Chandigarh, 9 February 2026:

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing crusade against corruption in the state, has been able to apprehend 10 government officials and one private person red handed while accepting bribes in 8 different trap cases during the month of January.

Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson of the state VB said the VB has put up its best efforts to eradicate corruption amongst public servants and others in every sphere during the period.

He informed that the Bureau had submitted challans pertaining to 24 vigilance cases in various competent courts in the last month. Apart from this, 4 vigilance enquiries have also been registered to thoroughly probe the corruption cases. He added that 12 criminal cases were also registered against 16 accused which include 11 government employees.

Giving more details, he added that different competent courts had decided seven bribery cases filed and contested by the Bureau during the last month, in which eleven persons were convicted and sentenced to 4-4 years imprisonment and fine ranging from Rs. 10,000 to 50,000.

Chandigarh, February 9:

Under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government is working tirelessly for the welfare of all sections of society. Along with this, special efforts are being made to safeguard the rights of the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Backward Class (BC) communities and to ensure their social and economic upliftment. This was stated by Cabinet Minister for Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities, Dr. Baljit Kaur.

A meeting was held at Punjab Bhawan between Cabinet Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur and representatives of the SC/BC Union. During the meeting, the Minister listened carefully to the demands raised by the Union representatives and assured them that all genuine demands would be addressed on priority.

The Minister clarified that issues which can be resolved at the departmental level will be addressed promptly in a time-bound manner. She further stated that matters requiring decisions at the government level will be taken up with the government at the earliest to ensure appropriate resolution.

Dr. Baljit Kaur said that to realise Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s vision of a “Rangla Punjab,” it is essential that every section of society becomes an integral part of the development process. She emphasised that the dream of a vibrant Punjab cannot be fulfilled without ensuring dignity, equal opportunities and justice for the SC and BC communities. “A truly Rangla Punjab will emerge only when there is prosperity in every household, confidence in every mind and equal opportunities for every section of society,” she said.

She reiterated that the Punjab Government is fully committed to the welfare of marginalised and backward sections and is continuously taking concrete and effective steps in this direction. The meeting concluded in a well-organised and positive atmospher.

On the occasion, the meeting was attended by the Principal Secretary, Department of Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities, Mr. V.K. Meena IAS, the Director of the Department, Mrs. Vimmi Bhullar, IAS and other senior officers of the department.

CHANDIGARH, February 9:

 In a major and sustained crackdown on the theft of critical 4G/5G telecom infrastructure targeting Bharti Airtel Limited, Punjab Police has arrested an additional 17 individuals, taking the total count to 126 arrests and 140 First Information Reports (FIRs) registered across the state. These decisive enforcement actions have averted widespread disruption of essential public telecom services.

          Following the reports of thefts involving high-value 4G/5G infrastructure, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted on the orders of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav. The SIT, headed by Chairman Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rajpal Singh Sandhu, worked in close coordination with district police units to apprehend the accused and make massive recoveries of stolen equipment.

          Providing details, SIT Chairman IGP Rajpal Sandhu stated that the accused specifically targeted high-value GUC1 Cards (Base Band Units), which are critical for the transmission of 4G and 5G signals. “The entire theft operation was executed in under two minutes, after which the culprits fled the scene,” he said. These thefts had caused significant disruptions to telecom services in affected areas, depriving the public of essential voice and data connectivity.

          Using a combination of technical surveillance and human intelligence, Punjab Police has successfully dismantled the networks involved in these thefts, said the IGP, while adding, “Further investigation is underway to trace both forward and backward linkages and unravel the entire criminal network.”

          Punjab Police has warned all anti-social elements to cease such activities immediately or face strict legal action. With district police forces forming dedicated special crack teams, further arrests are expected as the investigation progresses.

CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, February 9:

 In an intelligence led operation amidst the ongoing Gangstran Te Vaar campaign launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to make Punjab gangster free state, Amritsar Commissionerate Police has dismantled a cross-border arms and narcotics smuggling module with the arrest of five operatives and recovered six sophisticated pistols, 115 grams heroin and Rs 11.90 lakhs drug money from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Monday.

