CHANDIGARH/PATHANKOT, June 25:

          In order to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the Shri Amarnath Yatra 2025, Punjab Police has implemented a comprehensive, multi-layered, and inter-agency security and coordination plan, deploying advanced surveillance, strategic force deployment, and round-the-clock coordination for the safety of pilgrims, said Special Director General of Police (Special DGP) Law and Order Arpit Shukla here on Wednesday.

          The sacred Shri Amarnath Yatra 2025 is scheduled to commence on July 3, 2025 and will continue till August 9, 2025. This annual pilgrimage draws lakhs of devotees from all across India, many of whom travel through Punjab, particularly Pathankot district, on their way to the holy cave shrine in Jammu & Kashmir.

          The Special DGP was chairing a high-level comprehensive security and coordination meeting of Police, Army, Civil Administration, and other security agencies to review and strengthen the security arrangements for the annual pilgrimage.

          The meeting, which was held in Pathankot, focused on strategic preparations for the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, encompassing diverse aspects such as police deployment, security measures, traffic management, and disaster management.

          Special DGP Arpit Shukla emphasised the need for heightened vigilance given Pathankot’s strategic location, which shares 26.385 km of international border with Pakistan and houses critical defence installations. He said that level of security has been further escalated with Commandant level officer has been made incharge of all the roads leading to Jammu & Kashmir.

          He informed that the Yatra route has been divided into well-defined security sectors under the charge of Commandant-rank officers, ensuring 24×7 ground-level supervision and rapid response capabilities in case of any exigency. A 24×7 Command and Control Centre has been established at Nakka Madhopur, supervised by a Gazetted Officer, to monitor all vehicle and pilgrim movements using advanced surveillance systems, he added.

          The Special DGP said that daily anti-sabotage and security checks are being carried out at sensitive locations including railway stations, bus stands, langar (community kitchen) sites, religious places, and across the full Yatra route, to detect and deter any potential threats. The security arrangements are being implemented under the direct supervision of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pathankot Daljinder Singh Dhillon.

          He directed the concerned officers to ensure seamless coordination among all stakeholders, including the Indian Army, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), Jammu & Kashmir Police, Himachal Pradesh Police, and other central agencies.

          He further highlighted the additional technical support including mobile surveillance units, high-resolution CCTV monitoring, drone-based aerial surveillance, GPS-enabled patrolling, and real-time reporting mechanisms are also being actively used to keep vigil around suspicious people.

          Meanwhile, the police have briefed and trained the owners and staff of petrol pumps, dhabas, hotels, guest houses, and other roadside establishments along the route to report any unusual activity, suspicious objects, or unidentified persons to the nearest police station without delay.

Prominent officers including DIG Border Range Satinder Singh, AIG Sukhminder Singh Mann, Deputy Commissioner Pathankot Aditya Uppal, Deputy Commissioner Hoshiarpur Ashika Jain, Deputy Commissioner Kathua Dr Rakesh Minhas, SSP Pathankot Daljinder Singh Dhillon, SSP Hoshiarpur Sandeep Kumar Malik and senior officers from Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Central agencies, and police and civil officials from adjoining states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh were also present in the meeting.

Chandigarh June 25, 2025 –

Investigations by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the FIR no. 02 of 2021 registered in Police Station Punjab State Crime and the Vigilance Bureau reveal massive laundering of drug money facilitated by Bikram Singh Majithia. Preliminary investigations reveal that more than Rs. 540 crores of drug money has been laundered through several ways, including

(i)      Huge unaccounted cash worth Rs. 161 crores deposited in bank accounts of companies controlled by Bikram Singh Majithia,

(ii)      Channelization of Rs. 141 crores through suspected foreign entities,

(iii)     Excess deposition of Rs. 236 crores without disclosure/explanation in company financial statements, and

(iv)     Acquisition of movable/immovable assets by Bikram Singh Majithia without any legitimate source of income.

A Punjab Vigilance Bureau spokesperson stated here today that the Vigilance Bureau has registered a case based on a report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating FIR No. 02, dated 20-12-2021 registered u/s 25, 27-A and 29 NDPS Act 1985, PS Punjab State Crime, SAS Nagar wherein substantial evidence has been uncovered indicating massive laundering of drug money by Bikram Singh Majithia.

 These transactions are being investigated by the Vigilance Bureau and the investigations done by the S.I.T. clearly indicate that these funds were laundered drug money funneled into Saraya Industries facilitated by Bikram Singh Majithia.

