*Big Bonanza for Residents of Punjab, Work on Dhuri ROB to Commence Soon- Says CM*

*Ambitious project to come up at a cost of ₹54.76 crore; to be completed in 18 months*

*Project lagged behind schedule due to delay in Railway NOC*

Chandigarh, June 29 :In a major bonanza for the people of Punjab in general, and the residents of Dhuri in particular, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann announced on Sunday that construction work on a double-lane Railway Overbridge (ROB) at Dhuri will commence soon.

The Chief Minister stated that the necessary clearance has been granted by the Ministry of Railways after persistent efforts by the state government. He said the state-of-the-art ROB will be constructed at level crossing (phatak) number 62A and will play a crucial role in resolving the traffic congestion faced by residents of the Malwa region, particularly those in the Dhuri segment. The total cost of the project is ₹54.76 crore, which will be entirely funded by the state government, added Bhagwant Singh Mann.

The Chief Minister added that once initiated, the project will be completed within 18 months. Bhagwant Singh Mann mentioned that the groundwork for the project began in 2024, but progress was delayed due to the pending final railway permission/NOC since March 2025. The state government, he said, pursued the matter diligently, and with the required approvals now secured from the Railway authorities, work on the project will commence shortly.

Reaffirming his government’s commitment to the development of Punjab and the prosperity of its people, the Chief Minister emphasized that no stone will be left unturned in the pursuit of inclusive growth. He asserted that Punjab is witnessing a new era of unprecedented development due to the determined efforts of his administration. Bhagwant Singh Mann further said that the state government has already put the wheels in motion to carve out a Rangla Punjab and this is reflective of this only.

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DAY 120 OF ‘YUDH NASHIAN VIRUDH’: 114 DRUG SMUGGLERS HELD WITH 4.1KG HEROIN, ₹9.6L DRUG MONEY

— POLICE TEAMS IN SIX DISTRICTS ALSO CHECK 332 PHARMACEUTICAL SHOPS

— AS PART OF ‘DE-ADDICTION’, PUNJAB POLICE CONVINCE 54 PERSONS TO UNDERGO DE-ADDICTION TREATMENT

CHANDIGARH, June 29: With the war against drugs “Yudh Nashian Virudh” waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to eradicate drug menace from state completed 120 days, Punjab Police on Sunday arrested 114 drug smugglers and recovered 4.1 kg heroin and Rs 9.6 lakh drug money from their possession. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 19,735 in just 120 days.

The operation was conducted on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav simultaneously in all 28 Police districts of the state.

Notably, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann has asked the Commissioners of Police, Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendent of Police to make Punjab drug free state. The Punjab government has also constituted a 5-member Cabinet Sub Committee led by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema to monitor the war against drugs.

Divulging details, Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla informed that over 180 Police teams, comprising over 1100 police personnel, under the supervision of 85 gazetted officers have conducted raids at as many as 367 locations across the state leading to the registration of 77 first information reports (FIRs) across the state. Police teams have also checked as many as 399 suspicious persons during the day-long operation, he added.

The Special DGP said that with the state government has enforced a three-pronged strategy— Enforcement, Deaddiction and Prevention (EDP)— to eradicate drugs from the state, the Punjab Police as part of ‘De-addiction’ has convinced 54 persons to undergo de-addiction and rehabilitation treatment today.

Meanwhile, Police teams have also conducted checking at as many as 332 pharmaceutical shops in six districts including Commissionerate Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, SBS Nagar, Jalandhar Rural, Kapurthala and Rupnagar to ensure that they are not selling intoxicant tablets or any other habit-forming drugs, and are adhering to the prescribed norms and regulations regarding the sale of medicines