Chandigarh, October 18- Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini was called upon by Justice, Sh. Lalit Batra, Chairman of the Haryana Human Rights Commission, who presented him with a copy of the Commission’s Annual Report for 2024–25. Commission members, Sh. Kuldeep Jain and Sh.  Deep Bhatia were also present during the meeting. The delegation presented a bouquet and a shawl to the Chief Minister as a gesture of courtesy.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister appreciated the efforts of the Haryana Human Rights Commission for ensuring speedy justice. He held an extensive discussion on the functioning of the Commission, its challenges, and its requirements, and assured that the state government would extend all possible support to the Commission for the protection and promotion of human rights so that Haryana continues to remain a leading state in this field.

Sh. Nayab Singh Saini also inquired about the Commission’s visits to other districts of the state. The Commission members informed him that efforts are being made to inspect one jail every month and visit social organizations working for children and senior citizens.

The Chief Minister also sought details about significant decisions taken by the Commission.  Detailed discussion on the achievements and activities of the Commission since its reconstitution in November 2024 was also done during the meeting. 

Justice Sh.  Lalit Batra informed that as of November 2024, 2,991 cases were pending, and by October 15, 2025, 2,551 new cases were received. Thus, the Commission heard a total of 5,542 cases and disposed of 4,638 of them. The Haryana Human Rights Commission delivered judgments in 32 cases in November 2024, 148 in December 2024, and subsequently 551 in January, 360 in February, 691 in March, 478 in April, 826 in May, 569 in July, 433 in August, 460 in September, and 90 cases till October 15, 2025. As a result, only 904 cases remain pending, which are currently under hearing. The members of the Commission also shared that the important reforms implemented on the recommendations of the Haryana Human Rights Commission were discussed during the 32nd Foundation Day celebrations of the National Human Rights Commission held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

Earlier, on October 12, the Haryana Governor, Professor Asim Kumar Ghosh, had released the Annual Report of the Commission.

Registrar,  Sh. Ravi Kumar Sondhi and Protocol, Information, and Public Relations Officer,  Dr. Puneet Arora also remained present on this occasion. 

Chandigarh, October 18- Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday paid a courtesy call on Union Home and Cooperation Minister, Sh. Amit Shah in Patna, Bihar. During this he discussed various important issues. The Chief Minister also extended his warm greetings to Sh. Amit Shah on the occasion of Dhanteras and Diwali.

Sh. Nayab Singh Saini also apprised the Union Home and Cooperation Minister of the achievements of the BJP government in Haryana, which has been formed for the third consecutive time.

Chandigarh, October 18 – Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday visited Bihar. Addressing election rallies during his Bihar tour, he said that the state is now rapidly advancing on the path of development, with public confidence in the NDA government growing stronger than ever. Under the guidance of the Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister, Sh. Nitish Kumar, Bihar is set to witness the formation of a strong, stable, and governance-focused NDA government, ensuring uninterrupted progress and prosperity for the state.

The Chief Minister also lauded Sh. Nitish Kumar’s leadership, stating that Bihar has charted a new course of development under his guidance. The state has seen significant improvements across roads, education, healthcare, and basic infrastructure, bringing visible change to the lives of citizens, he said.

Sh. Nayab Singh Saini sharply criticized the RJD–Congress alliance, saying that previous governments neglected the interests of the poor and pushed Bihar toward backwardness. He added that the so-called “INDI” alliance leaders misled the public with false promises to gain power.

Highlighting NDA’s achievements, he said the government has steered Bihar out of the “jungle raj” and set it firmly on the path of development and good governance. Law and order has strengthened, women’s confidence has increased, and the benefits of development have reached even the remotest villages.

The Chief Minister further emphasized that the BJP–JDU alliance government has made concrete efforts to transform Bihar into a developed state. Bihar is entering a new era, and the enthusiasm of its people is a clear reflection of the progress achieved, he said.

The Chief Minister appealed to the people of Bihar to unite in support of the BJP–JDU alliance, advocating for continued development, good governance, and stability. On arrival, he was warmly welcomed by enthusiastic citizens, reflecting their trust and support for the NDA government.