The VB spokesperson added that so far, Rs. 540 Crores drug money has been tracked as having been generated illegally and by using the influence of Bikram Singh Majithia as a Public Servant being an MLA and holding a Cabinet post in erstwhile Punjab Government.

The VB spokesperson stated that assets, including both immovable/movable in the name of Bikram Singh Majithia and his wife Genieve Kaur have increased substantially for which no legitimate source of income has been provided.

According to the VB spokesperson, searches and seizures have been conducted by the SIT of 22 persons and by the Vigilance Bureau at 03 locations which have yielded over 30 mobile phones, 05 laptops, 03 ipads, 02 desktops, several diaries, many property documents and many documents of Saraya Industries.

The spokesperson stated that Bikram Singh Majithia has been arrested by the Vigilance Bureau in accordance with law after following due procedure.

Investigations are ongoing and more arrests, searches and seizures would take place. The investigations would be taken to their logical conclusion by submitting all collected evidence before the court of competent jurisdiction for judicial verdict.

Chandigarh June 25, 2025 –

Investigations by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the FIR no. 02 of 2021 registered in Police Station Punjab State Crime and the Vigilance Bureau reveal massive laundering of drug money facilitated by Bikram Singh Majithia. Preliminary investigations reveal that more than Rs. 540 crores of drug money has been laundered through several ways, including

(i)      Huge unaccounted cash worth Rs. 161 crores deposited in bank accounts of companies controlled by Bikram Singh Majithia,

(ii)      Channelization of Rs. 141 crores through suspected foreign entities,

(iii)     Excess deposition of Rs. 236 crores without disclosure/explanation in company financial statements, and

(iv)     Acquisition of movable/immovable assets by Bikram Singh Majithia without any legitimate source of income.

A Punjab Vigilance Bureau spokesperson stated here today that the Vigilance Bureau has registered a case based on a report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating FIR No. 02, dated 20-12-2021 registered u/s 25, 27-A and 29 NDPS Act 1985, PS Punjab State Crime, SAS Nagar wherein substantial evidence has been uncovered indicating massive laundering of drug money by Bikram Singh Majithia.

 These transactions are being investigated by the Vigilance Bureau and the investigations done by the S.I.T. clearly indicate that these funds were laundered drug money funneled into Saraya Industries facilitated by Bikram Singh Majithia.

The VB spokesperson added that so far, Rs. 540 Crores drug money has been tracked as having been generated illegally and by using the influence of Bikram Singh Majithia as a Public Servant being an MLA and holding a Cabinet post in erstwhile Punjab Government.

The VB spokesperson stated that assets, including both immovable/movable in the name of Bikram Singh Majithia and his wife Genieve Kaur have increased substantially for which no legitimate source of income has been provided.

According to the VB spokesperson, searches and seizures have been conducted by the SIT of 22 persons and by the Vigilance Bureau at 03 locations which have yielded over 30 mobile phones, 05 laptops, 03 ipads, 02 desktops, several diaries, many property documents and many documents of Saraya Industries.

The spokesperson stated that Bikram Singh Majithia has been arrested by the Vigilance Bureau in accordance with law after following due procedure.

Investigations are ongoing and more arrests, searches and seizures would take place. The investigations would be taken to their logical conclusion by submitting all collected evidence before the court of competent jurisdiction for judicial verdict.

Chandigarh, June 23

Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema said that the state is experiencing a historic industrial revolution, a direct result of the progressive industrial development policies championed by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government. He further emphasised that numerous new initiatives are currently in the pipeline to further accelerate industrial growth within the state.

Addressing the trade fair co-organized by HMT Industrial Park and Maya Garden Group late last evening, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema highlighted the recent implementation of a Fast-track Single Window System. “This innovative system ensures that necessary project permissions are granted within 45 days, with automatic deemed approval and accountability for responsible parties if permissions are not accorded within this timeframe”, said Cheema.

Listing out the achievements of the State Government, the Finance Minister revealed that the Punjab Government has also introduced Colour Coded Stamp Paper for the issuance of registered sale deeds, which now include in-built Change of Land Use (CLU) approval. “Pre-approvals are efficiently processed through the Single Window System within defined timelines by six key departments: Revenue, Housing & Urban Development, Local Government, Punjab Pollution Control Board, Forest & Wildlife, and Labour and Factories”, he added.

