PunjabENews

Category: Punjab

  • DAY 107 OF ‘YUDH NASHIAN VIRUDH’: 102 DRUG SMUGGLERS HELD WITH 688-GMs HEROIN, RS 26K DRUG MONEY

    DAY 107 OF ‘YUDH NASHIAN VIRUDH’: 102 DRUG SMUGGLERS HELD WITH 688-GMs HEROIN, RS 26K DRUG MONEY

    Punjab News: With the war against drugs “Yudh Nashian Virudh” waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to eradicate drug menace from state completed 107 days, Punjab Police on Monday arrested 102 drug smugglers and recovered 688 grams heroin, 105 kg poppy husk, 2164 intoxicant pills and Rs 26910 drug money from their possession. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 17,749 in just 107 days.

    The operation was conducted on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav simultaneously in all 28 Police districts of the state.

    Notably, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann has asked the Commissioners of Police, Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendent of Police to make Punjab drug free state. The Punjab government has also constituted a 5-member Cabinet Sub Committee led by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema to monitor the war against drugs.

    Divulging details, Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla informed that over 200 Police teams, comprising over 1400 police personnel, under the supervision of 95 gazetted officers have conducted raids at as many as 479 locations across the state leading to the registration of 76 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. Police teams have also checked as many as 504 suspicious persons during the day-long operation, he added.

    The Special DGP said that with the state government has enforced a three-pronged strategy— Enforcement, Deaddiction and Prevention (EDP)— to eradicate drugs from the state, the Punjab Police as part of ‘De-addiction’ has convinced 55 persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment today.

  • PUNJAB TAKES MAJOR DECISION ON RC & DL BACKLOG; REGISTRATION POWERS DELEGATED TO REGIONAL AUTHORITIES

    PUNJAB TAKES MAJOR DECISION ON RC & DL BACKLOG; REGISTRATION POWERS DELEGATED TO REGIONAL AUTHORITIES

    Punjab News:  The Punjab Government has taken a major decision by delegating the powers of registration and renewal of Registration Certificates (RC) and Driving Licenses (DL) to regional authorities to complete the backlog work of RC and DL registration and renewal accumulated over several years and provide big relief to the general public.

    While providing further information, Transport Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar said that citizens of the state can avail this relief by following a prescribed process, adding that applicants can now get their old vehicles and driving licenses digitized online and renew the related documents. The lack of approvals for documents related to renewal of old RCs and DLs and their non-digitization had become a major obstacle, he added.

    The Cabinet Minister informed that the instructions have been issued to all Registering and Licensing Authorities in Punjab to complete the backlog. He said, documents that do not meet the conditions of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will be processed according to the conditions laid down in the letter issued by the State Transport Commissioner’s office on May 24, 2024.

    S. Bhullar said that for RC and DL backlog matters, a verified affidavit from the Executive Magistrate will be obtained, which must include entries regarding online digitization through backlog, validity period, category, manual issuing authority, tax payment status, NOC of any dues and accuracy of all information.

    The Transport Minister said that when uploading complete information online for RC backlog, it has been made mandatory to upload a physical inspection report with complete details of chassis and engine numbers verified by the Motor Vehicle Inspector for the vehicle bearing the registration number. He said that instructions have been given to upload vehicle transfer records of different individuals during RC backlog processing so that records of previous owners can also be preserved.

    S. Laljit Singh Bhullar informed that backlog driving licenses can be applied through the earlier issuing authority and instructions have been given for approval by the licensing authority after the dealing staff uploads authenticated/verified copies of previously and subsequently issued licenses in the Sarathi software to the office records. He stated that during this process, it has been made mandatory to upload the original copy of the license and proof of birth/address.

    The Transport Minister said that to complete the backlog work transparently, a permanent departmental employee will register the driving license/RC related backlog entry in the office on behalf of the applicant, verify it on the transport portal and subsequently get it approved by the concerned authority. He clarified that the complete responsibility for any incorrect entry will lie with the concerned registration and licensing authority. He said that the concerned authorities will ensure sending daily reports of RC and DL backlog approvals to the headquarters in the prescribed proforma.

