Patiala, April 13:

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday felicitated the Punjabis across the globe on the sacred occasion of  the   ‘Sajna Divas of the Khalsa Panth’ and ‘Baisakhi’ that symbolize the spirit of Punjab, Punjabi and unity in diversity.

The Chief Minister, who paid obeisance at Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib, sought blessings of almighty to give enormous strength to him for serving the people of state with all humility and dedication. He offered prayers at Gurdwara sahib and reiterated the firm commitment of his government to serve the people of the state regardless of caste, colour, creed and religion to create a harmonious society. Bhagwant Singh Mann thanked the Almighty for bestowing upon him the responsibility to serve the people of Punjab with sincerity, dedication and commitment to fulfill their aspirations.

On the sacred occasion of the festival of Baisakhi, the Chief Minister also prayed for the peace, progress and prosperity of the state. Felicitating the Punjabis across the globe, Bhagwant Singh Mann reminded the people about the rich glorious and cultural heritage of the day adding that on this sacred day in 1699, Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji – the Tenth Master of the Sikhs had created ‘Khalsa Panth’ at the holy city of Sri Anandpur Sahib by baptizing ‘Panj Pyaras (beloved ones) belonging to different regions and religions. He said that Dashmesh Pitaah thereby carved out a casteless society and preached the gospels of love and compassion for mankind, universal brotherhood and communal harmony.

The Chief Minister further said that this festival marks the beginning of the harvest season and ripening of Rabi crops. He said that this festival is important for the state and its farmers as it also marks the onset of the harvest season and ripening of Rabi crops. Bhagwant Singh Mann called upon the people to celebrate this historic festival collectively with traditional fervour and gaiety to strengthen the secular and social fabric of our country.

CHANDIGARH, April 13:

          Amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police has averted a possible targeted terror attack in the border state by busting a terror module being operated by Germany-based Gurpreet Singh alias Goldy Dhillon with the arrest of its two key operatives and recovered one 2.8 Kg improvised explosive device (IED) containing 1.6 Kg RDX along with a remote control from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Sunday. The operation was conducted jointly by teams of Counter Intelligence Ferozepur and State Special Operating cell, SAS Nagar.

          Those arrested have been identified as Jagga Singh and Manjinder Singh, both resident of District Fatehgarh Sahib. Both the arrested individuals have a criminal history and were previously involved in multiple narcotics-related cases.

          DGP Gaurav Yadav said that National Investigation Agency (NIA) has declared Rs 10 lakh reward on accused Goldy Dhillon, who is a key operative of Goldy Brar-Lawrence Bishnoi Gang. “With busting of this module, Punjab Police has successfully foiled plans of Pakistan-based ISI to disturb peace and harmony in the region,” he said.

          The DGP said that preliminary investigations also revealed that accused Gurpreet Singh alias Goldy Dhillon has recently been involved in conspiring attacks and deadly attacks on influential person in the state and at present is working at the behest of Pakistan’s ISI. Further investigations are on probe links to their transnational networks and involvement in anti-national activities, he added.

          Sharing operation details, AIG CI Ferozepur Gursevak Singh Brar the police teams had received reliable inputs that accused Jagga Singh and Manjinder Singh are allegedly working on the directions of their Germany-based handler Goldy Dhillon and have recently retrieved the a consignment of explosives, which they are going to deliver to their unknown associate in their Hyundai Venue car. Acting Swiftly, Police teams from CI Ferozepur and SSOC SAS Nagar arrested both the accused persons from the Sirhind area in Fatehgarh Sahib district, and recovered IED from their white Hyundai Venue vehicle, he said, while adding that Police teams have also impounded their vehicle.

          A case FIR No 4 dated 11-04-2025 has been registered under sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Explosive Substance Act at Police Station SSOC SAS Nagar.

Chandigarh/Dirba/Sangrur, April 13

Strongly criticizing the recent statement made by Leader of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa, Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Sunday said that as a constitutional officeholder, Bajwa is duty-bound to provide any solid information he possesses to the Punjab Police to ensure the safety and security of the people of the state.

Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema further said that this statement also raised serious concerns about Bajwa’s links with smugglers and agencies from Pakistan attempting to disrupt peace and law in Punjab. Cheema criticized Bajwa’s statement as being made in bad faith, reflecting poorly on his political thinking and judgment.

The Finance Minister has appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to initiate a comprehensive investigation into Bajwa’s statement and take strict legal action if necessary. He further urged Bajwa to act responsibly, stating, “The opposition has an equal responsibility, alongside the state government, to maintain peace and harmony in Punjab. This is a time to confront anti-Punjab forces unitedly, not to demoralize the police and the people with baseless and irresponsible remarks.”

Chandigarh/Dirba/Sangrur, April 13

Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Sunday kick started the government procurement of wheat at the Grain Market of Dirba while reaffirming the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government’s commitment to providing comprehensive facilities to farmers in the grain markets. He assured that during the current procurement season, farmers would not face any difficulties in the grain markets.

Speaking on the occasion, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema emphasized the government’s dedication to purchasing every grain of wheat besides ensuring that payments to farmers are made within 24 hours. He said that the administrative officers in Dirba have been directed to facilitate smooth procurement and lifting of grains ensuring the availability of essential resources such as bags, transportation, labor, electricity etc besides ensuring facilities like drinking water and hygienic toilets.

The Finance Minister said that all the grain markets in the sub-division are being closely monitored by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Dirba. He said that all government procurement agencies have been instructed to strictly adhere to the state government’s guidelines to ensure seamless operations.

Prominent figures including Chairman Punseed Mahinder Singh Sidhu, Chairperson of the Market Committee Professor Jasvir Kaur Shergill, OSD to the Cabinet Minister Tapinder Singh Sohi and District Mandi Officer Kuljit Singh were also present on this occasion.

CHANDIGARH, April 13:

          With the war against drugs “Yudh Nashian Virudh” waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to eradicate drug menace from state entered 44th day, Punjab Police on Sunday arrested 61 drug smugglers and recovered 1.3 kg heroin and ₹91.3 lakhs drug money from their possession. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 5926 in just 44 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 200 Police teams, comprising over 1100 police personnel, under the supervision of 76 gazetted officers have conducted raids at as many as 383 locations across the state leading to the registration of 50 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 three persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment.

Chandigarh, April 13

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday said that age old family ties of Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa with operatives in Pakistan were behind the  theory that 50 bombs have been smuggled into the state as intelligence agencies have no inputs regarding it.

In a statement, the Chief Minister said that it is well known fact that Bajwa family is well connected with the Pakistani operatives since decades due to which he is getting such irrational and baseless information. He said that while intelligence agencies have no such inputs Bajwa’s friend sitting across the border must have told him about their plans to disrupt peace and progress in the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann asked the Congress leader to substantiate his claim or face action for creating panic amongst people.

The Chief Minister said that the Congress leader has shamelessly made a false claim that 50 bombs have been smuggled in Punjab out of which 18 had exploded and 32 more are still there. He said that neither state nor central agencies have input in this regard but probably this information has been provided by Bajwa’s friend from across the border, as his family has long and strong ties in Pakistan. However, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this is a serious matter and such callous attitude of the Congress leader is not acceptable as it has created panic amongst the masses. 

          The Chief Minister said that Bajwa must reveal the source of his information in this regard as this is the moral duty of the leader. Or, he questioned that is Partap Singh Bajwa waiting for the bombs to explode so that he can use this opportunity for his vested political interests. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this kind of apathetic and irresponsible attitude of the unwarranted and undesirable.

The Chief Minister said that either Bajwa should tell the Punjab Police about the inputs his friends have given to him regarding their nefarious designs to destabilize peace in Punjab or he should be ready to face the music. He said that terrorizing people by making false claims is an unpardonable and heinous crime for which serious action will be taken. Bhagwant Singh Mann also asked the Congress high command to take strict action against such leaders who have deep rooted connections with the fissiparous forces.

