Chandigarh, January 8

 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday released the diary and calendar of the Punjab Government for the year 2025 at his official residence this morning.

 Disclosing this here today a spokesman of the Chief Minister’s Office said that the layout design of the calendar and diary had been conceptualized and prepared by the Information & Public Relations Department and printed by the Controller Printing & Stationery Punjab.

Prominent amongst others present on the occasion included Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, Secretary Information and Public Relations Malwinder Singh Jaggi and others.

SAS Nagar, January 08, 2025

In continuation its tirade against the smuggling of liquor and other liquor related illegal activities, Excise Department, SAS Nagar has recovered 250 cases (224 of whisky label 111 ACE and 26 RUM label 111 ACE) both for sale in Chandigarh from a Bolero Pickup bearing registration number; PB-31L-3924. Divulging the details, Assistant Commissioner (Excise), Mohali Ashok Chalhotra said that in compliance with the strict directions issued by Additional Chief Secretary Excise, Punjab Vikas Pratap and Excise Commissioner, Punjab Varun Roojam, a special campaign has been launched in Sahibzda Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali) district since last couple of days to curb the incessant menace of illegal smuggling of liquor from Chandigarh (U.T.) side. Giving details of action taken on intervening night on 07.01.2025, he said that under the direct supervision of Naresh Dubey, Additional Commissioner (Excise), Punjab, the team led by Excise Officer Sarupinder Singh along with Excise Inspector Vikas Bhateja acting on a tip-off, set up a naka near village Gharuan on the Ludhiana-Chandigarh road, near flyover naka with DSP Kharar (Mohali) Karan Singh Sandhu.

During the operation, 250 cases (224 of whisky label 111 ACE and 26 RUM label 111 ACE) both for sale in Chandigarh were seized from a Bolero Pickup bearing registration number: PB-31L-3924. Two accused namely Amandeep Singh and Joginder Singh @ Raju, r/o of Baghapurana have been arrested on the spot. This is one of the 05 major catches of liquor in recent past where-in liquor was being smuggled into the state of Punjab from Chandigarh. A FIR no. 7 dated 08.01.2025 has been registered under section 61.01.14 and 78(2) of the Punjab Excise Act, 1914 at police station kharar Sadar. He mentioned that as per provisions of The Punjab Excise Act 1914, the smuggling of liquor is illegal and a punishable offence and at the same time, it is is detrimental to the revenue of the State. Assistant Excise Commissioner, Ashok Chalhotra, while giving the details of the operation, reiterated that the Excise Department, Mohali has been adopting zero tolerance policy towards smuggling of liquor. This crusade of the Excise Department, Mohali against liquor smuggling will be further accelerated in future in collaboration with Mohali Police and nobody involved in liquor smuggling would be spared and strict action would be taken as per law.

Chandigarh, January 8:

          Army Service Corp, Ambala will start AgniVeerVayu recruitment registration drive for eligible unmarried youth from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh (UT), Jammu and Kashmir (UT) and Ladakh (UT) from 07 January, 2025. This registration will continue till January 27, 2025 and the online exam will be held on March 22, 2025.

          Giving more information, the government spokesperson said that children born between January 01, 2005 and July 01, 2008 (both dates inclusive) are eligible for this registration campaign. For this recruitment drive, 12th passed youth in Science subject with Mathematics, English and Physics subjects or diploma or vocational course holder with 50% marks can register themselves for this recruitment campaign.

          More information about this recruitment drive can be obtained from agnipathvayu.cdac.in.

Chandigarh/ Khanna, January 6

          In a bid to make Punjab garbage free, Cabinet Minister Punjab Mr. Tarunpreet Singh Sond today inaugurated the first pilot project of door-to-door collection and segregation plant in Khanna city.

          Cabinet Minister Mr. Tarunpreet Singh Sond said that this pilot project with a cost Rs. 4 crore would continue for a year. After the success of this pilot project, it will be started in other areas of Punjab as well.

          Giving more information, the Cabinet Minister said that the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Mr. Bhagwant Singh Mann is striving to make the state garbage-free and to fulfill this goal, first pilot project of the state has been started from Khanna city. He said that wet and dry garbage/solid waste will be collected separately from every household of every ward of Khanna city.

