session

Bhagwant Mann government will introduce strict anti-sacrilege law in special Assembly session on July 10-11, calling it a historic move to fulfil long-pending demand of Punjab's people

Punjab Cabinet approves loan waiver worth ₹68 crore for Dalit families

The Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday gave its nod to waive loans amounting Rs 68 crore taken by over 4,000 Dalit families from the Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development and Finance Corporation, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said. At a cabinet meeting chaired by Mann in Chandigarh, it was decided that debt accrued till March 31, 2020 will be waived. Addressing the media after the meeting, the chief minister said the state government will waive the debt incurred due to loans taken by Dalit families from the corporation for various purposes, including for opening shops, dairy farming, etc. The decision will benefit 4,727 beneficiaries, he said. Mann said Finance Minister Harpal Sigh Cheema in his budget speech this March had promised to waive the debt. With the cabinet approval, the promise will now be fulfilled, he said. Cheema, who was also at the media briefing, said the debt would include the principal amount and any interest on it, including penal interest. It is a big relief for the

Samyukta Kisan Morcha to hold protest against AAP government in Punjab

Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Monday said the farmers will hold a state-wide agitation against the Punjab government on Tuesday for putting several cultivators, who opposed laying a sewerage pipeline project in Bathinda, behind bars. Dallewal said the effigies of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal will be burnt at all district headquarters in Punjab on Tuesday. The farmers, associated with the SKM (Non-Political), have been protesting against the state government's decision of laying a sewerage pipeline passing through the residential area of Ghasokhana village in Bathinda district. They apprehend that any leakage in the sewerage pipeline could create problems for residents. Dallewal said that several farmers, who were protesting against the sewerage pipeline project, have been held and put in jail in the past few days. "Till now, over 100 farmers are in jail. Of them, nine are observing the hunge

Punjab CM urges end to injustice, demands water rights at NITI Aayog meet

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday accused the Centre of giving "step-motherly" treatment to Punjab and said such type of discriminatory treatment is unwarranted. Participating in the meeting of 10th Governing Council of the Niti Aayog here, the chief minister raised the issues concerning the state while reiterating that Punjab has no surplus water for any state. Amid the ongoing row over the sharing of water issue, the chief minister asserted that in wake of grim situation of water in the state a Yamuna-Sutlej-Link (YSL) canal should be considered for construction instead of the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal. Mann said that Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers are already in deficit and water should be diverted from surplus to deficit basins. He said that Punjab has repeatedly requested to be included in negotiations for the allocation of Yamuna waters as a pact for Yamuna-Sutlej-Link Project was signed between the erstwhile Punjab and Uttar Pradesh on March 12, 1954, which .

Punjab to offer subsidy for setting up paddy straw-based boilers: Minister

The Punjab government will give capital subsidy to industries for setting up paddy straw-based boilers, Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond said here on Thursday. Industries and Commerce minister Sond said the state government has earmarked Rs 60 crore of funds as capital subsidy to support industries for using paddy straw as fuel in their boilers. This step will not only promote the use of paddy residue as a fuel in industries and help paddy straw management but will also supplement income of paddy growers, he said. "We have asked industries to use paddy straw in their boilers," said Sond while speaking to reporters here. This move will also help in reducing industries' reliance on coal being used as fuel to run boilers. Giving details of the scheme, Sond said the state government will provide a capital subsidy of Rs 1 crore for setting up a new paddy straw-based boiler having a capacity of 8 tonnes and Rs 2 crore of subsidy for 16-tonnes of boiler. He further said a subsidy

Punjab to release extra water to Rajasthan for military needs: CM Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday ordered release of additional water to Rajasthan "for catering to needs of military in the state," an official statement said here. The statement quoting the chief minister said that the Rajasthan government had sought more water from the quota of Punjab "as the military deployed at the Rajasthan border needed additional water". Mann said that whenever national interests are concerned, Punjab never takes a backseat. "Not only water but Punjab can shed its blood for the sake of national interests," said Mann.

Punjab Police cancels leave of all personnel amid heightened security alert

In a major administrative reshuffle, the Punjab government issued transfer and posting orders for one Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and 55 Punjab Civil Services (PCS) officers

Centre defers May 4 meeting with farmers over participation of Punjab govt

The Centre on Thursday deferred the proposed May 4 meeting with farmer leaders here, urging them to allow Punjab government officials to participate. Union agriculture ministry's joint secretary Puran Chandra Kishan wrote to the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) in this regard. The communication came days after farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said that they would be forced to boycott the talks if Punjab government representatives were invited. He claimed the farming community harboured deep resentment against the Punjab government over the eviction of protesting farmers from Shambhu and Khanauri border points in March. The SKM (Non-Political) and KMM on April 27 wrote a letter to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, urging the Centre not to include representatives of the Punjab government in the proposed meeting. In Thursday's letter, joint secretary Kishan said, "As you know, state governments have an important role in the .

