IGNORED FOR DECADES, DOABA REGION GETS THIRD MEDICAL COLLEGE IN 36 MONTHS DUE TO CM

BHAGWANT MANN LAYS FOUNDATION STONE OF SHAHEED BHAGAT SINGH MEDICAL COLLEGE AT SBS NAGAR TO COME UP AT RS 300 CRORE

THIRD MEDICAL COLLEGE TO COME UP IN DOABA AFTER KAPURTHALA AND HOSHIARPUR

Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, March 23:Ignored for several decades, the Doaba region of the state on Sunday got its third medical college within 36 months as Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann laid the foundation stone of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Government Medical College to come up at a cost of around Rs 300 crore.

This is the third medical college in Doaba region as the Chief Minister had earlier laid the foundation stones of Medical Colleges at Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala. So due to the visionary approach of the Chief Minister, out of four districts of Doaba region three viz. Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar will now have Government medical colleges. The new Government Medical College will be attached to the Civil Hospital and this institution, named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh, is a tribute to his legacy and commitment to the people of Punjab.

The college will offer 50 MBBS seats, bringing medical education closer to students from the region. The District Civil Hospital, SBS Nagar, currently provides secondary-level care but lacks specialized medical facilities. With the establishment of the medical college specialist and super-specialist doctors will be available round the clock.

New departments in medicine, surgery, pediatrics, orthopedics, gynecology, and emergency care will be strengthened. Similarly, ICU, trauma center, and diagnostic labs will be upgraded to handle more complex cases. Advanced medical equipment and technology will be introduced to improve patient care.

The hospital will be transformed into a state-of-the-art teaching hospital, benefiting both patients and medical students. Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar is a remote district with limited access to tertiary healthcare facilities but successive governments ignored this region, forcing patients to travel to Ludhiana, Jalandhar, or Chandigarh for treatment. However, this medical college will reduce patient burden on referral hospitals by offering advanced care locally and train future doctors in a rural setting, encouraging them to serve the local population.

This college will ensure that people get affordable and quality healthcare services near their homes. Likewise, this College will also enhance Medical Education as local students will no longer have to leave the district for medical studies. This medical college will act as a catalyst for specialized healthcare services with the availability of cardiology, nephrology, neurology, and oncology services in the future.

Similarly, the Medical college will open new Employment opportunities for doctors, nurses, technicians, and non-medical staff. It will also give impetus to the economy as increased student and faculty presence will boost local businesses and infrastructure. Pertinently, the state government is dedicated to strengthening Punjab’s healthcare and medical education with six new medical colleges in progress.

This project has been fast-tracked ensuring timely completion and operationalization. Recruitment of faculty and staff will be prioritized to make this institution fully functional at the earliest. The Punjab government will ensure timely construction and infrastructure development, additional funding for expanding hospital services and further upgrades to make SBS Nagar a healthcare hub for North Punjab.

This medical college is not just a project, but a promise to the people of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar. It will provide better healthcare, create opportunities for youth, and fulfill a long-pending demand of the region. The college, named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh, will inspire future generations of doctors to serve with dedication. This is reflective of the state government’s commitment to transform Punjab’s healthcare system, ensuring quality medical education and treatment for all.

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PUNJAB POLICE BUSTS NARCO-TERROR MODULE; FATHER-SON AMONG FOUR HELD WITH 4 KG HEROIN

— PUNJAB POLICE COMMITTED TO MAKING PUNJAB A DRUG-FREE STATE AS PER DIRECTIONS OF CM BHAGWANT SINGH MANN

— ARRESTED ACCUSED LINKED TO PAKISTAN-BASED DRUG SMUGGLERS, SAYS DGP GAURAV YADAV

— PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION SUGGESTS MODULE MANAGED BY ABROAD-BASED INDIVIDUAL; FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS ONGOING

CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, March 23:In a significant breakthrough amidst the ongoing war against drugs waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar has busted a narco-terror module operating in Punjab with the arrest of four individuals and recovered 4 kg heroin from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav on Sunday.

Those arrested have been identified as Sukhwinder Singh and his son Navjot Singh, both residents of Tarn Taran road in Amritsar; Aniket, a resident of Chheharta in Amritsar and Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi, a resident of village Sheron in Tarn Taran. Police teams have also impounded their black-coloured three-wheeler auto (PB06-AW-8034) and a black Hero Deluxe motorcycle (PB02-DV-0351), which were being used by the accused for transporting drug consignments.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that CI Amritsar has received reliable inputs that some individuals, who are in direct contact with the Pakistan-based drug smugglers, are involved in drug smuggling and recently retrieved a drug consignment from Attari area to further supply to the local peddlers. Acting swiftly, police teams from CI Amritsar conducted a raid near Government Hospital in Naraingarh in Amritsar and arrested four accused persons and recovered 4 kg heroin from their possession, he said.

