Punjab Government Issues Legal Guardianship Certificates to 67 Adults with Special Needs: Dr. Baljit Kaur
Legal Guardianship Ensures Protection and Empowerment for Persons with Special Needs
Public Welfare Remains Top Priority Under Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann
Chandigarh, November 14:Punjab Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur stated that under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government is taking significant steps for the welfare of adults with special needs. As part of these efforts, 67 adults with special needs have been issued Legal Guardianship Certificates within the past one month.
Providing further details, Dr. Baljit Kaur said that legal guardianship is an authorised legal mechanism under the National Trust Act, 1999, aimed at ensuring the welfare, protection, and empowerment of adults with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Intellectual Disability, and Multiple Disabilities. Under this Act, a responsible guardian is legally appointed for adults who are unable to independently manage essential daily tasks due to their disabilities. This guardianship enables smoother decision-making, documentation processes, banking, healthcare-related procedures, and access to various government schemes.
The Minister further added that a legal guardian may be a parent, sibling, close relative, or a responsible person associated with a registered social service organisation, and such appointments are approved through the designated committee.
Dr. Baljit Kaur said that these certificates bring a transformative change in the lives of persons with special needs, as they provide legal protection, safeguard their rights, and ensure easier access to government facilities and services.
She also highlighted that the Punjab Government has implemented several schemes and extensive support facilities to connect persons with special needs to the mainstream and to improve their overall quality of life.
Dr. Baljit Kaur said that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann has issued clear instructions that no person with special needs should be left behind and that comprehensive support must be provided at every level.
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Punjab’s South India Outreach Gains Momentum as Hyderabad–Chennai Roadshows Spark Strong Investor Interest
*Mohali emerges as hub of IT sector, Says Sanjeev Arora*
*Leading Companies beeline to invest in Punjab, reflecting strong commitment of Punjab Government to provide open, transparent & business friendly environment*
*GoI recognises Punjab as a ‘Top Achiever’ in Ease of Doing Business rankings*
Chandigarh, 14 November 2025:In a major boost to its national investment engagement efforts, the Government of Punjab has successfully concluded a high-impact outreach across Hyderabad and Chennai, generating strong interest from leading South Indian industries ahead of the Progressive Punjab Investors’ Summit 2026.
The delegation was led by Cabinet Minister for Industries & Commerce, Investment Promotion, Power and NRI Affairs, Shri Sanjeev Arora, accompanied by senior officials from the Department of Industries & Commerce, Punjab Development Commission (PDC) and Invest Punjab. The engagements covered a wide spectrum of sectors including mobility, aerospace, defence, electronics, IT, food processing, healthcare, tourism and engineering services.
The Hyderabad leg featured focused interactions with prominent organisations such as Ceph Life Sciences, Vibrant Energy, ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education, TiE Global, Baba Group of Companies, Ellenbarrie Industrial Gases, Visakha Pharmacity (Ramky Group), and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). BEL expressed interest in integrating more Punjab-based MSMEs into its defence and electronics supply chain.
Shri Arora also met Shri Alla Ayodhya Rami Reddy, Rajya Sabha MP and Founder of Ramky Group, exploring large-scale possibilities in infrastructure and manufacturing.
A detailed visit to the BrahMos Aerospace facility discussed participation opportunities for Punjab’s MSMEs in India’s growing aerospace ecosystem.
The delegation also visited Sindhu Hospital, established by the Hetero Group under Dr. B. Partha Saradhi Reddy, MP (Rajya Sabha), identifying avenues for cooperation in advanced healthcare, diagnostics and medical technology.
An evening interaction brought together senior representatives including Dr. Reddy, Prof. Dulal Panda (NIPER Mohali), Abhijit Banerjee (Linde India), Varun Surekha (Hartex), Sudhakar Rao (ICFAI) and Anirudh Gupta (DCM Group). Stakeholders highlighted Punjab’s strong research ecosystem, improved ease of doing business and proactive regulatory mechanisms.
Chennai Roadshow Highlights
Chennai echoed similar enthusiasm. The delegation met senior leadership from
Hatsun Agro, Portman Enterprises, CavinKare, Garuda Aerospace, Bahwan CyberTek, GlobalLogic (Hitachi), Virtusa, Rattha Group and Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital.