  • Vigilance Bureau arrests Sanitation Inspector accepting Rs. 15,000 bribe

    Vigilance Bureau arrests Sanitation Inspector accepting Rs. 15,000 bribe

    Fazilka News:  The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing drive against corruption, arrested Sanitation Inspector Gurbinder Singh, posted at Municipal Council, Jalalabad, district Fazilka for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs. 15,000.

    Disclosing this here today an official spokesperson of the state VB said the arrest has been made following a complaint lodged by a resident of Jalalabad.
    He further added that the complainant has approached the VB alleging that the accused Inspector had demanded a bribe Rs. 20,000 for clearing the bills pertaining to sanitation works executed by him in the city but the deal has been struck at Rs 15000.
    The spokesperson further informed that after preliminary verification of this complaint, the VB team laid a trap during which the aforementioned accused was apprehended while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 15000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses.
    In this regard a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the MC employee at the VB police station, Ferozepur Range. He would be produced in the competent court tomorrow and further investigation into this case was under progress, he said.

  • Punjab Cabinet Sub-Committee Engages with 12 Employee Organizations, Assures Swift Action on Legitimate Demands

    Punjab Cabinet Sub-Committee Engages with 12 Employee Organizations, Assures Swift Action on Legitimate Demands

    Punjab News: The Cabinet Sub-Committee, led by Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema, on Monday held extensive discussions with approximately a dozen employee organizations, addressing their demands and concerns. The committee directed concerned departments to expedite necessary actions to resolve legitimate issues in a time-bound manner.

    The four-hour-long meetings, held at the Finance Minister’s office in the Punjab Civil Secretariat, witnessed Cabinet Ministers Harpal Singh Cheema, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, and Dr. Ravjot Singh engaging in productive brainstorming sessions with representatives from various unions.

    The employee organizations that participated in the meeting included the Computer Adhyapak Sangharsh Committee, Centre of Trade Union, Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan/Mid Day Meal Daftari Karamchari Union, P.S. TET Pass D.P.E. Union, Berozgar P.S. TET Art and Craft Sangharsh Union, Democratic Teachers Front, Adarsh School Teaching and Non-Teaching Mulazam Union, PowerCom Transco Outsource Worker Union, Maanbhata Worker Sanjha Morcha, Punjab State Ministerial Service Union, and Joint Action Committee of Vets for Pay Parity.

    During the meeting, the Cabinet Sub-Committee discussed in detail the points included in the demand letters submitted by the union leaders. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema directed the concerned departments to expedite necessary action to resolve the legitimate demands of the employees. He directed the Principal Secretary of the Animal Husbandry Department, Rahul Bhandari, the Secretary of Expenditure, V.N. Zade, the Secretary of Transport, Varun Roojam, the Secretary of Personnel, Gurpreet Kaur Sapra, and the Secretary of Education, Anindita Mitra, to take action in a time-bound manner to address the legitimate demands related to their respective departments.

    The Finance Minister assured the employee organizations that their demands would be considered sympathetically and that efforts would be made to resolve them in a fair and timely manner. He reiterated the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab government’s commitment to addressing the concerns of its employees and ensuring their welfare through constructive dialogue and timely action.

    The meeting was attended by several union members, including Jolly Singla, Kuldeep Singh, Kulwinder Singh from Computer Adhyapak Sangharsh Committee, Dev Raj Verma, Makhan Singh, Jasmer Kaur from Centre of Trade Union, Rajinder Singh, Parveen Sharma, Jagmohan Singh from Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan/Mid Day Meal Daftari Karamchari Union, Ramanpreet Singh, Malkiat Singh, Hardeep Singh from P.S. TET Pass D.P.E. Union, Rakesh Kumar, Harbans Singh, Kirandeep Kaur from Berojgar P.S. TET Pass Art & Craft Sangharsh Union, Vikram Dev Singh, Mahinder Kumar, Dr. Tina from Democratic Teachers Front, Jasbir Singh, Amarjot Joshi, Sukhdeep Kaur from Adarsh School Teaching Te Non-Teaching Mulazam Union, Harvinder Sharma, Mandeep Singh, Mandeep Kaur from Powercom Transco Outsourced Worker Union, Mamta Sharma, Mandeep Kaur, Shakuntla Sharma from Maanbhata Worker Sanjha Morcha, Gurnam Singh Virk, Tarsem Singh, Anuj Kumarfrom Punjab State Ministerial Service Union, Dr. Jatinder Singh, Dr. Puneet, Dr. Jasleen Kaur from Joint Action Committee of Vets for Pay Parity, and Harminder Singh from Punjab Roadways State Transport Workers Union.

