Khijrabad (Banur)/Chandigarh, May 15:

Punjab Rural Development and Panchayats Minister, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, announced that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government has embarked on a transformative mission to enhance the aesthetics and vitality of the state’s villages. He emphasized that the Punjab government’s initiatives will leave a lasting impact on rural Punjab.

Highlighting key developments, Minister Sond stated that 15,000 village ponds are being cleaned and rejuvenated, and 13,000 rural sports grounds are being developed or upgraded as part of a comprehensive strategy to uplift rural life and promote youth engagement. He criticized previous governments for their inaction in maintaining village ponds and providing sports facilities for rural youth.

Addressing a press conference during a visit to the rural sports ground in Khijrabad (Banur), accompanied by MLA Neena Mittal, Sond remarked, “In every village, two locations define its spirit — the pond and the playground. Our government is committed to revitalizing both, ensuring that they become symbols of prosperity and pride.”

As part of the Rural Rejuvenation Mission, the government is building or upgrading over 13,000 sports grounds across all 154 development blocks. These efforts are aligned with the government’s broader vision of a “Yudh Nashiyan Virudh,” encouraging youth participation in sports and steering them away from substance abuse.

The projects are being implemented through a combination of budgetary funds worth Rs. 3,500 crore, MGNREGA, and Finance Commission grants. Furthermore, 3,000 new Model Sports Grounds are being constructed with special focus on locally popular sports, and 4,300 existing playgrounds are undergoing significant upgrades.

Sond expressed concern that many rural children grow up without access to sports facilities, which hinders their physical development and career prospects. “We are ensuring that every child in every village has access to safe, green, and well-equipped playgrounds to play, compete, and grow,” he stated.

Later, Sond visited villages including Azizpur, Fareedpur Gujjran, Bhateri, Nalas Khurd, and Manakpur to review the status of playground development and pond cleaning. During an inspection of the Azizpur Stadium, he noted some deficiencies and directed the Patiala ADC to submit a report.

He revealed that this is the first-of-its-kind mission in Punjab, aimed at cleaning, rejuvenating, and treating water in over 15,000 ponds across all 154 blocks in a phased manner. According to field reports, Dewatering has been completed in 1,587 ponds and ongoing in 4,408 ponds. Similarly, Desilting has been completed in over 515 ponds and underway in 1,901 ponds. The entire dewatering process is expected to be completed by May 30, 2025.

The Minister announced that in the first phase of FY 2025-26, 5,000 ponds will be developed under the Thapar/Seechewal model. “This is not just a cleanliness initiative. It is a movement to restore dignity and quality of life in our villages,” he said.

For decades, many village ponds had turned into dumping grounds, filled with waste, plastic, and wild overgrowth, becoming unfit for animals, mosquito breeding grounds, and unsuitable for agriculture. Now, these water bodies are being transformed into clean water sources to be reused for farming and community needs.

He emphasized that large-scale dewatering and desilting operations are being undertaken for the first time in decades, significantly enhancing water storage capacity and natural flow patterns. This initiative marks a historic step in Punjab’s rural transformation, demonstrating the state government’s unwavering commitment to clean water, youth empowerment, and sustainable village development.

Chandigarh, May 15:

Continuing inspection spree of ensuring sanitation arrangements across Punjab while complying with the directions of the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Local Government Minister Dr. Ravjot Singh today conducted surprise visit to various areas of Hoshiarpur city early this morning.

Reviewing the Municipal Corporation’s sanitation arrangements along with MLA Bram Shankar Jimpa, the Cabinet Minister expressed displeasure over cleanliness negligence at several locations and issued strict directions to officials. He was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain, Mayor Surinder Kumar, Backfinco Chairman Sandeep Saini, District Planning Committee Chairperson Karamjit Kaur and Municipal Commissioner Dr. Amandeep Kaur.

Dr. Ravjot Singh took serious notice of the garbage heaps found accumulated in a plot near Civil Hospital. He directed Municipal Corporation officials to issue notices to the concerned plot owners with clear instructions against dumping garbage, stating that such plots are deteriorating city’s cleanliness system and require immediate action.

Dr. Ravjot Singh also instructed regular cleaning of the roadside from Civil Hospital to Prabhat Chowk and directed that the area be transformed into a green zone, besides ensuring cleanliness around the Labour Shed near Ghanta Ghar and removing encroachments. He directed that closed public toilets be reopened immediately with proper cleaning and regular maintenance, making it clear that any negligence in providing public amenities would not be tolerated.