          Mr. Sond said that with the start of this project, garbage will not be dumped at any other point of Khanna city, due to which garbage will be eliminated from all the wards of Khanna. He said that under this project, all the residential/commercial/street vendors of Khanna will be issued a unique identification number which would be linked to an app. A nominal bill for garbage collection will be sent to each user on their mobile through a message.

          Mr. Tarunpreet Singh Sond further informed that the city residents can pay the user charges both online and offline. The Minister said that a complaint cell has also been set up in this regard, the toll free number of which is 1800-121-5721. He said that any complaint regarding garbage received on this toll free number will be processed within 60 minutes. He also said that there will be GPS tracking of all the vehicles collecting garbage in Khanna city. The details of all these vehicles will be displayed live on the screen of the established control room.

          The Cabinet Minister said that his dream was to make Khanna city clean and beautiful, so this effort is being made for the fulfilment of this goal. He also thanked the Chief Minister Punjab, Mr. Bhagwant Singh Mann and cabinet colleagues for their immense contribution for this noble work.

          He said that after the  success of this project, it will be replicated not only in the entire Punjab but also in all the states of India. Through this project, after segregation of solid waste, fertilizer will be made from wet waste and electricity will be generated from plastic waste.

          He has appealed to the residents of Khanna to make this project successful so that we can contribute in making our state ‘Rangla Punjab’ by making it garbage-free.

Bhatha Sahib (Ropar), January 6

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday renewed his pledge to serve the state with renewed vigor, passion, dedication and commitment while following the footsteps of Dashmesh Pitaah Sri Guru Gobind Singh.

The Chief Minister, who paid obeisance at Gurudwara Bhatha Sahib, greeted people on the sacred occasion of Parkash Purb of Tenth Sikh Master Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji. He said that the great Sikh guru had taught us to fight against tyranny, injustice and oppression. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that on this sacred day all of us must should take pledge to discharge our duty with utmost sincerity, dedication and commitment to serve the people.

The Chief Minister said that the life and philosophy of Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji was a binding force to unite the entire country. He said that Guru Gobind Singh ji’s universal message of peace, humanism, love and brotherhood has a lot of relevance in the current times. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state government is following the path shown by Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji to ensure the well being of every section of society.

The Chief Minister paid obeisance at Gurdwara  Sahib and prayed to almighty for the peace, progress and prosperity in the state. He also prayed that the ethos of communal harmony, peace and brotherhood are strengthened in the state with every passing day and Punjab leads the country in every sphere. Bhagwant Singh Mann exhorted people to celebrate this sacred occasion with utmost devotion and dedication rising above the parochial considerations of caste, colour, creed and religion.

Chandigarh/Ludhiana, January 6

          Local Bodies Minister Dr. Ravjot Singh inspected the ongoing works being taken up by Rajya Sabha MP and environmentalist Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal along with his Kar Sevaks to clean ‘Buddha Dariya’ near Gurdwara Gaughat Sahib on Monday.

          MLA Ashok Prashar Pappi, Municipal Corporation Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal, MC Additional Commissioner Paramdeep Singh Khaira, Punjab Pollution Control Board officials and sewerage board officials were also present during the inspection.

          Rajya Sabha member Sant Seechewal said that Dr. Ravjot Singh is the first cabinet minister who has inspected the Buddha Dariya project for the third time in last few days. This shows that he is concerned about the environment of Punjab and he will take serious steps for it. Sant Seechewal apprised the cabinet minister that 70 percent of the work for establishing the temporary pumping station has been completed. In a few days, motors would be installed and the sewerage waste would then be pumped from Gaushala point to Jamalpur sewer treatment plant.

          Dr. Ravjot Singh said that the state government led by Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Singh Mann is committed to the cleaning of Buddha Dariya. Appreciating the work done by MP Seechewal, cabinet minister Dr Singh said that this temporary pumping station will help a lot in reducing pollution in the Dariya. He assured that the panels and electricity connections for the temporary pumping station would be provided by the administration as soon as possible.