Chandigarh, October 18:

Punjab Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur informed that the Punjab Government has released an amount of ₹84.26 lakh to facilitate the free and concessional travel of visually impaired and differently-abled persons in government buses. This amount forms part of the budget earmarked for providing transport facilities to persons with disabilities.

Providing further details, Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur stated that visually impaired persons are entitled to 100% concession in bus fares on all government buses, while other categories of differently-abled persons are eligible for a 50% fare concession. This facility is available to individuals with 40% or more disability, as per the prescribed norms.

The Minister added that for the year 2025–26, a total budget provision of ₹3.50 crore has been made under this scheme. Out of this, ₹2.61 crore has already been utilized, and now an additional ₹84.26 lakh has been released to ensure the continuous benefit of this facility to eligible beneficiaries.

Dr. Baljit Kaur emphasized that under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government is fully committed to making the lives of persons with disabilities more comfortable, secure, and self-reliant. The government’s aim is to provide equal opportunities to every citizen, ensuring that no one is left behind socially or economically.

She further mentioned that besides transport facilities, continuous efforts are being made by the department to promote education, employment, and social empowerment of persons with disabilities so that they can confidently integrate with the mainstream of society.

Chandigarh, October 18

In a major push to promote transparency and citizen participation in tax compliance, Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Saturday announced significant enhancements to the popular ‘Bill Liyao Inaam Pao’ scheme. The scheme will now include a quarterly bumper draw, offering substantial cash prizes to incentivize public engagement.

Revealing this in a press communique issued here, the Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that, each quarter, participants will stand a chance to win a First Prize of Rs 1,00,000, a Second Prize of Rs. 50,000, and a Third Prize of Rs. 25,000. He said that the Taxation department will also introduce a dedicated upload option and prize distribution mechanism for bills related to the service sector, such as restaurants, salons, and boutiques, via the “Mera Bill” App to further streamline participation.

“In addition, a real-time Chatbot will be launched to assist users with queries, and the app will now support Punjabi alongside Hindi and English, ensuring broader accessibility for the general public”, said Cheema.

Highlighting the scheme’s success, Finance Minister Cheema shared that from April to August 2025, a total of 30,769 bills were uploaded, resulting in 1,263 winners who collectively received Rs 78,13,715 in prize money. He emphasized that all uploaded bills are rigorously verified by the Taxation Department, which has so far imposed penalties amounting to Rs 9.07 crore since the inception of the scheme, and recovered Rs 7.31 crore from discrepancies found in the submitted bills.

Launched in September 2023 by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the ‘Bill Liyao Inaam Pao’ scheme and the accompanying Mera Bill app aimed to foster a culture of responsible consumerism and tax compliance. The scheme excludes bills related to petroleum products including crude oil, petrol, diesel, aviation turbine fuel, and natural gas, liquor, out-of-state purchases, and B2B transactions. Only bills from purchases made in the preceding month are eligible for the draw, ensuring fairness and operational integrity.

Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema reiterated the state government’s commitment to empowering citizens through innovative, transparent, and inclusive governance tools, and encouraged all residents to actively participate in the scheme to help build a more accountable Punjab.

Chandigarh 18 October 2025:

Aiming to provide pragmatic knowledge pertaining to the functioning of Legislative Assembly to the students of the state, Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker S Kultar Singh Sandhwan had urged the students of Punjab to visit Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

Sandhwan said that  1237 students visited to observe the actual proceedings of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha during the session and 1171 students visited during non session days from 1 Jan 2025 to till date. 

Speaker met the students personally and felt extreme happiness to interact with them in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Secretariat.

Sandhwan highlighted that interest in the field of politics have been developed among the students while observing the constitutional proceedings of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha which is very important for strengthening the democracy of the country. Speaker  told the students that their visit will prove to be immensely beneficial for their future life.  Students felt amazed to see the design and architecture of Punjab Vidhan Sabha building.

 Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker S. Kultar Singh Sandhwan today met AAP party convenor Sh. Arvind Kejriwal and wished him Happy Diwali and best wishes for Bandi Chhor Diwas

Speaker Sandhwan has also discussed important issues for taking the country’s politics forward in a constructive and people-friendly manner.

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.