Punjab Archives - National Times

19 Aug

Former Indian Cricketer Manpreet Singh Gony and International Gold Medallist Kunar Join AAP

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabAAP, Bhagwant Mann, Chandigarh, Kunar, Manpreet Singh Gony, Punjab sports, Rangla Punjab

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Inspired by the pro-people policies of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the development works being carried out by the Bhagwant Mann Government, former Indian cricketer Manpreet Singh Gony and international gold medallist athlete Kunar joined the Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday. Welcoming the sportspersons into the party, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “Today, the Aam Aadmi Party family has witnessed another very remarkable addition. The support of such youth, who have made Punjab proud on the sports fields, will give further strength to our campaign to create ‘Rangla Punjab’. Their experience will be of great help…

19 Aug

World Mosquito Day 2026: Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana Boosts Cashless Treatment for Vector-Borne Diseases in Punjab

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabBalbir Singh, dengue, malaria, Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, Punjab Healthcare, World Mosquito Day

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): With monsoon conditions favouring mosquito breeding, Punjab is strengthening surveillance, prevention and treatment for dengue, malaria and other vector-borne diseases. Alongside these public-health measures, the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY) is helping eligible families access cashless healthcare when illness requires treatment. Earlier this year, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh stressed the need for stronger community participation in preventing mosquito-borne diseases. During a state-level review, authorities highlighted dengue, malaria and chikungunya and called for greater surveillance, testing and elimination of mosquito-breeding sites. Punjab has reported a substantial decline in dengue. Cases fell from 23,389 in…

19 Aug

OSD Rajbir Singh Ghuman Challenges Akali Dal’s Bikram Singh Majithia to Prove Allegations or Apologise

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabAAP, Bhagwant Mann, Bikram Majithia, Punjab politics, Rajbir Ghuman, Sad

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s OSD Rajbir Singh Ghuman on Wednesday hit back at Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia, challenging him to produce evidence for his allegations or publicly apologise. He said, “Thieves see everyone as thieves. It is easy to level allegations, but difficult to provide evidence.” Addressing the SAD leader through a social media post, Rajbir Singh Ghuman stated, “I openly challenge Bikram Singh Majithia, who has appointed himself as the spokesperson of the ED (Enforcement Directorate), that if he has even a single chat of mine or any evidence of me asking…

19 Aug

Bhagwant Mann Govt To Identify Talent From Villages & Prepare Them For International-Level Competitions

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabBathinda, Bhagwant Mann, Khedan Wattan Punjab Diyan, Patiala, Punjab sports

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday announced that the Punjab government will organise the fourth edition of Khedan Wattan Punjab Diyan from September 5 to November 29, with a target of involving more than 10 lakh participants across all age groups. The grand sporting event, aimed at reviving Punjab’s sporting culture and channelising the energy of youth towards sports, will begin with the opening ceremony at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Stadium in Bathinda and conclude with the closing ceremony in Patiala. The 2026 edition has been planned as the biggest edition of the sporting extravaganza so far.…

19 Aug

Punjab Weather Turns Wetter Again: Pathankot Sees Overnight Rain, Chandigarh Records Season’s Intense Two-Hour Spell

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjab, TrendingPunjab

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): The monsoon has strengthened once again across Punjab and Chandigarh, with several parts of the region witnessing fresh showers. Pathankot received rain through the night, while Chandigarh also saw rainfall early Wednesday morning. The weather office has advised residents to remain alert as more showers are expected during the day. The latest spell follows a particularly intense burst of rain in Chandigarh on Tuesday, when the city recorded 72.4 mm of rainfall within just two hours. The downpour resulted in waterlogging at several places across the Tricity. Pathankot, Hoshiarpur likely to receive heavy showers The Meteorological Centre…

19 Aug

Punjab Police Brings Three Bambiha Gang-Linked Suspects Back From Malaysia for Probe

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjab, TrendingPunjab Police

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab Police has intensified its action against alleged transnational criminal networks with the arrest of three wanted suspects who were deported from Malaysia and taken into custody at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. The operation was conducted by the Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell (OFTEC) of the Counter Intelligence Wing in coordination with central investigative agencies. The accused have been identified as Jaspreet Singh alias Jas Behbal, Ajay Singh and Pawandeep Singh. Police said all three were wanted in multiple criminal cases and were traced to Malaysia before being deported to India. Suspects wanted in serious…

18 Aug

High Court Issues Notice to ED and PCA Over Alleged Multi-Crore Land Scam Petition

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabEnforcement Directorate, High Court, Land Scam, Punjab Cricket Association, Rakesh Handa

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh) — The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a notice of motion to the Punjab Cricket Association management and the Enforcement Directorate in connection with alleged financial irregularities and inflated land acquisitions. Hearing a petition filed by former first-class Ranji Trophy cricketer Rakesh Handa, the court directed all key respondents to submit their formal responses by September 18, 2026. The petition alleges that the cricket body acquired large land parcels in Bathinda measuring 18.5 acres and in Amritsar covering 19.5 acres at vastly inflated rates while bypassing mandatory administrative safeguards. According to the plea, agricultural plots…

18 Aug

Food Safety Drive in Ferozepur Yields Seizure of 420 kg Suspected Stock, 600 kg Unfit Sweets Destroyed

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabFerozepur, Food Adulteration, food safety, FSSAI, Khoya Seized, Makhu, Sweets Destroyed

Ferozepur (Gurpreet Singh): — The Food Safety Department carried out an intensive enforcement drive across Makhu and Ferozepur on Tuesday, confiscating 420 kilograms of suspected food items and destroying approximately 600 kilograms of substandard sweets and milk products to safeguard consumer health. During an inspection at a sweets workshop in Makhu, authorities seized samples of suspicious khoya transported from Rajasthan. Officials discovered roughly 300 kilograms of the milk solid stored under unhygienic conditions, emitting a foul odour. Deeming the consignment unfit for human consumption, the enforcement team destroyed the entire stock according to prescribed disposal guidelines. The team also uncovered…

18 Aug

What Decades Of Previous Govts Failed To Do, Bhagwant Mann Govt Has Achieved In Just 4.5 Years: Harjot Singh Bains

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabBhagwant Mann, Education, Harjot Bains, Infrastructure, NITI Aayog, Punjab, Schools

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Presenting the four-and-a-half-year status report of school education, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said that the Bhagwant Mann government has transformed the Punjab’s education system through a ₹2,300 crore reform programme, with Punjab surpassing Kerala to emerge as No. 1 in school education in the NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog Report 2026-27. Presenting the status report at a press conference at Punjab Bhawan on Tuesday, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said that 3.64 lakh students have shifted from private schools to government schools since 2022, reflecting the growing public trust in government schools. He attributed…

18 Aug

AAP MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal Meets Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, Demands Dam on Ujh River to Protect Ajnala from Floods

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPolitics, Punjab, TrendingGulab Chand Kataria, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal

CHANDIGARH (Gurpreet Singh): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Ajnala Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, along with a delegation comprising sarpanches, chairmen and Zila Parishad members from the constituency, met Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Tuesday and urged him to take up the long-pending issues of recurring floods, construction of the Ujh Dam and development of the border region with the Central Government. Highlighting the plight of the people of Ajnala, MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said, “Every year, the people of Ajnala suffer massive destruction due to the waters of the Ravi and Ujh rivers. The water of the Ujh River,…