The Finance Minister also revealed that the Punjab government has brought forth a comprehensive policy for the clubbing and de-clubbing of plots. This policy directly addresses the long-standing demands of industrial stakeholders to merge or divide adjacent plots, thereby optimising land use and supporting project expansion. He also announced that the state government is actively planning to introduce a policy for the conversion of leasehold plots to freehold.

Underlining the simplification of the CLU process by the state government, Finance Minister Cheema said that the requirement for standalone industries to obtain CLU permissions in permissible zones has been removed. He said that this significant change would reduce both the time and complexity involved in establishing new industrial units across the state.

Reiterating the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government’s unwavering commitment to maximising industrial growth, the Finance Minister said that incentives worth Rs 180 crore have already been provided to the industrial sector during the first two months of the financial year 2025-26. He affirmed that the state government consistently endeavours not only to encourage existing industries but also to attract new enterprises to bolster the state’s industrial ecosystem.

Expressing his profound gratitude to the State Government, Mr. Meghraj Garg, CMD of HMT Group, stated that the HMT Industrial Park, situated in a “Red Zone,” allows for the establishment of every type of industry. He commended the Punjab Government for fostering a conducive environment for industrial growth and ensuring speedy and timely project approvals.

The HMT Industrial Park, a burgeoning hub for emerging industries, is strategically located at Lalru, offering excellent connectivity to NH 22, NH 72, and NH 73.

Among the other notable dignitaries present on the occasion were Director HMT Sudarshan Singla, and CMD Maya Garden Group Satish Jindal.

Chandigarh, June 23:

The Punjab Government, under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, remains firmly committed to the welfare and socio-economic upliftment of Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes, and Economically Weaker Sections. Further advancing this commitment, the State Government has sanctioned an additional grant of ₹5.33 crore for the construction of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Bhawan in Tarn Taran district. This announcement was made by Dr. Baljit Kaur, Cabinet Minister for Social Justice, Empowerment, and Minorities.

Sharing further details, Dr. Baljit Kaur informed that the sanctioned amount for the current financial year will soon be transferred to the account of the Chief Engineer, Public Works Department (Buildings), ensuring swift progress of the construction work.

The Minister stated that a total project estimate of ₹5.93 crore had been approved for the construction of the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Bhawan in Tarn Taran. Out of this, ₹60 lakh has already been released, and the remaining ₹5.33 crore will be transferred shortly to the Public Works Department’s account. She added that the construction of the boundary wall of the Bhawan has already been completed, and the remaining work will now be expedited with high quality, transparency, and within the stipulated timeline.

Highlighting the broader vision, Dr. Baljit Kaur shared that Ambedkar Bhawans have already been constructed in 17 districts of Punjab. These centers serve as ‘single-window’ facilities where multiple government services are made available under one roof for the benefit of marginalized, backward, and economically weaker communities. In addition, the process of identifying and acquiring suitable land is underway for the construction of similar Bhawans in five other districts — SAS Nagar, Barnala, Fazilka, Pathankot, and Malerkotla.

Issuing directions to the department officials, the Cabinet Minister emphasized that the construction of the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Bhawan in Tarn Taran must be completed with the highest quality standards, full transparency, and strictly within the approved timeframe so that the people of the region can avail of its benefits at the earliest.

Chandigarh, June 22:

Expressing deep concern over the increasing trend of vulgar and obscene content being circulated on social media platforms, Punjab Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur today said such material poses a direct threat to the psychological and social well-being of children.

Welcoming the orders issued by the Punjab State Commission for Protection of Child Rights to the ADGP (Cyber Crime) for strict action against those posting such content, Dr. Baljit Kaur reiterated the Punjab Government’s firm commitment to safeguarding children and protecting their rights.

 The Minister has directed all District Social Security, Women and Child Development Officers to keep a strict watch on the circulation of such objectionable content at their level. She instructed that any complaint or information received regarding such content must be immediately shared with the police and the Child Rights Commission. Additionally, awareness campaigns must be organized at the local level to sensitize parents, teachers, and youth about the responsible use of social media.

Reaffirming the government’s resolve to ensure a safe and nurturing environment for children’s overall development, Dr. Baljit Kaur stated that any elements adversely affecting the mental health of children will not be tolerated under any circumstances. The culprits will face the strictest legal action and be made examples of, to deter others from posting obscene content online.

 The Minister also instructed the Police Department to intensify surveillance of such content on social media and take immediate action against individuals involved in creating or uploading it, under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, IT Act 2000, and POCSO Act 2012.

