Category: Punjab

Punjab Govt releases ₹3.69 crore financial assistance to disabled soldiers, martyrs’ dependents : Mohinder Bhagat

Chandigarh, June 30, 2025:

Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government has distributed ₹3,69,07,500 as ex-gratia assistance to families of soldiers who were martyred and disabled during various operations.

Sharing the details, Defence Services Welfare Minister Mr. Mohinder Bhagat said that this financial aid has been extended to the families of 18 martyrs and disabled soldiers across 9 districts of the state.

Reiterating the government’s unwavering support, Mr. Bhagat said, “The brave sons of Punjab have made the supreme sacrifice for the nation. It is our solemn duty to stand with their families. This ex-gratia amount is a humble gesture of gratitude and respect for their unparalleled service.”

He added that the Punjab Government will continue to take every possible step for the welfare and honour of soldiers and their families.

INTERNATIONAL DRUG CARTEL BUSTED IN AMRITSAR; 60 KG HEROIN SEIZED, 9 HELD

— DRUG SYNDICATE WAS BEING OPERATED BY PAKISTAN-BASED TANVEER SHAH AND CANADA-BASED JOBAN KALER: DGP GAURAV YADAV 

— LOCAL KINGPIN GURSAHIB SINGH RAN NETWORK FROM JAIL USING MOBILE PHONE; HAWALA LINKS EXPOSED: CP AMRITSAR GURPREET BHULLAR 

CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, June 30:

          In a major crackdown on drug trafficking amidst the ongoing anti-drugs ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Amritsar Commissionerate Police, with the support of Border Security Force (BSF) and Rajasthan Police, has busted a major international drug cartel being operated by Pak-based smuggler Tanveer Shah and Canada-based handler Joban Kaler and recovered huge consignment of 60.302 Kg Heroin from near the International Border in Barmer, Rajasthan, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Monday.

          The operation has led to the arrest of at least nine persons including smugglers, traffickers and hawala operators from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Jammu & Kashmir.

          Those arrested have been identified as Gagandeep Singh alias Gagan (23) of village Rampura in Amritsar, Jashanpreet Singh alias Jashan (20) of village Khurmania in Amritsar, Gursahib Singh (25) of village Boparai Baj in Amritsar, Rajeev Panjgotra alias Rajveer (29) of village Kalyana in J&K, Somnath (62) of Fatehpur Brahmana in J&K, Prashotam Singh alias Kala (50) of Simbal camp in J&K, Kulwinder Singh (24) of village Mullechak in Amritsar, Rajinder Kaur (42) of village Tanda in J&K and one hawala-operator.

          DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the drug cartel was being operated by Pakistan-based smuggler Tanveer Shah and Canada-based smuggler Joban Kaler with the help of local kingpin Gursahib Singh, who was already lodged in Goindwal Sahib Jail but continued to run the network from inside the jail using a mobile phone. His phone has been recovered with the help of jail authorities and his production warrant was obtained for deeper probe into Canada-Pakistan linkages, he said.

          The DGP said that further investigations are on to establish forward and backward linkages in this case.

          Sharing more details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that the operation began after Gursahib Singh was arrested last month with 1 kg heroin from Chheharta. Despite being in jail, accused Gursahib operated through his nephew Jashanpreet Singh and associate Gagandeep Singh, who were arrested with 102 gm heroin. Their interrogation led to the huge 60 kg heroin consignment in Barmer, he said.

He said that during investigation, the hawala network used for routing drug money has also been exposed with the arrest of hawala-operator.

          The operation was conducted under the supervision of DCP (D) City Ravinderpal Singh, ADCP (D) Jagbinder Singh, ADCP-2 Harpal Singh, ACP (D) Yadwinder Singh, ACP West Shivdarshan Singh, SHO Chheharta Vinod Sharma, CIA-1 Incharge Amolakdeep Singh and CIA-2 Incharge Ravi Kumar.

          The CP said that probe has also revealed that drugs were being smuggled from across the Indo-Pak border and routed through Rajasthan to Punjab, with further local distribution channels. Further working on backward linkages five more accused associated with Tanveer Shah of Pakistan were also identified and raids are being conducted to nab them, he said.

          A case FIR No. 118 dated 17/06/2025 under sections 21-B, 21-C, 27-B and 29 of NDPS Act has been registered at Police Station Chheharta in Amritsar.

Punjab Progressing Towards Becoming a Child Marriage-Free State, 58 Cases Successfully Prevented: Dr. Baljit Kaur

Consistent Efforts by Punjab Government Yielding Results in the Fight Against Child Marriage

Village-Level Awareness Campaigns Proving Effective, Statewide Action Teams Remain Active

Chandigarh, June 30:

Under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government is making continuous efforts to eradicate the social evil of child marriage from the state. Sharing this information, Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur said that proactive interventions and sustained awareness drives by the government have started delivering encouraging results in this direction.

Dr. Baljit Kaur informed that from January 2024 to December 2024, a total of 42 child marriages were successfully prevented by timely action of the department, while 16 more cases were stopped between January 2025 and March 2025. In the last 15 months, a total of 58 child marriage incidents have been averted in Punjab.

