CHANDIGARH, 8 April 2026:

Punjab Cabinet Minister for Industries & Commerce, Investment Promotion, Local Government and Power Sanjeev Arora on Wednesday announced the development of a state-of-the-art Multipurpose Exhibition & Convention Centre (ECC) in Mohali, near Palaksha University and the Infosys campus in Sector 83, underscoring Punjab’s rapid emergence as a hub of investment, infrastructure and global business opportunities.

Minister Sanjeev Arora stated, “This landmark initiative is being undertaken under the visionary leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, National Convener, and CM Bhagwant Singh Mann, reflecting the Punjab Government’s commitment to positioning Punjab as a preferred destination for global events and investments.”

Detailing the project, he said that the Convention Centre will be developed on approximately 14 acres in the heart of Mohali IT City under a Public-Private Partnership model, with Exhicon Events Media Solutions Ltd. as the developer and an estimated project cost of around ₹250 crore. He added that the concession period for the project will be 15 years.

The Minister stated, “The project involves the creation of a state-of-the-art Convention Centre designed to host large-scale national and international events, with world-class infrastructure and facilities.”

He further elaborated that the project will be completed in two phases, with Phase 01 targeted for completion by 31 December 2026 and Phase 02 by 31 December 2027.

Highlighting the infrastructure components, the Minister noted that the ECC will feature large-span column-free exhibition halls, including two major halls of approximately 40,000 sq. ft. and 15,000 sq. ft., along with conference and breakout rooms, retail and food and beverage zones spread over around 15,000 sq. ft., and parking infrastructure for at least 1,000 vehicles. He added that the facility will also include world-class landscaped public spaces and open event areas.

Minister Sanjeev Arora stated, “The ECC will function as a flexible, multi-functional venue capable of hosting conferences and summits with 5,000 to 10,000 delegates, meet and greet areas of around 20,000 sq. ft. for 2,000 people, trade fairs and exhibitions with 200 to 500 booths, corporate events with 1,000 to 10,000 attendees, cultural and entertainment programmes for 1,000 to 10,000 people, and social events for up to 15,000 people.”

Emphasising modern design and sustainability, he said that the facility will incorporate advanced column-free structural systems, efficient traffic circulation and logistics planning, integration of modern MEP, AV and IT systems, compliance with NBC, fire safety and accessibility standards, and adoption of GRIHA 5-Star sustainable design principles.

Minster Sanjeev Arora stated, “This Convention and Exhibition Centre will be a transformational project for Punjab. It will significantly enhance our capacity to host global events, attract investments, and generate large-scale employment. Mohali is fast emerging as a modern urban and technology hub, and such world-class infrastructure will further accelerate its growth trajectory.”

Highlighting the economic impact, he said that the project is expected to generate between 15,000 and 25,000 employment opportunities in the first five years and will strengthen Punjab’s position as a leading MICE destination, while boosting tourism, hospitality and allied sectors.

Minister Sanjeev Arora added, “This project aligns with the Punjab Government’s broader vision of developing Mohali as a 21st-century IT and services hub, enhancing ease of doing business, strengthening the investor ecosystem, and creating world-class infrastructure to support global collaborations and events.”

M Q Syed, Chairman of Exhicon Group, Vikas Hira, ACA, PUDA, Sanjay Surya, Architect of the project, and Rahul Shah, Director, were present during the press conference.

CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, April 8:

          In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Amritsar Commissionerate Police has busted a cross-border illegal arms smuggling module with the arrest of four persons, including a juvenile, and recovered seven sophisticated pistols, from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday.

          Those arrested have been identified as Gurwinder Singh alias Ginder (32), Jobanbir Singh alias Joban (23), both residents of village Laddhewal in Amritsar; Lovepreet Singh alias Love, a resident of village Bhuse in Tarn Taran; and a 16-years-old juvenile. The recovered pistols include two .30 bore PX5 Storm, two .30 bore Made in Italy, one .30 bore Made in China, one .30 bore and one 9MM Made in Austria along with 12 live cartridges. Police teams have also impounded their Motorcycle.

          DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused were in contact with Pakistan-based smugglers through social media platforms. The illegal arms consignments were being sent through drones in the Attari sector near village Bhaini and Neshta area, he said.

          The DGP said that acting on the directions of their handlers, the accused used to retrieve the consignments from pre-designated locations and further supplying them to local contacts. Further investigation is underway to establish forward and backward linkages and dismantle the entire smuggling network, he said.

          Sharing operational details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that accused Gurwinder alias Ginder, Jobanbir alias Joban and Lovepreet alias Love were apprehended and six pistols were recovered from their possession.

          During the raid, their fourth associate managed to escape from the spot, he said, while adding that acting swiftly, police teams continued the search and on the following day apprehended the juvenile accused and recovered one pistol from his possession.

          The CP said that both Gurwinder alias Ginder and Lovepreet alias Love have previous criminal cases registered against them under the NDPS Act. The juvenile is also involved in a previous criminal case under Arms Acts registered at Police Station Gharinda in Amritsar Rural in which three pistols were recovered from his possession.

          In this regard, a case FIR no. 72 dated 02-04-2026 has been registered under section 25(8) of the Arms Act at Police Station Chheharta in Amritsar.

Chandigarh 8 April 2026:

A function was organized today at village Phidde Kalan in  Kotkapura, district Faridkot wherein  Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker S. Kultar Singh Sandhwan handed over  ownership certificates of their houses to more than 170 beneficiaries under  Mera Ghar Mere Naam Scheme. This scheme is being run by Punjab Government to provide property ownership rights to the people of Punjab.

Earlier, many people were deprived of legal documents or ownership rights despite living in their houses. Due to which they had to face a lot of difficulties while taking bank loans or selling or buying houses. Through this scheme, poor and middle class families will get full legal rights of their houses. This will bring security and stability in their lives.

The residents of Kotkapura thanked the Punjab government and said that the Punjab government has fulfilled our dream today.  The Speaker said that we will leave no stone unturned to help the people of Punjab so that they can live their life with dignity and honour.

CHANDIGARH, April 8:

Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, on Wednesday, urged the Central Government to immediately send a high-level team to assess the damage caused to wheat and other Rabi crops by recent heavy rainfall accompanied by hailstorms in the state .

In a letter to Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister Sh. Shivraj Singh Chauhan, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian highlighted that the severe impact of recent inclement weather on wheat crops in the state, while stating that wheat was sown on 35 lakh hectares during the current Rabi season had promised a bumper yield, but incessant rainfall and hailstorms have caused significant damage, pushing the farming community into deep distress.

“As per the preliminary assessment by the State Agriculture Department, crop loss has been reported on over 1.30 lakh acres. The damage is spreading as rain continues and the final figure may rise,” S. Khudian informed.

He further added that the damage is not limited to wheat only, vegetables, fodder and other Rabi crops have also been hit across multiple districts including Fazilka, Ferozepur, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Bathinda, Amritsar, Moga and Mansa. The crop loss is threatening the livelihoods of farmers and the state’s agrarian economy.

Detailing the efforts afoot by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government in the face of the crisis, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian informed that the state has already ordered a Special Girdawari to assess the crop damage.

Given the scale of losses and the financial strain on farmers, he sought immediate relief and compensation from the Centre. S. Khudian emphasised that a central team is needed urgently for a detailed assessment, while assuring that the state government remains committed to supporting its farmers and will extend all necessary cooperation and support to the central team.

CHANDIGARH, April 8:

          As the decisive ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’ campaign launched under the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann enters its 78th day, Punjab Police on Wednesday conducted 400 raids at the at identified and mapped locations linked to associates of gangsters across the state.

          As per the information, the “Gangstran Te Vaar”— a decisive war to make Punjab a gangster-free state was launched by the Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav on January 20, 2026. Police teams from all the districts in coordination with Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) Punjab has been conducting special operations across the state.

