CHANDIGARH/FATEHGARH SAHIB, December 23:

          Ahead of Shaheedi Sabha, Special Director General of Police (Special DGP) Law and Order Arpit Shukla on Tuesday visited Fatehgarh Sahib and reviewed the security arrangements at the spot to ensure that the event would be conducted in a smooth and secure manner in the district.

          The three-day annual Shaheedi Sabha to pay homage to the martyrdom of Chotey Sahibzadas— Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh, the youngest sons of the 10th Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh, will be held at Fatehgarh Sahib from December 25 to December 27, 2025.

          Notably, the entire area has been systematically divided into six sectors and a force of over 3400 police personnel, under the supervision of six SP rank officers and 24 DSP rank officers, have been deployed to ensure the safety, orderly movement, and comfort of the lakhs of devotees expected to visit from across the globe.

          Special DGP Arpit Shukla, accompanied by DIG Ropar Range Nanak Singh and SSP Fatehgarh Sahib Shubham Aggarwal, briefed all the SP and DSP rank officers and police force deployed to ensure foolproof security arrangements of the Shaheedi Sabha. He directed them to adopt the utmost humble approach towards the sangat and work with full dedication and determination to make this event successful.

          Reviewing all the security arrangements, he said that many new initiatives have been implemented by the Fatehgarh Sahib police to ensure peaceful and smooth conduct of the Shaheedi Sabha this year so that the pilgrims would not face any kind of hassle in paying obeisance.

          The Special DGP said that a total of 22 parking slots have been earmarked and Shuttle bus service between the parking area and Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib will be available for the convenience of the devotees. For seamless traffic management and minimal inconvenience to the devotees, police has tied up with the Google for real-time geo-tagging of the parkings and sign boards have been installed to guide the devotees, he said.

          He said that six help desks, which include a police desk, medical aid and fire, have also been set to assist devotees. Apart from this, an integrated control room has also been established, he added.

          Special DGP Arpit Shukla said that six drones and 300 Closed Circuit Television (CCTv) Cameras are being used to monitor traffic and parking arrangements, besides, keeping vigil around anti-social elements.

          Meanwhile, in an initiative to enhance the road safety and prevent road accidents due to the fog, police teams will also paste reflector stickers on tractor-trolleys.

Chandigarh/Amritsar, December 23:

The Government ITI at Baba Bakala Sahib would be named after Shaheed Baba Jivan Singh Ji (Bhai Jaita Ji) by the Punjab Government. This was announced by the Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO at Baba Bakala Sahib who was present as Chief Guest on the occasion of the State level function in memory of Bhai Jaita Ji.

The Cabinet Minister while addressing the Sangat said that it is for the first time in the history of Punjab that a State Government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has held the Punjab Vidhan Sabha session at Sri Anandpur Sahib on the 350th Martyrdom Day of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji. It is a matter of great pride that the State Government has constructed a memorial of Bhai Jaita Ji at a cost of Rs. 21 Crore.

The Minister further revealed that Bhai Jaita Ji is the only Sikh whose two names were given by Guru Sahiban themselves. First name Bhai Jaita was given by Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji and after partaking of Amrit, the second name Jivan Singh was given by Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji. Throwing light on the life of Bhai Jaita Ji, S. ETO said that Bhai Jaita Ji when Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji was martyred in 1675 Bhai Jaita Ji took the ‘Revered Sis’ to Sri Kiratpur Sahib. Then, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji embraced Bhai Jaita Ji and called him ‘Rangreta Guru Ka Beta.’

Divulging more, the Minister said that the Punjab Government is making the young generation aware about the immense sacrifices made by the Guru Sahiban. Hence, many functions were held dedicated to the 350th Martyrdom Day of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji by the State Government.

Earlier, S. Harbhajan Singh ETO paid obeisance at Gurudwara Sahib of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji.

On the occasion, the constityency MLA Dalbir Singh Tong felicitated S. ETO with a portrait of Bhai Jaita Ji. While addressing the Sangat, Mr. Tong profusely thanked the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann for commemorating Bhai Jaita Ji by holding a State level function at Baba Bakala Sahib. Describing the sacrifice made by Bhai Jaita Ji as unparalleled in the annals of history, Mr. Tong revealed that Bhai Jaita Ji mastered many languages such as Persian, Urdu and Sanskrit and was a great poet also.

Afterwards, MLA Dalbir Singh Tong too was honoured by the Deputy Commissioner.

Among others present on the occasion included the Chairman SC Land Corporation Ravinder Hans, Deputy Commissioner Dalvinderjit Singh, ADC Amandeep Kaur, SDM Amanpreet Singh, Chairman Ramgrhia Welfare Satnam Sokhi, Surinder Kaur, Sunaina Randhawa, Satnam Singh Matharu and Commandant Jaskaran Singh.

