Punjab Archives - Page 194 of 320

13 Nov

Punjab Government Makes Permission Mandatory for Panchayat Members Before Foreign Travel

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabPunjab government

National Times Bureau :- In a new directive aimed at ensuring uninterrupted rural development, the Punjab Government has made it mandatory for all panches and sarpanches to seek official permission before traveling abroad. The decision, issued by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats, states that elected village representatives must now apply for “Ex-India Leave,” similar to government employees. The government has directed all District Development and Panchayat Officers, along with Additional Deputy Commissioners, to strictly monitor and enforce this rule.

12 Nov

Punjab and Haryana High Court Upholds Mayor-Led Appellate Authority for Street Vendors in Chandigarh

nishuthapar10 CommentsPunjabChandigarh Mayor, Municipal Corporation Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana High Court, Street Vendors Act

Chandigarh (Naval Kishore): The Punjab and Haryana High Court has upheld the legality of a rule that empowers a Mayor-led body to hear appeals filed by street vendors in Chandigarh. A division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry, while hearing a review application, dismissed the plea that questioned the validity of the 2024 notification forming an appellate authority chaired by the Mayor of the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh.The petitioner had argued that the Municipal Corporation lacked the jurisdiction to constitute an appellate body comprising the Mayor and two councillors as members. However, the bench ruled that the…

12 Nov

Centre Approves Rs 764 Crore Ferozepur–Patti Rail Link Project: Major Boost for Connectivity, Defence, and Jobs in Punjab

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabAshwini Vaishnaw, Ferozepur–Patti Rail Link, Ministry of Railways, Punjab Railways, S. Ravneet Singh Bittu

Chandigarh, November 12, 2025: The Ministry of Railways has sanctioned the long-awaited Ferozepur–Patti Rail Link Project, covering a stretch of 25.72 kilometres at an estimated cost of ₹764.19 crore. The project includes ₹166 crore for land acquisition, to be fully borne by the Railways.Announcing the development at a press briefing, Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries, S. Ravneet Singh Bittu, said the project will have far-reaching economic and strategic benefits for Punjab. Once completed, it will reduce the distance between Ferozepur and Amritsar from 196 km to nearly 100 km, and shorten the Jammu–Ferozepur–Fazilka–Mumbai corridor by…

12 Nov

Punjab Launches Historic ‘Pensioner Seva Mela’ to Empower Retirees With One-Stop Digital Services

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabe-KYC, Harpal Singh Cheema, Pensioner Seva Mela, Pensioner Sewa Portal, Punjab government

Chandigarh, November 12, 2025: Punjab Finance Minister, Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema, on Tuesday announced that the Punjab Government will organise the 'Pensioner Sewa Mela' at all District Treasury Offices across the state from November 13 to November 15, 2025. The initiative aims to facilitate the essential e-KYC process for all state government pensioners, enabling them to register on the newly launched Pensioner Sewa Portal. The Finance Minister highlighted that the Punjab Government launched this one-stop digital platform for all pension-related services on November 3, 2025. He said that the e-KYC is mandatory for pensioners to register themselves on the portal.…

12 Nov

Mann Government Fulfilling the Wishes of Elderly Devotees: Second Pilgrimage Convoy Departs for Golden Temple

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabBhagwant Mann, Golden Temple, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, Punjab Pilgrimage Scheme

Dhuri (Sangrur): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today flagged off the first batch of buses taking devotees to visit religious places in the holy city of Amritsar under the Chief Minister’s Pilgrimage Scheme.Speaking to the devotees, the Chief Minister said that this journey is dedicated to the 350th martyrdom anniversary of the ninth Guru, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. He said that this scheme was started on October 29, 2025, from village Bardhwal and these devotees have been selected transparently through a draw. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this is a humble initiative by the Punjab government to strengthen…

12 Nov

Punjab Becomes India’s First State to Fully Implement BharatNet, Bringing Fast Internet to Every Village

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsPunjabBhagwant Mann, BharatNet Punjab, Digital India, K.A.P. Sinha, Punjab farmers, rural broadband

Chandigarh, November 12, 2025: Punjab has created history. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the state has become the first in India to fully implement the revised BharatNet scheme. Chief Secretary K.A.P. Sinha received this award today from BSNL CGM Ajay Kumar Karara and said that this marks a new dawn for the 30 million people of Punjab. High-speed broadband internet has already reached 43 blocks of the state, and by the end of November, every village will be connected to Digital India.This is no small achievement. At a time when the entire nation talks about Digital…

12 Nov

Congress High Command appoints new Secretaries for Punjab and other states; assigns Jammu & Kashmir responsibility to Pargat Singh

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabCongress, Punjab News

National Times Bureau :- The Congress Party High Command has appointed nine new secretaries for various states, including Punjab, and has reshuffled five existing secretaries across different regions. As part of this organizational restructuring, the High Command has entrusted MLA Padma Shri Pargat Singh with an important new responsibility as Secretary-in-Charge of Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, Pargat Singh was overseeing the party’s affairs in Uttarakhand. However, since elections are likely to be held simultaneously in Punjab and Uttarakhand, he has now been assigned the Jammu and Kashmir responsibility. Congress Appoints 27 District Presidents in Punjab Expressing gratitude to the Party…

11 Nov

High Court Questions Chandigarh’s Outsourcing of Municipal Services, Seeks Legal Justification

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsPunjabChandigarh Administration, Punjab and Haryana High Court, sanitation outsourcing

Chandigarh (Naval Kishore)— The Punjab and Haryana High Court has raised serious concerns over the Chandigarh Administration’s decision to outsource essential municipal duties such as sanitation and repair work. The court questioned whether such core responsibilities could legally be handed over to private agencies instead of being carried out by employees under direct government supervision.The observation came during the hearing of a suo motu case initiated after The Tribune reported on unhygienic conditions and encroachments at the Sector 26 mandi. Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, heading the Bench alongside Justice Sanjiv Berry, remarked, “Can you outsource a basic municipal service? Is…

11 Nov

Plea in High Court Seeks Immediate Declaration of Panjab University Senate Election Schedule

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabPanjab University, Punjab High Court, Senate Elections

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh)— Amid growing outrage among students and faculty over the prolonged delay in holding Panjab University Senate elections, a petition has been filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court demanding that the university immediately announce the election schedule for all Senate constituencies.The plea, moved by Harpreet Singh Dua through advocates R. Kartikeya and R. Akanksha, accuses the university administration of “deliberately stalling” the electoral process under pressure from certain vested groups seeking to undermine the institution’s democratic framework. The petition also questions the motives behind recent administrative changes that, according to the applicant, have eroded the representative…

11 Nov

Panjab University Governance Row Triggers Political Storm and Student Protests Across Punjab

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabPanjab University

Chandigarh (Gurpreet ): A major controversy has erupted at Panjab University (PU) after the Central Government’s decision to restructure the university’s Senate and Syndicate, sparking widespread protests from student organizations, faculty associations, and political parties across Punjab. The move is being seen as a direct challenge to the university’s democratic traditions and the state’s historical connection to the institution.On October 28, 2025, the Ministry of Education issued a notification under the Panjab University Act, 1947, introducing sweeping changes to the university’s governance structure. The Senate’s strength was reduced from about 90 members to 31, while the Syndicate, which was previously…