CHANDIGARH, September 16:

          In a major crackdown on the theft of critical 5G telecom infrastructure targeting Bharti Airtel Limited, Punjab Police has arrested 61 individuals and registered 95 first information reports (FIRs) across the state, preventing widespread disruption of essential telecom services.

          Following the reports of thefts involving high-value 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 DIG Rajpal Sandhu, worked in close coordination with district police units to apprehend the accused and make massive recoveries of stolen equipment.

          Divulging details, SIT Chairman DIG Rajpal Sandhu stated that the accused had specifically targeted high-value essential 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.

          Using a combination of technical surveillance and human intelligence, Punjab Police has successfully busted the networks involved in these thefts. “Further investigation is underway to trace both forward and backward linkages and unravel the entire network,” said the DIG, adding that the SIT is also actively probing the matter to determine any potential insider involvement.

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

Chandigarh, September 16:

To review and streamline preparations for the forthcoming Census operations in the state, the Punjab State Level Census Coordination Committee (SLCCC) held its first meeting today under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Punjab Mr. KAP Sinha at the Punjab Civil Secretariat, Chandigarh.

Senior officers including Additional Chief Secretaries and Principal Secretaries of Local Government, Revenue, Rural Development & Panchayats, Planning, Finance and School Education departments were present during the meeting, while Deputy Commissioners and Municipal Commissioners joined the deliberations through video conferencing.

During the meeting, the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Department of Local Government has been nominated as the nodal officer for the Census related activities in the state of Punjab and the first meeting was convened by Dr. Navjot Khosa, Director Census Operations, Punjab, who made a detailed presentation on the Census process, its legal framework, Census Calendar and ongoing preparatory measures.

Key agenda points covered included discussion on circulars No. 1, 2 and 3, rural-urban classification norms, concepts of outgrowth and urban agglomeration, map-related matters and the upcoming Pre-Test of Digital Census 2027 in selected districts Jalandhar, Amritsar and Malerkotla.

Addressing the meeting, Chief Secretary Mr. KAP Sinha underlined the need for wholehearted cooperation from all Deputy Commissioners and Municipal Commissioners to ensure the smooth conduct of Census operations. He directed the Deputy Commissioners to finalize jurisdictional frameworks and establish dedicated Census Cells at district and corporation levels for effective monitoring.

The Chief Secretary also instructed strict adherence to guidelines issued by the Directorate of Census Operations and stressed that administrative boundaries must be finalized by December 31, 2025. Special instructions were issued to the Deputy Commissioners of Amritsar and Malerkotla along with the Municipal Commissioner, Jalandhar to make requisite proactive arrangements for the upcoming pre-test activities of the Digital Census.

The deliberations underlined that coordinated efforts and meticulous planning hold the key to the successful conduct of the Census in Punjab. All stakeholders were urged to accord top priority to their assigned responsibilities and ensure timely completion of all preparatory activities in line with the Census calendar.

Chandigarh, 16 September 2025:

Aiming to further boost Punjab’s industrial growth and paying the way of ease of doing business under the guidance of National Convener Sh. Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Punjab, S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, Cabinet Minister Sh. Sanjeev Arora informed that Happy Forgings Ltd. (HFL) will invest Rs 1000/- Crore Capex in district Ludhiana, Punjab.  Happy Forgings Ltd. is a key player in manufacturing of Auto & Engineering niche products and the third-largest engineering-led manufacturer in the country.

While interacting with the media, Cabinet Minister Sh. Sanjeev Arora highlighted that HFL company operations focus on forging and machining high-precision components for both domestic and export markets, catering to diverse sectors, including commercial vehicles, passenger vehicles, farm equipment, off highway segments, power generation, railways, oil and gas, wind turbine industries and defence. Following listing on the stock exchanges in December 2023, HFL emerged as one of the largest listed companies based in Punjab with a market capitalization of Rs. 10,000 Cr. and revenues of Rs. 1,409 Cr. in FY 2024-25.