          On Day 78, Police teams arrested 192 individuals after recovering five weapons, taking the total arrests to 19,642 since the launch of the campaign.

 Apart from this, preventive action has been taken against 109 persons, whereas, 41 persons were verified and released after questioning. Police teams have also arrested six proclaimed offenders (POs) during the operation.

          People can anonymously report information related to wanted criminals and gangsters, and also share tips on crime and criminal activity, through the Anti Gangster Helpline number 93946-93946.

          Meanwhile, Police teams have continued its drive against drugs “Yudh Nashian Virudh” for 403rd day with 115 drug smugglers arrested on Wednesday and recovered 841 grams heroin, 860 intoxicant tablets/capsules and Rs 25,550 drug money from their possession. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 57,728 in just 403 days. As part of De-addiction, the Punjab Police has convinced 24 persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment today.

Chandigarh/Ludhiana, April 8

Punjab Soil & Water Conservation, Mines & Geology, and Water Resources Minister, Barinder Kumar Goyal, on Wednesday inaugurated the state’s first Central Pivot Irrigation System at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana. This marks North India’s first installation of this modern, automated irrigation technology.

Vice Chancellor Dr. Satbir Singh Gosal, DGM NABARD Amit Garg and others were present. Progressive farmers, scientists, faculty members, and senior officers from the Departments of Soil & Water Conservation, Agriculture, Horticulture, an other allied departments also attended the inauguration.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal urged scientists, officers, and students to focus on innovation and adopt cutting-edge farming technologies, especially in the emerging era of Artificial Intelligence (AI). He highlighted the critical groundwater situation in Punjab and emphasized the urgent need to promote modern irrigation methods for water conservation.

Goyal reiterated the Punjab Government’s strong commitment to groundwater preservation and applauded the significant strides made in increasing the use of surface water in agriculture. He commended the Soil & Water Conservation Department for introducing the advanced Central Pivot Irrigation System in Punjab and expressed gratitude to NABARD for funding this pioneering demonstration project at PAU.

Describing the technology, the Minister said the Central Pivot Irrigation System offers a one-time, fully automated irrigation solution, particularly beneficial for Punjab’s farms facing acute labour shortages. The system requires no manual intervention — precision irrigation for a 3-acre field can be achieved simply by entering the required data, allowing the entire operation to be completed in a single cycle. He highlighted various schemes and programmes being implemented by NABARD in Punjab’s agriculture and rural infrastructure sectors. He assured full support for innovative and path-breaking initiatives like this one, along with continued assistance for ongoing and upcoming projects. Appreciating the world-class irrigation facility installed at PAU, he noted that it would serve as an excellent demonstration model of precision and automated irrigation for the farming community.

Chief Conservator of Soils, Mohinder Singh Saini provided technical details of the NABARD-assisted project. He explained that inverted sprinkler systems are mounted on a 60-metre-long arm that revolves around a central pivot point, irrigating a 3-acre circular area without any manual labour. He added that the system significantly improves water use efficiency, enhances crop yields, and will act as a model for modern irrigation practices across the state.

Chandigarh, April 8:

Punjab’s arhtiyas, on Wednesday, called off their week-long strike after a meeting with Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian and Water Resources Minister Mr. Barinder Kumar Goyal, paving the way for wheat procurement to resume in the state mandis.

On the directions of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, S. Khudian and Mr. Goyal held detailed discussions with  a delegation of arhtiyas, led by Federation of Arhtiyas Association of Punjab president Vijay Kalra, on their various demands here at Kisan Bhawan.

Following the state government’s assurance of a sympathetic consideration and the resolution of genuine issues of arhtiyas, the federation announced the immediate withdrawal of the strike.

S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian stated, “The inclement weather conditions have hit our farmers hard. There is no doubt that all of us — the government, arhtiyas and other stakeholders — survive and thrive only because of our farmers. No one can single-handedly shield against the hardships ordained by nature, but together we can certainly stand by each other.”

