Chandigarh, October 18:

 14 nomination papers were filed on Saturday for the 21-Tarn Taran Assembly constituency bye-election in Punjab.

A spokesperson of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, informed that BJP candidate Harjit Singh Sandhu filed two additional nomination papers today. Earlier, he had also submitted his nomination papers on October 17. Sucha Singh has filed his nomination as a covering candidate for Harjit Singh Sandhu. Similarly, Leena Sandhu has filed her nomination as a covering candidate for Indian National Congress nominee Karanbir Singh.

Apart from these, Arun Kumar Khurmi also filed his nomination and Naib Singh from Nationalists Justice Party have also submitted their nominations.

In addition, the following individuals have filed nominations as independent candidates: Harpal Singh, Harbrinder Kaur, Komalpreet Singh, Neetu, Vijay Kumar, Mandeep Singh, Nirmal Kaur, and Jaswant Singh.

It is noteworthy that the last date for filing nominations is October 21, 2025, while the scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on October 22, 2025. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 24, 2025.

CHANDIGARH, October 18:

          Continuing the war against drugs “Yudh Nashian Virudh” waged by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to eradicate drug menace from state consecutively for the 231st day, Punjab Police conducted raids at 322 locations on Saturday leading to the arrest of 59 drug smugglers after registration of 43 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 33,405 in 231 days.

          The raids have resulted in recovery of 717 grams heroin, 557 grams opium, 320 intoxicant tablets/capsules and Rs 44,680 drug money from the possession of arrested drug smugglers.

          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.

          Over 120 Police teams, comprising over 1000 police personnel, under the supervision of 55 gazetted officers have conducted 322 raids across the state. Police teams have also checked as many as 323 suspicious persons during the day-long operation.

          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 26 persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment today.

Chandigarh, 18 October 2025:

The Governor of Punjab in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by virtue of Sub Clause (a) of Clause (2) of the Article 174 of the Constitution of India, hereby prorogue the 16th Punjab Legislative Assembly, which was summond for its ninth (Special) session, 2025 and was adjourned sine-die at the conclusion of its sitting held on the 29th September, 2025.

Chandigarh , October 17
Former President of the District Congress Committee (Urban) and senior Congress leader Pawan Dewan has launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over its reported plan to sell off nearly two dozen government-owned properties in Ludhiana.
In a strongly worded statement issued today, Dewan accused the cash-strapped AAP administration of recklessly liquidating public assets in a desperate move to plug financial gaps. “The government is reportedly selling 10 prime properties belonging to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), along with a significant portion of land owned by Punjab Agricultural University,” he said.

Dewan said that this is an ill-conceived move, while adding, “Media reports suggest that properties from several other departments are also on the chopping block. This is short-sighted approach and a complete betrayal of public trust.” He reaffirmed the Congress party’s firm opposition to the plan. “We strongly oppose this irresponsible decision tooth and nail. The AAP Government has miserably failed and state’s economy is bleeding. Selling off Public assets is no solution to the financial mess created by the AAP government”, he pointed out.

Dewan said that his warnings about Punjab’s deteriorating fiscal health under the AAP regime have now been vindicated. Citing alarming statistics, he revealed that Punjab’s debt stood at Rs 2,81,773 crore at the close of the 2021–22 financial year and is expected to rise to Rs 4,17,136 crore by the end of 2025–26. “These figures speak for themselves. The financial situation under the AAP government is not just troubling—it’s disastrous,” he said. Dewan added that the people of Punjab had high hopes but the AAP government has miserably failed to bail out the state from the burgeoning debt and revive the dwindling economy.

Dewan accused the government of resorting to desperate measures to cover routine expenses. “Instead of fixing the root causes of this fiscal mess, the AAP government is selling off prime government properties, assets that belong to the people of Punjab,” he said. Dewan reiterated the Congress party’s firm opposition to the move, calling it a reckless dismantling of public wealth to mask financial mismanagement.

Chandigarh, October 17:- City Mayor Smt. Harpreet Kaur Babla today starts the commencement of a major city-wide road recarpeting works, following the opening of 11 successful tenders totaling ₹40 crores. The comprehensive infrastructure initiative aims to swiftly repair and upgrade critical transport links across Chandigarh.

While speaking on the occassion, the Mayor said that the project is moving forward with an organized approach, based on a rigorous assessment that classified roads into three distinct categories of degradation: Very Very Poor, Very Poor, and Poor. The initial contracts, totaling ₹40 crores, prioritize the most urgent repairs. Works for the Very Very Poor category, covering V4, V5, and V6 category roads, have already been allotted to contractors.