Furthermore, Sh. Sanjeev Arora revealed that HFL manufacturing operations are entirely based in Punjab with a capital investment of Rs. 1,500/- crore as of June 30, 2025 with a direct employment of approximately 4000 people.  This company is a major supplier to all the renowned OEMs (as below) within India as well as outside India catering to the commercial vehicle, farm equipment, off highway and industrials sectors with following major customers:

1.      Commercial Vehicle  – Ashok Leyland, Eicher, Meritor, Mahindra.

2.      Farm Equipments          – Tafe, Escorts, Swaraj, Sonalika, John Deere.

3.      Off Highway  –     JCB, Wipro, Dana, Hendrickson.

4. Industries  –  Cummins, Generac, Bonfiglioli, Toyota Tshusho, Kohler, Liebherr.

Disclosing about the company’s future plan, Sh. Ashish Garg said that HFL is planning a significant investment of over Rs. 1000/- Crores in a phased manner to expand their manufacturing footprint.  Though the company has offers from other states for investment however HFL would like to keep investing within Punjab having full faith in the State Government and its policies.  This substantial investment is projected to create over 2000 direct employment opportunities within the state, including positions for more than 300 engineers. Furthermore, it is expected to stimulate the development of numerous ancillary units and boost steel consumption, thereby strengthening the local economy and supply chain.

Managing Director of HFL Ashish Garg said that it is very encouraging that Punjab Government is coming up with new industrial policy under recently formed sectoral committees and we are very hopeful that these policies will be aligned to industry needs and will be mutually beneficial.  This proposed investment will be one of the most advanced forging facilities (capable to produce a single piece having Weight of 1000 kg to 3000 kg) i.e. first in Asia and 2nd largest in the World.

Investment in these capabilities will strategically position HFL to serve non-automotive industrial segments like aerospace, defence and nuclear addressing niche application areas where heavy weight components are critical, Ashish Garg added.

Moreover, Ashish Garg said that due to technical issues for want of new GST registration as required for new unit incentives, the company will be doing new capex-addition adjoining to its existing plant under the existing GST Registration  as such by way of expansion. We are looking forward to a successful long term partnership

Sh.Amit Dhaka, IAS, CEO Invest Punjab, Ms. Seema Bansal, Vice Chairperson, Punjab Development Council, Mr.Vaibhav Maheshwari, Member, Punjab Development Council and Megha Garg Director of HFL were also present during the press conference.

CHANDIGARH, September 16:

          Continuing the war against drugs “Yudh Nashian Virudh” waged by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to eradicate drug menace from state consecutively for the 199th day, Punjab Police conducted raids at 359 locations on Tuesday leading to the arrest of 86 drug smugglers after registration of 75 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 29,804 in 199 days.

          The raids have resulted in recovery of 21.1 kg heroin, 2 kg oipum, 254 kg poppy husk, 1156 intoxicant tablets/capsules and Rs 500 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 150 Police teams, comprising over 1100 police personnel, under the supervision of 68 gazetted officers have conducted raids across the state. Police teams have also checked as many as 395 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 56 persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment today.

Chandigarh, September 16:

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday directed the Health and family welfare department to intensify its efforts for giving relief to the people in terms of diagnosis and treatment of the people in the flood affected districts of the state.

Chairing a review meeting here today, the Chief Minister said that the floods have caused irreparable damage in the various districts of the state and now when the water has started receding the fear of spread of diseases amongst the human beings and animals is there. He said that in wake of this the state government is already doing massive efforts to prevent the spread of disease amongst human beings and cattle. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that so far around 1.50 lakh people have benefited from the Health camps being organized in the flood affected villages where cases of fever, diarrhea, skin infections and others are coming in huge numbers.

The Chief Minister said that special health campaign was launched on September 14 to address post flood health challenges with key motive to ensure accessible healthcare in flood-affected village, prevention of vector-borne, waterborne and communicable diseases, protecting vulnerable groups (elderly, pregnant women, infants) and strengthening disease surveillance and rapid response. He said that health camps have been organized in all 2303 villages, from three consecutive days adding that teams of Doctors, Paramedical teams, support staff equipped with essential medicines and consumables are serving the people. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that similarly every ASHA worker is covering all households in villages and so far around 2.47 lakh households have been covered by them.

