Category: Punjab

CROSS-BORDER SMUGGLING NETWORK BUSTED IN AMRITSAR; THREE HELD WITH 8 PISTOLS, 1KG HEROIN, ₹2.9L DRUG MONEY

 

— ARRESTED ACCUSED WERE WORKING UNDER DIRECTIONS OF PAKISTAN-BASED SMUGGLER SIKANDAR NOOR: DGP GAURAV YADAV

 

— RECOVERED WEAPONS WERE TO BE SUPPLIED TO GANGSTERS IN PUNJAB

CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, July 2:

          In a major intelligence-based operation amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar has busted a cross-border narcotics and illegal arms smuggling module with Pakistan links with the arrest of its three operatives and recovered eight sophisticated weapons, 1 kg heroin and Rs 2.9 lakh drug money from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday.

          Those arrested have been identified as Sarabjit Singh, a resident of village Saanke in Ferozepur, Kulwinder Singh, a resident of village Langiana in Ferozepur and Ashmandeep Singh, a resident of Railway Road in Tarn Taran. The recovered weapons include three 9MM Glock pistols, three .30 bore Chinese pistols and two .30 bore PX-5 pistols. Police teams have also recovered a currency counting machine from their possession, besides, impounding their Splendor motorcycle (PB05-AT-1664) being used for transporting the consignments.

          DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused were acting under the directions of Pakistan-based smuggler identified as Sikandar Noor, a resident of Manihala in Pakistan, who has been using drones to drop weapon consignments from across the border. The arrested accused were further distributing the arms to gangsters across Punjab with intention to fuel criminal activities in the state, he said.

          Sharing operation details, he said that CI Amritsar received specific intelligence about retrieval of weapons and narcotics consignments from near Indo-Pak border areas falling under the jurisdiction of districts Ferozepur and Tarn Taran. Acting swiftly, police teams have intercepted and apprehended three persons from near Railway Road Tarn Taran, when they were going to deliver the consignment on their motorcycle, and recovered illegal weapons & narcotics from their possession, he added.

          The DGP said that further investigations are underway to establish backward and forward linkages in this case and unearth the entire network.

          A case FIR No. 35 dated 01-07-2025 u/s 21,25,27-A,29 NDPS Act, 25 Arms Act has been registered at Police Station State Special Operation Cell, Amritsar.

PUNJAB SHINES IN NAS 2024: TOPS NATIONWIDE ASSESSMENT

• CM Mann-led Punjab Govt’s quality education initiatives pay off, says Harjot Singh Bains

Chandigarh, July 2:

In yet another testament to the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government’s commitment to providing quality education, Punjab has emerged as the top performer in the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2024, announced S. Harjot Singh Bains, Minister of School Education, Punjab.

The NAS is India’s most credible and reputed  survey to evaluate educational achievements of students. It selects students from Class-3rd, 6th and 9th as samples to evaluate overall education outcomes.

Expressing delight over Punjab’s impressive rankings in the NAS (PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan), S. Harjot Singh Bains shared that Punjab stood first with 80 marks in 3rd-grade ranking, hugely surpassing Himachal Pradesh (74) and Kerala (73).

For the 6th grade, Punjab and Kerala are joint top performers with 67 marks each. In the 9th-grade ranking, Punjab outperformed other states & UTs with 57 marks to grab top spot, he added.

Notably, the nationwide survey, conducted by the NCERT in collaboration with States and UTs to assess learning outcomes and identified areas for improvement, with thousands of students participated from across the country.

“Punjab’s stellar performance in the NAS underscores the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government’s dedication to ensuring quality education and improving student learning outcomes”, said S. Bains while adding that the Punjab Government will build on this success, continuing to enhance the standards of education system to provide students with the best education.

Highlighting the remarkable accomplishments of the school education department, the Education Minister S. Bains informed that an impressive 845 government school students qualified the highly competitive National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), while 265 students successfully cleared the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains this year, which showcasing the department’s commitment to fostering academic excellence and empowering students to excel in the country’s most challenging competitive exams. Punjab govt has made education its topmost priority.

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Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal requests Union Minister C R Patil to grant funds to address flood damage and security concerns along the river Ravi in Ajnala

Chandigarh 2 July 2025:

NRI Affairs Minister S. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal  today met C R Patil, Union Minister of Jal Shakti, on a matter of significant concern regarding the River Ravi, which flows through the Ajnala district of Amritsar, Punjab, and forms an international border with Pakistan. He earnestly requested him to grant necessary funds to the Government of Punjab. These funds are crucial for implementing the required projects to safeguard our land, protect our security infrastructure, and curb the heightened risk of Illicit activities along this sensitive border.