Mayor Babla officially kicked off the project today by inaugurating the recarpeting of V6 roads in Sector 29. She acknowledged the need to balance speedy execution with citizen convenience.

“We understand the importance of smooth, high-quality roads for the daily lives of our residents,” stated Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla. “To avoid causing significant traffic disruption during the ongoing festive season, particularly leading up to Diwali, the work will be contained to limited areas for now. However, I assure the public that immediately after Diwali, the work will pick up in full throttle, utilizing all the allotted resources.”

The Mayor confirmed an aggressive completion timeline, promising that all awarded road recarpeting will be successfully finished within one month of the post-Diwali ramp-up. This rapid execution underscores the Municipal Corporation’s commitment to providing robust and durable infrastructure for the city.

Chandigarh: The Chandigarh Press Club has condemned the unruly and unprofessional behavior of Chandigarh Police personnel towards journalists Kamaldeep Singh of Zee News and his team members Deepak and Gursewak; Manjot, a journalist from PTC News; and Diljit, a journalist from Living India News, while they were performing their professional duty of gathering news.
The Zee News team had visited the Sector 45 Police Post to cover a hit-and-run incident involving a Thar vehicle. During the course of news coverage and information gathering, Sub-Inspector Gurjeevan Singh of the Chandigarh Police allegedly used abusive language and issued threats to the reporters. In a statement, the Chandigarh Press Club demanded strict disciplinary action against the police personnel concerned. The Club also urged the Chandigarh Police administration to issue clear directions to ensure that police officials do not create unnecessary hindrances or intimidate journalists while they are performing their professional responsibilities. “Such incidents are unacceptable in a democratic society that upholds the freedom of the press and the right to report without fear or obstruction,” the statement said.

Chandigarh, October 17: During the Kharif procurement season 2025–26, an amount of Rs 5,932.47 crore has been directly transferred to the bank accounts of farmers in Haryana. In this way, the government has ensured payment to farmers at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

A spokesperson of the Department of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs, Haryana, said keeping in view the interests of farmers, the procurement of paddy is being carried out smoothly in all grain mandis across the districts.

He stated that HAFED, the Warehousing Corporation, and the Food and Supplies Department are actively involved in paddy procurement. Directions have been issued to the concerned departments to ensure that farmers do not face any inconvenience while selling their produce.

Paddy is being procured from farmers registered on the ‘Meri Fasal Mera Byora’ portal. So far, paddy has been purchased from 2,02,812 registered farmers in the state.

Providing further details, the spokesperson said that a total of 38.92 lakh metric tonnes of paddy have arrived in mandis across the state so far. Out of this, 27.11 lakh metric tonnes have been lifted, and 35.34 lakh metric tonnes have already been procured.

It is noteworthy that paddy procurement in the state is carried out at the Minimum Support Price fixed by the Government of India, and payment for the same is directly transferred to the bank accounts of farmers.

The government has repeatedly appealed to farmers to bring their produce to mandis only after properly drying it, as per the parameters fixed by the Government of India (such as a maximum moisture content of 17%).

All procurement agencies in the state have made adequate arrangements for smooth paddy purchase, and the pace of lifting from mandis has also been accelerated. The Minimum Support Price for paddy, as notified by the Government of India, is Rs 2,389 per quintal, and there has been no deduction from this rate.

The spokesperson further informed that directions have been issued to ensure proper arrangements for electricity, clean drinking water, toilets, and other basic amenities in mandis. Farmers have been requested to bring their paddy after adequate drying so that they receive timely and fair payment for their produce.

District administrations have been instructed to regularly inspect grain mandis to ensure that farmers do not face any difficulty in selling their crops.

In addition, cleaning of paddy brought to mandis and procurement centres is being carried out by commission agents (Arhtiyas) at their own level. The state government also bears the charges for various mandi labour activities such as filling, weighing, stitching, and loading.

Chandigarh, October 17 – Haryana Health Minister, Ms. Arti Singh Rao said that the state government is continuously working to provide affordable and accessible healthcare services to every citizen of the state. She clarified that wherever required, medical institutions will be upgraded to ensure better healthcare facilities are available to people near their homes.

The Health Minister informed that, in this regard, the Civil Hospital in Narnaul will be upgraded from 100-beds to a 200-beds. The government has already invited tenders for this project, which is estimated to cost around Rs. 2,773 lakh.

