Chandigarh, September 1

Punjab, which is suffering from the most devastating floods of the past half century, needs urgent support to recover from this calamity and to provide relief to the affected people. In this regard, Member of Parliament from Sangrur, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a special relief package for Punjab.

Meet Hayer has demanded that Punjab be given ₹20,000 crore as immediate interim relief and, after a comprehensive assessment of the total loss, a larger relief package should follow. Additionally, he has also urged the Centre to release the pending ₹60,000 crore funds of Punjab without delay. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has also appealed to the Prime Minister for urgent intervention in this matter. Meet Hayer stressed that it is now the duty of the Centre to support Punjab, the state that feeds the nation.

Meet Hayer said that the floods have caused loss of life, property, livestock, and massive damage to infrastructure, while also destroying crops over vast stretches of farmland. This will have a direct negative impact on the country’s food reserves. He emphasized that since Punjab is the nation’s food bowl, the Centre must extend its hand to support the state in this hour of crisis. The crops were damaged right at the peak of the harvest season. Apart from human and property losses, the floods have caused major loss of cattle, severely affecting dairy farming and allied livestock-based livelihoods.

Looking into the causes of these floods, the MP explained that due to heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, the water level in the Ravi River rose sharply, causing the Ranjit Sagar Dam to rise by 25 feet in the last 10 days. As a result, more water is being released than in 1988, leading to flooding in about 300 villages across three districts of Majha region. Similarly, excess water released from Pong Dam into the Beas River caused flooding in villages of Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur. Heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh also raised water levels in Bhakra Dam, resulting in severe flooding in districts along the Sutlej River. Meanwhile, continuous rainfall has kept the Ghaggar River on high alert, and September too has seen persistent rains across Punjab.

Meet Hayer urged the Prime Minister to announce a special central package for Punjab, which should include adequate compensation for flood-affected families, rebuilding of damaged infrastructure, restoration of irrigation systems, and strengthening of river embankments. He recommended that the embankments along the Ghaggar and other rivers be reinforced to at least 4.5 feet high for future protection.

He also appealed to the Prime Minister that, just as the Union Home Minister visited Jammu & Kashmir recently, senior leaders of the Centre should also visit Punjab to assess the ground-level situation and witness the scale of damage firsthand.

Chandigarh, September 1:

Keeping in the view of continuous heavy downpour and prevailing flood situation in Punjab, all the higher educational institutions, including colleges, universities and polytechnic institutes, will remain closed in the state till September 3, 2025, informed S. Harjot Singh Bains, Minister of Higher and Technical Education Minister, Punjab.

This decision has been taken to ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff, S. Bains said while adding that the responsibility for the well-being and security of students residing in hostels lies with the respective educational institution administrations. They would provide essential services, while taking necessary measures to address any concern or issue that may arise during this challenging period.

Urging everyone to strictly follow the guidelines issued by district authorities and the State Government,  S. Harjot Singh Bains emphasised that the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government is committed to ensuring the well-being of its citizens, especially students, and continuously monitoring the situation closely.

Chandigarh, September 1

Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise, and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday said that it is deeply unfortunate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is completely ignoring the devastation caused by floods in Punjab, a state that has always faced the country’s challenges head-on. Cheema also condemned Union Home Minister Amit Shah for not providing any assurance of releasing the pending funds of Rs 60,000 crore or a relief package in response to Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s letter, which had appealed for the release of the due funds.

Cheema said, “What is even more unfortunate is that instead of pressuring their Central government to provide assistance to the state, the Punjab BJP is busy holding political rallies.”

Displaying a check for Rs 50 lakh issued by the state’s Excise and Taxation Department for the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to aid flood victims while addressing a press conference here at Punjab Bhawan, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that while the Punjab government, its departments, and the people of the state are collectively dealing with this natural disaster, the BJP-led Central government is completely ignoring the state. He expressed his dismay that while the Prime Minister, who even tweets birthday wishes, has not said a single word about the natural disaster affecting Punjab. He also criticized Punjab BJP leaders, including State President Sunil Jakhar, Working President Ashwani Sharma, and Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu, for being engrossed in political rallies in Samrala instead of urging their central leadership to act. “The leaders of the Punjab BJP should be ashamed of this attitude,” he added.