The DGP said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the gang is managed by an abroad-based individual identified as Bhullar. Probe also revealed that accused Sukhwinder and his son Navjot Singh had received 4 kg heroin consignment from an unknown person in the village Rajatal in Amritsar, of which, they distributed 2 kg to Aniket and Gurpreet Singh for further supply.

Pertinently, the other son of arrested accused Sukhwinder Singh identified as Harmanjit Singh alias Harry and arrested accused Aniket’s brother identified as Sagar were recently arrested in a drug-related case by ANTF SAS Nagar in January 2025 and are currently lodged in Amritsar Jail.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that their involvement in this smuggling network is also under investigation. Further probe is on to uncover deeper connections within this network by establishing backward and forward linkages, he said, while adding that more recoveries and arrests are expected in the coming days.

A case FIR No. 15 dated 22.03.2025 has been registered under sections 21, 25, and 29 of the NDPS Act at Police Station State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), Amritsar.

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PUNJAB POLICE BUSTS CROSS-BORDER DRUG CARTEL; WOMAN KINGPIN AMONG FOUR HELD WITH 5.2KG HEROIN

— PUNJAB POLICE COMMITTED TO MAKING PUNJAB A DRUG FREE STATE AS PER VISION OF CM BHAGWANT SINGH MANN

— ARRESTED KINGPIN MANDEEP KAUR WOULD OCCASIONALLY DON POLICE UNIFORM TO CARRY OUT NEFARIOUS ACTIVITIES, SAYS DGP GAURAV YADAV

— FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS ON; MORE ARRESTS AND RECOVERIES LIKELY: CP ASR GURPREET SINGH BHULLAR

CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, March 23:In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing war against drugs waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Amritsar Commissionerate Police has busted a cross-border drug cartel with the arrest of a woman kingpin identified as Mandeep Kaur (27) of village Ibban Kalan in Amritsar and her three operatives after recovering 5.2 kg heroin from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Sunday.The other arrested operatives have been identified as Alam Arora (23) and Manmeet alias Golu (21), both residents of Janta Colony in Chheharta, Amritsar; and 18-years-old boy (name withheld) of Tarn Taran.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigations have revealed that accused Mandeep Kaur was in a relationship with a person, who introduced her to Pakistan-based smugglers. Accused Mandeep’s ancestral house is located in border village Khalra in Tarn Taran, which is approximately 2 kilometres from the fencing of the Indo-Pak border, he said.

The DGP said that the probe has also uncovered evidence that the accused Mandeep, would occasionally don a police uniform to impersonate a police officer to carry out nefarious activities. Further investigations are on to establish backward and forward linkages in this case, he added.

Sharing operation details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that following reliable inputs about woman drug smuggler running a drug cartel, police teams under the supervision of DCP investigation Ravinder Pal Singh Sandhu, ADCP Investigation Navjot Singh, and ACP North Kamaljit Singh, led by Incharge CIA-1 Inspector Amolakdeep Singh along with police party apprehended the Mandeep Kaur and her two operatives Alam and Manmeet from the area of Chheharta in Amritsar. Later, on the revelations of accused Mandeep Kaur about the involvement of another individual, police teams have also arrested him from the same area, he said.

The CP said that further investigations are ongoing and more arrests and recoveries are likely in coming days.

A case FIR No. 53 dated March 20, 2025, has been registered under sections 21(C), 21(B), and 29 of the NDPS Act at Police Station Chheharta in Amritsar.

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‘YUDH NASHIAN VIRUDH’: ON DAY 23, PUNJAB POLICE ARRESTS 109 DRUG SMUGGLERS; 8.6KG HEROIN, ₹2.9L DRUG MONEY RECOVERED

— PUNJAB POLICE COMMITTED TO MAKING PUNJAB A DRUG-FREE STATE AS PER DIRECTIONS OF CM BHAGWANT SINGH MANN

— OVER 220 POLICE TEAMS LED BY 87 SP/DSP RANK OFFICERS CHECKED 512 SUSPICIOUS PERSONS: SPL DGP ARPIT SHUKLA

CHANDIGARH, March 23: 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 23rd day, Punjab Police on Sunday arrested 109 drug smugglers and recovered 8.6 kg heroin, 3.3 kg opium, 40 kg poppy husk and ₹2.9 lakhs drug money from their possession. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 2748 in just 23 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 220 Police teams, comprising over 1400 police personnel, under the supervision of 87 gazetted officers have conducted raids at as many as 462 locations across the state leading to the registration of 70 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. Police teams have also checked as many as 512 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.

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