He further assured the arhtiyas that his doors were always open for dialogue, while stating, “It is not necessary that we always hold a big formal meeting to resolve issues. Even small, sincere conversations can solve big problems. If any arhtiya or farmer faces any difficulty, just let me know. We will sit together and find a solution.”

Welcoming Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government’s proactive approach, Vijay Kalra said, “We are a family. Families resolve their differences through dialogue and the farmer remains our priority.”

Directing the officials to ensure a smooth, transparent and hassle-free wheat procurement, S. Khudian reiterated the CM Mann led Punjab government’s unwavering commitment to safeguard the interests of farmers while ensuring that the legitimate concerns of arhtiyas will be addressed at the earliest.

Chandigarh:

In a landmark achievement reaffirming India’s growing leadership in medical research, the Department of Dermatology, Venereology & Leprology at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research has been ranked 1st in Asia and 18th globally in Dermatology by EduRank in its 2026 rankings.

This accomplishment marks a hat-trick of excellence, with PGIMER retaining its No. 1 position in Asia for three consecutive years (2024, 2025, and 2026) while further improving its global standing from 19th last year.

Expressing his happiness, Prof. Vivek Lal, Director, PGIMER, stated,“This outstanding global recognition is a testament to our unwavering commitment to academic excellence, research innovation, and patient-centric care. Being ranked 1st in Asia and 18th worldwide reflects the global impact of our scientific contributions based on an extensive body of high-quality research. I congratulate the Department of Dermatology for achieving this hat-trick milestone and bringing immense pride to the nation.”

The rankings are based on a rigorous analysis of 5.26 million citations across 329,000 academic publications from 806 universities in Asia, underscoring the depth, quality, and global relevance of PGIMER’s research output.

Notably, among the institutions ranked above PGIMER globally, 14 are premier centres from the United States—including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, and Stanford—while leading European institutions such as University College London and Charité, Berlin also feature prominently, highlighting the elite global league in which PGIMER stands distinguished.

Sharing his perspective, Prof. Sanjeev Handa, Head of the Department, noted that this continued recognition reflects the relentless dedication, teamwork, and academic rigour of the department. He emphasised that despite managing an average daily outpatient load of nearly 450 patients, the department has consistently delivered impactful research while maintaining the highest standards of clinical care and education.

Prof. Handa attributed this achievement to the collective efforts of his team of distinguished consultants—Dr. Davinder Parsad, Dr. Sunil Dogra, Dr. Dipankar De, Dr. Sendhil Kumaran, Dr. Tarun Narang, Dr. Rahul Mahajan, Dr. Vinay Keshavmurthy, and Dr. Vinod Sharma—along with an equally committed group of senior residents, whom he described as the backbone of the department.

EduRank is an independent, metrics-based ranking platform evaluating over 14,000 universities across 183 countries, using one of the world’s largest scholarly databases comprising more than 119 million publications and 3.16 billion citations across 246 research topics.

This outstanding accomplishment once again reinforces PGIMER’s stature as a global leader in dermatology and a centre of excellence in medical education, research, and patient care.

Chandigarh

In a major step towards women empowerment, the Haryana Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday, rationalized the 33 percent reservation for women in the allocation of Fair Price Shop licenses. This will be implemented on a roster basis, ensuring that every third license is reserved for women. Within the women’s quota, preference will be given to victims of acid attacks, women’s Self-Help Groups (at least one per block), widows and divorced/single mothers, SC/BC and General category women.

The Cabinet approved amendments to further strengthen and streamline the functioning of the Public Distribution System (PDS) in the state. The Cabinet gave its nod to the Haryana Targeted Public Distribution System (Licensing & Control) Amendment Order, 2026, which amends the existing Haryana Targeted Public Distribution System (Licensing & Control) Order, 2022.

The Government official spokesperson said that the amendments have been introduced with the objective of enhancing transparency, improving efficiency and ensuring greater accountability in the allocation and operation of Fair Price Shops (FPS) across the State. They also seek to promote inclusivity and wider participation, particularly by encouraging women to take part in the system.