 Those arrested have been identified as Simaranjeet Singh alias Mannu (24), Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi (20), Sukhraj Singh alias Joga (24) and Sajan Singh alias Gursajan Singh alias Ladda, all residents of village Roda Wala Kalan in  Amritsar; and Molakdeep Singh (23), a resident of village Ranike in Amritsar. The recovered pistols include two 9MM Glock Made in Austria, one Zigana Made in Turkey, two .32 Bore and one .30 Bore along with 10 live cartridges. Police teams have also impounded their Hyundai Creta car, which they were using for smuggling.

 DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the arrested accused persons were actively linked to a cross-border smuggling network and were receiving arms and narcotics consignments via drones from across the border. Further investigation is ongoing to establish forward and backward linkages in this case, he said.

 Sharing operational details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that acting on credible and secret information regarding cross-border smuggling links, police teams have arrested Simranjeet alias Mannu, Molakdeep Singh, Gurpreet alias Gopi, Sukhraj alias Joga and Sajan alias Gursajan alias Ladda, along with a car and recovered two .32 bore pistols from their possession. During further interrogation, additional recoveries were effected, leading to the seizure of four more pistols, 115 gm Heroin and ₹11.90 lakhs drug money indicating their involvement in organised illegal arms and narcotics activities, he said.

 The CP said probe has revealed that arrested accused Simaranjeet alias Mannu, Molakdeep Singh and Gurpreet Singh are a repeated offender and were earlier involved in cases under the NDPS Act.

 He said that investigation has also revealed that accused Simranjeet alias Mannu had remained a truck driver in Dubai. Police teams are investigating the financial trail and hawala links of this network, he added.

 In this regard, a case FIR No 21 dated 03-02-2026 has been registered under sections 25 and 25(8) of the Arms Act and sections 21B, 27A and 29 of the NDPS Act at Police Station Cantonment in Amritsar.

Chandigarh, February 9:–

In a significant move to further accelerate infrastructure development, Punjab Education Minister and MLA from Sri Anandpur Sahib, S. Harjot Singh Bains, today announced the green-lighting of key infrastructure projects to further boost connectivity and economic growth in the region.

 In a video message, S. Harjot Singh Bains congratulated the people of Sri Anandpur Sahib constituency, while revealing that five crucial bridges have been approved by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).

 “Development storm is blowing in Sri Anandpur Sahib,” he stated, while sharing that the approved bridge projects include Brahmpur and Daroli Bridges, these two vital replacement bridges originally built during the canal construction. These bridges will be rebuilt for modern needs. The Ganguwal double bridge is a strategic project aimed at alleviating chronic traffic congestion, especially during major religious festivals like Hola Mohalla and Viah Purb at Guru Ka Lahore. “This will ensure smooth passage for devotees traveling to Guru Ka Lahore, eliminating a major hassle,” said S. Bains.

Additionally, the Attari village bridge will connect Attari village directly to the national highway, ending long detours and boosting the local economy. The Bhaowal bridge is expected to spur employment and economic activity in the area, he added.

The Education Minister said that the Sarsa Nangal Bridge project has already been tendered and the work scheduled to commence around April 14.

S. Bains also unveiled plans for two key roads including Nangal to Kalma Mod and Bhanglan to Kanpur Khuhi. The Nangal to Kalma Mod Road will be built to withstand heavy industrial traffic at a cost of Rs 10 crore, while the Bhanglan to Kanpur Khuhi Road project worth Rs 12.5 crore, will improve bus connectivity and tackle water-logging issues in Khera Kalmot, with concrete side drains. The Work on the both projects is set to begin within next two weeks.

“These projects are about transforming lives, not just infrastructure,” said S. Harjot Singh Bains, highlighting potential for increased employment, improved accessibility, and fulfilment of people’s long-standing demands. He reaffirmed the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government’s focus on sustainable development to uplift the state’s citizens.

Chandigarh, February 9:

The Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission has taken suo moto notice of the remark made by Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa about Punjab Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO.

Giving information in this regard, Chairman Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission S. Jasvir Singh Garhi said that it has come to his notice through social media that Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa has used abusive language against Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO.

He said that a report has been sought from SSP Amritsar through DSP/SP level officer on 11th February 2026 at 3 pm.

