Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak initiates construction work of a park in Sarna

Lays foundation stone of Pathankot - Madhopur Road

Chandigarh/Pathankot, April 4:The Cabinet Minister Mr. Lal Chand Kataruchak today initiated the construction work of a park in assembly constituency Bhoa which would come up at a cost of Rs. 54 Lakh besides laying the Foundation stone of Pathankot - Madhopur Road which would cost Rs. 2.15 crore. It is noteworthy that with the sincere efforts of Mr. Lal Chand Kataruchak, the people of Sarna would get a beautiful park and residents of Khanpur along with residents of dozens of other villages would get the gift of a new Road after almost 10 years.

The park would be equipped with 6 ft. Wide walking track, open gym and space for yoga apart from a digital gate, music systems and beautiful plants, said the Minister addressing people at Sarna.

Divulging more, he said the Punjab Government led by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is scaling new heights of progress. He also mentioned that Pathankot would get as many as 6 stadiums apart from the libraries thus taking care of both sports and academic aspect.

Among others present on the occasion included Chairman The Hindu Cooperative Bank Satish Mahindru, District President Aam Aadmi Party and Halqa Incharge Amit Mantu, District President BC Wing Naresh Kumar, Block Presidents Sohan Lal and Barjinder Kaur apart from Chairman Market Committee Pathankot Vikas Saini.

=========================

Punjab Government ensures massive arrangements to facilitate over 8 lakh farmers during wheat procurement- Lal Chand Kataruchak

Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Minister reviews wheat procurement preparedness in Doaba region

Says, Government committed to ensuring payment to farmers within 24 hours of procurement

124 Lakh MT wheat expected to arrive across 1864 Mandis in the state

Chandigarh/Jalandhar, April 4:The Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister,Punjab, Mr. Lal Chand Kataruchak today announced that the Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has made extensive preparations to facilitate over 8 lakh farmers during the ongoing wheat procurement season in the state.

The Minister was chairing a review meeting with senior officials from four districts, including Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar.

Speaking to the media, the Minister revealed that Punjab is set to witness a bumper wheat crop this year, with a target procurement of 124 lakh metric tonnes. He stated that the State Government has already secured a cash credit limit of Rs. 28,894 crore for wheat procurement for ensuring smooth operations throughout the season. The Minister also mentioned that 99 percent of the required bardana (sacks) has been arranged, alongside sufficient space and crates for efficient storage.

To cater to the massive arrival of crops, the Punjab Government has established 1864 purchase centres (mandis) across the state, where farmers can sell their wheat. In light of the bumper crop, around 600 temporary purchase centres have also been set up. Mr. Kataruchak assured farmers that they would receive payments within 24 hours of procurement, with the Government setting the Minimum Support Price (MSP) at Rs. 2425 per quintal.

Disclosing district-specific procurement targets, he stated that over 3.14 lakh MT of wheat is expected to arrive in Hoshiarpur, while Jalandhar, Kapurthala, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar will contribute 5.25 lakh MT, 3.61 lakh MT, and 2.64 lakh MT, respectively.

The Minister emphasized the Punjab Government’s commitment to purchasing every single grain brought by farmers, stressing that no negligence would be tolerated in the procurement process. He highlighted the government’s efforts over the past three years to streamline wheat and paddy procurement operations.

In the review meeting, Mr. Kataruchak also examined facilities for farmers, including cleanliness, drinking water availability, lighting, and sheds at the mandis. He directed the officials to remain present in their respective mandis throughout the season to ensure farmers face no hardships during this period.

He further stated that Punjab is the nation’s breadbasket, expressing pride in the state's ability to manage such a large-scale procurement operation smoothly.

======================================

Vigilance Bureau arrests Homeopathic Doctor red-handed accepting Rs 3.50 lakh bribe

Chandigarh, April 4, 2025 -The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its ongoing drive against corruption in the state, on Friday, arrested a private homeopathic doctor, Dr. Arvind Kumar, a resident of Raiya, in Amritsar district, while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 3.50 lakh in Tarn Taran.

Disclosing this here today an official spokesperson of the state VB said the arrest was made following a complaint filed by Ashok Kumar, a resident of Patran town in Patiala district. According to the complaint, Dr. Arvind Kumar had initially demanded a bribe of Rs 5 lakh on behalf of Dr. Sumit Singh, currently serving as Senior Medical Officer (SMO) at Manawala, Amritsar. The bribe was allegedly meant to influence Dr. Sumit Singh's testimony in favor of the complainant in an ongoing court case. The amount was later negotiated down to Rs 3.50 lakh.

He further informed that the case pertains to a matter registered against Ashok Kumar and others under the PNDT Act and NDPS Act at Patran police station, based on a complaint by Rajesh Kumar, SMO. Dr. Sumit Singh is a key witness in this case.