Dr. Ravjot Singh also visited garbage dump points near Red Road, Shimla Pahari Chowk, Government Elementary School Bahadurpur and DAV College. He assessed the cleanliness situation at all these locations and directed the concerned officials to ensure regular cleaning of these hotspots.

The Cabinet Minister ordered the immediate removal of garbage scattered along the roadsides leading to Indoor Stadium, Vardhman Officer Colony and Gurdwara Sri Zahra Zahur Sahib, asserting that making Hoshiarpur city clean, beautiful and organized is a priority of the state government and no negligence in this work would be tolerated at any cost.

MLA Bram Shankar Jimpa also asked Municipal Corporation officials to launch a special campaign to make the city dump-free and to intensify the cleaning of prominent intersections and garbage hotspots.

Senior Deputy Mayor Praveen Saini, Deputy Mayor Ranjit Chaudhary, Market Committee Hoshiarpur Chairman Jaspal Singh Chechi, Hoshiarpur Cooperative Bank Chairman Vikram Sharma and other Municipal Corporation officials were also present on this occasion.

Chandigarh, May 15:

Punjab Transport Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar today said that the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann-led government is committed to the welfare and protection of rights for all sections of society, with a special focus on the upliftment of the employees.

Presiding over the meeting of representatives of PUNBUS and PRTC employee unions at the Punjab Civil Secretariat, the Cabinet Minister listened attentively to the demands of the employee unions and assured them that the state government would sympathetically consider all their demands. He said that employees are the backbone of any organization and the government will remain committed to protecting their rights.

In accordance with suggestions provided by the unions, detailed discussions were held on bringing PUNBUS and PRTC to greater profitability and implementing further improvements in departmental operations. The Cabinet Minister instructed senior officials to examine the technical aspects of the employees’ key demands and submit a report promptly.

S. Bhullar said that the Punjab government is continuously making new decisions for employee welfare and will continue to work with the same responsibility in the coming days.

Chandigarh, May 15:

In a step further aimed at saving 15-20% precious groundwater of the state, the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday started the Direct Sowing of Rice (DSR) which will act as a catalyst for checking the further depletion of groundwater besides supplementing the income of farmers in a big way.

In a statement issued here today, the Chief Minister said that after assuming the charge of his office his government has taken several path breaking initiatives to safeguard the interests of the farmers. He said that as a part of this endeavor only the state government has encouraged DSR technique of paddy cultivation as a part of which sowing under the scheme has been started from today (Thursday). Bhagwant Singh Mann said that his Government has set a target of bringing five lakh acres of land under DSR technique during this Kharif season.

Urging the farmers to make maximum use of this scheme, the Chief Minister said that this initiative is aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture on one hand and conserving the groundwater on the other. Bhagwant Singh Mann further said that it is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction for him that the state government is giving financial assistance worth Rs. 1,500 per acre to the farmers adopting DSR. He said that the state government has also kept a budgetary allocation of Rs. 40 crore for this purpose in the financial year 2025-26 adding that the farmers interested in it can register for the DSR scheme at online portal agrimachinerypb.com from May 10 to June 30, 2025.

The Chief Minister said that this scheme will save 15-20% of the groundwater in the state besides saving the additional expenses on agriculture. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the DSR technique is a big boon for the state as it will help in checking the depleting groundwater levels besides reducing labour costs of approximately Rs. 3,500 per acre. He said that the farmers should come forward and adopt this scheme and discharge their duty towards their motherland in a befitting manner.

The Chief Minister said that the state government has always been sensitive towards steering the farmers out of the prevailing agrarian crisis and for saving the precious groundwater of the state. He said that the state had played a key role to make the country self-reliant in food that too at the cost of overexploitation of the only available natural resources of the state in terms of soil and water. However, Bhagwant Singh Mann bemoaned that agriculture today was no longer a profitable venture as the farmers were facing acute agrarian crisis due to ever escalating farm inputs and non remunerative Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Chandigarh, May 15:

Punjab Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar today instructed Punjab Roadways and PRTC officials to accelerate the process of adding new buses to their fleet. It is noteworthy that 606 buses will be added to the Punbus fleet and 656 to PRTC fleet including 100 Mini buses, a total of 1262 new buses.

While chairing a meeting to evaluate the ongoing procurement of new buses with Punjab Roadways and PRTC officials, Laljit Singh Bhullar said that under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab government’s efforts to provide better public bus services have restored people’s confidence in government bus transportation. As a result, government buses have recorded an increase in revenue per kilometer.