          Apart from this, Cabinet Minister Dr. Ravjot Singh and Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal also inspected different sewer treatment plants (STP) of the city, which are not being able to function properly due to inflow of cow dung and untreated industrial waste. Strict instructions were issued to the officials to stop the inflow of untreated industrial waste into the STPs.

          Dr. Ravjot Singh and MP Sant Seechewal directed the officials that strict action should be taken against those damaging the STPs and polluting the Dariya. The plants have been established by using the taxes paid by public and these funds cannot be wasted.

Chandigarh, January 3

Taking a leap forward in Livestock care with digital initiative, the Punjab Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Minister, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, on Friday, launched the department’s official YouTube channel and Facebook page under the name of “Animal Husbandry Department, Punjab”. This initiative aims to increase the flow of accurate and authentic information, guiding state livestock farmers on proper management and care of animals.

The Animal Husbandry Minister said that experts will also be holding a live session every Monday dedicated to livestock farming. During these sessions, all livestock farmers will be encouraged to participate and ask questions. The direct communication between experts and farmers will enhance the overall productivity and welfare of livestock in the region.

The primary objective of this digital initiative is to assist livestock owners and stakeholders in achieving more economical and ethical livestock farming practices in Punjab, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said while adding that it will facilitate easier access and improved communication for farmers regarding daily activities, vaccination, biosecurity measures, prevention of livestock diseases and better feeding practices for animals.

He further said that the platforms will also cover essential information on clinical signs of significant livestock diseases, prevention and control measures, and prevention of common zoonotic diseases in animals. Additionally, livestock farmers will be informed about common laboratory tests available for different species of animals at District Polyclinics and Animal Health Institute in Jalandhar.

S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that the livestock farmers will be sensitised about the common laboratory tests available for different species of animals at the District Polyclinics and Animal Health Institute in Jalandhar. They will also receive timely suggestions from experts on pressing issues including summer stress, the calving season, regular deworming of animals, common parasitic diseases, mastitis, brucellosis, repeat breeding and other economically significant infectious and management problems affecting animals.

Principal Secretary of the Animal Husbandry Department, Mr. Rahul Bhandari, apprised the Cabinet Minister that 4 to 5 videos will be posted on these platforms every week to keep livestock owners updated and online sessions with experts will also be organised for the livestock farmers.

Director Animal Husbandry Dr. GS Bedi, Deputy Director Dr. Bikramjit Singh, Assistant Directors Dr. Parampal Singh and Dr. Lakhwinder Singh and other senior officials of the department were also present on the occasion.

Chandigarh, January 3

          The Punjab Government has launched first-of-its-kind initiative ‘Online NRI Meeting’ across the country to resolve complaints of NRIs. Under this service, the state government is resolving various complaints received by NRIs quickly and appropriately and efforts will be continuously continued for immediate resolution of complaints.

          Disclosing this, Punjab NRI Affairs Minister S. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said that today he listened more than 100 complaints of NRIs and gave instructions to the concerned civil and police officers to resolve them on the spot. He said that the complaints received today were related to Punjabis living in America, Canada, England, Australia, Germany, Austria, Italy and Africa, which were related to property, illegal possession and marriage matters.

          On the occasion of the second online NRI meeting held at 11:00 am today, S. Dhaliwal said that through this unique service, the Punjab government will continuously resolve the complaints of NRIs. He said that an online meeting will be held in the first week of every month to hear the complaints of NRIs.

          S. Dhaliwal said that the DCs and SSPs of all districts have been asked to resolve the complaints of NRIs on priority basis. He said that orders have been issued to all the Deputy Commissioners to coordinate with various departments at the district level to resolve the issues of migrants.

          On this occasion, ADGP NRI Wing Punjab Mr. Praveen Kumar Sinha, AIG Mr. Ajinder Singh and senior officers of the NRI department were present.

Chandigarh, January 3

          Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema announced today a significant increase in the prize money for the Punjab State Lohri Makar Sankranti Bumper Lottery 2025, now set at a whopping 10 Crore Rupees. He said that this strategic move has been designed to give tough competition to the lotteries from other states, besides offering a thrilling opportunity to win big Prize while contributing to the state’s development.

