A major accident was narrowly avoided near Mansa in Punjab after an object was found obstructing the railway track. The incident occurred when train number 12137, the Punjab Mail, en route from Delhi to Firozpur, was forced to stop near kilometre mark 245/01, close to the Mansa railway station.

According to officials, someone had deliberately placed an iron cot (charpai) across the railway track during the night. The alertness and quick action of the train’s loco pilot averted a potential disaster, as the train was brought to a halt just in time.

The obstruction due to a cot was detected before the train could run over it. That's how possible derailment or major damage was prevented.

Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College, Fatehgarh Sahib, in collaboration with the District Education Office, Fatehgarh Sahib, successfully organized a one-day workshop titled “Counsel the Counselors” . The workshop focused on the theme “Fostering Mental Health in Schools” and was specifically designed for school counselors of the Fatehgarh Sahib district. The event aimed to empower school counselors by enhancing their understanding of mental health issues and equipping them with tools and strategies to support student well-being. The workshop began with a warm welcome to the participants and dignitaries, setting a positive tone for the day.

In a major decision aimed at streamlining and expediting the payment process for properties sold by Urban Local Bodies, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday approved a significant amendment to the Punjab Management and Transfer of Municipal Properties Rules, 2021.

A decision to this effect was taken by the Council of Ministers at a meeting here. A spokesperson for the Chief Minister’s Office said as per the amendment, the Cabinet decided to reduce the time period to six months for depositing the sale price by allottees for properties sold by the Urban Local Bodies.

Reiterating the zero-tolerance policy of his government against corruption, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said no officer or politician, however affluent he may be, involved in this heinous crime against humanity will be spared.

In a message to the people, the Chief Minister said “today’s action is once again a clear message that there is no pick and choose in this tirade against corruption”.

The Chief Minister’s reaction comes hours after the Vigilance Bureau arrested Jalandhar Central Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Raman Arora, 54, in a corruption case involving former assistant town planner of the municipal corporation, Sukhdev Vashisht, who was held last week.

The ‘Nasha Mukti Yatra,’ led by the ministers and MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) across Punjab, entered its sixth day. AAP leaders remain dedicated to their mission, leading awareness campaigns against drugs in over 90 assembly constituencies.

On Friday AAP ministers and MLAs, along with their constituency in-charges and local leaders-workers, visited hundreds of villages and organized anti-drug programs to educate people about the dangers of substance abuse.

During these programs, AAP leaders administered oaths to participants, urging them to refrain from drugs, collectively boycotting drug traffickers, and refrain from providing any form of legal or social support to those involved in the drug trade. The villagers assured the ministers and MLAs that they would support the government in eradicating drugs from their villages and would provide information about traffickers to the local police.

On Friday alone, the ‘Nasha Mukti Yatra’ reached more than 200 villages in various assembly constituencies across Punjab. Thousands of local residents joined AAP leaders and workers in the yatra, pledging their support for the government's anti-drug initiative.

The Legal Aid Cell of the University School of Law, Desh Bhagat University, hosted the "Lawyers & Alumni Meet: Adhivakta Samvaad", marking a significant step toward uniting academic insight with professional legal practice.The event commenced with a welcome address by the Head of the Department, followed by an inaugural speech from Hon’ble Chancellor Dr. Zora Singh, who emphasized the value of such interactive platforms in enhancing legal education and practical preparedness.

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Thursday announced a land pooling policy designed to foster transparent and planned urban development across the state.

This policy marks a significant departure from past practices, prioritising voluntary participation and empowering landowners to become active stakeholders in the state's progress.

Cheema highlighted the policy’s core principle of 100 per cent voluntary participation.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said the state would oppose the decision of the Centre to deploy CISF at Bhakra Dam and not give a single penny as expenditure on it.

"The Centre should understand one thing: we neither have any drop of surplus water for other states nor any single penny to pay the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for the unwarranted CISF," the Chief Minister told the media here.

Amid the dispute over allocation of water between Punjab and Haryana, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in a communication to Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), the regulatory body responsible for managing the water and power supply, said 296 posts of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel have been created for manning the Bhakra Dam Project in Nangal in Punjab.

In a major breakthrough, Punjab Police’s Anti Gangster Task Force (AGTF) in a joint operation with Faridkot Police have arrested two associates of foreign-based gangster Arsh Dala, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday.

Those arrested have been identified as Vishal Singh, a resident of Sri Muktsar Sahib, and Onkar Singh, a resident of village Gamewala in Ferozepur.

Police teams have also recovered two .30 bore pistols along with six cartridges from their possession.

Govt of Punjab has appointed Sanjeev Kumar Sood as new Director/Technical of PSTCL .A seasoned professional in the power sector, Sood brings with him over 34 years of rich experience in key areas of electricity transmission and distribution in Punjab.

Sood began his professional journey with the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, where he served for two years before transitioning to the state power sector. Since then, he has steadily risen through the ranks, holding a variety of crucial technical and leadership positions at both Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and PSTCL.

In 2022, he was promoted to Chief Engineer (CE), a position he held for nearly three years. During this tenure, he spearheaded the commissioning of 400 kV substations at Dhanasu and Ropar, and was instrumental in reviving critical 220 kV projects at Sherpur (GIS) and Budhladha (AIS).