CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, February 21:

          In a major to trans-border smuggling networks amidst the ongoing war against drugs as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Amritsar Commissionerate Police has arrested four drug smugglers and recovered 5.06 Kg heroin from their possession in two separate cases, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Friday.

          Those arrested have been identified as Gurjant Singh alias Kalu of village Bachiwind in Amritsar, Jagjit Singh of village Rania in Amritsar, Sahil Kumar alias Sahil of village Ghariyala in Tarn Taran and Rinku of Basti Dune Wali in Guru Har Sahai, Ferozepur.

          DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the arrested individuals were in contact with Pakistan-based drug smugglers, who were using drones to smuggle narcotics across the border to further supply in different areas of Amritsar. Two separate first information repots (FIRs) have been registered under relevant sections of the NDPS Ac at Police Stations Cantonment and Sadar Amritsar, he said.

          The DGP said that further investigations are on to establish backward and forward linkages in this case. More arrests and recoveries are likely in coming days, he added.

          Sharing operation details of first case, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that based on credible intelligence, Police teams from Contonment Police Station under the supervision of DCP Harpreet Singh Mander, ADCP City-2 Harkamal Kaur, and ACP West Shivdarshan Singh conducted a special operation and apprehended the suspects identified as Gurjant Kalu and Jagjit Singh from the Mahal Bypass area and seized 3.067 kg of heroin from their possession.

          He said that, similarly, Police teams from CIA Staff-1 led by Inspector Amolakdeep Singh arrested two more accused— identified as Sahil Kumar and Rinku— based on further investigation and interrogation of arrested accused, recovering an additional 2 kg of heroin from their possession.

          The CP said that preliminary investigation has revealed that accused Rinku is running a big hawala network to transfer the illegal money of drug trade to different suppliers. Further probe in on, he added.

Chandigarh, February 21, 2025:

          The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state, has arrested a Junior Engineer (JE) of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), Manoj Kumar, red-handed while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000.

          Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson of the VB stated that the case was registered based on a complaint filed by a resident of New Amar Nagar, Daba, Ludhiana. The complainant, who runs a welding shop, stated that his wife had purchased a two-story house at New Amar Nagar where he intended to set up a small factory on the ground floor, requiring a 10 KW commercial electricity meter.

          According to the complaint, he submitted an application for the new meter at the PSPCL office in Janta Nagar, Ludhiana, and deposited the required fee. Fifteen days later, the aforementioned JE Manoj Kumar visited the site and took Rs 3,000 from him for “miscellaneous expenses.” The JE then demanded a total bribe of Rs 15,000 stating that the meter would only be installed once the bribe was paid.

          On February 19, 2025, when the complainant again visited the PSPCL office to request the installation of the meter, the JE reiterated his demand for a bribe. Upon the complainant’s request, the JE agreed to accept an advance payment of Rs 5,000 with the remaining amount to be collected after the installation. The JE then called the complainant to the office for payment.

          The spokesperson further added that following verification of the complaint, a vigilance team from Ludhiana range laid a trap during which the above said accused was caught red-handed while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 5000 in the presence of two official witnesses at the PSPCL office in Janta Nagar, Ludhiana.

In this regard a case under Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against JE Manoj Kumar at VB Police Station, Ludhiana Range. The accused would be produced in the competent court tomorrow, and further investigation was under progress, he added.

Chandigarh, February 21:

On the occasion of International Mother Language Day, Punjab’s Higher Education and Languages Minister, S. Harjot Singh Bains, has given clarion call to the people of the state to embrace Punjabi in their daily lives. He emphasised that the mother tongue is vital for identity, education, culture and sustainable development, as it serves as the primary means of communication for sharing knowledge and preserving cultural heritage.

Recognising the rich tapestry of the Punjabi language, the Cabinet Minister asked the Languages department to implement measures aimed at further preserving and promoting the Punjabi language. He highlighted that learning in one’s mother tongue significantly enhances understanding and retention of knowledge, which is essential for effective education.