The Chief Minister said that Health kits are being distributed in the villages which include ORS, mosquito repellent, paracetamol, cetirizine, chlorine tablets, soap, and basic first-aid supplies adding that by September 20, 2025 every household will be covered. He said that a 21-Day Fumigation and Vector Control Drive has been started with an aim to cover all villages across the State. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that door-to-door inspections for checking mosquito breeding is being done and immediate larvicidal spraying wherever breeding is detected is being carried out along with daily village-wide fumigation.

Likewise, the Chief Minister said that the Animal Husbandry department has also vehemently launched a drive to check prevention of disease amongst the animals. He said that so far 14780 animals have been treated and 48535 cattle have been vaccinated free of cost. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that safe and scientific disposal of carcasses of animals that perished in floods is being ensured to prevent soil and water contamination leading to outbreak of diseases.

Similarly, the Chief Minister underscored the need for cleanliness in the villages, streets, ponds (phirni, naali, gali and others) without any delay. He said that outdoor fogging in affected areas should also be ensured along with waste management and timely disposal of garbage to avoid mosquito breeding ground. Bhagwant Singh Mann batted for massive cleanliness drives and drainage of stagnant water along with outdoor fogging in affected areas.

The Chief Minister said that drainage of stagnant water from fields and village surroundings is being ensured and Gram Rozgar Sewaks are being roped in for breeding checking, fumigation and cleanliness drives. He said that cleanup operation should be completed by September 21 and cleaning and disinfection of livestock shelters and feeding areas is being done in villages. Likewise, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that debris and contaminated feed is also being removed along with Disinfection of Feeding and Water troughs of animals.

The Chief Minister said that distribution of Potassium permanganate (KMnO4 crystals) to Livestock Farmers is being done free of cost for cleaning and disinfection of feeding and water troughs. He said that farmers have been advised to use KMnO4 for disinfection of hooves/ feet on regular basis to prevent Foot-rot Infection adding that Cleaning/ Disinfection of animal Teats is being done before milking to minimize Mastitis. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that treatment cum awareness camps are being organized in villages to educate the livestock farmers in care and management of their animals under these stress conditions.

The Chief Minister said that requisite medicines are being distributed free of cost besides ensuring other logistic support. Hitherto, he said that 14780 animals have been given requisite treatment in the camps at flood affected villages adding that a 24 x 7 control room is functional in the entire affected district. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that these control rooms are being duly monitored by a concerned Veterinary Officer and consultation is being provided to the farmers on the mobile.

Batting for inter departmental coordination; the Chief Minister said that this is the need of hour to overcome this grave crisis and provide relief to the people. He said that the supply of safe potable drinking water in all flood-affected areas through regular testing and chlorination should be ensured. Likewise, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that repair of any leakages from water supply pipelines to prevent and manage water borne diseases outbreaks should also be ensured. 

On the occasion Cabinet Ministers Dr Balbir Singh, Dr Ravjot and Tarunpreet Singh Sondh, Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and others were also present.

Chandigarh, September 16:

With the Punjab Government’s intensive cleanliness drive, fogging and spraying operations aimed at preventing outbreak of diseases, life is steadily moving back on track in flood-affected areas. The Cabinet Ministers today visited affected regions to oversee the ongoing relief measures launched under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann.

Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains visited Tarapur and Kiratpur Sahib villages of his constituency under ‘Operation Rahat’ and reviewed the relief measures. He also inspected the damage caused to residential houses due to rainwater flowing down from the Shivalik foothills into the seasonal rivulets. The Minister also took stock of the embankment work at the historic Gurdwara Baba Gurditta Ji. Mr. Bains contributed Rs.50,000 towards diesel expenses of tractors and other vehicles engaged in the voluntary relief service under Operation Rahat.

Meanwhile, under the supervision of Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, a massive cleanliness drive was conducted in 10 flood-affected villages namely Skol, Dhinda/Bhupalpur, Kotli Jawahar, Palah, Ghola, Kot Bhattian, Balotar, Sarota, Danwal and Khojki Chak. The campaign covered removal of stagnant water, spraying, fogging and awareness drives to motivate residents for maintaining hygiene. Mr. Kataruchak informed that each flood-hit village will be provided Rs.1 lakh as the first installment by the Punjab Government for cleanliness measures.

