Gurpreet Singh, Author at National Times

04 Apr

Punjab Govt Plans to Replace Striking Commission Agents with Cooperative Societies to Ensure Smooth Wheat Procurement

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabCm Bhagwant Maan Singh, Punjab News

Gurpreet Singh :- Amid the ongoing strike by commission agents in Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has initiated a significant policy shift by directing the inclusion of rural cooperative societies in the commission agent (arhtiya) business. The move is being viewed as a potential alternative arrangement to ensure smooth procurement operations during the crisis. According to reliable sources, the Chief Minister, who also holds the Cooperation portfolio, has instructed the department to prepare a list of financially viable rural cooperative societies that can be entrusted with arhtiya responsibilities. The objective is not only to maintain procurement efficiency but also to…

04 Apr

Punjab Excise Auction Sees Lukewarm Response; 10 Liquor Groups Still Unallotted

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndia, PunjabAuction, Excise, Liqour, Punjab

Gurpreet Singh :- The excise auction process in Punjab has received a tepid response, with around 10 liquor vends still remaining unallotted despite multiple rounds of bidding. Industry players attribute the lack of interest to high licence fees and shrinking profit margins, which have discouraged contractors from investing in these groups. In an effort to revive participation, the Excise Department has announced a reduction of up to 15 per cent in licence fees for the pending groups. Officials believe that the relief may help attract bidders and expedite the allocation process. The department has also set April 4, 4 pm…

03 Apr

Punjab Cabinet Minister flags off special ‘Damri Yatra’ train to Haridwar

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabDamri Yatra 2026, Guru Ravidas teachings, Jalandhar special train, Mohinder Bhagat, Punjab cultural affairs

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab Horticulture, Freedom Fighters and Defence Services Welfare Minister Mohinder Bhagat and Advisor to the Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department Deepak Bali today flagged off the Damri Yatra for Haridwar by a special train from the local City Railway Station under the guidance of Sant Nirmal Dass Ji Jode Wale, Sant Pragat Nath and other saints and spiritual leaders. On this occasion, Chabbewal MLA Dr. Ishank Kumar and Chairman District Planning Committee Amritpal Singh were also present. Addressing the gathering, the Cabinet Minister called upon people to adopt the teachings of Shri Guru Ravidas Maharaj Ji in…

03 Apr

AAP intensifies attack on Raghav Chadha; cites “Politics of Fear” and violation of party whip

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabAAP internal rift, Atishi, Bhagwant Mann, Raghav Chadha removal

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has declared the removal of Punjab Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha from the post of deputy leader as a routine disciplinary action, while firmly pushing back against his claims. The party has directly questioned why he has consistently avoided speaking out against the BJP and the Modi Government on issues concerning the country and the party, raising serious concerns over his prolonged silence. It asserted that Raghav Chadha had repeatedly acted against the party line, citing instances such as refusing to sign the impeachment motion against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)…

03 Apr

Strong 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolts Delhi-NCR and North India; tremors felt in Pakistan

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaAfghanistan 5.9 magnitude quake, Delhi NCR earthquake, Hindu Kush seismic activity, North India tremors today

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): A powerful 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region on Friday evening, April 3, 2026, sending strong tremors across Delhi-NCR and several parts of North India. The seismic activity, recorded at approximately 9:50 PM IST, triggered widespread panic as residents in high-rise buildings across Noida, Gurgaon, and Delhi rushed to open spaces. Tremors were also felt in major cities across Punjab, Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir, including Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Srinagar, and Udhampur. According to data from the National Center for Seismology and the USGS, the epicentre was located near Jurm in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region, at…

03 Apr

India raises airline liability limits for death, injury, and baggage loss

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaAirline liability rules India, baggage loss claim India, Carriage by Air Act 1972, flight delay compensation 2026

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): The Government of India has significantly enhanced the compensation limits for air passengers in cases of death, bodily injury, flight delays, and baggage loss. Notified by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on April 1, 2026, the new rules update the liability limits under the Third Schedule of the Carriage by Air Act, 1972. These changes have been made effective retrospectively from December 28, 2024, ensuring that any passenger who suffered a loss on or after that date is eligible for the higher claims. The revised limits are denominated in Special Drawing Rights (SDR), an international reserve…

03 Apr

CM Bhagwant Mann presents four-year report card; claims record 65,264 government jobs

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabanti-corruption drive Punjab, Bhagwant Mann report card, Digital Punjab Sewa Kendras, Punjab government jobs 2026, Punjab sacrilege law amendment

Chandigarh (Gurpreet SIngh): As part of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's ‘Shandaar Chaar Saal Bhagwant Mann De Naal’ series, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann presented a comprehensive report card highlighting his government’s performance across key sectors, positioning it as a decisive shift towards transparent, accountable and people-centric governance. Setting a new benchmark in public employment and governance, the Bhagwant Mann’s government has delivered a record 65,264 government jobs in just four years, the highest ever in Punjab’s history, while extending a 5-year age relaxation to compensate for the lost opportunities caused by previous regimes. Backed by transparent recruitment across…

03 Apr

Raghav Chadha breaks silence on removal as AAP Deputy Leader; party hits back with “Samosa” jibe

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndia, Punjabairport samosa controversy, Ashok Mittal Rajya Sabha, Bhagwant Mann, Raghav Chadha AAP rift

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Raghav Chadha, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP, issued his first public response on Friday, April 3, 2026, regarding his removal from the post of Deputy Leader in the Upper House. In an emotional video message shared on social media platform X, Chadha asserted that while he has been silenced, he is not defeated. He questioned the party's decision to request the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to deny him speaking time, asking how raising public issues like high taxes, banking penalties, and the struggles of gig workers could possibly harm the party’s interests. Chadha characterized himself…

03 Apr

Amritsar Police Foil Suspected Terror Bid, IED Recovered; Foreign Links Under Probe

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPolitics, Punjab, TrendingAmritsar, Punjab

Amritsar (Gurpreet Singh): A major security scare was averted in Punjab after the Amritsar Rural Police detained a man allegedly carrying an improvised explosive device (IED), officials said on Friday. The arrest followed actionable intelligence inputs about suspicious movement in the region. Acting swiftly, police teams intercepted the suspect, who was reportedly attempting to dispose of the explosive after collecting it from the Ramdas belt. The device was seized on the spot, and a criminal case has been registered. Early investigations have pointed towards possible cross-border connections, with suspicion falling on Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence. Sources within the investigation revealed that…

03 Apr

Chandigarh Blast Row Escalates as CM Bhagwant Mann Counters BJP’s Allegations

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPolitics, Punjab, TrendingBhagwant Mann, Punjab

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): The political temperature rose on Friday after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann strongly responded to accusations from the Bharatiya Janata Party over the recent explosion outside its Chandigarh office. Rejecting the criticism, Mann alleged that the BJP frequently resorts to assigning blame instead of taking responsibility. He suggested that the party has a long-standing pattern of attributing setbacks to others, regardless of the situation. Taking a dig at the opposition, Mann said that figures such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, and B. R. Ambedkar have often been cited by the BJP in its criticisms. He added…