Page 3 - Punjab

Teenager apprehended in Punjab for sharing info with Pakistani handlers

A 15-year-old boy has been apprehended in Punjab's Pathankot for allegedly sharing information about sensitive locations with Pakistani handlers, police said on Tuesday According to police, the boy was radicalised on a social media platform. Police had received information that the boy was in contact with and was providing information concerning the country's security to Pakistan military officers, ISI and frontal organisations running terror modules in that country, Pathankot Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Daljinder Singh Dhillon said. On the basis of this information, the boy was apprehended on Monday and questioned, the SSP told reporters in Pathankot. The SSP said the boy had lost his father, who resided in J-K, over an year back and suspected that he was murdered. Police investigations did not find that the boy's father was murdered but the boy suspected so and it affected his psyche, the SSP said. The boy visited many social media platforms and during this he fell in

Congress MP Selja asks Centre to start train on Sirsa-Delhi route

Congress MP from Sirsa Kumari Selja on Monday urged the Railway Ministry to immediately start an Intercity Express or Vande Bharat train on the Sirsa-?Delhi rail route. AICC general secretary Selja said the new rail section was formally inaugurated in 2013 during the Congress government, keeping in mind future regional needs, trade activities and passenger convenience. Now that the railway line has been fully constructed and is ready, passenger train services should be started without any delay, she added. She said traders, salaried employees and students from Sirsa, Hisar and nearby areas have long been demanding a train service that would allow them to travel to Delhi in the morning and return the same evening. The timings of the existing trains do not suit the daily needs of passengers, she said. Selja said that if a fast, modern and time-bound train like an Intercity Express or Vande Bharat is operated on this route, it would not only make travel easier but also strengthen ...

SGPC chief hits out at AAP govt over FIR in 328 missing 'saroops' case

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 ..

Residents with Aadhaar, voter ID to get ₹10 lakh health insurance: Punjab

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

Punjab govt extends tax dues settlement scheme deadline till March 31

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

Punjab's AAP govt brings resolution in Assembly against VB-G RAM G Act

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

Over 85,000 drug smugglers arrested in 3.5 years in Punjab: CM Mann

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

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