Punjab State Food Commission reviews Social Audit, Flood Impact, Nutrition schemes & Agricultural Priorities
Chandigarh, September 16:With a view to effectively monitor and implement the nutrition schemes in the State, the Punjab State Food Commission
held a meeting under the chairmanship of Mr. Bal Mukand Sharma at the Commission’s Head Office, Sector-26, Chandigarh.
The agenda included detailed discussions on the Social Audit of the Mid-Day Meal (PM Poshan Scheme) conducted by Panjab University, Chandigarh. The Commission also reviewed proposals for new study projects to be undertaken in the financial year 2025-26.
The Department of Social Security was asked to submit reports on damages to Anganwadi Centres in flood-affected areas. Similarly, government school Mid-Day Meal managers were exhorted to share updates on the status of schools impacted by the floods.
The Education Department was requested to conduct an impact study of the School Health Program. Additionally, the Commission decided to write to the Agriculture Department to give priority to flood-affected villages and ensure timely supplies of wheat seed, DAP, urea, and other critical inputs.
The report of the study visit to the Telangana State Food Commission, conducted from August 19 to 21, 2025, was also presented. Suggestions were made to adopt some of the best practices followed in Telangana to strengthen Punjab’s nutrition and monitoring framework.
The meeting was attended by Commission Members Mr. Vijay Dutt, Mr. Chetan Prakash Dhaliwal, Mr. Jasvir Singh Sekhon, and Member Secretary Mrs. Kannu Thind.
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ON 5G TELECOM THEFTS; 61 ARRESTED, 95 FIRs REGISTERED
— SIT HEADED BY DIG RAJPAL SANDHU WORKING TO UNRAVEL ENTIRE NETWORK BEHIND THE THEFTS
— ACCUSED TARGETED HIGH-VALUE GUC1 CARDS, EXECUTING THEFTS IN UNDER TWO MINUTES
CHANDIGARH, September 16:In a major crackdown on the theft of critical 5G telecom infrastructure targeting Bharti Airtel Limited, Punjab Police has arrested 61 individuals and registered 95 first information reports (FIRs) across the state, preventing widespread disruption of essential telecom services.
Following the reports of thefts involving high-value 5G infrastructure, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted on the orders of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav. The SIT, headed by Chairman DIG Rajpal Sandhu, worked in close coordination with district police units to apprehend the accused and make massive recoveries of stolen equipment.
Divulging details, SIT Chairman DIG Rajpal Sandhu stated that the accused had specifically targeted high-value essential GUC1 Cards (Base Band Units), which are critical for the transmission of 4G and 5G signals. “The entire theft operation was executed in under two minutes, after which the culprits fled the scene,” he said.
Using a combination of technical surveillance and human intelligence, Punjab Police has successfully busted the networks involved in these thefts. “Further investigation is underway to trace both forward and backward linkages and unravel the entire network,” said the DIG, adding that the SIT is also actively probing the matter to determine any potential insider involvement.
Punjab Police has warned all anti-social elements to cease such activities immediately or face strict legal action. With district police forces forming dedicated crack teams, further arrests are expected as the investigation progresses.
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CHIEF SECRETARY DIRECTS DCs AND MUNICIPAL COMMISSIONERS TO ENSURE SMOOTH PREPARATIONS FOR UPCOMING CENSUS
CHIEF SECRETARY KAP SINHA CHAIRS MAIDEN MEETING OF STATE LEVEL CENSUS COORDINATION COMMITTEE
Chandigarh, September 16:To review and streamline preparations for the forthcoming Census operations in the state, the Punjab State Level Census Coordination Committee (SLCCC) held its first meeting today under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Punjab Mr. KAP Sinha at the Punjab Civil Secretariat, Chandigarh.
Senior officers including Additional Chief Secretaries and Principal Secretaries of Local Government, Revenue, Rural Development & Panchayats, Planning, Finance and School Education departments were present during the meeting, while Deputy Commissioners and Municipal Commissioners joined the deliberations through video conferencing.
During the meeting, the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Department of Local Government has been nominated as the nodal officer for the Census related activities in the state of Punjab and the first meeting was convened by Dr. Navjot Khosa, Director Census Operations, Punjab, who made a detailed presentation on the Census process, its legal framework, Census Calendar and ongoing preparatory measures.
Key agenda points covered included discussion on circulars No. 1, 2 and 3, rural-urban classification norms, concepts of outgrowth and urban agglomeration, map-related matters and the upcoming Pre-Test of Digital Census 2027 in selected districts Jalandhar, Amritsar and Malerkotla.
Addressing the meeting, Chief Secretary Mr. KAP Sinha underlined the need for wholehearted cooperation from all Deputy Commissioners and Municipal Commissioners to ensure the smooth conduct of Census operations. He directed the Deputy Commissioners to finalize jurisdictional frameworks and establish dedicated Census Cells at district and corporation levels for effective monitoring.
The Chief Secretary also instructed strict adherence to guidelines issued by the Directorate of Census Operations and stressed that administrative boundaries must be finalized by December 31, 2025. Special instructions were issued to the Deputy Commissioners of Amritsar and Malerkotla along with the Municipal Commissioner, Jalandhar to make requisite proactive arrangements for the upcoming pre-test activities of the Digital Census.
The deliberations underlined that coordinated efforts and meticulous planning hold the key to the successful conduct of the Census in Punjab. All stakeholders were urged to accord top priority to their assigned responsibilities and ensure timely completion of all preparatory activities in line with the Census calendar.