Showing the letter written by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to the Prime Minister, Minister Cheema said that it detailed the over Rs 60,000 crore in funds owed to the state from GST compensation, RDF & MDF, and the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. He said that the Chief Minister had also appealed for amendments to the rules for providing assistance under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to ensure adequate compensation for flood victims. He said that while the Home Minister spoke to the Chief Minister over the phone, no assurance was given regarding the release of the pending funds or providing aid to the flood victims.

Recalling Punjab’s valor during wars in 1962, 1965, 1971, and most recently in 2025, Minister Cheema emphasized that the state’s border regions bore the brunt of attacks during the conflict with Pakistan, yet Punjabis responded with unwavering courage. He expressed deep disappointment that the Union government now appears to be turning a blind eye to Punjab’s suffering. He noted that the floods, the worst in nearly four decades, have ravaged large parts of the state, including Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, and Jalandhar. The Punjab cabinet, he said, is working tirelessly to provide relief and rehabilitation.

Finance Minister Cheema also acknowledged the efforts of Aam Aadmi Party Punjab President and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora, who has mobilized party leaders to extend all possible help to those affected. Responding to media queries, he confirmed that 29 lives have been lost so far and that deputy commissioners are actively assessing the damage. However, he stressed that the immediate priority remains the delivery of relief materials and the continuation of rescue operations.

Concluding his address, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema reaffirmed the Punjab government’s unwavering commitment to compensating citizens for their losses and called upon the Union Government to fulfill its constitutional and moral responsibility towards the people of Punjab.

Chandigarh, September 1:

Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister S. Hardeep Singh Mundian today informed that while the State has witnessed widespread devastation due to incessant rains and floods, affecting almost the entire State and causing unprecedented damage to human lives, property, crops, livestock and infrastructure, the government has been working tirelessly round-the-clock to address this adverse situation and provide immediate relief to the affected citizens.

Giving details of the evacuation and relief operations, the Revenue Minister said that Punjab continues to battle the flood situation with large-scale evacuation and relief measures being carried out across the affected districts. He said that as per reports from districts, a total of 15688 persons have been evacuated so far. Major evacuations were reported from Gurdaspur with 5549 people, Ferozepur with 3321, Fazilka with 2049, Pathankot with 1139, Amritsar with 1700 and Hoshiarpur with 1052, besides other districts including Barnala with 25, Kapurthala with 515, Tarn Taran with 60, Moga with 115 and Mansa with 163.

S. Hardeep Singh Mundian informed that relief and rehabilitation efforts are in full swing with 129 camps established across Punjab to provide immediate shelter to displaced families. These include 16 active camps in Amritsar, 1 in Barnala, 10 in Fazilka, 8 in Ferozepur, 25 in Gurdaspur, 20 in Hoshiarpur, 4 in Kapurthala, 1 in Mansa, 9 in Moga, 14 in Pathankot, 1 in Sangrur and 20 in district Patiala. The state government has directed the district administrations to ensure adequate food supplies, medical aid and essential facilities at these centres, he added.

Currently, a total of 7144 persons are housed in relief camps across the state. The highest number of inmates have been reported from Ferozepur (3987), Fazilka (1201), Hoshiarpur (478), Pathankot (411), Gurdaspur (424), Amritsar (170), Mansa (163), Moga (115), Kapurthala (110), Sangrur (60) and Barnala (25).

He said that a total of 1044 villages across 12 districts have been affected. District-wise breakdown shows as Amritsar (88 villages), Barnala (24), Fazilka (72), Ferozepur (76), Gurdaspur (321), Hoshiarpur (94), Jalandhar (55), Kapurthala (115), Mansa (77), Moga (39), Pathankot (82) and SAS Nagar (1).

S. Hardeep Singh Mundian informed as per reports from deputy commissioners, a total 2,56,107 people have been affected due to floods in different districts of Punjab. The highest impact has been reported from Gurdaspur where 1,45,000 people have suffered, followed by Amritsar with 35000, Ferozepur with 24015 and Fazilka with 21562. Pathankot also recorded 15053 affected individuals while SAS Nagar and Kapurthala reported 7000 and 5650 respectively. Other affected districts include Barnala (59), Mansa (163), Jalandhar (653), Moga (800) and Hoshiarpur (1152).