Ms. Arti Singh Rao further said that the state government has recently taken extensive steps to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure. Nearly two and a half dozen new buildings have been completed at a cost of about Rs. 60 crore. These include 13 Block Public Health Units, 12 Sub-Health Centres, 3 Primary Health Centres, one Community Health Centre, and one Sub-Divisional Hospital.

She said that, along with new construction, renovation and beautification works have been carried out in several old hospitals to provide patients and their attendants with a better environment.

Reiterating the government’s commitment, the Health Minister said that the aim is not only to reach every citizen with healthcare facilities but also to ensure that these services are of high quality and modern standards. She said that the government will continue to upgrade medical institutions as needed and ensure that there is no shortfall in healthcare services.

Chandigarh, October 17 – In a major stride towards creating a transparent and investor-friendly ecosystem, Haryana has achieved significant progress in its ambitious Compliance Reduction and Deregulation (CRD) Programme. Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi chaired a comprehensive review meeting today to assess the state’s reform initiatives aimed at transforming Haryana into one of India’s most business-friendly destinations.

The review revealed impressive advancement across all sectors, with 5 reform points fully implemented, 14 actively under implementation and 3 under consideration by the Central Government. This systematic approach demonstrates Haryana’s unwavering commitment to reducing regulatory burden and fostering entrepreneurship, particularly for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

“The aim of deregulation is not just to reduce paperwork but to build trust between government and citizens. Haryana must set national benchmarks in compliance efficiency, business facilitation, and public transparency,” stated Chief Secretary Sh. Rastogi, emphasizing the state’s vision for governance transformation.

*Land Use Simplification*

The Department of Town and Country Planning has revolutionized Change of Land Use (CLU) permissions by reducing documentation requirements to just three essential documents—proof of ownership, project report, and indemnity bond. Instant CLU permissions have been introduced for designated industrial zones, while MSMEs benefit from relaxed approval norms. These reforms, implemented through an office order dated October 13, 2025, are now accessible on the Deregulation Portal.

*Building & Construction Made Easy*

Building regulations have been rationalized to maximize land utilization, with ground coverage now permitted on entire zoned areas subject to safety compliance. The process for Occupation and Completion Certificates has been simplified, reducing required documents to three and expanding self-certification to cover more building categories, including high-risk structures by October 31, 2025.

*Progressive Labour Reforms*

In a landmark move towards gender inclusivity, the Labour Department has removed prohibitions on women working in industries previously classified as ‘hazardous’ and enabled night-time employment for women across factories and commercial establishments with appropriate safety measures.

The threshold for compliance under the Shops and Establishments Act has been raised to 20 workers, substantially reducing regulatory burden on small businesses. Shop registration timelines have been slashed from 15 days to just 1 day, while working hour limits have been rationalized—allowing up to 10 hours daily, 48 hours weekly, and 144 hours of overtime per quarter, with online exemptions already granted to 11 factories.

*Environmental Compliance Streamlined*

The Haryana State Pollution Control Board has reduced consent processing timelines from 30 to 21 working days through auto-renewal systems and self-certification for low-risk industries. Third-party certification for green category units is being rolled out, with 712 non-polluting industry sectors reclassified as White Category and exempted from consent requirements.

*Utilities and Permissions Fast-Tracked*

Fire safety NOCs now have extended validity—5 years for low-risk and 3 years for high-risk establishments—with accredited third-party inspections being implemented by November 15, 2025. Electricity and water connections, including groundwater permissions, have been expedited through the Invest Haryana portal, cutting approval timelines from 90 to 45 days.

*National Leadership in Jan Vishwas Implementation*

Haryana has emerged as a national leader by introducing a state-level Jan Vishwas Ordinance on October 12, 2025, decriminalizing 164 provisions across 42 acts in 17 departments—the most extensive such reform undertaken by any Indian state. This historic move reduces criminal penalties and promotes compliance through facilitation rather than prosecution.

*Enhanced Transparency and Monitoring*

All state services are being integrated into the State Single Window System, linked to the National Single Window System (NSWS), with revamped dashboards ensuring real-time transparency. Third-party inspections for low- and medium-risk businesses have been implemented, reducing government intervention while maintaining quality standards.

Chief Secretary Sh. Rastogi appreciated the collaborative efforts of all departments and directed officers to update progress regularly on the MIS and Deregulation Portals, ensuring accountability and continuous monitoring of reform implementation within fixed timelines.

Additional Chief Secretary, Town & Country Planning and Urban Estates Department, Sh. Apoorva Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary, Labour Department, Sh. Rajeev Ranjan, Director General, Industries & Commerce, Sh. Yash Garg, and other senior officers were present in the meeting.