The Minister stated that this significant achievement reflects the firm commitment of the Punjab Government towards safeguarding children’s rights and securing their future. She reiterated that child marriage is a serious social malpractice, and stringent preventive measures are being undertaken to eliminate this tradition from the state.

She further informed that a dedicated Child Helpline 1098 is functional round-the-clock in Punjab, through which any citizen can confidentially report incidents of child marriage, child abuse, or exploitation. To further strengthen community participation, the identity of the informant is kept completely confidential. Alongside this, information regarding such incidents can also be immediately shared with the Principals of the Senior Secondary Government Schools of the respective villages and the Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs), who have been designated as Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs), to ensure prompt action.

Dr. Baljit Kaur emphasized that any parents or individuals involved in conducting or promoting child marriage are liable for strict legal action as per the law. She asserted that childhood is meant for building a child’s future, and marrying them at a young age amounts to tampering with their prospects — an act that will not be tolerated in any form.

The Minister further said that the government is launching special awareness campaigns during marriage seasons to prevent child marriages. These campaigns will soon be initiated at both district and village levels to ensure strict prevention of such cases.

Dr. Baljit Kaur appealed to teachers, ASHA workers, sarpanches, NGOs, and aware citizens of the state to cooperate with the government in eliminating child marriage from society and contribute towards building a progressive and safe Punjab for every child.

Punjab Government Makes Fire Safety NOC Norms More Industry-Friendly: Tarunpreet Singh Sond

– Qualified architect-prepared fire safety drawings to be accepted by the department

Chandigarh, June 30:

The Punjab Government has taken a major step toward modernizing fire safety services and streamlining the ease of doing business for industries in the state. To support this initiative, the Punjab Fire and Emergency Services Act, 2024 has been implemented for industries and the general public. A key amendment now allows industrial buildings with heights up to 21 meters, up from the previous limit of 18 meters.

 

Addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, Industry Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond announced that a notification issued on June 27 by the Directorate of Punjab Fire and Emergency Services (under the Local Government Department) introduces several reforms to benefit the industrial sector. One major change includes extending the validity of Fire Safety No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from 1 year to 3 or 5 years, based on the risk classification of the industry. He said that Industries have been classified into three risk categories – light hazard industries: NOC valid for 5 years, moderate hazard industries: NOC valid for 3 years and high-hazard industries: Annual NOC still required.

 

The Minister highlighted that this move will reduce bureaucratic hurdles and makes it easier for entrepreneurs to focus on their businesses rather than repeated paperwork. He further informed that 43 industries fall under the light hazard category, 63 under moderate hazard, and 39 under high- hazard.

 

He further said that in a major ease-of-business reform, the department will now accept fire safety drawings and schemes prepared by qualified architects, eliminating the need to get the fire drawings/schemes vetted from any other consultant or agency.

 

Additionally, the 53-point checklist that owners or occupiers previously had to submit while applying for a fire NOC has now been abolished. Sond said that online annual self certification by occupier of the building has been introduced.

 

Tarunpreet Singh Sond emphasized that these changes will provide much-needed relief to industries, allowing them to concentrate more on growth and innovation. He said that the decision would also eliminate the need for unnecessary approvals, further boosting investor confidence in Punjab’s industrial ecosystem.

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Big Bonanza for Residents of Punjab, Work on Dhuri ROB to Commence Soon- Says CM*

 

*Ambitious project to come up at a cost of ₹54.76 crore; to be completed in 18 months*

 

*Project lagged behind schedule due to delay in Railway NOC*

 

Chandigarh, June 29 :

 

In a major bonanza for the people of Punjab in general, and the residents of Dhuri in particular, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann announced on Sunday that construction work on a double-lane Railway Overbridge (ROB) at Dhuri will commence soon.

 

The Chief Minister stated that the necessary clearance has been granted by the Ministry of Railways after persistent efforts by the state government. He said the state-of-the-art ROB will be constructed at level crossing (phatak) number 62A and will play a crucial role in resolving the traffic congestion faced by residents of the Malwa region, particularly those in the Dhuri segment. The total cost of the project is ₹54.76 crore, which will be entirely funded by the state government, added Bhagwant Singh Mann.

 

The Chief Minister added that once initiated, the project will be completed within 18 months. Bhagwant Singh Mann mentioned that the groundwork for the project began in 2024, but progress was delayed due to the pending final railway permission/NOC since March 2025. The state government, he said, pursued the matter diligently, and with the required approvals now secured from the Railway authorities, work on the project will commence shortly.

 

Reaffirming his government’s commitment to the development of Punjab and the prosperity of its people, the Chief Minister emphasized that no stone will be left unturned in the pursuit of inclusive growth. He asserted that Punjab is witnessing a new era of unprecedented development due to the determined efforts of his administration. Bhagwant Singh Mann further said that the state government has already put the wheels in motion to carve out a Rangla Punjab and this is reflective of this only.

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