Under the revised provisions, the eligibility criteria for obtaining a Fair Price Shop license have been clearly defined and rationalized. The Haryana Resident Certificate of current year has been made mandatory for the applicants. The FPS license shall now be granted as a minimum of 500 beneficiaries ration card/PPP instead of 300 ration cards. Applicants will now be required to have a minimum educational qualification of 10+2 along with basic computer knowledge. The age limit for applicants has been fixed between 21 and 45 years, and it will be mandatory for applicants to possess a valid Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) and to be residents of the concerned area. Government employees, existing license holders and their close family members, as well as elected representatives of local bodies, have been made ineligible in order to avoid any conflict of interest and ensure fairness in the allocation process. Strict provisions have been incorporated whereby any license holder who subsequently assumes an elected position in a local body or joins government service will be required to surrender the license, failing which it will be cancelled.

In a major step towards women empowerment, the Cabinet has rationalized the 33 percent reservation for women in the allocation of Fair Price Shop licenses. This will be implemented on a roster basis, ensuring that every third license is reserved for women. Within the women’s quota, preference will be given to victims of acid attacks, women’s Self-Help Groups (at least one per block), widows and divorced/single mothers, SC/BC and General category women.

The amendment also places significant emphasis on transparency by mandating adequate advertisements through DPRO which license for FPS are called for. The license for new FPS will be granted online through the SARAL platform that the entire licensing process will be conducted through an online system on the SARAL portal. Applications will be invited through wide publicity, including announcements at the local level and advertisements in newspapers, so that eligible applicants are adequately informed and can participate in the process.

Also the maximum age for FPS owner has been revised to 60 years extendable up to 5 years based on the written request and satisfactory performance. In case an FPS owner dies before 5 years of maximum age i.e. before attaining the age of 55 years, license will be granted to his legal heir.

The amendment further brings clarity to various definitions and operational aspects to align them with the National Food Security Act, 2013. It defines key terms such as ‘commodity’ and ‘family’ in a more precise manner by linking them with ration card and Parivar Pehchan Patra records.

The revised order also strengthens the legal and grievance redressal framework for Fair Price Shop owners. A new revision mechanism has been introduced, allowing any party aggrieved by a decision of the Deputy Commissioner to file a revision application before the Divisional Commissioner within 30 days.

IPE Chandigarh

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, while reviewing the progress of the Haryana AI Development Programme (HAIDP) in Chandigarh on Wednesday said that Rs 474 crore initiative being developed jointly with the World Bank under a 70:30 funding arrangement between the Bank and the state. It was informed in the meeting that the Preliminary Project Report (PPR) of the programme has been approved by the Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India, in January this year, following clearances from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and NITI Aayog. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for HAIDP is expected to be submitted in June. The programme aims to skill over one lakh residents in artificial intelligence and incubate more than 100 startups, among other objectives. It is structured around five key pillars aligned with the IndiaAI Mission, namely skilling and workforce development, startup financing and incubation, compute and datasets, use cases and applications, and ethical AI governance.

The review meeting was held following a two-day visit by a World Bank mission team to Panchkula on April 6 and 7. On the first day, various government departments were requested to identify potential AI use cases. Departments have been given 15 days to submit their inputs, after which priority use cases will be finalised for the state’s AI Innovation Sandbox.

The AI Innovation Sandbox is envisaged as a “test before invest” platform that will identify, validate and pilot AI solutions across priority sectors. The sandbox is fully funded by the World Bank.

On the second day of the visit, the mission team held a roundtable interaction with private sector firms. Discussions focused on compute procurement models, skilling initiatives and startup incubation frameworks.

Separately, the state is also pursuing two AI hubs under the IndiaAI Mission. The Haryana Advanced Computing Facility (HACF), proposed to be set up in Panchkula in partnership with Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), is designed as a compute-intensive research facility. The Global Artificial Intelligence Centre (GAIC), planned in Gurugram in collaboration with NASSCOM, is envisaged as an incubation and industry collaboration hub. Fresh proposals for both facilities have recently been submitted to MeitY.