Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday paved way for checking illegal mining in the state and further reducing the price of sand and gravel for public.

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

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.