The spokesperson added that the after preliminary verification of the complaint, the VB team laid a trap at Tarn Taran where Dr. Arvind Kumar was present at the office of "Sarhadi Lok Sewa Samiti," a national-level committee working for the welfare of border area residents, particularly in dowry cases and women's empowerment. The accused was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe of Rs 3.50 lakh from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses. Audio recordings submitted as evidence corroborated the bribe demand, leading to the arrest. In this regard a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against Dr. Arvind Kumar at Flying Squad-1, VB police station Punjab at Mohali. The accused would be produced in the competent court tomorrow. He stated that further investigation is ongoing, and the role of Dr. Sumit Singh and any other individuals involved will be thoroughly examined.

=====================================

PUNJAB INTENSIFIES CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL AGRI-INPUTS; BANNED PESTICIDES SEIZED IN HOSHIARPUR

•Samples sent for testing, FIR registered under Insecticides Act: Gurmeet Singh Khudian

•Strict action to be taken against violators, says Agriculture Minister

Chandigarh, April 4:Amidst the ongoing intensified drive against substandard and illegal agricultural inputs as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has raided two firms in Hoshiarpur district, leading to seizure of banned pesticides and expired stocks.

Disclosing this here on Friday, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that a special team under the supervision of Joint Director (Extension & Training) Dilbagh Singh conducted surprise check at M/s Janak Raj Narinder Kumar in New Grain Market, Hoshiarpur. The team has found 99 packets (100 grams each) of banned Ammonium Salt of Glyphosate 71% SG, manufactured and marketed by Iprochem Agri Care, Panchkula, Haryana, he said.

The Agriculture Minister further informed that the raid has also led to recovery of large quantities of expired and non-addition pesticides including 20 packs of Pendimethalin (1 litre), 10 packs of Profenophos+Cypermethrin (1 litre), 40 packs of Thiamethoxam (250 gm), five packs of Carbendazim (250 gm), 75 packs of Clodinafop Propargyl (160 gm), 23 packs of Atrazine (500 gm), five packs of Metalaxyl+Mancozeb (250 gm) and 10 packs of Mancozeb (1 litre).

"Samples have been drawn and an FIR has been registered at Police Station Model Town, Hoshiarpur under the relevant sections of Insecticides Act, 1968 and Rules, 1971," said S. Khudian.

In another action, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said the team has also inspected M/s Vij Traders in the same market where they collected two each samples of pesticides, fertilizers and seeds. "The sale of pesticides and seeds has been stopped immediately as the firm was operating without proper license endorsements under relevant Acts," the Minister added.

Meanwhile, the Agriculture Minister urged farmers to purchase agricultural inputs only from authorised dealers and take bill of purchased products.

Dr. Basant Garg, Administrative Secretary (Agriculture), stated that the necessary directions were given to all Chief Agriculture Officers of the State to keep regular check on Agri-inputs dealers/manufacturing/marketing companies to ensure quality products to farmers.

================================

268 Children Given a New Lease of Life under ‘Project Jeevanjot’: Dr. Baljit Kaur

Education, Nutritious Food, and Healthcare Facilities Being Provided to 19 Children in Government-run Child Care Homes

Chandigarh, April 4:The Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, is fully committed to the care and holistic development of every child in the state. Giving this information, Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur stated that under the ongoing initiative ‘Project Jeevanjot’, launched in July 2024, as many as 268 children have been rescued so far.

The Cabinet Minister said that out of these, 19 children without parental care have been placed in government-run child care institutions, where they are being provided free education, nutritious meals, and healthcare facilities. She further added that the remaining children have been rehabilitated with their families through the intervention of Child Welfare Committees.

Dr. Baljit Kaur elaborated that the main objective of ‘Project Jeevanjot’ is to rescue children engaged in begging from the streets, rehabilitate them, and reintegrate them into mainstream society. This project is being effectively implemented through dedicated district-level task forces.

The Minister emphasized that the Punjab Government is making every possible effort to ensure the well-being of children involved in begging. She stated that the holistic development of every child is a top priority of the government. These efforts are a significant step towards realizing the vision of a 'Rangla Punjab'.

==================================

Top Bureaucrats to Mentor Govt School Students as Punjab Launches ‘School Mentorship Program’

• Beyond books; IAS, IPS, IFS officers to motivate & inspire students to aim high in life, says Harjot Singh Bains

• Interested officers can adopt a school by filling online Google Form by April 20, says Education Minister

Chandigarh, April 4:In a pioneering move to empower government school students, Punjab has taken a lead across the country to introduce one-of-its-kind “School Mentorship Program” wherein top brass bureaucrats are being roped in to inspire and guide young minds to aim high in life, announced S. Harjot Singh Bains, School Education Minister, Punjab.