During periods of heavy flooding, the areas along the Ravi in Ajnala experience substantial damage. This includes not only the loss of valuable cultivable land for our farmers but also severe damage to critical Army and BSF outposts. This damage directly impacts our national security and the operational capabilities of our border guarding forces. Furthermore, the disruption caused by floods in these border areas unfortunately enhances the chances of drug trafficking, posing a serious threat to our state and nation, said Dhaliwal.

Dhaliwal further informed the Union Minister that to effectively control and mitigate these pressing issues, it is imperative that we undertake significant strengthening and protection measures along this stretch of the river. This will involve robust flood control infrastructure and reinforcement of the border security installations.

Jalandhar News: In a major step towards providing transparent, hassle-free, and prompt property registration services, the Easy Registration System was launched in Jalandhar on Wednesday, bringing immense relief to applicants who earlier had to face long queues and delays.

Divulging details, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Himanshu Aggarwal informed that the system has been successfully rolled out in Jalandhar with the aim of facilitating people with top-class property registration services. Under this new system, applicants can now write their property deeds themselves and submit them online, following which the Sub Registrar’s office approves them within 48 hours. Post-approval, applicants can visit the Sub Registrar Office and complete their registration within minutes.

Lauding the initiative, Raj Rani, a resident of Khurla Kingra, shared that she had applied on Tuesday and completed her property registration within five minutes on Wednesday, calling the system “simple and user-friendly.” She noted that earlier, the same process would take days and involve hours of waiting at the Sub Registrar’s office.

Similarly, Inderjit Kaler from Kot Sadik appreciated the Punjab Government’s move to ease property registration, mentioning that the era of long queues and cumbersome delays is now over. He highlighted how the air-conditioned waiting rooms, token system, and on-the-spot drafting facilities have made the registration process quick and smooth.

Another applicant, KumKum, expressed gratitude towards the Punjab Government for the Easy Registration System, emphasizing that it has saved people’s valuable time while ensuring transparency in revenue services.

Sub Registrar Jalandhar-1, Damanbeer Singh, informed that applicants may also use deed writer services available at the Sub Registrar Office by paying a nominal fee. He explained that under the system, applicants upload the deed online, receive approval within 48 hours, purchase E-Stamps, and complete their registration at the office without delay.

The new system, reflecting Punjab Government’s commitment to citizen-centric governance, is set to transform the property registration landscape in the state.

Pointing out further, District Revenue Officer Navdeep Bhogal said that on day one as many as 112 documents have been registered under easy registration system including 72 documents at Sub Registrar-1 while 39 in Sub Registrar-2. He called upon citizens to avail the benefit of deed assistance where they can get the sale deed drafted from experts by paying a nominal fees.

Punjab E News: The Global Sikh Council (GSC), representing Sikh institutions across the global diaspora, has expressed serious concerns over the recently announced 34-member advisory committee constituted by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to frame service rules for the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. While appreciating the SGPC’s initiative to establish a clear and transparent framework regarding the qualifications, responsibilities, appointment process and tenure for Jathedars, the GSC welcomed the public assurance of SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami that the principles of Sikh Rehat Maryada (SRM), Gurmat-based traditions and the concept of one person holding only one position would guide the process.

In the letter sent to SGPC President, the Council President Lady Singh Kanwaljit Kaur has strongly objected to the composition of the current committee, stating that many of its members are reportedly not adhering to the SRM and are promoting and associated with practices contrary to core Sikh beliefs.

The GSC pointed out that including individuals who do not follow the SRM or promote un-Sikh practices at their Deras, Bungas and Thaaths, could raise serious questions about the sanctity and credibility of the entire exercise. Furthermore, the GSC expressed disappointment that distinguished scholars and representatives from the global Sikh diaspora have been completely excluded from this important committee. The Council has emphasized that this exclusion not only alienates a significant section of the Khalsa Panth but also undermines the spirit of collective Panthic consultation.

In its letter the Global Sikh Council has demanded that the committee be reconstituted to exclude members who are not strictly abiding by the prescribed SRM. It has also suggested that all members of the committee should be asked to sign an undertaking affirming their full adherence to the teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and their compliance with the SRM.

The Council has urged the SGPC to uphold its historical and religious responsibility with complete transparency, Panthic integrity and inclusiveness in the committee. The GSC has reaffirmed its willingness to support this important initiative and appealed to the SGPC to adopt a broader consultative approach that reflects the sentiments and aspirations of the entire Sikh Qaum, both in India and abroad. The GSC president has emphasised that this is a defining moment for the Panth to unite around the principles of Gurmat and to strengthen the moral authority of Sri Akal Takht Sahib.