CHANDIGARH, December 23: –

Celebrating the success of Kharif Maize Pilot Project, the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, today felicitated progressive maize growers, who switched from water guzzling paddy  crop to Maize cultivation.

Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian handed over appreciation certificates to maize growers and encouraged them to sensitise other farmers to adopt this crop.

He said that the Kharif Maize Pilot Project, aimed at promoting crop diversification, curbing groundwater depletion, improving soil health and boosting farmer income, has shown positive results. The government is mulling the expansion of the program for the next season, encouraging more farmers to shift from water-intensive paddy to maize cultivation.

While nothing that maize cultivation offers a sustainable alternative, requiring far less water and fewer irrigation cycles than paddy, He shared that the expansion strategy is being drawn up in consultation with Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and industry stakeholders, aiming to position Punjab as a national leader in maize production.

The Agriculture Minister said that this pilot targeted districts of Bathinda, Sangrur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Pathankot to scientifically demonstrate maize as a profitable and sustainable alternative of paddy. Over 3,708 progressive farmers participated in the pilot and successfully brought 11,326 acres under maize cultivation.

The initiative marks a strategic move to reverse a decades-long trend. Once a maize heartland with over 5.5 lakh hectares under cultivation in the 1970s, Punjab saw its maize area shrink to about one lakh hectares due to the rising dominance of water-intensive paddy, he added.

Hailing the progressive farmers as architects of change, S. Khudian said that. “Today, we are not just celebrating a successful harvest. We are sowing the seed of a new, sustainable Punjab. Our farmers have proven that with the right support, we can secure our precious water, soil and economic prosperity. Their courage is the foundation upon which we will rebuild a diversified agricultural economy.”

S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian informed that the Kharif Maize Pilot Project is supported by a robust five-pillar system. This includes on-ground handholding by 200 trained “Kisan Mitras” who provide continuous agronomic support, direct financial incentives of Rs 17,500 per hectare to offset transition costs and a mechanisation subsidy of 50% on advanced machinery like pneumatic planters. Additionally, PAU experts offer scientific backing with end-to-end technical guidance, while market assurance was provided via MARKFED  ensuring remunerative prices for farmers.

The Agriculture Minister also interacted with maize growers to listen their experience and difficulties they faced. Sansar Singh and Gurpal Singh, maize farmers from Pathankot district, shared their success story. They achieved record yields of 25-26 quintals per acre and sold their crop at Rs2,700 per quintal, exceeding the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 2,400/quintal.

Secretary Agriculture Mr. Arshdeep Singh Thind said, “The pilot has given us a proven blueprint. Our goal is now to empower thousands more farmers with this opportunity, ensuring Punjab’s agriculture is productive, prosperous, and preserved for future generations.”

Secretary Punjab Mandi Board Mr. Ramvir, Vice Chancellor PAU Dr. Satbir Singh Gosal, PDC member Mr. Showkat Roy, Director Agriculture Mr. Jaswant Singh and other senior officials of the Agriculture department, Punjab Agro, Markfed and Punseed were also present in the meeting.

CHANDIGARH, 23rd December 2025:

 In order to provide quality treatment and diagnostic facilities to the people in the Medical Colleges, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has ordered immediate release of funds worth ₹68.98 crore to give a facelift to premier Medical Colleges of the state. Chairing a review meeting of the Medical Education and Research Department here today, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “Augmenting the facilities in these Medical colleges of the state was the need of the hour to ensure quality treatment and diagnostic facilities to the people. To equip these Medical colleges with hi-end and world class machinery is imperative so that they can serve the patients in a better manner.” The Chief Minister asked the Medical Education department to immediately issue ₹68.98 crore to the four medical colleges in the state to upgrade the facilities. He further said that ₹26.53 crore should be promptly issued to Government Medical College Amritsar, ₹28.51 crore to Government Medical College Patiala, ₹9.43 crore to Dr BR Ambedkar Institute of Medical Sciences SAS Nagar (Mohali) and ₹4.51 crore to PGI Satellite Centre, Ferozepur. “These funds should be duly utilised for development works in the Medical Colleges along with procuring latest machinery and equipment in the larger public interest,” noted the Chief Minister. CM Bhagwant Singh Mann reiterated the firm commitment of his government to emerge the state as a hub of ‘Medical Education’ across the globe adding that this will give further boost to treatment and diagnostic facilities. The Chief Minister batted that these works in the medical colleges should be completed in a time bound and prompt manner so that better health facilities are made available to the people at affordable rates. “Punjab has a glorious legacy of producing world class Doctors across the globe and even today a large number of students pursue the medical education to become qualified doctors. The Punjab government is duty bound to provide quality medical education in these medical colleges so that students pursuing medical education are immensely benefited,” he asserted. The Chief Minister said that the sole aim of giving facelift to these medical colleges is to ensure that people are able to get quality health services in these colleges and hospitals. “This will go a long way in ensuring the well being of the common people by ensuring quality medical facilities in these premier colleges. The Punjab government is committed to this noble cause and no stone will be left unturned for this noble cause,” he affirmed. On the occasion Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, Additional Chief Secretary Alok Shekhar, Principal Secretary Health Kumar Rahul, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Dr Ravi Bhagat and others were also present.