Addressing the media here at Punjab Bhawan today, S. Harjot Singh Bains said that under this ambitious program, the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government has invited IAS, IPS, IFS and other civil service officers to mentor rural government schools to revitalising public education and nurturing young minds for excelling in life. A notification has also been issued today for implementation of the program.

“Behind every successful child is someone who once believed in them. Through this program, our most accomplished officers will become mentors to our most underserved schools. It is a chance to go beyond administrative duties, and truly transform lives,” said S. Harjot Singh Bains.

Highlighting the program, the Education Minister said that the top bureaucrats can voluntarily adopt one government school for mentorship. Mentorship is envisioned not as an administrative role but as a deeply humane and inspiring relationship.

He said that officers will engage with students, teachers, and principals to motivate students to dream big and pursue ambitious goals, besides, supporting teachers in adopting innovative pedagogy and leveraging their experience and networks to bring improvements in school infrastructure, resources, and exposure opportunities.

S. Harjot Singh Bains said that officers will be encouraged to mentor schools located in remote, rural, or challenging settings, and once assigned, they would nurture the mentorship for at least five years, ensuring long-term engagement, bonding and impact. The Officers would continue to mentor their schools irrespective of their transfers and postings, he added.

“Civil service officers bring with them a wealth of experience, exposure to governance, and a demonstrated track record of excellence,” he said, while adding that their journeys can inspire students to aim for institutions such as IITs, AIIMS, NDA, and the UPSC, while their networks can help schools access resources, partnerships, and new learning opportunities.

Urging the bureaucrats to adopt government schools, S. Harjot Singh Bains, “A school in Mansa, a village in Fazilka, or a border town in Tarn Taran—every child there has dreams, but often lacks direction. Your mentorship can provide that direction. Through a single session, a scholarship reference, or a university visit, you could transform someone’s future.”

He said that mentor officers will be frequently visiting, and collaborating with their schools and facilitating students’ career counselling, exposure visits, teachers’ training on innovative pedagogies, increasing parental participation in school, piloting innovative ideas, and improving the learning environment of the schools. The entire approach will be outcome oriented, he added.

Meanwhile, outstanding contributions will be acknowledged at state-level education events to honour the efforts of mentor officers. Interested officers can adopt a school by filling the Google Form (link:https://forms.gle/V4kcHjjVfsomdJz9A) by April 20, 2025, he added.

=========================================

EM Harjot Bains congratulates students for excelling in PSEB VIII Board exams

Chandigarh, April 4:Punjab School Education Minister S. Harjot Singh Bains congratulated students of class VIII of the Punjab School Education Board on their remarkable results, announced today. A total of 2,90,471 students appeared for the 8th class Board examination, with 282,627 students being promoted to the 9th class, resulting in a remarkable pass percentage of 97.30%. This achievement highlights the dedication and hard work of the students, teachers and parents.

The Education Minister expressed happiness and contentment over the outstanding feat of Puneet Verma and Navjot Kaur for securing 100% marks. These students secured first and second positions, respectively.

Notably, Puneet was a student of Shri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Chief Khalsa Diwan, Model Town, Hoshiarpur and Navjot Kaur was a student of Sant Mohan Das Memorial Senior Secondary School, Kot Sukhia, in Faridkot.

Wishing the promoted students all the best for the future, S. Bains motivated the other students to work harder and follow the toppers.

Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab government is pulling all stops to raise the standards of the school education to a world-class level. These results are a reflection of our government's unwavering commitment to excellence in education. The Punjab School Education Board's efforts, combined with the dedication of educators and students, have created a supportive and inclusive learning environment that fostering an academic excellence.

===================================

S. Kultar Singh Sandhwan Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha alongwith his daughter Sophia kulreet kaur today visited press lounge in Chief Minister office on the invitation of Punjab Vidhan Sabha Press Gallery Committee. He was welcomed by Vimal Setia, Director, Information and Public Relations, Punjab. Ashwani Chawla President, Amit Pandey Vice President, Deepak Sharma Secretary of Punjab Vidhan Sabha Press Gallery Committee along with renowned Journalists also extended warm welcome to the Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

======================================

PSPCL establishes control room to prevent wheat crop fires

Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO urges farmers to report electrical faults immediately

Chandigarh, April 4:Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has established a dedicated control room to prevent fire incidents in wheat crops during the ongoing harvest season.