During his visit to Radhalke, Ram Singh Wala and Muthianwala villages of Patti constituency, Cabinet Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar launched a cleanliness campaign, reiterating that the drive will continue until all flood-affected areas are completely cleaned. The Health Department is consistently conducting fogging and anti-larvae spraying across all affected regions of the state.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister S. Hardeep Singh Mundian informed that as per the latest assessment till September 16, the number of villages affected has marginally increased from 2472 to 2483 with the population affected rising from 389176 to 389258. The Cabinet Minister said that a positive development has been witnessed in relief measures as the number of active relief camps has significantly reduced from 66 to 41 with the inmates also coming down from 3449 to 1945, reflecting improvement in the ground situation.

Chandigarh, September 16:

Punjab Jails Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar today inaugurated an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Central Jail Sri Goindwal Sahib as part of a landmark reform initiative, under which ITIs have been established in 11 jails across the state.

Addressing the gathering, the Cabinet Minister informed that in collaboration with the Technical Education Department, the Punjab Prisons Department has set up ITIs in 9 Central Jails and 2 Women Jails.

The Jails Minister said that under this major skill development drive, nearly 2500 prisoners will receive training, out of which 1000 will undergo long-term courses and 1500 will be enrolled in short-term courses.

He said the ITIs will impart vocational education aimed at preparing inmates for a dignified life after their release. The institutes will run one-year courses in trades such as Plumbing, Electrician, Baking, Welding, Woodwork, Cosmetology, Computer Technology and several others.

By equipping prisoners with employable skills, this initiative seeks to transform jails into hubs of rehabilitation and reformation rather than mere confinement, he added.

S. Laljit Singh Bhullar said the Punjab Government is committed to ensuring that prisons serve as centres of transformation and to the reformation and reintegration of prisoners into mainstream society. He underlined that skill training and education within jail premises will strengthen inmates’ future prospects and help in reducing re-offending rates.

He further said that this initiative aligns with the government’s broader vision of “Rehabilitation through Education and Skill Development”, ensuring that prisoners are given a fair chance to lead productive and respectful lives after completing their sentences.

Chandigarh/ New Delhi, September 16,

Referring to the recent floods that damaged 5 Lakh acres under various crops in 2185 villages of the state, the Punjab Agriculture Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian today urged the Central government to provide additional financial assistance of Rs. 151 crore to the State under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) for restoration of land silted-up due to floods in border districts of Punjab.

While addressing the national conference on agriculture Rabi campaign 2025 held under the chairmanship of union agriculture minister Mr. Shivraj Singh Chauhan at PUSA Bhawan here today, Punjab Cabinet minister S.Kudian said that recent unprecedented floods have adversely affected large areas of cultivable land and caused heavy losses to the standing crops. Border districts of Punjab (Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Kapurthala, Fazilka and Ferozepur) are the worst affected and up to 5 feet of silt/sand has been deposited in the flood affected agricultural fields.

He said “The people of Punjab have always come forward with open hearts during the tough times in any part of the country, now the centre should extend its helping hand to pull out the state out of this critical situation.”

He emphasised that given the gravity of the situation, timely release of additional funds under DPR component of RKVY will not only help in compensating farmers for their losses but also ensure revival of the agricultural economy of the State.

He demanded that the centre should release Rs 80 crore to the state to provide 2Lakh quintal of certified wheat seed to the affected farmers under the seed village programme. He also demanded 25 Lakh for the wheat seed separately under national food security mission. S. Kudian also appealed the union agriculture minister to provide 637 quintals of certified mustard seeds and 375 quintal seeds of black gram to help the farmers.

Punjab agriculture minister S. Kudian urged the centre to ensure timely supply of DAP and Urea as per the requirement of the state so that the sowing of crops do not face further delay. He also sought the union agriculture ministers intervention to release Rs. 8,000 cr of RDF and other funds withheld by the centre. Union agriculture minister assured S. Khudian that the centre will take all the necessary steps to help the state facing tough times due to floods.

SAS Nagar, September 16:

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), Mohali, has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the only government medical college in the country, after Command Hospital Pune, to be accredited as a Breastfeeding-Friendly Hospital under the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI).

Divulging the details, Director – Principal, Dr Bhavneet Bharti,
out of the total 71 facilities accredited nationwide, nearly 50 percent (39) are Armed Forces facilities, while Telangana leads among states in accrediting government facilities. A few private medical colleges have also achieved this recognition, but AIMS Mohali is the only state government medical college to be accredited.