On deployment of forces, the Revenue Minister shared that multiple agencies are providing assistance. The NDRF has deployed 20 teams across Pathankot (1), Gurdaspur (6), Amritsar (6), Ferozepur (3), Fazilka (3) and Bathinda (1). The Air Force, Navy & Army have deployed 10 columns with 8 on standby, along with 2 engineer columns. Besides this, around 35 helicopters of Indian Air Force and Indian Army have been deployed for rescue and relief operations. BSF units are deployed on the ground providing additional support.

For rescue operations, a total of 114 boats have been deployed, along with 1 state helicopter to support evacuation and relief efforts, he added.

Divulging details of lost human lives, the Cabinet Minister said that the flood situation has resulted in tragic loss of 29 human lives across 12 districts from August 1 to September 1, 2025. The casualties reported district-wise are: Amritsar (3), Barnala (3), Bathinda (1), Gurdaspur (1), Hoshiarpur (3), Ludhiana (3), Mansa (3), Pathankot (6), Patiala (1), Rupnagar (3), SAS Nagar (1) and Sangrur (1). Besides this, 3 persons remain missing from Pathankot district.

The Revenue Minister said that the floods have caused extensive damage to agricultural land with a total crop area of 94061 hectares affected across various districts. The most severely impacted districts include Amritsar (23000 hectares), Mansa (17005 hectares), Kapurthala (14934 hectares), Tarn Taran (11883 hectares), Ferozepur (11232 hectares), Hoshiarpur (5971 hectares), Jalandhar (2800 hectares), Pathankot (2442 hectares), SAS Nagar (2000 hectares), Patiala (1450 hectares), Moga (949 hectares), Ludhiana (108 hectares), Bathinda (97 hectares) and Sri Muktsar Sahib (84 hectares). Other smaller affected areas include Fazilka (64 hectares), Gurdaspur (24 hectares), SBS Nagar (7 hectares), Malerkotla (5 hectares), Sangrur (3 hectares), Barnala (2hectares) and Fatehgarh Sahib (1 hectares).

The Cabinet Minister further said that relief distribution has been actively carried out across all affected districts, while medical teams are attending to the health needs of the affected population. Loss of animals cannot be assessed as of now; data will be collected after the flood recedes; however, there is a huge loss of livestock in affected villages, said the Cabinet Minister, adding that infrastructure damage cannot be ascertained as of now; actual picture will be presented once the flood recedes.

The Cabinet Minister assured that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led government is committed to providing immediate relief and long-term rehabilitation to all affected families. He directed Deputy Commissioners of all affected districts to complete the assessment of losses at the earliest so that timely compensation can be provided.

Chandigarh, September 1:

Office of CEO Punjab informed that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued necessary directions regarding the facilitation of voting by Amritpal Singh, Member of Lok Sabha from 03-Khadoor Sahib Parliamentary Constituency, Punjab, who is also a member of the Electoral College for the ongoing Vice-Presidential Election, 2025.

Amritpal Singh is presently under preventive detention under the National Security Act, 1980, at Central Jail, Dibrugarh, Assam. In accordance with the provisions of Rule 26 of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Rules, 1974, the Commission has directed that a postal ballot paper be issued to him.

As per the prescribed procedure, postal ballot papers for electors under preventive detention are to be delivered only on the day of poll, and the sealed cover containing the marked postal ballot must reach the Returning Officer before the commencement of counting.

Accordingly, the Commission has instructed the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Chief Secretary, Government of Assam, to ensure that the sealed cover containing the postal ballot marked by Amritpal Singh is carried by a special messenger from Dibrugarh, Assam, by air, so that it reaches the Returning Officer well before 6:00 p.m. on 9th September 2025, the scheduled date for counting of votes.

The concerned authorities have been directed to immediately put in place arrangements for this purpose and keep the Commission apprised of the details.

Chandigarh, September 1:

The Punjab Government is leaving no stone unturned to save lives of human  beings as well as animals in this hour of natural calamity. All cabinet Ministers are continuously visiting different flood affected areas  so that necessary aid should reach the affected families at the earliest.

Punjab Finance Minister S. Harpal Singh Cheema today flagged off five trucks of Relief Material for flood affected people of Ajnala sub division from Mohali.  The relief trucks carried 1,000 ration kits, 600 packets of drinking water, 400 mosquito nets, 400 mattresses, and 200 folding beds.