He said that along with this, the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Partap Singh Bajwa, has also been summoned on 11 February 2026 at 3 pm to give an explanation regarding this viral video.

Chandigarh February 9, 2026:

 The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its ongoing drive against the corruption in the state, has apprehended Assistant Sub- Inspector Jasvir Singh, posted at police station Sadar, Kharar, district Mohali, red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs. 15000/-.

Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson of the state VB said the above-mentioned accused has been arrested based on a complaint lodged by a resident of sector 127, Mohali.

He said that the complainant had got registered an assault case against Suman Lata in police station Kharar wherein the investigating officer  was accused ASI Jasvir Singh. When the complainant approached him to file the challan in this case in the court.  Accused ASI demanded illegal gratification of Rs. 20000/- from the complainant in lieu of submitting challan in the competent court. In this regard, the complainant had recorded the conversation of demanding  bribe.

After a preliminary enquiry on his complaint, the VB team laid a trap during which the accused was arrested red handed while accepting  bribe money of Rs 15000/- from the complainant in presence of two official witnesses.

In this regard, a case under prevention of corruption act has been registered against the accused at VB police station Mohali and further investigation into this case is under progress.

CHANDIGARH, February 9:

 Amidst the ongoing  ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’ campaign to make Punjab a gangster free state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police teams on Monday conducted 2760 raids at locations linked to wanted criminals on Day 1 of ‘Operation Prahaar-2’.

 Notably, further intensifying the ongoing “Gangstran Te Vaar” campaign, Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav on Sunday had launched 72-hours long “Operation Prahaar-2” with focus on nabbing the wanted criminals. Senior officers from Punjab Police Headquarters have personally visited different police districts to lead the operation.

 Sharing details, Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla said that as part of Operation Prahaar-2, more than 2,000 police teams comprising around 12,000 personnel have conducted raids at locations linked to wanted criminals across Punjab.”

 Sharing the outcomes of Day 1 of the Operation Prahaar-2, the Special DGP said that as many as 1895 individuals were rounded-up of which 1,250 were arrested, including 40 proclaimed offenders and 298 preventive detentions. Apart from this, 666 persons were verified and released after questioning.

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 345th day with 72 drug smugglers arrested on Monday and recovered 26.4 kg heroin, 772 intoxicant tablets/capsules and Rs 12.17 lakhs drug money from their possession. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 48,331 in just 345 days. As part of De-addiction, the Punjab Police has convinced 21 persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment today.

CHANDIGARH, 9th February 2026:

Determined to confront Punjab’s drug crisis by reclaiming its sporting legacy, the Bhagwant Mann Government on Monday approved the launch of the Punjab Cricket League (PCL), positioning sports as a strategic intervention for youth empowerment rather than a token outreach programme.

Planned on the Indian Premier League (IPL) model with district and regional teams and backed by institutional partnerships with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), the league is intended to systematically identify, groom and channel young talent into professional pathways, while simultaneously building a wider ecosystem of district- and state-level leagues across multiple sports to pull the state’s youth decisively away from drugs and towards discipline, opportunity and national representation.

Sharing a few snippets from the following meeting, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann wrote: “Today in Chandigarh, held a meeting with senior officials of the Department of Sports and Youth Services to discuss various issues, with a focused deliberation on promoting sports culture across the state. All officials were directed to make their maximum contribution towards encouraging youth to take up sports, with the objective of building a healthy and fit society. The government is consistently working to restore sports culture in Punjab and to reconnect the youth with playgrounds across the state.”

Chairing a review meeting of the Sports Department, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated that the state government would tie up with the Punjab Cricket Association and the Board of Control for Cricket in India to organise the league with the objective of grooming young talent from across Punjab. “The state government will collaborate with the Punjab Cricket Association and the Board of Control for Cricket in India to organise the Punjab Cricket League for grooming the youth of the state,” Bhagwant Singh Mann said.

Drawing inspiration from global examples, the Chief Minister stated that such initiatives had played a transformative role in world cricket. “Cricketers like Imran Khan and Arjuna Ranatunge gave several renowned players to world cricket through similar initiatives, and this league will go a long way in emerging Punjab as a nursery of cricketing talent,” he said.