Laljit Singh Bhullar directed officials of Punjab Roadways and PRTC to complete the ongoing procurement process for new buses before the existing buses are condemned, ensuring that the public does not face any inconvenience.

Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included PRTC Managing Director Bikramjit Singh Shergill, Punjab Roadways Director Rajiv Gupta and other officials.

Chandigarh, May 15:

Punjab Water Resources and Soil and Water Conservation Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal today said that Haryana has further complicated water-sharing negotiations by increasing its already unfeasible water demand from 9,525 cusecs to 10,300 cusecs during today’s Technical Committee meeting of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).

Following the meeting of officials of state of Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana, the Cabinet Minister informed that Haryana’s escalating demand clearly shows its unwillingness to reach a reasonable resolution to our shared water challenges. Haryana tactics appear designed to create an impossible situation rather than work toward practical solutions.

He said that in the Technical Committee meeting, chaired by the BBMB Chairman, Water Resources Secretary Krishan Kumar and Chief Engineer Sher Singh represented the Punjab, alongside Chief Engineers from Haryana and Rajasthan, with Central Government representatives participating virtually.

The Cabinet Minister said that “Haryana had initially demanded 8,500 cusecs, which our technical team clearly explained was impossible to provide. On humanitarian grounds, Punjab has already been supplying 4,000 cusecs since April 4 specifically for drinking water purposes,” said Barinder Kumar Goyal.

He informed that as we already explained our limitations, Haryana has demanded 10,300 cusecs of water to be delivered from May 21 onward, despite their previous written correspondence requesting 9,525 cusecs, which is significant and unexplained increase.

Barinder Kumar Goyal, while stressing the physical impossibility of meeting Haryana’s demands, said that the Bhakra Main Line (BML) has a maximum capacity of 11,700 cusecs. Punjab requires a minimum of 3,000 cusecs for our own critical needs. Now, Haryana’s demand of 10,300 cusecs would effectively leave Punjab with almost no water and exceeds what the infrastructure can safely handle, especially while repairs of BML are ongoing.

He said that Punjab officials presented documentation of Haryana’s previous written request for 9,525 cusecs during the meeting, highlighting the contradiction with their new demand. The BBMB Chairman acknowledged the discrepancy and committed to examining the matter further, he added.

“By making these technically impossible demands, Haryana is deliberately creating complications in the water-sharing arrangement,” said the Cabinet Minister, adding that Punjab has consistently adhered to all BBMB rules and regulations, while Haryana continues to shift its position.

The Minister also clarified Punjab’s position regarding the ongoing water supply, saying that the 4,000 cusecs we have been providing to Haryana since April 4 is drawn from Punjab’s allocation. We have formally stated that the total accumulated volume will need to be returned to Punjab when required.

The Cabinet Minister said that when the meeting began, the Rajasthan government expressed appreciation to Punjab for reliably supplying water when needed. In contrast, Haryana reverted to making excessive demands.

CHANDIGARH/SANGRUR, May 15:

In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing anti-drugs campaign ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Sangrur Police has uncovered a well-organised smuggling racket operating from within the Jail premises, leading to the arrest of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Security Gurpreet Singh posted at Sangrur Jail, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Thursday.

“Acting on credible intelligence, a raid inside the Sangrur Jail had led to the recovery of 12 mobile phones, 4 smartwatches, 50 grams of opium, 12 grams heroin and other contraband items. The preliminary investigation has also pointed to the involvement of a Class-IV employee identified as Parshant, whose role in facilitating the smuggling activities came to light,” said the DGP, while confirming the arrest of the Jail employee.

He said that pursuing backward and forward linkages, the investigation further led to the arrest of Amritsar-based drug smuggler identified as Manpreet Singh, who is an associate of inmate Gurvinder Singh – currently lodged in Sangrur Jail. Police teams have recovered 4 Kg Heroin, ₹5.5 lakh in drug money and one 9MM Glock pistol along with two live cartridges from accused Manpreet’s possession, he added.

The investigation is ongoing, and further arrests and disclosures are expected, said DGP Gaurav Yadav, while reaffirming that no individual, regardless of their rank or position, will be spared if found involved in illegal activities.

Sharing more details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sangrur Sartaj Singh Chahal said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused DSP Gurpreet Singh was actively involved in the smuggling of drugs and mobile phones into the jail premises.

