The first meeting of the District Level Committee, ARPAN (Action for Rehabilitation and Proactive Assistance to Needy Persons Engaged in Begging), was convened today under the Chairpersonship of Sh. Amandeep Singh Bhatti, Additional Deputy Commissioner, U.T., Chandigarh. The newly constituted committee by the Department of Social Welfare, Women & Child Development (WCD), aims to address issues related to beggary and ensure the rehabilitation of individuals engaged in begging.

Desh Bhagat Radio 107.8 FM (Aap Ki Awaaz) celebrated Chandigarh Bollywood Day with a cake-cutting ceremony. The Indian film maker and Film producer of Andaz, Dosti and Janvar Mr Suneel Darshan, Mr Vinod Sharma co-actor of Jaspal Bhatti serials as well as theatre artist Mr Vimal Trikha were guests of the event. Desh Bhagat Radio Station Head RJ Sangmitra welcomed the guests. Chancellor Dr Zora Singh, Pro-Chancellor Dr Tajinder Kaur and President Dr Sandeep Singh were present during the event.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday directed the Chandigarh Police to investigate the case of alleged assault of Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath by Punjab Police personnel and complete the probe within four months.

The army officer was allegedly assaulted by 12 Punjab Police personnel in Patiala over a parking dispute.

The bench of Justice Harpreet Singh Brar instructed the Chandigarh Police to set up a Special Investigation Team within three days, and also specified that no Punjab Police officer should be part of the SIT to ensure a fair and transparent probe.

Col Bath, an officer posted in Delhi, moved the High Court last week, seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after the Punjab Police allegedly delayed filing a first information report (FIR) regarding his assault on him and his son by 12 policemen, including four inspectors.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab has strongly condemned the derogatory remarks made by Gurpatwant Singh Pannu against Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution and a Bharat Ratna awardee. 

Addressing a press conference at the AAP party office in Chandigarh, AAP Punjab President and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora, along with AAP leaders Neel Garg and Dr Sunny Ahluwalia, lashed out at Pannu, calling him a “traitor” and a “fugitive” who is attempting to incite hatred and division among Indians from a foreign land. 

Aman Arora firmly stated, “Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is not just the pride of the Dalit community, but the pride of the entire nation. He is an icon of all religions and communities, and it is because of his vision that India is recognized as the world’s largest democracy today. His contributions have empowered common citizens to rise to prominent positions and serve the nation.”

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab President and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora shared details of the police crackdown under the Punjab government's anti-drug campaign, 'War Against Drugs', highlighting its success and impact.

On Monday, Aman Arora, along with AAP leaders Dr. Sunny Ahluwalia and Gurdev Lakhna, addressed a press conference at the party office in Chandigarh. He stated that the 'War Against Drugs' campaign has yielded highly encouraging results across Punjab. The public has welcomed the initiative, expressing their appreciation for the government's efforts.

He mentioned that the Punjab Police has been successfully executing the campaign throughout the state. So far, nearly 2,400 kg of narcotic substances, including large quantities of heroin, opium, and ganja, have been seized. Additionally, 2,721 cases have been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and 4,592 drug smugglers have been arrested.

Secretary of the Information and Public Relations Department and 2005 batch Punjab cadre IAS officer Malwinder Singh Jaggi is retiring today i.e. 31st March after putting in 33 years of distinguished service as a civil administrative officer.

Born in a teaching and intellectual family in Patiala, Mr. Jaggi's father Dr. Rattan Singh Jaggi is a prominent Sikh scholar who was recently awarded the fourth highest civilian honour, Padma Shri, by the Government of India for his literary achievements. The constructive and scholarly atmosphere of the house instilled good qualities and commitment in Malwinder Singh Jaggi from his childhood. After receiving his primary education from Patiala, Mr. Jaggi pursued professional education in engineering from the renowned engineering college GNE Ludhiana.

With cheers, applause, and an air of unbridled excitement, the much-anticipated three-day cultural extravaganza—KAARVAAN 2025—entered into second day at DAV College, Sector 10, Chandigarh.

Under the dynamic leadership of Principal Dr. Mona Narang, Dr. Harmunish Taneja (DSW), Dr. Manminder Singh Anand (Deputy DSW), and Dr. Sumita Bakhshi (Deputy DSW), the festival began with a spectacular display of talent, setting the tone for an electrifying celebration of art, culture, and creativity. KAARVAAN 2025 promises three days of high-octane performances, artistic expression, and boundless enthusiasm from March 27 to March 29. The student council of DAVC10 : HSA & HPSU played a pivotal role in making this event a grand success.

Senior leader and spokesperson of the Aam Aadmi Party Punjab, Pawan Kumar Tinu, praised the Punjab Budget 2025-26 and thanked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and party supremo Arvind Kejriwal for making special provisions for the Scheduled Caste community in the budget.

Addressing a press conference in Jalandhar on Thursday along with AAP leader Tarandeep Singh Sunny, Pawan Tinu said that this budget is the biggest in Punjab's history and, most importantly, does not impose any new tax.

Pawan Tinu particularly praised the decision to waive off loans amounting to ₹70 crore taken by Dalit families under the Scheduled Caste Finance Corporation until March 31, 2020. He said this decision has benefitted over 4,650 families who were unable to repay due to high-interest rates and financial difficulties. He criticized the Congress Party for this, stating that Congress leaders promised to waive these loans to gain Dalit votes during the 2017 Assembly elections but did nothing once in power.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann presented its 4th Budget today named  'Badlda Punjab Budget 2025-26'. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema termed it as a visionary blueprint aimed at transforming Punjab into a vibrant, prosperous, and equitable state.

Addressing the media after his Budget speech, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema launched a scathing attack on the previous governments for their failures and mismanagement, which plunged Punjab into financial and social turmoil. "The Akali Dal and Congress regimes systematically destroyed Punjab's economy and society with corruption, drugs, poor policies, and lack of vision. They left us a state riddled with drugs, unemployment, and crumbling infrastructure. In just three years, we have reversed this decline and set Punjab on a path of progress," said Cheema.

Taking a historic decision to check the illegal mining in state, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday nod for the enactment of the Punjab Regulation of Crusher Units Act 2025.

A decision to this effect was taken in the meeting of the Council of Ministers held here under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister here at his official residence.