Explaining the structure of the proposed league, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it would be organised on the lines of the Indian Premier League, with teams constituted on the basis of districts and geographical regions. “The Punjab Cricket League will be organised on the lines of the Indian Premier League, and teams will be formed on the basis of districts and geographical regions such as Majha, Doaba and Malwa to compete in the tournament,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that the initiative would help create a strong pipeline of talented cricketers for both national and international competitions. “This league will help in producing a talented pool of cricketers for national and international level cricket tournaments,” CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said.

At the same time, he underlined the need to promote other sports across the state. “District-level and state-level leagues should also be organised for games like Volleyball, Football, Hockey, Basketball, Kho kho and Kabaddi,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the Punjab government was working on an aggressive campaign to produce the maximum number of trained sportspersons. “Our aim is to ensure that more Punjabi players represent India in international sporting events,” he said.

Emphasising Punjab’s rich sporting legacy, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state has abundant sports talent and the government is fully committed to nurturing it. “Punjab has immense sports talent, and the state government will not leave any stone unturned to enable players to participate and win medals for India at the international level,” he said.

He said that sports provide a powerful avenue for the youth to excel and bring laurels to the state. “Games give our youth the opportunity to excel in sports and bring pride to Punjab,” Bhagwant Singh Mann said, asserting that the government is determined to restore the state’s pristine glory in the field of sports. “The state government is committed to reviving Punjab’s glory in sports, and no stone is being left unturned to achieve this goal,” he added.

Chandigarh, February 6 – Haryana’s Animal Husbandry and Agriculture Minister Sh. Shyam Singh Rana, while inaugurating the State-level Livestock Exhibition in Kurukshetra, said that the Haryana breed of indigenous cow finds mention even in the Vedas and Puranas. If one goes by what the officials of the Animal Husbandry Department say, Lord Shri Krishna was fond of the Haryana breed of cow. Even today, the Haryana breed of cow is bringing laurels to the state. At present, around 8 lakh Haryana breed cows are being reared in gaushalas as well as by cattle rearers across the state. A significant aspect is that in the 41st State-level Livestock Exhibition in Kurukshetra, cattle rearers have brought 150 Haryana breed cows.

Sh. Rana inaugurated the State-level exhibition only after performing a ritual worship of the Haryana breed cow.

The Animal Husbandry Minister said that it is the vision of Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini to conserve indigenous breeds like Haryana, Rathi, Gir, Bilahi and Tharparkar cows and bulls, provide a platform to cattle-rearing farmers, and enhance their income through events like the State-level Livestock Exhibition. On the very first day of this event, the Haryana breed cow attracted the attention of common citizens, especially cattle rearers. The milk of this breed is more nutritious than other indigenous cows and contains only 3 to 4 percent fat. This milk is considered especially beneficial for children.

He said that the state government aims to further improve the Haryana indigenous cow breed. Continuous research is being conducted by scientists for this purpose. In this State-level Livestock Exhibition, cattle rearers from districts like Jind, Rewari, Charkhi Dadri and other parts of Haryana have brought around 150 Haryana breed cows, making this breed the center of attraction at the fair.

Deputy Director of the Animal Husbandry Department, Dr. Anil Banwala, said that the Haryana breed cow has been reared in the state since ancient times. At present, around 8 lakh cows of this breed are being reared in homes and gaushalas in Haryana. The price of this breed ranges from ₹40,000 to ₹1.50 lakh.

Dr. Anil Banwala further said that among all cow breeds, the Haryana breed is the only one that can jump a 6-foot-high wall without being touched. This agility is always visible in this indigenous breed.

He also informed that the government has introduced a special incentive scheme for high milk-yielding Haryana breed cows. Under this scheme, cows producing 5 kg to 15 kg of milk are awarded cash prizes ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹40,000. For this, the cattle rearer has to apply on the designated portal, after which a team measures milk output three times a day and calculates the average. Based on this, the incentive is granted.

The Haryana breed cow prefers to drink less water but requires high cleanliness. Therefore, it must be kept in clean surroundings. This breed does not like sitting in muddy or waterlogged areas.

At the 41st State-level Livestock Exhibition, while camels, horses, bulls, goats and buffaloes won hearts on the catwalk, the Haryana breed cow stole the show on the stage.