 Dr. Baljit Kaur further appealed to parents, teachers, social organizations, and the public to promptly report any such content or individuals involved in circulating it to the police or the Child Rights Commission without delay. “Creating a safe, healthy, and positive digital environment for children is a shared responsibility of all of us,” she emphasized.

Chandigarh, June 22

The Punjab government’s decision, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, regarding development authorities will significantly contribute to the overall development of the state. This was stated on Sunday by Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO in a press release. 

The Cabinet Minister said that appointing the Chief Secretary as the Chairman of all Local Development Authorities in Punjab will accelerate the approval process for development-related matters and directly benefit the common people. 

The Minister added that, following the Chief Minister’s directives, state officials studied the reforms introduced by the Gujarat government in institutions like Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority, as well as the models adopted by the Uttar Pradesh government in Noida, Meerut, Kanpur and Lucknow. After a detailed analysis of the impact of these models, the officials submitted their findings to the government. Based on these conclusions, a decision was taken to amend Section 29(3) of the Punjab Regional and Urban Planning and Development (PRTPD) Act. 

He further stated that this decision will facilitate swift action on development matters involving key institutions such as the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), and Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA), thereby benefitting the people of the state. This change will streamline the functioning of development authorities and ensure timely decision-making. It also marks a major step toward decentralization of powers. 

The Cabinet Minister also highlighted that including departments such as Revenue, Industries, Water Supply and Sanitation and others in the decision-making process of development authorities will strengthen inter-departmental coordination. 

Mr. Harbhajan Singh ETO strongly criticized the opposition parties for making baseless and misleading statements on this issue, accusing them of attempting to confuse the public for political gain.

CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, June 22:

          In a major counter-espionage operation amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Amritsar Rural Police has arrested an Indian Army personnel and his aide suspected of espionage activities linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Sunday.

          The arrested accused have been identified as Gurpreet Singh alias Gopy Foji, a resident of Dhariwal in Amritsar— presently, serving in the Indian Army and posted in Jammu; and his associate Sahil Masih alias Shali, a resident of Dhariwal in Amritsar.

          DGP Gaurav Yadav stated that preliminary investigation revealed that Gurpreet Singh was in direct contact with operatives of the Pakistan ISI and is suspected of sharing sensitive and confidential information via pen drives. The key ISI handler involved in the case has been identified as Rana Javed, he added.

          The DGP said that two mobile phones containing virtual numbers, reportedly used to communicate with ISI operatives, have been recovered from the possession of both the arrested accused persons. Further investigations are underway to dismantle the broader espionage-terror network and identify all collaborators in this case, he said.

          Sharing more details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amritsar Rural Maninder Singh said that accused Gurpreet Singh alias Gopy Foji was recruited into the Army in 2016 and systematically exploited his official position to collect, store, and transmit classified military information via pen drives and discs.

          The espionage network was reportedly facilitated by an acquaintance identified as Arjan, a Dubai-based drug trafficker from Dhariwal, who introduced Gurpreet to ISI operatives five months ago, he said, while adding that since then, Gurpreet has actively engaged in the unauthorised collection and relay of sensitive military data to the ISI using pre-decided drop locations.

          The SSP said that in lieu of this espionage activity, accused Gurpreet was receiving monetary compensation through a complex financial network involving intermediary bank accounts of friends, relatives, and foreign associates to evade detection. In an intelligence-led operation, police teams have arrested, Gurpreet and his associate Sahil Masih, while they were attempting another handover of sensitive data, he said.

          He said that further investigations are in progress to unravel the wider nexus and identify additional conspirators, both domestic and foreign-based.

          A case FIR No. 140 dated 21.06.2025 has been registered under sections 3, 5, and 9 of the Official Secrets Act and section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station Lopoke in Amritsar Rural.

CHANDIGARH, June 22: Punjab Congress Committee president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring today criticized the Punjab government’s decision to replace the Chief Minister with the Chief Secretary to head various development boards in the state.

Reacting to the decision Warring remarked, “the Aaam Aadmi Party has been blatantly trying to weaken the institution of the Chief Minister by replacing him with an in-service bureaucrat to head various development boards, which will make them completely unaccountable to the public”.

The PCC president asserted that no excuse can justify replacing the Chief Minister with the Chief Secretary. “Where all will this stop?” he asked, while referring to undermining and eroding the authority of the constitutional position of the Chief Minister who is the constitutional head of the government and is always accountable and answerable to the legislature and people unlike a bureaucrat.

