CHANDIGARH, July 4:

          With the war against drugs “Yudh Nashian Virudh” waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to eradicate drug menace from state completed 125 days, Punjab Police on Friday arrested 101 drug smugglers and recovered 2.3 kg heroin, 520 grams opium and Rs 8270 drug money from their possession. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 20,410 in just 125 days.

          The operation was conducted on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav simultaneously in all 28 Police districts of the state.

          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.

          Divulging details, Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla informed that over 180 Police teams, comprising over 1200 police personnel, under the supervision of 79 gazetted officers have conducted raids at as many as 392 locations across the state leading to the registration of 79 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. Police teams have also checked as many as 417 suspicious persons during the day-long operation, he added.

          The Special DGP said that with 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 49 persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment today.

Chandigarh, July 4, 2025 –

 In a continuous crackdown on corruption, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Friday arrested Deepak Setia, an Accountant posted at the Municipal Council, Dhanoula in District Barnala) while he was accepting a bribe of Rs. 11,000.

Disclosing this here today an official spokesperson of the state VB said the arrest has been made following a complaint made a contractor and resident of Dhanoula town. 

He further added that the complainant has approached the VB alleging that the accused had demanded a bribe of Rs 11000 in exchange for facilitating the clearance of his pending payment cheque worth Rs. 2,21,402.

The spokesperson informed that after verification of this complaint, the VB team laid a trap and caught Deepak Setia red-handed while accepting the bribe of Rs 11000 from the complainant in the presence of government witnesses. The bribe amount was recovered on the spot.

In this regard a case has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act against the said accused at VB police station Patiala range. The accused would be produced in the competent court tomorrow and further investigation into this case was under process, he said.

*”This arrest underscores our zero-tolerance policy against corruption. We are committed to rooting out malpractice at all levels and ensuring accountability in public service,”* said a senior Vigilance official. Further investigation in the matter is underway. 

The Vigilance Bureau has urged citizens to report any instances of corruption through its helpline, assuring strict action against offenders.

Chandigarh, July 4:

Promoting entrepreneurship culture among the youth in the state, the Punjab Government is all set to host a first Business Blasters Expo at IIT Ropar, where students from government schools in classes 11th and 12th will showcase their innovative ventures and participate in thrilling Shark Tank-style pitch sessions before a distinguished panel of renowned investors, entrepreneurs and incubators, announced S. Harjot Singh Bains, Minister of School Education, Punjab.

Addressing a press conference here at Punjab Bhawan, on Friday evening, S. Harjot Singh Bains said that the expo would enable funding, incubation and industry partnerships for scalable student ventures, besides inspiring stakeholders to support school-based entrepreneurship.

The Education Minister stated that around 40 teams will showcase their products at the expo tomorrow (Saturday). Teams of 11th and 12th grade students of government schools developed 18,492 business ideas.

The state government has provided Rs 16000 seed funding each to over 7000 teams to develop and launch their business ideas under the guidance of teachers and expert mentors. The main objective of the expo is to identify market opportunities for the students and engage them with real customers to earn revenue and profit.

The Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government’s Business Blaster initiative empowered students with practical, team-based learning, fostering essential skills in communication, problem-solving and financial management through real-world business experiences, he added.

S. Harjot Singh Bains said that many ventures developed by the students are already generating revenue and expanding operations.

Meanwhile, he also introduced four teams to the media while showing their innovative products during the press conference. A team of Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Roopnagar made product “Creative Girls”- a resin-based coasters, keychains and candle moulds. The team has already sold over 250 units sold.

Similarly, Government Senior Secondary School, Pathankot team made an “e-Motion Bike”— a Rechargeable electric bicycle. The energy efficient bike designed for urban last-mile mobility.

Government Senior Secondary School, Bathinda team made “Herbal Shine”: Chemical-free herbal shampoo using traditional ingredients. The team has already sold 80 units and received a positive customer feedback.

While, Government Senior Secondary School, Ferozepur team created “Defend-X Stick”

Self-defence stick with LED, shock points and concealed blade. The product is devised targeting women, senior citizens, etc as their potential buyers. Government Sr. Sec. School, Moga teams developed BB Choco Dreams:  Handmade, preservative-free chocolates. The teams has already earned profit of over Rs 4,000.

S. Bains emphasised that India can grow only if there is business and economic growth, and Punjab Govt is cultivating entrepreneurship mindset right from the schools.

CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, July 4:

          In a major intelligence-led operation amidst the ongoing anti-drug campaign ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Amritsar Commissionerate Police has busted two separate modules—international narco-arms module and an inter-state narco-hawala syndicate— with the arrest of nine accused persons and recovered 1.15 kg heroin, five sophisticated pistols and Rs 9.7 lakhs drug money from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Friday.

          Those arrested have been identified as Jaspreet Singh Chauhan alias Kalu (26) of village Sokha Bhaini in Barnala, Harpreet Singh alias Happy (25) of Village Bholoke in Gurdaspur, Tejbir Singh alias Teji (21) of village Basti Lal Singh in Tarn Taran, Danish alias Gaggu (19) of Dashmesh Nagar in Amritsar, Saloni (19) of Kot Khalsa in Amritsar, Jobanpreet Singh alias Joban (28) of village Meharbanpura in Amritsar, Kulwinder Singh (28) of village Kakka in Ludhiana, Abdul Rehman (45) and Pardeep Pintu (44), both residents of Karnataka. 

          DGP Gaurav Yadav said that two separate first information reports (FIRs) have been registered at Police Stations Sadar and Islamabad in Amritsar. Further investigation is underway to trace forward and backward linkages to unearth the whole smuggling module, he said.

          Sharing details of the first operation, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that in an intelligence led operation, police teams have arrested three individuals— Jaspreet, Harpreet and Tejbir— involved in narco-arms module and recovered five sophisticated pistols— including three 9MM Glocks and two .30 bore Chinese pistols— along with cartridges from their possession.

          He said that preliminary investigations have revealed that two of the arrested accused— Jaspreet and Harpreet— had recently returned from Malaysia and were in touch with their handlers in Malaysia and Pakistan. They came to Amritsar area along with their friend Tejbir and on instructions of their handlers and picked up weapon and drugs consignment, he said, while adding that weapons were meant to further deliver to criminal elements to carry out crimes.

          In this regard, a case FIR no. 106 dated 02.07.2025 has been registered under section 21C of the NDPS Act and section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station Sadar in Amritsar.

          In another operation, the CP said that police teams have arrested six accused involved in a narco-hawala network with links to Delhi, Karnataka, and Dubai, and recovered ₹9.7 lakh drug money and 150 grams heroin from their possession.

          He said that the arrested accused were part of an organised hawala syndicate being operated by Abdul Rehman and Pardeep Pintu, who routed drug proceeds to Dubai through illegal channels. Further investigation is on and more arrests and recoveries are likely in coming days, he added.

          A case FIR No. 191 dated 27.06.2025 under sections 21-B, 29 and 27-A of the NDPS Act has been registered at Police Station Islamabad in Amritsar.

CHANDIGARH/FARIDKOT, July 4:

          In a firm demonstration of Punjab Government’s zero-tolerance policy against corruption, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Crime Against Women (CAW) Faridkot Rajanpal has been placed under suspension for attempting to bribe the office of the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Faridkot.

          As per the information, few days back, the SSP Faridkot had received a complaint against the DSP Rajanpal, wherein, the aggrieved party had accused him of taking money, for settling a matrimonial dispute and demanded action against the DSP.

          Divulging details, an official spokesperson of the Punjab Police said that accused DSP Rajanpal has attempted to offer a bribe of ₹1 lakh to the SSP’s office to settle the complaint filed against him.

          Taking swift and stern action, the Spokesperson said that Faridkot Police has registered a criminal case against the accused DSP and arrested him. Strict departmental proceedings will be initiated against the accused officer as per Punjab Civil Services rules, he added.

          “The Punjab Government is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and accountability within the police force. Any officer found indulging in corrupt practices will face stringent legal and disciplinary action,” said the spokesperson.

          In this regards, a case FIR No. 289 dated 04-07-2025 has been registered under sections 7 and 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act at Police Station City Faridkot.

New Delhi/Chandigarh, July 4

Presenting a comprehensive overview of the state’s revenue landscape since the implementation of GST on July 1, 2017 during the first meeting of the Group of Ministers on analysis of revenue from Goods and Services Tax (GST) held in New Delhi, Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema emphasized on bringing structural changes in the GST regime and proposed policy recommendations for revenue augmentation, including food grains under the GST framework, reducing or nullifying the inverted duty structure, and making e-way bill generation and e-invoicing mandatory. He also suggested that a unified platform can be developed, giving access to all States and the Central Tax Authority for data analytics and detecting tax evasion and compliance issues.