Additionally, he stressed the deep connection between language and culture, noting that the mother language embodies traditions, stories, and identities that are crucial for fostering community cohesion.

Outlining the state government’s initiatives to promote the mother language, the Cabinet Minister said that the state government has implemented various initiatives to promote the Punjabi language including Best Literary Punjabi Book Award Scheme, in which 48 awards were distributed across various categories from 2020-2024. He said that under the Financial Assistance to Punjabi Literary Societies, as many as 23 societies have received financial assistance to organize literary events, while, Punjabi Literature Creation and Poetry Singing Competitions and Events were also organized at district language offices, with state-level competitions held in Jalandhar and Ludhiana. Additionally, approximately 164 Literary and Cultural Events were organized, including literary workshops, Ru-Ba-Ru functions, and trilingual Kavi Darbar. The state has also celebrated Punjabi Month in November 2023 and 2024, hosting 50 events across Punjab. Furthermore, Punjabi Children’s Literature Quiz Competitions and Events were also conducted in district language offices, with state-level competitions in Ludhiana and Kapurthala.

The Education Minister also highlighted the ambitious initiative to integrate the Punjabi language into Artificial Intelligence (AI). He said that a series of workshops, comprising two one-day sessions and a two-day symposium, has been launched to achieve this goal. “Renowned experts in the field are being consulted to ensure the success of this project. These workshops aim to provide training to writers, students, and Punjabi enthusiasts, enabling them to contribute to the development of AI-powered Punjabi language tools”, he added.

Revealing the initiatives of being in line with the digital age, the Cabinet Minister said that the Languages department has undertaken a massive project to digitize 125,000 books from its library, covering various genres and languages, including Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Sanskrit, and English. This endeavor aims to provide readers with easy access to a vast array of digital books. Furthermore, the website prepared by the department is making classic literature from Punjabi and around the world available to Punjabi lovers. Additionally, various types of dictionaries and glossaries are also being made available on this website.

Chandigarh, February 21:

The Punjab State Information Commission organized a special event at its office in Chandigarh to commemorate International Mother Language Day 2025. On this occasion, Chief State Information Commissioner Mr. Inderpal Singh released a documentary film and a pictorial brochure dedicated to the significance of the Punjabi language. The pictorial work was meticulously compiled by State Information Commissioner Harpreet Sandhu.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Inderpal Singh underscored the importance of linguistic diversity and the preservation of native languages. He said that a mother tongue is not merely a medium of communication but the very essence of one’s heritage and identity.

He remarked, “Preserving and promoting our native languages is a collective responsibility to ensure that future generations remain deeply connected to their cultural roots.” Highlighting the legacy of the Punjabi language, Mr. Inderpal Singh stated that it has been passed down by revered Gurus and ancestors, forming the foundation of Punjab’s cultural identity. He urged everyone to take pride in their mother tongue and contribute to its growth and recognition.

State Information Commissioners Dr. Bhupinder Singh Bath, Virinderjit Singh Billing, Harpreet Sandhu and Pooja Gupta also emphasized that a mother language serves as the soul of cultural identity, linking individuals to their roots while preserving the wisdom, traditions and history of generations.

Chandigarh, February 21-

In order to give impetus to the education sector in the state and provide job opportunities to the youth, the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann will soon give regular appointment letters to 3381 Elementary Teachers in the state.

A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister here at his official residence.

During a meeting to review the education department here today, the Chief Minister said that it is matter of immense pride and satisfaction that the recruitment process of 3381 ETT teachers has been completed. He said that this recruitment process has been completed in a batch of two including 951 and 2430 teachers. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that these teachers will be shortly given the appointment letters.

The Chief Minister said that for the first time in the history of the state, any government has given a record number of 50,892 jobs to the youth in 35 months of coming into power. He said that out of this more than 11000 jobs have been given only in the Education department, which is the main focus of the state government. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction for him that all the jobs have been given completely on the basis of merit, without any corruption or nepotism.