Expressing gratitude to Aam Aadmi Party volunteers and the people of Punjab for their overwhelming contribution towards relief efforts, Mr. Cheema said that Punjab has made countless sacrifices for the nation, and now is the time for the Central Government to stand with its people.Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian visited villages of Sabuana and Badiwala in Fazilka district.

Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains has taken charge of the rescue operations in flood-affected areas of Sri Anandpur Sahib and visited different areas of his constituency. He said our government is standing shoulder to shoulder with them. He is closely monitoring the situation and overseeing rescue and relief operations to ensure public safety.

Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains has launched a helpline number : +91 87279- 62441 for the people of flood affected areas of Sri Anandpur Sahib constituency. This  helpline number  will work twenty four hours.

Punjab Food, Civil Supplies, Forest and Wildlife Protection Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak is continuously visiting the flood-affected villages of Bhoa constituency in Pathankot district to assess the situation and distributing relief materials. He visited villages Tash, Makhanpur, Basau Barwan, Kolian Adda and Bamiyal areas today. He provided financial assistance to four families in village Tash and also distributed fodder for animals. Fodder was also distributed in village Makhanpur. He assured the flood-affected people that the state government is standing with them in this difficult time.

Jail and Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar today visited flood-hit areas of Khadoor Sahib, Fatehabad and Dhunda in Tarn Taran district and took stock of the flood situation. He distributed relief materials like ration, food kits, drinking water etc. to the needy people and also arranged fodder for the animals.  S. Bhullar said that our Government is standing with them in this hour of calamity and due compensation will be given for their financial loss and damage of crops after evaluation of the loss (Girdawari).

Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh E. T. O. today helped the villagers in filling up a 50 feet deep and 200 meters wide pit caused by a landslide in Marr village near Harike town of Tarn Taran district. Apart from this, he also visited the flood-affected areas in Keeri village. He also reviewed the relief work being carried out in the flood-affected areas. He assured the flood victims that our government is committed to provide all kinds of help to them.

During flooding in the Sultanpur Lodhi, Cabinet Ministers Hardeep Singh Mundian and Mohinder Bhagat undertook relief operations to assist affected communities. Both the Cabinet Ministers navigated through waterlogged areas in the Mand region using tractors and reached even the most inaccessible flood-stricken zones.

Lok Sabha Member Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal reviewed the ongoing relief work for the victims of the flood-affected areas at Dana Mandi located on Chogawan Road in Ajnala.  In this relief, essential items like medical kits, cattle feed for animals etc were distributed to flood affected people.

Chandigarh, September 1

Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday announced that the state’s fiscal trajectory continues to reflect robust growth, with GST collections in August 2025 registering an impressive 18.66 percent increase compared to the same month last year. He further stated that the cumulative growth in GST collections up to August 2025 stands even higher, at 26.47 percent, underscoring the resilience and efficiency of Punjab’s tax administration.

In a press communiqué issued here, Minister Cheema emphasized that the state’s overall tax collections have demonstrated a significant year-on-year rise, with a 15.39 percent increase recorded up to August 2025 compared to the corresponding period in the previous financial year. He noted that this upward trend spans across various tax categories, reflecting a broader economic momentum and improved compliance.

Providing specific figures, the Finance Minister revealed that the Net GST collection for August 2025 stood at Rs 2138.80 crore, marking a substantial increase of Rs 336.30 crore over the Rs 1802.50 crore collected in August 2024. He added that the net GST collection for the current fiscal year up to August has reached Rs 11,338.47 crore, compared to Rs 8,965.32 crore collected during the same period in FY 2024–25, indicating a growth of Rs 2,373.15 crore.

Highlighting the cumulative tax revenue figures, Minister Cheema stated that the total net collection from VAT, CST, GST, PSDT, and Excise up to August 2025 has touched Rs 19,364.36 crore. This marks a significant rise from the Rs 16,781.08 crore collected during the same timeframe in the previous financial year. He asserted that these figures are a testament to Punjab’s sound fiscal management and the effectiveness of its tax enforcement mechanisms.

Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema reaffirmed the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government’s commitment to maintaining fiscal discipline while ensuring that the benefits of economic growth are translated into public welfare and infrastructure development across the state.