  • BBC defends Moosewala documentary in court, next hearing on June 23

    BBC defends Moosewala documentary in court, next hearing on June 23

    Mansa: The BBC on Monday defended its documentary The Killing Call in a Mansa court after late singer Sidhu Moosewala’s family challenged its release. The court has now scheduled the next hearing for June 23.

    Advocate Balwant Singh Bhatia, appearing for the BBC, told the court that the objections raised by Moosewala’s father, Balkaur Singh, were unjustified and without legal merit.

    The dispute arose after Balkaur Singh filed a petition seeking a stay on the documentary’s release. Despite this, the BBC released the two-part documentary on YouTube on June 11 — the singer’s birth anniversary. The release had initially been planned for later that day in Mumbai.

    Advocate Satinderpal Singh Mittal, representing the Moosewala family, said they would file their reply on the next date of hearing.

    Balkaur Singh had rejected the claims made in the documentary even before its release. The documentary features an interview with gangster Goldy Brar, in which he alleges that Moosewala was in contact with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and used to message him via WhatsApp.

  • SGPC cancels jatha to Pakistan for Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death anniversary

    SGPC cancels jatha to Pakistan for Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death anniversary

    Amritsar:

    The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has decided not to send a jatha of Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan to participate in the events marking the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh on June 29.

    SGPC Secretary Partap Singh said that although pilgrims had submitted their passports to the SGPC’s travel department for the visit, the decision was taken in view of the tense atmosphere between India and Pakistan and the travel guidelines issued by the Government of India.

    He said the SGPC sends a jatha to Pakistan every year for the occasion, but this year the committee has opted out due to prevailing circumstances. Singh added that those seeking further details can contact the SGPC travel department.

  • Nitin Kohli opens AAP office in Jalandhar’s Football Chowk

    Nitin Kohli opens AAP office in Jalandhar’s Football Chowk

    Jalandhar News: Aam Aadmi Party’s Central constituency in-charge Nitin Kohli inaugurated a new party office near Ohri Hospital at Football Chowk on Sunday.

    Kohli said the office has been opened in line with the directions of AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. “The party has entrusted me with the responsibility of Central constituency. To ensure people can reach out easily, I have opened this office,” he said.
    He urged residents to visit the office or call the helpline number 0181-5018181 to share their concerns. “Every issue of yours is now my mission. My spirit of service is not a formality, but a resolution,” said Kohli, adding that he is available to the public at all times.

  • Mann Government Strikes Hard in Drug War: Illegal Assets of Drug Smugglers Bulldozed back to back

    Mann Government Strikes Hard in Drug War: Illegal Assets of Drug Smugglers Bulldozed back to back

    Ludhiana News: With the Punjab Government has adopted zero-tolerance policy against drug trafficking and ill-gotten wealth amidst the ongoing anti-drugs campaign ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, properties of two notorious drug smugglers have been demolished in Ludhiana on Sunday. The operation was carried out by the authorities of Municipal Corporation Ludhiana with the support of Ludhiana Commissionerate Police.

    Special Director General of Police (Special DGP) Law and Order Arpit Shukla said that the operations were part of the Punjab Government’s intensified crackdown on narcotics networks, ensuring that criminals not only face arrest but also lose their unlawfully acquired assets. With demolition of these two properties, as many as 126 properties, constructed by drug smugglers using ill-gotten money, have demolished since March 1, 2025, he said.

    In the first operation, a bulldozer was used to raze the house of a notorious drug smuggler identified as Gurpal located at Street no. 2 at Amarpura in Ludhiana. The operation was carried out under the heavy police deployment led by Commissioner of Police (CP) Ludhiana Swapan Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Investigation Harpal Singh, Additional DCP Zone-1 Sameer Verma and Assistant Town Planner (ATP) Zone-B Kuljeet Singh Mangat.