The Chief Minister said that the state government is laying major thrust on the development of health, education, power, employment and infrastructure development sectors. He said that a comprehensive plan has been formulated to ensure that these core areas of immense public importance get a major fillip in the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann envisioned that these jobs will further strengthen the education sector on one hand by imparting quality education in schools and will make the youth an active partner in socio-economic growth of the state by giving them regular jobs on the other.

On the occasion Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, Secretary Education KK Yadav and others were also present.

Chandigarh, February 19:

Continuing mission rozgar, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday handed over appointment letters for government jobs to 497 youth thereby setting a new milestone by illuminating the lives of 50,892 families in the last around three years after assuming the charge of office.

On Wednesday, the Chief Minister handed over letters to youth in the Water supply and Sanitation department, School Education department, Higher Education and Languages, Rural Development and Science, Technology and Environment.

Addressing the gathering here at the Municipal Bhawan, the Chief Minister said that it is a momentous occasion when these youth are becoming the part of the family of Punjab government. He expressed hope that these youth will become an active partner in the socio-economic development of the state by joining these respective departments. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that for the first time in the history of the state, any government has given a record number of 50,892 jobs to the youth in 35 months of coming into power.

The Chief Minister said that it is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction for him that all the jobs have been given completely on the basis of merit, san any corruption or nepotism. He said that the opposition parties make hue and cry over the jobs just because they were suffering from ‘selective blindness’ as they never see these youth who get employment adding that they had never given any single job to the youth during their tenure. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that even if they had been given any job it was reserved only for their near ones or close relatives whereas the common man was completely ignored.

The Chief Minister said that the state government fills all the posts as soon as they are vacant in the department. He said that a foolproof mechanism has been adopted for the entire recruitment process due to which not even a single appointment out of these nearly 50,000 jobs have been challenged so far in any court. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it is a proud moment for the government of Punjab that these youth have been given government jobs completely on the basis of merit.

The Chief Minister said that the incident of deporting of youth from the USA is a big lesson for all of us that instead of going abroad in search of green pastures, the youth of the state must work hard here only and achieve success in various fields. He said that the state government is providing a number of opportunities for youth to excel in various arenas. Citing an example, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that more than 51,000 youth have got government jobs in the state through hard work, dedication and commitment.

The Chief Minister said that there are examples where youth have got two to three jobs in the state during the last one year adding that due to this the trend of reverse migration has started as youth who had earlier settled abroad are now making a beeline to come and join the state government. He said that in today’s function also a couple has returned back from Canada to join government service here and similarly a young man dropped the idea of going abroad as he has got the job here. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that his government is offering the job to youth daily and they should take advantage of this situation and work here.

Describing it as a historical juncture, the Chief Minister envisioned that these jobs will transform the destiny of youth. He said that this venue has witnessed a number of such events in which youth have got jobs in various government departments. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this reflects the commitment of the state government to ensure the well being of youth and opening new avenues of employment for them.

Congratulating the youth, the Chief Minister said that now they have become integral part of the government adding that now should serve the people with missionary zeal. Bhagwant Singh Mann hoped that the new recruits will use their pen for helping the needy and underprivileged sections of society. He said that the newly recruited youth should ensure maximum welfare of the public so that every section of society is benefited from it.

On the occasion Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains welcomed the youth and dignitaries.

Prominent amongst others present on the occasion included Cabinet Ministers Harjot Singh Bains and Tarunpreet Singh Sondh, Secretary Education KK Yadav, Secretary Environment Priyank Bharti and others.

Chandigarh, February 19

          To ensure the supply of clean canal water to the  residents of Ludhiana, a Water Treatment Plant Project, initiated with joint support from the World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Punjab Government, was reviewed today by Local Government Minister Dr. Ravjot Singh. He conducted a special meeting with company representatives and department officials at Municipal Bhavan, directing them to expedite the project’s progress.

          Dr. Ravjot Singh stated that work on Water Treatment Plant worth ₹1550 crore has already commenced, with a plan to complete the project within three years. Upon completion, lakhs of Ludhiana residents will receive clean canal water.

          He explained that water from the Sirhind Canal will be brought to the treatment plant, purified and then supplied to households through water supply pipelines.