CHANDIGARH, December 23:

          In a significant step to bolster women’s healthcare as per the commitment of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Tuesday announced the statewide expansion of proven technology-based interventions at government health facilities to reduce the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in the state.

          Addressing a state-level workshop on ‘Tech Interventions for Maternal Mortality Reduction’ organised under Mission Tandrust Punjab, supported by Directorate of Environment & Climate Change, the health minister said the state would adopt every proven technological solution to curb maternal deaths, particularly those caused by post-partum haemorrhage (PPH). Punjab currently records an MMR of 95 per one lakh live births, compared to the national average of 88.

          “I urge all medical officers to adopt best clinical practices so that Punjab can achieve the Sustainable Development Goal target of reducing MMR to 70,” said Dr Balbir Singh, while emphasising healthcare professionals and program officers to work together. He further stressed that nutritional guidance for pregnant women as well their health monitoring should be prioritised at an early stage.

          The workshop was organised by the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology (PSCST) in collaboration with AIIMS Bathinda and the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, at Chandigarh. Er Pritpal Singh, Executive Director (PSCST) highlighted that pilot implementation of Non-Pneumatic Anti-Shock Garments (NASG) and Uterine Balloon Tamponade (UBT) at delivery points of 12 districts of Punjab in Phase I and II has helped save more than 300 mothers suffering from critical PPH conditions, underscoring the need for scaling up these interventions across the state.

          Director Health Services (Family Welfare) Punjab, Dr Aditi Salaria stressed early identification of danger signs, standardised referral protocols and timely intervention. She emphasized healthcare professionals especially gynaecologists and ANMs to take this initiative further in focused manner.

          The Project Leaders, Dr Lajya Devi Goyal, Dean Research (AIIMS Bathinda) and Dr Dapinder Kaur Bakshi, Joint Director (PSCST) shared insights on district-level implementation, availability of life-saving devices at delivery points and hands-on training of healthcare workers, which led to a marked reduction in maternal complications.

          During the workshop, Dr Parneet Kaur, Professor (GMC Patiala) and Dr Parveen Rajora, Professor (GMC Faridkot) shared their experiences on clinical outcomes and field-level experiences in their respective districts. Further, the experts provided hands-on training on NASG and UBT to the health professionals present in the Workshop.

          Other dignitaries include Dr. Jaswinder Singh, Civil Surgeon (Patiala) and Dr. Harpreet Kaur, Assistant Director (DHF&W). The workshop witnessed participation of doctors, gynaecologists, nurses and health officials from all 23 districts of Punjab.

Chandigarh, December 22 — Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that the state government has been working continuously to provide state-of-the-art healthcare facilities for its citizens. As part of this effort, a fully equipped hospital is being developed at the district level across the state. So far, 10 such hospitals have been dedicated to the public, offering advanced facilities including CT scan, ultrasound, MRI, and modern laboratories. Work is currently underway on 22 more hospitals.

The Chief Minister shared this while responding to a question raised by MLA, Sh. Maman Khan during question hour in the winter session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha on Monday.

Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that earlier governments neither showed concern for the health of the people nor made efforts to improve the healthcare infrastructure. There was no serious thought given to upgrading medical services, forcing citizens to depend largely on the private sector, where they often faced exploitation. Before 2014, the state used to get only about four specialist doctors annually, whereas today this number has risen to nearly 200. Similarly, MBBS seats, which stood at just 700 in 2014, have now increased to more than 2,500 due to the focused efforts of the present government.

He further stated that government hospitals are now providing free medicines and comprehensive diagnostic facilities to patients. To further strengthen healthcare services, several initiatives have been taken, including upgrading 30-bed hospitals to 50 beds, 50-bed hospitals to 100 beds, 100-bed hospitals to 200 beds, and 200-bed hospitals to 400 beds. The number of medical colleges in the state has also increased. Along with treatment, special emphasis is being laid on cleanliness and hygiene in hospitals.