Highlighting the significant revenue loss Punjab has faced due to the subsumption of various taxes after the implementation of GST, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that Punjab, as an agrarian economy, heavily relied on Purchase Tax and Infrastructure Development Fee (ID Fee) on sale of grains (Wheat and Rice), collecting Rs 3,094 crores in 2015-16, which represented 16.55% of its total tax revenue, and experienced a permanent loss of revenue as a result of subsuption of these taxes. He also pointed out the loss from the subsumption of Central Sales Tax (CST), which previously contributed Rs 568 crores to Punjab’s revenue in 2015-16.

Furthermore, Finance Minister Cheema highlighted that under the previous VAT regime, Punjab had a higher collection of revenue as compared to GST regime. The Minister expressed concern over a consistent shortfall in Punjab’s GST collection since July 2017, with actual revenue significantly lower than the projected revenue based on a 14% growth rate on the base year. He said that had GST not been implemented, Punjab’s revenue position would have been better, even with a conservative 10% CAGR growth. He said that Punjab has faced a revenue shortfall of Rs 47037 crore since 1st July 2022. He said that states dependent on agriculture, like Punjab, should be compensated for the permanent loss of revenue due to the subsumption of purchase tax on food grains.

Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema also highlighted a paradoxical situation where major industrial sectors in Punjab, such as agricultural implements, cycle and cycle parts, and hosiery goods, show high gross turnovers but do not exhibit a commensurate increase in GST collection. This is largely due to GST being a destination-based consumption tax, leading to revenue flowing out of Punjab through SGST input tax credit adjustments against IGST liability, creating a net outflow of revenue.

Calling for policy intervention to reduce or nullify the inverted duty structure in GST, the Finance Minister Cheema said that it leads to substantial refunds and lower cash collections for the state. He said that approximately Rs 1,200 crores in refunds are disbursed annually by Punjab due to inverted duty structures and exports, further impacting revenue. Further recommendations included making e-way bills mandatory for evasion-prone commodities irrespective of the threshold, mandatory e-invoicing for B2B supplies for manufacturers and B2C supplies, mandatory mapping of IP addresses with GSTN and E-way bills for tracking fraudulent taxpayers, and the introduction of geo-fencing.

 Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema also advocated for the development of a unified AI-based platform for data integration from various government portals for both central and state tax authorities, and mandatory biometric authentication for taxpayers registered before its implementation based on risk profiling. Lastly, he proposed automating ITC claims in GSTR 3B forms, limiting claims to the amount available in GSTR 2B to mitigate fraudulent claims.

 Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema concluded by stating that despite Punjab’s leading efforts in collection efficiency and revenue maximization, the state faces persistent challenges in revenue generation. Given its landlocked, agrarian nature, the Punjab Finance Minister emphasized the need for consideration to include food grains under the GST framework to address the ongoing revenue deficit.

Chandigarh 4 July 2025:

       Sanjeev Arora assumed the charge as Industries and Commerce, Investment Promotion and NRI Affairs Minister, Punjab today in Punjab Civil Secretariat Chandigarh. He was accompanied by his family members. He said that he will perform his duty with utmost devotion and dedication and leave no stone unturned for the welfare of the people of Punjab.

          He was welcomed by Cabinet Minister Balbir Singh, Cabinet Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian, Cabinet Minister Baljit Kaur, Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, Cabinet Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, MLA Rupinder Singh Happy, MLA Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra, MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj, Kamal Kishor Yadav IAS, Amit Dhaka IAS, Surabhi Malik IAS, Senu Duggal IAS, A.S Rai IPS, State Information Commissioner Harpeet Sandhu and many other officers.

CHANDIGARH, July 3:

          With the war against drugs “Yudh Nashian Virudh” waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to eradicate drug menace from state completed 124 days, Punjab Police on Thursday arrested 107 drug smugglers and recovered 1.2 kg heroin and Rs 21,980 drug money from their possession. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 20,287 in just 124 days.

          The operation was conducted on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav simultaneously in all 28 Police districts of the state.

          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.

          Divulging details, Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla informed that over 220 Police teams, comprising over 1500 police personnel, under the supervision of 100 gazetted officers have conducted raids at as many as 495 locations across the state leading to the registration of 78 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. Police teams have also checked as many as 506 suspicious persons during the day-long operation, he added.

          The Special DGP said that with 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 71 persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment today.