          The minister highlighted that the project is a collaborative effort, where 35% of the funding is provided by the World Bank, another 35% by AIIB and the remaining 30% by the Punjab Government.

          Issuing directions to the officials of the company responsible for the Water Treatment Plant, he instructed that roads where pipelines are being laid should be cleared immediately to prevent any inconvenience to city residents. He also emphasized that work should be accelerated and regular progress reports should be submitted to the department.

          Present at the meeting were CEO of the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC) Dipti Uppal, Ludhiana Municipal Commissioner Aditya Dachalwal, GM Projects Har Satinder Pal Singh Dhillon, Chief Engineer Ravinder Garg, SE Project Parul Goel and PMIDC Consultant Sonia Gupta.

CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, February 19:

          Amidst the ongoing war against drugs waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar has busted a cross-border drug smuggling racket with the arrest of a drug smuggler and recovered 10 kg heroin from his possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday.

          The arrested accused has been identified as Harmandeep Singh, a resident of village Ghumanpura in Amritsar. Apart from recovering heroin, Police teams have also impounded his black coloured Hero Splendor Motorcycle (PB02EW5675), which he was riding.

          DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the team of CI Amritsar received a reliable input that accused Harmandeep has established relations with the Pakistan-based drug smugglers and recently got a huge consignment of heroin from Pakistan, which he is going to deliver to someone at Ram Tirath Road, Morh Village Kale near Dera Radha Swami in Amritsar.

          Acting swiftly on the inputs, CI Amritsar has launched an intelligence-based operation and arrested accused Harmandeep Singh at a Special Police Checkpoint established at Ram Tirat Road in Amritsar, he said, while adding that during search, 10 Kgs of heroin has been recovered from the accused.

          The DGP said preliminary investigation has revealed that the arrested accused was constantly in-touch with Pakistan-based smuggler identified as Chacha Bawa, who sent heroin consignment via drones in the Attari sector for further supplying to other parties of the state.

          He said that further investigations are going on to establish backward and forward linkages in this case and identify other associates involved in this drug smuggling racket. More recovery of narcotics and arrests are likely in coming days, he added.

          In this regard, a case FIR No. 8 dated 18.02.2025 has been registered under sections 21, 25 and 29 of the NDPS Act at Police Station State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), Amritsar.

Chandigarh, February 19:

          The Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, is fully committed to promoting the Punjabi language across the state and is consistently taking measures to ensure its propagation. This was stated by Punjab’s Finance Minister, S. Harpal Singh Cheema, during a meeting with the Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha (Sekhon) held at his office today.

          S. Cheema emphasized that the State Government is working alongside various literary organizations to promote Punjabi language, culture, literature, and art. He highlighted that under the aegis of the Punjab Arts Council, a series of ‘Punjab Nav Sirjana’ events are being organized across different regions of the state to celebrate and promote literature, art, and culture.

          After attentively listening to the demands put forth by the Writers’ Sabha, the Finance Minister assured that the government has already been taking adequate measures to enforce the use of the Punjabi language. He further directed the Director of the Language Department to ensure the implementation of the Language Act and to take strict action against any department or employee violating it. He reiterated that the government is continuously working to make Punjabi the primary language of communication in all spheres and to ensure the installation of signboards in Punjabi.

          Subsequently, the Cabinet Sub-Committee, which includes Finance Minister S. Harpal Singh Cheema and NRI Affairs Minister S. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, held meetings with representatives of the Mur Bahal Kacche Adhyapak Union, Sanyukat Atma Punjab Association (SAPA) Zameen Prapti Sangharsh Committee. The Sub-Committee assured these organizations that the government is sympathetic to their demands and maintains a positive approach towards their concerns. The committee also assured prompt action regarding the issues and legitimate demands raised by these organizations.

          Present at the occasion were MLA Jaswant Singh Gajjanmajra, Additional Chief Secretary (Development) Anurag Verma, Director of the Language Department Jaswant Singh Zafar, along with representatives from various organizations.