Key areas of discussion included food processing, clean mobility, engineering design, digital transformation and healthcare services.
The interaction with the Murugappa Group was especially noteworthy. Group leaders acknowledged their strong existing manufacturing base and workforce in Punjab. Appreciated the State’s transparent governance and responsive facilitation.
Indicated interest in expanding operations, including in the electric mobility domain. Several companies expressed intent to evaluate opportunities in Mohali, Ludhiana and Rajpura, citing Punjab’s strategic location for North India markets and access to NCR. Leaders from Bahwan CyberTek described Mohali as emerging as “the next Gurugram of North India”, especially for Tech-driven digital enterprises. Punjab’s power-surplus advantage was also noted as a key enabler for data centre operations.
Punjab’s Investment Credentials highlighted throughout the outreach, Shri Sanjeev Arora briefed industries on Punjab’s improved business climate, including its recent recognition as a ‘Top Achiever’ in the Ease of Doing Business rankings by the Government of India.
He highlighted that Punjab has attracted ₹1.37 lakh crore in serious, on-ground investments. Nearly five lakh jobs have been created.The Right to Business Act has been strengthened Units in approved industrial parks receive in-principle approval within 5 working days. All other applications outside RTBA are mandatorily resolved within 45 working days through the FastTrack Punjab Portal.
Industry leaders in both cities expressed pleasant surprise at Punjab’s Modern, reliable infrastructure Efficient logistics & peaceful labour environment
Talent availability, High-quality research institutions, Digitised, transparent governance model.
Many acknowledged Punjab as a dependable, competitive alternative to traditional northern industrial hubs.
Following the successful completion of the South India roadshows, Team Invest Punjab has returned to Chandigarh to prepare for the next phase of national and international outreach. The momentum generated is expected to convert into deeper collaborations and a strengthened pipeline of strategic investment interests leading up to the Progressive Punjab Investors’ Summit 2026.
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'Right food is first medicine'
Need for nutrition huts emphasized at school & village panchayat level to percolate message at grassroots
Punjab State Food Commission organizes seminar on 'Food is Medicine' theme
Chandigarh, November 14:Placing the prime focus on inculcating healthy eating habits in the people with the aim to ensure robust health, the theme of 'Right food is the first medicine' occupied the centre stage at a seminar on the topic FOOD IS MEDICINE held by the Punjab State Food Commission at MGSIPA in Sector 26 here today.
Driving home the point that it is very significant to ensure that the message of consuming nutritious food is percolated down to the grassroots level, Dr. Vipan Bhargav from Ludhiana revealed that our body has a mechanism of nurturing itself but the only that is needed is to give it right kind amount of ingredients. He also dwelled upon the need to have Nutrition Huts and Nutrition Points at home, school & village panchayat level. "The plant based natural vegetables and the home grown ones contribute greatly towards a healthy lifestyle", said Dr. Bhargav.
Stressing the importance of Ayurveda, the Chairman of the IRA Chamber of Ayurveda S.K. Batish divulged that 170 countries around the globe have accepted Ayurveda while 23 have made it a part of their health policy. He also advocated the importance of Millet based diet.
Health & Life Coach Harkanwal P. Singh Dhaliwal made a case for the need to know how to detoxify our body and balance the various kinds of foods we consume.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Punjab State Food Commission Bal Mukand Sharma welcomed the Chief Guest the Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Food Commission, Shimla Dr. S.P. Katyal who lauded the stellar role being played by the Punjab State Food Commission for the best food practices with regard to ensuring a healthy lifestyle.
Among others, the Punjab State Food Commission Members Vijay Dutt, Chetan Prakash Dhaliwal and Jasvir Singh Sekhon besides former Member Preety Chawla, Member Secretary Kanu Thind & Vice Chairperson IRA Chamber of Ayurveda Kanchan Sharma were also present.
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Light and Sound Shows Organised in Ludhiana, Kapurthala, Sri Muktsar Sahib and Barnala Depicting the Life and Philosophy of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji
- Large gatherings witnessed as Cabinet Ministers, MPs, MLAs and devotees attended the programmes
Chandigarh, November 14:As part of the state-wide commemorative events marking the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, the Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, organised Light and Sound Shows on Friday in Ludhiana, Kapurthala, Sri Muktsar Sahib and Barnala. The programmes saw overwhelming participation from the sangat along with Cabinet Ministers, MLAs, Members of Parliament and local leaders.