Mann slams BBMB's water release to Haryana, vows to protect Punjab's rights

The BBMB has decided to release 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana, a move which drew strong opposition from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann who said that they will not tolerate "robbery" of Punjab's rights. The decision to release water to Haryana was taken in a five-hour-long meeting of the technical committee of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) on Wednesday evening. The BBMB regulates water distribution from Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams. Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan are the partnering states that meet their requirement for different purposes, including irrigation, from Bhakra and Pong dams. During the BBMB meeting, the Punjab government officials strongly objected to the release of more water to Haryana, claiming that the neighbouring state has already utilized its share of water, said sources. The Punjab government officials had also argued that the water level in the Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams was less than that of last year. During the meeting, the officials of ...

Maharashtra leads in growth and governance; Gujarat and Karnataka follows

Gujarat topped the economic chart of the country, driven by strong performance in per capita Gross State Domestic Product, Foreign Direct Investment (% of GSDP) and Gross Fixed Capital Formation

Punjab targets to become drug-free by May 31; DGP asks officers to lead

Ending drugs trafficking by May 31: that's the ambitious target Punjab Police has set for itself with the force's chief directing all senior officers to firm up plans to cut narcotic supply lines effectively. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav took the carrot and stick approach to ensure the deadline is met. He announced that Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) and Commissioners of Police (CPs) would be rewarded for their "good work" and held accountable if their performance was not up to the mark. Addressing reporters here, Yadav said Punjab will be made a drug-free state in the sense that the availability of narcotics on the streets is fully culled. The DGP emphasised the decision was a well-considered one and arrived at after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann reviewed the ongoing anti-drug drive "Yudh Nashyan Virudh". "We have asked all field police officers -- the SSPs and CPs -- to lead this campaign from the front so that Punjab can be made drugs-free in the

Amritpal's father slams Punjab govt for extending his son's NSA detention

Jailed radical preacher Amritpal Singh's father Tarsem Singh on Sunday slammed the AAP-led Punjab government for extending his son's detention under the National Security Act, alleging it wanted to keep the Khadoor Sahib MP behind bars as it considers him as a "threat" in the political space. Tarsem's reaction came after the Punjab government extended his detention under the NSA for another year. Amritpal (32) is lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh jail. He detained under the NSA following his arrested on April 23, 2023. Speaking to the media in Amritsar, Tarsem strongly condemned the extention of Amritpal's detention, alleging the state government has "thrown all rules to the wind". Detaining Amritpal under the NSA for the third time is a "blot on democracy", he alleged. He alleged that the state government was "hand-in glove" with the Centre in issuing the fresh order of Amritpal's detention under the NSA. Asked about the Punjab government's move of extending Amritpal's detention, Sing

Punjab govt to offer 33% subsidy on Bt cotton seeds to boost crop shift

The Punjab government on Saturday said it has decided to provide a 33 per cent subsidy on BT cotton hybrid seeds, as part of its move to promote crop diversification in the state. The subsidy will be given on seeds which are recommended by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana. Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said a sum of Rs 20 crore has been allocated for the subsidy programme and this move would reduce financial burden on cotton growers, while simultaneously discouraging the cultivation of non-recommended hybrids to enable them to adopt high-yielding and pest-resistant BT cotton hybrid seeds. The department has fixed a target to increase the cotton crop area to at least 1.25 lakh hectares this year, he said. Cotton, a crucial kharif crop in the south-western districts of the state, presents a viable alternative to the water-guzzling paddy crop, contributing to both agricultural diversification and economic growth. Urging farmers to take advantage of this ..

100% smells of revenge: Warring questions Punjab govt's FIR against Bajwa

Punjab LoP Partap Singh Bajwa under fire for claiming 50 bombs have reached the state, with 18 already exploded and 32 yet to go off

Punjab LoP Partap Bajwa booked over claim of '50 bombs reaching' state

Hours after being quizzed over his "50 bombs have reached Punjab" claims, the Punjab Police on Sunday booked Leader of Opposition in state assembly Partap Singh Bajwa on various charges including misleading information that endangers country's sovereignty and unity. The case has been registered at Cyber Crime police station in Mohali, sources said. The FIR was filed against Bajwa under Sections 197(1)(d) (false and misleading information that endangers country's sovereignty and unity) and 353(2) (false statements intend to create enmity and hatred or ill will) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, they sources. Earlier in the day, a two-member team of Punjab Police reached the residence of Bajwa and questioned him over his claims even as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asked the Congress leader to reveal the source of his information, questioning if he "had direct links with Pakistan". Bajwa said he cooperated with the police team which visited his residence here but refused to divulge his