The accreditation was carried out by the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI), the national agency authorized to conduct BFHI assessments. Dr. Arun Gupta, Central Coordinator of BPNI and a passionate advocate for breastfeeding and child health in India, has been instrumental in steering the movement for protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding across the country. His leadership has ensured that international standards are upheld in India’s accreditation process.
The on-site inspection on August 5, 2025 was led by Dr. Rajinder Gulati, MD, FIAP, Paediatrician, Certified Lactation Consultant, IYCF National Trainer, Child Health Advocate, and President of the Human Milk Bank Association of India (2022 & 2023), who commended the outstanding commitment of the team of doctors, paramedics, and support staff at AIMS Mohali in implementing the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.
This recognition also reflects the vision and leadership of Prof. (Dr.) Bhavneet Bharti, Director Principal, AIMS Mohali, who earlier established Punjab’s first Human Milk Bank—Ashneer Milk Bank—with the support of the Rotary Club. She also secured an ICMR-funded project to develop a hub-and-spoke human milk bank model with cost analysis, creating a roadmap for replication across the country.

Dr. Bharti emphasized that the journey to accreditation was “tough without the tireless dedication of local champions, who provide 24/7 services for mothers and newborns.” The Breastfeeding Committee at AIMS Mohali, she added, worked relentlessly and became a true example of collaborative leadership.
Notably, the “Team Breastfeeding Committee” initiative was also the focus of Dr. Bharti’s Women Lift Health Capstone Project, underscoring the role of women’s leadership in driving institutional change for maternal and child health.

This accreditation not only validates compliance with WHO and Government of India’s global standards, but also places AIMS Mohali at the forefront of India’s breastfeeding promotion movement, alongside the visionary efforts of BPNI under Dr. Arun Gupta.

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Sh Nayab Singh Saini held a meeting with Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Pralhad Joshi in New Delhi today to discuss key issues concerning farmers’ interests and crop procurement. During the meeting, the Chief Minister requested the Central Government to allow early commencement of the upcoming crop procurement in Haryana, prior to the scheduled date of October 1, so that farmers can sell their produce without inconvenience. The Central Government has accepted this request.

In addition, the Central Government approved an increase in Haryana’s warehouse storage capacity to 30 lakh metric tonnes under the Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee (PEG) Scheme. The state also received an assurance for the early release of Rs 6,200 crore pending dues for wheat and rice procured for the central pool.

The Chief Minister informed that Haryana currently holds 100 lakh metric tonnes of wheat and rice in the central pool. With the arrival of the next crop beginning in December, the state will receive an additional 14.5 lakh metric tonnes of storage space from the Central Government. The surplus rice and wheat stocks will be sent to other states.

To promote crop diversification and support sugarcane cultivation, Sh Nayab Singh Saini proposed reducing the minimum distance between sugar mills from 25 km to 15 km. This proposal was approved by the Central Government.

The Chief Minister also strongly supported the pilot scheme aimed at reducing the percentage of broken rice in Public Distribution System (PDS) supplies from 25% to 10%. He expressed gratitude to the Central Government for increasing Haryana’s target from 3.5 lakh tonnes to 8 lakh tonnes. He said that Haryana will meet the target of procurement of 8 lakh metric tonnes of 10 per cent broken rice this year. The remaining 15 per cent broken rice will be sold by the Central Government within 15 days.

Haryana Minister of State for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Rajesh Nagar, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Arun Gupta, Resident Commissioner D. Suresh and other officers were also present in the meeting.

After the meeting, while responding to a question of mediapersons, the Chief Minister said that Haryana has completed all preparations regarding the three new criminal laws introduced by the Central Government. A large exhibition on the subject will be organized in Kurukshetra, which will be inaugurated by Union Home and Cooperation Minister, Sh Amit Shah.

Responding to another query, the Chief Minister informed that a special Sewa Pakhwada will be celebrated from September 17 to October 2, on the birthday of Prime Minister, Sh Narendra Modi. During this fortnight, various departments will organize special programmes and action plans focusing on large-scale service activities such as women empowerment, cleanliness drives, blood donation camps, and health initiatives. He said that special attention will be given to the health and welfare of women and citizens.