“Being in opposition we do have numerous differences with the Chief Minister on various issues, but we do not approve undermining and taking away his authority”, the PCC president noted, while pointing out, “after all, he is the elected head of the government, chosen by people of Punjab, while the Chief Secretary is only “an appointed official” by the Chief Minister.

Chandigarh, June 19:

Polling for the 64-Ludhiana West Assembly Constituency bye election was held today. Polling began at 07:00 AM and progressed in an orderly and smooth manner.

Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C informed that the approximate Voter Turnout as per data uploaded till 07:00 PM is 51.33%.  As part of a new initiative, the polling data has been uploaded by the Presiding officers at the polling station on the ECINET App. It may be noted that voting percentage trends are approximate. Under Rule 49S of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, Presiding Officers have furnished Form 17C, detailing the actual account of votes recorded, to polling agents of candidates, who were present at the polling station at the close of poll.

A mock poll was carried out on EVM at every polling station before commencement of poll in the presence of 578 number of polling agents appointed by all the candidates.

For the bye elections, the Election Commission had directed the Special Summary Revision of the Electoral Roll with 01-04-2025 as the qualifying date. The draft publication of the electoral rolls was done on 09-04-2025 and a copy of the same was shared with all recognised political parties. 192 BLOs at the polling station level worked to ensure that the rolls are correct and updated. 384 BLAs appointed by recognised political parties scrutinised the process and 4279 claims and objections were filed. The final publication of electoral rolls was done on 05-05-2025 and a copy of the final electoral rolls was shared with all the recognised political parties. No appeals were filed with the District Magistrate under section 24(a) of RP Act 1950 and No appeals were filed with the Chief Electoral Officer under section 24(b).

The electoral roll was finalised on the last date of making nominations i.e. 02-06- 2025 and a copy of the same was shared with all contesting candidates on 06-06-2025. A total of 175469 electors were registered in the electoral roll. A total of 14 candidates contested the election including 1 women candidate.

A total of 194 polling stations were set up. Due to the recent decision of the ECI for reducing the number of electors in a polling station to 1200, additional 2 auxiliary polling stations were set up for facilitating the voters. Besides provision of Assured Minimum facilities at each polling station, for the first time, a mobile deposit facility was created at 194 polling stations at the entrance in order to facilitate the voters. 1 all women personnel and 1 all PWD personnel polling stations and 10 model polling stations were also setup.

The First level checking of EVMs was done from 03.02.25 to 06.02.25 in the presence of representatives of recognised political parties. The commissioning was done on 10-06- 2025 in the presence of candidates/their authorised representatives. At each stage, mock polls were conducted on the EVMs and the results checked with VVPAT slips. The allocation of EVMs to the polling stations was done through a 2-stage randomisation process in the presence of candidates/their authorised representatives. The list of EVMs to be deployed at the polling stations was shared with the contesting candidates in advance.

The polling personnel were assigned duties through 3-stage randomisation in the presence of General Observers of ECI. During the training programmes, hands on trainings were organised during which each Presiding Officers conducted mock poll drill on the individual EVMs, by randomly casting 100 mock votes themselves and checking the result and matching with VVPAT slips also on their own. At the end of the training, the Presiding officers got full confidence in the fool proof working of the EVMs.

A total of 2 number of meetings were held with the representatives of political parties at the CEO level, 3 at DEO level and 2 at ERO/RO level from summary revision of electoral rolls till polling. 2 meetings were held with the contesting candidates/representatives at the RO level to apprise them about the various ongoing electoral processes.

As per revised instructions of ECI, candidates were allowed to set up their booths at the distance of 100m from the entrance of the polling stations, which was an added convenience for the voters specially those not carrying their Voter Information Slips.

239 number of 85+ and PWD electors who had opted were given the facility of home voting through postal ballots, which was conducted by specially dedicated teams, in the presence of the representatives of candidates as well.

To keep a watch on the electoral processes, ECI had also appointed 1 General Observer, 1 Police Observer and 1 Expenditure Observer. 1512 complaints were received through the c-Vigil app from the citizens out of which 1342 were found correct and resolved within the time period of 100 minutes.

ECI has also updated the process of generating the Index Card. This replaces the traditional manual methods and through automation and data integration, the new system will ensure faster reporting and release of the Index cards post counting.