He said that probe has also revealed that the accused DSP had received Rs 40000 cash from inmate Gurchet’s relative and Rs 26000 in his wife’s account via UPI, to facilitate 25 grams heroin and two mobile phones into the jail premises. Of the total 25 grams heroin, 12 grams heroin has been recovered from another inmate identified as Ravi, who was further selling the drugs to inmates on the directions of Gurchet.

The SSP said that a total of 19 accused persons including DSP Gurpreet Singh, employee Parshant, drug smuggler Manpreet Singh, inmate Gurchet’s mother identified as Banto alias Banso and 15 inmates identified as Gurvinder Singh, Lovejeet Singh, Sikander Singh, Pargat Singh, Sultan Singh, Aman Kumar, Ajay, Harpreet Singh of Ludhiana, Rishipal, Harpreet Singh of Dhuri, Munna, Gur Raj Singh, Raghvir Singh, Gurchet Singh and Rajiv Kaushal alias Gaggu have been arrested so far

He said that further investigations are on to establish forward and backward linkages in this case to unearth the entire network. More arrests and recoveries are likely in the coming days, he added.

A case FIR no 75 dated 27/4/2025 under sections 18, 21, 29 and 27A of the NDPS Act, section 52-A of the Prisons Act and section 25 of the Arms Act had already been registered at Police Station City-1 Sangrur, while, section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act has been added later.

Chandigarh, May 15:

          Punjab Chief Election Commisioner Sibin C informed that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu & Dr. Vivek Joshi had an interaction with the Aam Aadmi Party led by its National Convener, Arvind Kejriwal at Nirvachan Sadan today. The meeting is in continuation of the interactions being held by ECI with the Presidents of various National and State Political Parties.

He said that these interactions provide for a long-felt need of constructive discussions which enable National and State Party Presidents to share their suggestions and concerns directly with the Commission. This initiative aligns with the Commission’s broader vision of further strengthening the electoral process in accordance with the existing legal framework with all stakeholders.

          The Commission had earlier met with the delegations of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), led by the Party President Mayawati, on May 06, 2025, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by the Party President Jagat Prakash Nadda, on May 08, 2025, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), M.A. Baby on May 10, 2025 and the Party President of the National People’s Party, Conrad Sangma on May 13, 2025.

          Earlier, a total of 4,719 all-party meetings have been conducted including 40 meetings by CEOs, 800 by DEOs, and 3879 by EROs engaging over 28,000 representatives of various political parties.

CHANDIGARH, May 15:

          With the ongoing war against drugs “Yudh Nashian Virudh” waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to eradicate drug menace from state entered 75th day, Punjab Police on Thursday conducted a cordon and search operation (CASO) at Bus Stands across the state.

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

          Special Director General of Police (Special DGP) Law and Order Arpit Shukla, who was personally monitoring this state-level operation, said that all the CPs/SSPs were asked to ensure heavy deployment of police force under the supervision of Superintendent of Police (SP) rank officers to make this operation successful.

          He said that suspicious persons were checked during the operation conducted at around all the bus stands in the state.

          Apart from this, Police teams have continued its drive against drugs and conducted raids at 486 locations on Thursday leading to the arrest of 124 drug smugglers after registration of 83 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 11,208 within 75 days.

          The Special DGP said that the raids have resulted in recovery of 4.02 kg heroin, 2.5 kg opium and Rs 27090 drug money from the possession of arrested drug smugglers.

          He informed that over 200 Police teams, comprising over 1200 police personnel, under the supervision of 87 gazetted officers have conducted raids across the state and checked as many as 481 suspicious persons during the day long operation.

          As part of the drive against drugs, in Gurdaspur, a bulldozer was used to raze the houses of two drug smugglers, identified as Baljinder and Lakhwinder, constructed illegally on the land of Water Resource Department at their village Dida Sansia. On this occasion, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gurdaspur Aaditya said that both the accused, whose house were demolished, has a criminal background with accused Baljinder facing 10 FIRs under NDPS act and Excise Act, and accused Lakhwinder facing 12 FIRs under the NDPS Act and Excise Act.

          The Special DGP said that Punjab Police has devised a comprehensive strategy and such operations will be continued till the scourge of drugs eradicated from the state.

          He 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 116 persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment.

          Meanwhile, Punjab Police has also carried out search operation at different jails in six districts— Commissionerate Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, SBS Nagar, Jalandhar Rural, Kapurthala and Rupnagar— to check any illegal activities in the jail. “Our Police teams have thoroughly searched every nook and corner including barracks, kitchen and toilets in the jail complex,” said Special DGP Arpit Shukla.