          Revealing this in a press communiqué issued here, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema emphasized that this initiative is part of a broader vision to boost state revenue and ensure that Punjab’s lottery market remains competitive and attractive. “Participating in the Punjab State Lohri Makar Sankranti Bumper Lottery 2025 is truly a win-win opportunity for the people of the state. Not only do they stand a chance to win substantial prizes, but the revenue generated from these government lotteries is directly funneled into developmental projects that benefit the entire state,” said the Finance Minister.

          The Finance Minister said that the increased prize money is expected to catapult the Lohri Bumper to the forefront, posing a formidable challenge to lotteries from other states, thereby significantly boosting the revenue collected from the lottery. “These funds will be used for various developmental initiatives across Punjab, including infrastructure improvements, educational programs, and healthcare services”, he added.

          Giving details of prizes, the Finance Minister said that the Rs. 500 lottery ticket offers an enticing prize structure, with the first prize winner receiving a staggering Rs. 10 crore, followed by Rs. 1 crore for the second prize, Rs. 50 lakh for the third, and progressively lower amounts for subsequent ranks. The lottery offers a total of 68,819 prizes with a total prize amount of Rs. 23,47,90,000.

          The Finance Minister emphasized that the Punjab Government has been proactively implementing innovative strategies to bolster the state’s own revenue receipts. He said that this approach has been aimed to propel Punjab onto a higher growth trajectory, fostering an era of unprecedented prosperity.

Chandigarh/Shutrana, January 3

Punjab Water Resources and Water & Soil Conservation Minister Sh. Barinder Goyal, on Friday, inaugurated various development projects costing over Rs.70 crore to ensure water supply for drinking and irrigation up to tail-ends in the Shilutrana constituency.

Sh. Goyal also laid the foundation stones at Shutrana, Sadharanpur and Kalwanu for concrete lining of Rasouli Minor, Karmgarh Link-2 Canal System, Choa Link-2 Canal System, Minor No. 3 and 5, Bishangrah and Atalan Minors. While congratulating local folks on receiving 1.5 times more canal water than before, the Cabinet Minister announced that all works would be completed within two months, benefiting over 75,000 acres during the paddy season. He said that this would help conserve electricity and groundwater by reducing tubewell usage.

Water Resources Minister said that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led government has successfully preserved depleting groundwater by ensuring water supply to tail-end areas.

“Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann’s promise of providing canal water to every field in Punjab is being fulfilled”, said the Cabinet Minister, criticizing previous dispensations for neglecting the Ghaggar issue. He said that Mann government is making serious efforts in this direction to solve the problem.

The Water Resources Minister urged the public to fulfill their duty towards water conservation as the Punjab government is implementing numerous schemes in light of predictions that groundwater will be further depleted by 2037. He also appealed to all farmers to come forward to save groundwater by taking advantage of government schemes and subsidies for underground pipelines. He also urged people to vacate occupied government land.

Barinder Goyal stated that the union government is not providing any cooperation to Punjab, causing delays in initiating canal water projects, while the Punjab government has launched drinking water supply projects in 85 cities of the state.

While responding to a query about the union government’s lack of response to farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s hunger strike, the Cabinet Minister condemned the Center for betraying farmers and the state of Punjab. The union government is determined to destroy farming and Punjab, he categorically added.

Praising local MLA Kulwant Singh Bazigar, Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal noted his effective representation of constituency issues in the assembly.

MLA Kulwant Singh Bazigar thanked Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, saying that the Punjab government has removed the stigma of backwardness from the Shutrana constituency. He lamented that previous governments had ignored the constituency’s decades-old demands, but now all work is being done on a priority.

Prominent amongst others who were present during the function included ADC (G) Isha Singal, SDM Ashok Kumar, Malkeet Singh Parta, Mahinga Singh Brar, Suresh Sharma, Block President Buta Singh Virk, Ranjit Singh President Truck Union, Madan Lal Goyal, Canal Department (BML) Superintending Engineer Ankit Dheer, Executive Engineer Gundeep Singh Dhaliwal, SDO Swaran Singh, Tehsildar Harsimaranjit Singh along with other prominent figures of the the area.