CHANDIGARH, September 1:

          With the ongoing decisive war against drugs ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has completed six months, Punjab Police has registered 17,957 first information reports (FIRs) and arrested 27,796 drug smugglers leading to the recovery of 1129 kg heroin since March 1, 2025.

          Since the launch of this anti-drug drive, Punjab Police, under the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav, has been conducting operations daily simultaneously in all the 28 Police districts of the state. Notably, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann had 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.

          Special Director General of Police (Special DGP) Law and Order Arpit Shukla, who has been personally overseeing the operations, revealed that apart from the 1129 kg haul of heroin, police have also seized 384 kg opium, 232 quintals poppy husk, 29 kg charas, 430 kg ganja, 6.3 kg ICE, 33 lakh intoxicant pills/tablets, and ₹12.44 crore drug money.

          Sharing details of outcome of Day 184, the Special DGP said that Punjab Police has arrested 58 drug smugglers and recovered 8.4 kg heroin, 4087 intoxicant pills and Rs 2300 drug money from their possession.

          Over 120 Police teams, comprising over 1000 police personnel, under the supervision of 67 gazetted officers have conducted raids at as many as 309 locations across the state leading to the registration of 43 first information reports (FIRs) across the state, he said, while adding that police teams have also checked as many as 337 suspicious persons during the day long operation.

          Meanwhile, 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 14 persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment.

CHANDIGARH, September 1:

          The Punjab Health and Family Welfare Department has taken a decisive step to handle any health-related exigency arising from the floods with the immediate deployment of 138 newly recruited Medical Officers to the seven worst-affected districts. This strategic infusion of frontline medical manpower is a core part of the state’s escalated response to ensure citizen safety and well-being.

          Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh, while directing the new officers to report immediately to the Civil Surgeons of their assigned districts, stated, “The health of our citizens in the flood-affected regions is our paramount concern. The presence of these 138 doctors on the ground is crucial to strengthening our healthcare delivery and tackling medical challenges in these difficult times.”

          Emphasizing the urgency of the situation, Dr Balbir Singh, stated, “A total of 322 Medical Officers have been given appointment orders in the first phase of the total recruitment of 1000 medical officers. Considering the emergency situation in the wake of floods,138 Medical Officers have been directed to immediately report to the Civil Surgeon of the flood-affected district for carrying out critical medical duties. Their presence on the ground is crucial to strengthening our healthcare delivery in these challenging times.”

          He informed that this major manpower push is further amplified by the support from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Punjab, Nursing Colleges, Private Hospitals, and Government & Private Medical Colleges, who have all stepped forward to bolster the state’s relief efforts.

          Dr Balbir Singh revealed that Health Department has deployed massive infrastructure of 818 Rapid Response and Mobile Medical Teams which are conducting daily medical camps in affected villages and shelter homes.” To combat water-borne diseases, a large-scale distribution of chlorine tablets is underway, with teams ensuring house-to-door delivery. Furthermore, extensive spraying and fogging operations are being carried out to prevent vector-borne diseases in waterlogged areas.” he added.

          Ensuring rapid medical response Dr Balbir Singh said that a fleet of 424 ambulances, comprising 170 from the department and 254 with the support of the IMA and NGOs, is now operational across the affected districts. The Department of Health & Family Welfare reaffirms its commitment to working round the clock to protect lives and provide uninterrupted healthcare and preventive services throughout this crisis.

Chandigarh September 1, 2025 : The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing drive against corruption in the state, on Monday has arrested Amandeep Singh, Forest Guard, holding additional Block Incharge, Forest Range Office, Patiala red-handed while he was accepting a bribe Rs. 1,50,000.

Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson of the state VB said the arrested accused was demanded bribe in lieu of a complainant for issuing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) related to land purchased for a Nursing Home at Devigarh Road, Patiala.

The complainant has informed the VB that bribe was demanded jointly by Swaran Singh, Forest Range Officer, Patiala and aforementioned Amandeep Singh.

The spokesperson added that after preliminary verification of this complaint the VB team laid a trap during which the accused Amandeep Singh was apprehended in the presence of two official witnesses and the bribe money was recovered on the spot from the accused.

In this regard a case under section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and under section 61(2) of the BNS has been registered against the said accused at VB Police Station Patiala range. The other co-accused Swaran Singh, Forest Range Officer will be arrested soon. Further investigation of this case is under progress, he added.