In a major reprieve to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community in the state, the Punjab Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, on Tuesday approved a loan waiver worth ₹67.84 crore, benefiting around 4,800 families.

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

Disclosing this here today, a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office stated that the Cabinet granted ex-post facto approval for the Waiver of Loans Disbursed up to March 31, 2020, for loanees of the Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development & Finance Corporation (PSCFC). The waiver covers all loans disbursed by the PSCFC up to the mentioned date, offering significant relief to SC and Divyangjan (persons with disabilities) loanees. This move will benefit a total of 4,727 loanees for an aggregate amount of ₹67.84 crore.

Acting swiftly, Punjab Police have arrested Gagandeep Singh of Tarn Taran for sharing sensitive information concerning army movements during Operation Sindoor, Director General of Police Guarav Yadav said on Tuesday.

The accused had been in contact with the Pakistan's ISI and Khalistani supporter Gopal Singh Chawla.

Investigations have revealed that he was engaged in sharing classified details, including troop deployments and strategic locations, posing a threat to national security, DGP Yadav wrote on the social media platform X.

Preliminary investigation revealed that Singh had been in touch with Pakistan-based Khalistani supporter Chawla for the past five years, through whom he was introduced to the Pakistani intelligence operatives.

He also received payments from operatives via Indian channels, the DGP said.

The seven-day Faculty Induction Programme for newly recruited teachers of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) was inaugurated today at Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University, Fatehgarh Sahib. The event is organized under the aegis of the Directorate of Education, SGPC, and is coordinated by the Department of Education of the University. Dr. Harneet Billing, Head of the Department of Education, shared that this programme aims to align the new faculty members with the vision and mission of SGPC in education. The inaugural session was graced by the Vice-Chancellor Prof.(Dr.) Pritpal Singh who delivered an inspiring speech on “The Vision of SGPC in Education”.

In a major boost for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) before the Ludhiana West Assembly by-election, the Congress suffered a significant blow as several senior leaders and more than half a dozen local social activists joined AAP on Monday.

AAP Punjab’s Working President AmanSher Singh Shery Kalsi, in the presence of MLAs Ashok Parashar Pappi, Jeevan Jyot Kaur, Jasveer Singh Raja Gill, Davinder Singh Laddi Dhos, Kulwant Sidhu, Rajinder Pal Kaur Chhina, Gurpreet Banawali, and other party officials, formally inducted the new leaders into the party and extended a warm welcome.

Among the prominent leaders who joined was Nivesh Vasan from Ward No. 63 in Ludhiana. His family has been associated with the Congress for the past 35 years. Vasan accused the Congress of internal conflicts, factionalism, and neglecting local workers, breaking his 35-year-long association with the party to join AAP along with dozens of supporters.

Punjab Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO today announced that Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has made extensive arrangements to ensure uninterrupted power supply and efficient complaint resolution during the upcoming summer and paddy season, as well as in the event of power disruptions caused by heavy rains and windstorms.

Emphasizing the state government’s proactive approach under the dynamic, visionary and “pro-people” leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the minister stated that PSPCL has established dedicated control rooms at each zonal level and a central control room at the head office in Patiala to monitor power supply 24x7.

The Punjab government is taking a stringent action against illegal liquor. In a major operation against illicit liquor, the Excise Department conducted overnight raids on Thursday. During the raid, a massive consignment of approximately 80,000 liters of ethanol, packed in two trucks in Bathinda, was seized, and several individuals were arrested.

The two trucks carrying ethanol bore Gujarat registration numbers, clearly indicating that the consignment originated from Gujarat. In addition, two Toyota Etios cars and one Innova SUV connected to the case were also seized.

Eight individuals involved in the case have been arrested and charged under stringent sections of the law that carry provisions for life imprisonment. Among those arrested, four are from Bathinda, two from Uttar Pradesh, and two from Nepal. Both the Excise Department and the police are interrogating the accused.

Desh Bhagat Dental College and Hospital is celebrating World No Tobacco Day 2025 with a fortnight of activities from May 20 to June 5, in accordance with the National Resource Centre for Oral Health and Tobacco Cessation and the Dental Council of India. Various events such as awareness lectures and campaigns, oral screenings, camps, tobacco cessation counselling, poster-making competitions, and other outreach initiatives are being conducted during this period.

At least five people were killed and 34 injured on Friday in a blast at a double-storey illegal firecracker factory located on the outskirts of a village in Punjab’s Muktsar district, police said.

Most of the victims were migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

The factory, owned by Tarsem Singh, who is associated with the state-ruled AAP, in Singhwala village, was reduced to rubble owing to the intensity of the blast, trapping many under debris.

According to the police, the blast occurred at midnight. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, including All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda, and most of them were stated to be out of danger.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Muktsar Sahib, Akhil Chaudhary, said the blast occurred in one of the rooms in the manufacturing setup of the unit, which led to the collapse of the roof.