A spokesperson revealed that at the Light and Sound Show held at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Power, Industries and Commerce Minister Sanjeev Arora and Housing and Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian were present. Similarly, at the Guru Nanak Stadium in Kapurthala, Defence Services Welfare Minister Mohinder Bhagat and Rajya Sabha Member Sant Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal joined the sangat in witnessing the show that highlighted the unparalleled sacrifice and profound philosophy of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji.
At Barnala’s Baba Kala Mehr Stadium, Lok Sabha Member Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and MLA Kulwant Singh Pandori attended the event along with local leaders and devotees. Meanwhile, in Sri Muktsar Sahib, MLA Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar marked his presence at the Light and Sound Show organised at Guru Gobind Singh Stadium.
The sangat attending these events praised the Punjab Government’s efforts to spread awareness about the life and teachings of the Ninth Guru. The Light and Sound Shows used advanced laser lights and 3D projection technology to depict the complete life journey, philosophy, teachings and supreme martyrdom of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, who sacrificed his life to uphold religious freedom and protect human values.
It is noteworthy that Light and Sound Shows will also be organised in the remaining districts on November 17 and 20.
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Mission Chardi Kala: Punjab Government consistently distributing relief in third phase
*On fourth consecutive day, over Rs. 17 crore distributed to flood victims*
*Chandigarh, November 14:*The Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has consistently been distributing financial relief under Mission Chardi Kala for the rehabilitation of flood and rain-affected people.
Today over Rs. 17 crore were distributed to flood victims at several locations across the state by the Punjab Government.
Under this campaign, Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains distributed crop compensation worth about Rs. 2 crore 26 lakhs to flood victims of Sri Anandpur Sahib assembly constituency at village Jindwari.
While sharing further details, S. Bains said that today, Rs. 72,12,000 has been distributed to 70 farmers of Sub-Division Sri Anandpur Sahib, Rs. 58,89,000 to 101 farmers of Sub-Division Nangal and Rs. 89,68,000 to 35 farmers belonging to Sub-Division Rupnagar.
Similarly, in Ajnala area of Amritsar, former Cabinet Minister Punjab and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal distributed compensation amount of Rs. 5.86 crore to 1330 farmers.
It was the fourth consecutive day of the third phase of the relief distribution process when the state government provided the financial assistance to flood-affected families across the state.
An official spokesperson said that today, the people of flood-affected villages Bhaini Kadar Bakhsh and Pasan Kadim of Sultanpur in the Kapurthala district were handed over the sanction letters of compensation amount of Rs. 40 lakh.
The spokesperson said that apart from this, the sanction letters were also handed over to 380 flood victims at Talwandi Sabo and Maur to distribute under Mission Chardi Kala.
The spokesperson said that Chief Whip Prof. Baljinder Kaur handed over the sanction letters to 80 beneficiaries at Talwandi Sabo.
The spokesperson said that MLA Sukhbir Singh Maisarkhana handed over the sanction letters to 300 people affected by heavy rain or flood-like situation in Maur constituency of Bathinda district.
The spokesperson said that today, MLA Dharamkot Davinderjit Singh Ladi Dhos also handed over sanction letters of to Rs 5.83 crore to about 1350 beneficiaries.
He said that in Ferozepur Urban assembly constituency, Ranbir Singh Bhullar visited village Kamal Wala (Muthianwala) and Bala Megha and handed over sanction letters amounting to Rs 1 crore 5 lakh to the flood affected families of the villages.
The spokesperson said that Fazilka MLA Narinderpal Singh Sawna distributed an amount of Rs 1 crore 57 lakh to the farmers at Shah Hithar (Gulaba Bhaini), a flood affected village.
It is noteworthy that Punjab is providing the highest ever compensation to the flood affected families and the state government has also ensured that relief should be given to every affected family in a transparent manner.
The compensation amount for the damage of a house has been increased from Rs 6,500 to Rs 40,000, while farmers were being given Rs 20,000 per acre for crop damage. The state government is providing compensation of Rs 37,500 per milking cattle, Rs 32,000 per non-milking cattle, Rs 20,000 per calf and Rs 100 per poultry bird with the aim of restoring their livelihood.