Chandigarh, April 12

Haryana Education Minister, Sh. Mahipal Dhanda said that all private recognised schools in the state must follow the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education, Right to Education (RTE) Act this year. All schools are now required to accept student applications only through the newly launched ‘Ujwal Portal,’ developed by the School Education Department to ensure transparency in the admission process.

Education Minister Sh. Mahipal Dhanda said that in compliance with the RTE Act 2009, all private recognized schools will have to reserve 25 percent seats for class 1st/pre-primary classes for children from disadvantaged and economically weaker sections under the said Act.

He said that all schools have been informed to accurately declare the number of seats available in class 1st/pre-primary classes in their schools. Whether the school had previously shown the 25 percent seat declaration information or not, they must now accept applications through the ‘Ujwal Portal’. Parents can apply online for schools within a 1-kilometer radius of their residence. If a recognised private school receives online admission forms for more than 25 percent seats, a draw will be conducted in the presence of the district level committee/parents. Schools are also required to follow all updated rules under the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. Besides this, parents will have to submit all required documents related to their child’s admission directly to the school. The concerned district level committee will be responsible for any kind of litigation.

Sharing information in this regard an official spokesperson said that under the rule 2 (1) (F) of Haryana Right to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2011 is as follows for giving admission to children of the following categories by recognized schools. Children of families falling under the latest list of ‘below poverty line’ from both rural and urban areas issued and approved by the Haryana government will be eligible for the scheme. Besides this, HIV affected children, children with special needs and children of widows are also included in the scheme.

Applications under Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act, 2009, can be submitted from April 15 to April 21, 2025. The last date for admission of beneficiaries is April 25, 2025. If any seats remain vacant, students from the waiting list will be admitted between April 26 and May 1, 2025.

If any discrepancy is found in any type of documents submitted by parents and the details filled on the portal, the district-level committee will take the final decision, and the admission of the child can be cancelled.

Chandigarh, April 12:

The Punjab Government has released financial assistance worth Rs. 301.20 crore to beneficiary families belonging to Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes under the Ashirwad Scheme during the financial year 2024–25. This was disclosed by Dr. Baljit Kaur, Minister for Social Justice, Empowerment, and Minorities.

Sharing further details, Dr. Baljit Kaur said that out of the total amount, Rs. 198.51 crore was disbursed to 38,922 beneficiaries from Scheduled Castes, while Rs. 102.69 crore was provided to 20,136 beneficiaries from Backward Classes.

Dr. Baljit Kaur informed that under the Ashirwad Scheme, financial assistance of Rs. 51,000 is provided for the marriage of girls, and the benefit can be availed for a maximum of two daughters. The amount is directly transferred to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts through DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer), ensuring transparency and timely assistance.

She added that to avail the benefits of the scheme, the applicant must be a permanent resident of Punjab with an annual household income of less than Rs. 32,790. Moreover, the applicant should belong to a Scheduled Caste, Backward Class, or Economically Weaker Section.

In conclusion, she said that such schemes run  by the Bhagwant Singh Mann-led government are not just limited to financial assistance, but are major steps toward realizing the vision of a ‘Rangla Punjab’.

Chandigarh, April 12:

The Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute (MRSAFPI) in SAS Nagar (Mohali) continues to excel, with 26 more cadets made it to the UPSC All India Merit List for the National Defence Academy (NDA)-154 Course, set to begin in June 2025. Cadet Aryan Sofeth from Patiala has secured 9th rank in the All India Ranking, while 10 cadets from the Institute have secured positions in the top 100.

Notably, the Institute’s 26 cadets have cleared the SSB out of the 34, who had passed the written exam for the NDA-154 Course. Now, these cadets are awaiting their joining letters. 

Apart from Aryan Sofeth, 25 cadets, who have secured merit positions include Anhad Singh Khatumria, Mohanpreet Singh, Armaanvir Singh Adhi, Bhaskar Jain, Manjot Singh, Nimit Soni, Harkanwal Singh, Udhaybir Singh Nanda, Prjveer Singh, Aditya Mishra, Ranbir Singh, Ishmeet Singh, Ishaan Sharma, Samarvir Singh Heer, Balraj Singh Heera, Abhay Pratap Singh Dhillon, Bhuvan Dhiman, Harmanpreet Singh, Sahib Singh Dhaliwal, Divanshu Sandhu (all from the 13th Course of MRSAFPI) and Bhavik Kansal, Gurvanshbir Singh, Ojas Gaint, Shiven Tayal, and Gagandeep Singh (all from the 12th Course of MRSAFPI).