    Sharing details, CP Swapan Sharma said that accused Gurpal, whose house was demolished, has a criminal background with as many as nine criminal cases under the NDPS act have been registered against him at different Police Stations in Ludhiana. The accused, who is notorious and infamous in the area for drug sale, has been involved into the drug smuggling since 2014, he said, while adding that the accused has managed to flee to Himachal Pradesh following the decisive war against drugs waged by the Punjab Police.

    In the second operation, a house of woman drug smuggler identified as Rajinder Kaur alias Rozy, located at Street no.9 at Hero Suman Nagar at Lohara village in Ludhiana, was demolished using the bulldozer. The operation was carried out under the heavy police deployment led CP Ludhiana Swapan Sharma, DCP Investigation Harpal Singh, ADCP Zone-2 Karanvir Singh, Naib Tehsildar Sahnewal Harkirat Singh and Assistant Town Planner (ATP) Zone-C Navneet Singh.

    Sharing details, CP Swapan Sharma said that accused Rajinder Kaur alias Rozy, who has shifted into the locality few years ago and gradually constructed a house, has been facing two criminal cases under the NDPS act. The accused woman is currently in the jail.

    The CP said that both the operations have been carried out following all the rules and regulations. Both the operations were carried out smoothly amidst the support from the residents of the both the areas, he said.

  • PUNJAB’S PRIDE: SIX MRSAFPI ALUMNI COMMISSIONED INTO INDIAN ARMY & AIR FORCE

    PUNJAB’S PRIDE: SIX MRSAFPI ALUMNI COMMISSIONED INTO INDIAN ARMY & AIR FORCE

    Punjab News: Adding to Punjab’s legacy of producing brave sons of soil, six alumni from Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute (MRSAFPI), Mohali, commissioned into the Indian Army and Indian Air Force, on Saturday.

    Three MRSAFPI cadets – Gaurav Singh from Mohali, Nikhil Bansal from Bathinda and Samay Saini from Hoshiarpur – were commissioned into the Indian Army as part of the 156 Regular Course at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) Dehradun. The passing out parade was reviewed by Lieutenant General BKGM Lasantha Rodrigo, Sri Lanka Army Commander and IMA alumnus.

    Moreover, three MRSAFPI cadets – Yash Nailwal from Bathinda, Kanishk Chauhan from Mohali and Abhinav Mishra from Ropar – were commissioned into the Indian Air Force during the 215th Course Combined Passing Out Parade at the Air Force Academy (AFA) Dundigal, Hyderabad. The parade was reviewed by General Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM, AVSM, Chief of the Army Staff.”

    Extending heartiest congratulations to the newly commissioned officers, Punjab Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training Minister Mr. Aman Arora encouraged them to excel in their roles and make Punjab proud. He highlighted that the state government, led by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, is committed to fulfil the aspirations of the state’s youth who want to pursue career in the armed forces.

    Major General Ajay H. Chauhan, VSM (Retd), Director of the Institute, while congratulating the cadets on their commissioning, called upon them to live up to the ideals of the Defence Services and make the Nation, State and Alma Mater proud. He highlighted that with the commissioning of these six cadets, a total of 178 cadets of the Institute have been commissioned into the Armed Forces since its inception. He further mentioned that 15 cadets have received their joining letters for various training academies, while 11 more cadets are awaiting theirs.

  • Punjab Advocate General MS Bedi calls on Hon’ble Governor

    Punjab Advocate General MS Bedi calls on Hon’ble Governor

    Punjab E News: Shri Maninderjit Singh Bedi, Advocate General of Punjab, paid a courtesy visit to the Hon’ble Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Union Territory, Chandigarh, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria, at Raj Bhavan today.

    During the meeting, discussions were held on various legal and administrative matters concerning the State of Punjab. The Hon’ble Governor appreciated the role of the Advocate General in upholding the rule of law and providing legal guidance to the State Government.

    The visit was marked by cordial interactions and mutual goodwill.