Providing further details, Power Minister S. Harbhajan Singh ETO informed that the control room has been set up to address emergencies related to loose or low-hanging electric wires and GO switches that can cause sparking and potentially ignite wheat fields. He urged farmers to immediately report such issues to the nearest sub-divisional office, complaint center or the control room at 96461-06835, 96461-06836 or toll-free number 1912 for timely rectification of these electrical hazards. The Cabinet Minister added that pictures of loose or low-hanging wires or sparking incidents, along with location details, can be sent via WhatsApp to 96461-06836.

Underlining special precautions for farmers, the Cabinet Minister advised that harvested wheat should not be kept under power lines or near transformers and GO switches. He urged cutting of wheat one marla around transformers in advance and keeping a 10-meter area around field transformers wet to prevent potential fires from sparks. He also cautioned against smoking cigarettes or beedis near wheat fields.

The Cabinet Minister further warned against tampering with electric lines using bamboo poles or sticks, stressing that unauthorized persons should not be allowed to operate GO switches. He also said that wheat stubble or residue should not be burnt to prevent pollution.

S. Harbhajan Singh ETO appealed to farmers to operate harvester combines only during daylight hours and to be vigilant about sparks from combine parts. He cautioned against combines colliding with electric poles, wires or pole stays. The Cabinet Minister specifically said that there is need to monitor mischievous elements to protect wheat crops from fire incidents.

He also urged the public to immediately report any electrical line sparking to the concerned PSPCL staff, Junior Engineer, Sub-Divisional Officer or the control room.

============================================

‘YUDH NASHIAN VIRUDH’ CONTINUES ON DAY 35 AS PUNJAB POLICE ARRESTS 46 DRUG SMUGGLERS AFTER 469 RAIDS

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

— DAY LONG OPERATION LEADS TO REGISTRATION OF 30 FIRs, RECOVERY OF 643 GRAMS HEROIN, 450 GRAMS OPIUM

— POLICE TEAMS IN SIX DISTRICTS ALSO CHECK 315 PHARMACEUTICAL SHOPS

— OVER 200 POLICE TEAMS LED BY 83 SP/DSP RANK OFFICERS CHECKED 497 SUSPICIOUS PERSONS: SPL DGP ARPIT SHUKLA

CHANDIGARH, April 4:Continuing the war against drugs “Yudh Nashian Virudh” waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to eradicate drug menace from state consecutively for the 35th day, Punjab Police on Friday conducted raids at 469 locations leading to the arrest of 46 drug smugglers after registration of 30 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 4874 in just 35 days.

Police teams have also recovered 643 grams heroin, 450 grams opium, 4318 intoxicant tablets/pills and Rs 5760 drug money from the possession of arrested drug smugglers.

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 200 Police teams, comprising over 1300 police personnel, under the supervision of 83 gazetted officers have conducted raids across the state and checked as many as 497 suspicious persons during the day long operation

He said that Punjab Police has devised a comprehensive strategy and such operations will be continued till the scourge of drugs eradicated from the state.

Meanwhile, Police teams have also conducted checking at as many as 315 pharmaceutical shops in six districts including Bathinda, Mansa, Barnala, Patiala, Sangrur and SAS Nagar to ensure that they are not selling intoxicant tablets or any other habit-forming drugs, and are adhering to the prescribed norms and regulations regarding the sale of medicines.

=========================================

Mohinder Bhagat Orders Swift Implementation of Welfare Measures for Ex-Servicemen

₹49.56 Crore Released for Ex-Servicemen Welfare Schemes

Chandigarh, April 4-Cabinet Minister Mohinder Bhagat has directed officials of the Department of Defence Services Welfare to expedite welfare initiatives for ex-servicemen. He issued these directives during a meeting held in Chandigarh to review the progress of various welfare schemes being implemented for ex-servicemen.

During the meeting, Additional Chief Secretary Shri J.M. Balamurugan and Brig. Bhupinder Singh Dhillon (Retd.) apprised the Minister of the ongoing welfare initiatives and the progress of various schemes aimed at supporting ex-servicemen.

On this occasion, Minister Mohinder Bhagat informed that a sum of ₹49.56 crore has been released under various welfare schemes for ex-servicemen. He reiterated that the state government is committed to provide all possible assistance to ex-servicemen and their dependents. He emphasized that financial aid, including ex-gratia grants and assistance for soldiers who suffered disabilities during duty, is being provided in a timely manner.

The Minister also highlighted that the Punjab government is extending full support to the 105 Dharmi Faujis and widows of the historic Saka Neela Tara incident. Additionally, he informed that scholarships for students from Punjab studying at RIMC Dehradun are being disbursed on time.

He assured that the government remains dedicated to the rehabilitation of ex-servicemen and their dependents. Furthermore, Deputy Commissioners across all districts have been instructed to address the concerns of ex-servicemen promptly and effectively.