Congratulating the cadets, Punjab Employment  Generation, Skill Development and Training Minister Mr. Aman Arora said that these Cadets are the pride of Punjab. He also wished them all the best for their training and career ahead.

Mr. Arora also congratulated cadet Gunjot Singh (7th Course at MRSAFI) and Cadet Aryan Dutt (8th Course) on their selection for the Officer Training Academy (OTA), Chennai for the Short Service Commission (Technical) 64th Course. Cadet Gunjot hails from Patiala district and his father works at Thapar University, while Cadet Aryan Dutt belongs to SAS Nagar district and his father retired as a Commander in the Indian Navy.

The Director of the Institute Major General (Retired) Ajay H. Chauhan, VSM, said that this Institute has the highest number of cadets for the NDA-154 course commencing in June 2025. As on date, a total of 255 cadets of this Institute have joined various Service Training Academies since inception the Institute and 170 alumni of the Institute have been commissioned as officers in the Defence Services.

Caption- A file picture of the cadets, who has selected for NDA-154 course, from 13th course of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute, SAS Nagar.

CHANDIGARH, April 12:

          In a continued push to reinforce law enforcement and public safety in the wake of forthcoming Vaisakhi festival as per the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday conducted surprise inspections in Jalandhar and Amritsar districts as part of the statewide ‘Night Domination’ operation. The late-night visits aimed to assess police preparedness, strengthen anti-crime measures, and foster stronger police-public relations.

          The operation was conducted from 10 pm to 4 am simultaneously in all 28 Police districts of the state and Spl DGP/ADGP/IGP/DIG rank officers from PPHQ were deputed in each Police district to personally supervise the night domination operation. The CPs/SSPs were directed to mobilise maximum force to carry out this operation aimed at checking of vehicles and suspicious persons at different Nakas, searches at Railway Stations and Bus Stands, checking of patrolling parties located at strategic locations, etc.

          During his tour, DGP Gaurav Yadav inspected special checkpoints, reviewed Nakabandi operations, and visited police stations to ensure effective on-ground policing.

          In Jalandhar, he began his inspection near Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where he assessed vehicle checking procedures and interacted with officers and citizens. He also visited Police Division No. 7 at Urban Estate and the checkpoint near Dussehra Ground in Jalandhar Cantonment to personally oversee the operations.

          Accompanied by Commissioner of Police Jalandhar Dhanpreet Kaur, the DGP gathered direct feedback from residents, who expressed greater confidence in police presence. “I am pleased to see that our heightened visibility is making citizens feel safer. Punjab Police remains committed to ensuring security while building trust through transparency and accountability,” he said. 

          Interacting with the media, DGP Gaurav Yadav, while highlighting the Punjab’s vulnerability as a border state, said that Punjab remains vulnerable to attempts by external agencies like the Pak-based ISI to disrupt its peace and harmony.

          He asserted that ever since the Punjab Government launched an aggressive campaign against drugs under the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ initiative, cross-border drug syndicates have been making attempts to destabilise the state. “Our aggressive campaign under ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ has significantly reduced drug availability, and we will continue to eradicate this menace,” he reiterated.

          The DGP later also visited Amritsar to supervise night policing efforts, motivating officers to stay alert ahead of Vaisakhi festivities. Accompanied by CP Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, he urged police personnel to maintain strict vigil around the anti-social elements.

          Sharing details of the night domination operation, Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla said that over 1000 Police teams, comprising over 6500 police personnel, led by 221 gazetted rank officers were deployed across the state. As many as 651 Strong Nakas were also established at vulnerable and strategic locations across the state, he added.

          During the operation, the Special DGP said that the Police teams have registered 26 first information reports (FIRs) and arrested 48 criminals. Police teams have also checked suspicious persons and verified their credentials.