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Happy Forgings Ltd. to invest Rs. 1000/- Crore Capex in Punjab, Says Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora
This investment will create over 2000 direct employment opportunities within the state, including positions for more than 300 engineers
Chandigarh, 16 September 2025:Aiming to further boost Punjab’s industrial growth and paying the way of ease of doing business under the guidance of National Convener Sh. Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Punjab, S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, Cabinet Minister Sh. Sanjeev Arora informed that Happy Forgings Ltd. (HFL) will invest Rs 1000/- Crore Capex in district Ludhiana, Punjab. Happy Forgings Ltd. is a key player in manufacturing of Auto & Engineering niche products and the third-largest engineering-led manufacturer in the country.
While interacting with the media, Cabinet Minister Sh. Sanjeev Arora highlighted that HFL company operations focus on forging and machining high-precision components for both domestic and export markets, catering to diverse sectors, including commercial vehicles, passenger vehicles, farm equipment, off highway segments, power generation, railways, oil and gas, wind turbine industries and defence. Following listing on the stock exchanges in December 2023, HFL emerged as one of the largest listed companies based in Punjab with a market capitalization of Rs. 10,000 Cr. and revenues of Rs. 1,409 Cr. in FY 2024-25.
Furthermore, Sh. Sanjeev Arora revealed that HFL manufacturing operations are entirely based in Punjab with a capital investment of Rs. 1,500/- crore as of June 30, 2025 with a direct employment of approximately 4000 people. This company is a major supplier to all the renowned OEMs (as below) within India as well as outside India catering to the commercial vehicle, farm equipment, off highway and industrials sectors with following major customers:
1. Commercial Vehicle - Ashok Leyland, Eicher, Meritor, Mahindra.
2. Farm Equipments - Tafe, Escorts, Swaraj, Sonalika, John Deere.
3. Off Highway - JCB, Wipro, Dana, Hendrickson.
4. Industries - Cummins, Generac, Bonfiglioli, Toyota Tshusho, Kohler, Liebherr.
Disclosing about the company’s future plan, Sh. Ashish Garg said that HFL is planning a significant investment of over Rs. 1000/- Crores in a phased manner to expand their manufacturing footprint. Though the company has offers from other states for investment however HFL would like to keep investing within Punjab having full faith in the State Government and its policies. This substantial investment is projected to create over 2000 direct employment opportunities within the state, including positions for more than 300 engineers. Furthermore, it is expected to stimulate the development of numerous ancillary units and boost steel consumption, thereby strengthening the local economy and supply chain.
Managing Director of HFL Ashish Garg said that it is very encouraging that Punjab Government is coming up with new industrial policy under recently formed sectoral committees and we are very hopeful that these policies will be aligned to industry needs and will be mutually beneficial. This proposed investment will be one of the most advanced forging facilities (capable to produce a single piece having Weight of 1000 kg to 3000 kg) i.e. first in Asia and 2nd largest in the World.
Investment in these capabilities will strategically position HFL to serve non-automotive industrial segments like aerospace, defence and nuclear addressing niche application areas where heavy weight components are critical, Ashish Garg added.
Moreover, Ashish Garg said that due to technical issues for want of new GST registration as required for new unit incentives, the company will be doing new capex-addition adjoining to its existing plant under the existing GST Registration as such by way of expansion. We are looking forward to a successful long term partnership
Sh.Amit Dhaka, IAS, CEO Invest Punjab, Ms. Seema Bansal, Vice Chairperson, Punjab Development Council, Mr.Vaibhav Maheshwari, Member, Punjab Development Council and Megha Garg Director of HFL were also present during the press conference.
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LIFE RETURNING TO NORMALCY IN FLOOD-HIT AREAS DUE TO PUNJAB GOVT’S RELENTLESS EFFORTS
• HARJOT SINGH BAINS INSPECTS RELIEF OPERATIONS IN TARAPUR AND KIRATPUR SAHIB
ACTIVE RELIEF CAMPS DROP TO 41 AND INMATES REDUCED TO 1945 AS FLOOD SITUATION IMPROVES: HARDEEP SINGH MUNDIAN
• CABINET MINISTER KATARUCHAK MONITORS RELIEF MEASURES IN 10 VILLAGES
• LALJIT SINGH BHULLAR LAUNCHES CLEANLINESS DRIVE IN FLOOD-AFFECTED AREAS OF HIS CONSTITUENCY
Chandigarh, September 16:With the Punjab Government’s intensive cleanliness drive, fogging and spraying operations aimed at preventing outbreak of diseases, life is steadily moving back on track in flood-affected areas. The Cabinet Ministers today visited affected regions to oversee the ongoing relief measures launched under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann.
Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains visited Tarapur and Kiratpur Sahib villages of his constituency under ‘Operation Rahat’ and reviewed the relief measures. He also inspected the damage caused to residential houses due to rainwater flowing down from the Shivalik foothills into the seasonal rivulets. The Minister also took stock of the embankment work at the historic Gurdwara Baba Gurditta Ji. Mr. Bains contributed Rs.50,000 towards diesel expenses of tractors and other vehicles engaged in the voluntary relief service under Operation Rahat.
Meanwhile, under the supervision of Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, a massive cleanliness drive was conducted in 10 flood-affected villages namely Skol, Dhinda/Bhupalpur, Kotli Jawahar, Palah, Ghola, Kot Bhattian, Balotar, Sarota, Danwal and Khojki Chak. The campaign covered removal of stagnant water, spraying, fogging and awareness drives to motivate residents for maintaining hygiene. Mr. Kataruchak informed that each flood-hit village will be provided Rs.1 lakh as the first installment by the Punjab Government for cleanliness measures.
During his visit to Radhalke, Ram Singh Wala and Muthianwala villages of Patti constituency, Cabinet Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar launched a cleanliness campaign, reiterating that the drive will continue until all flood-affected areas are completely cleaned. The Health Department is consistently conducting fogging and anti-larvae spraying across all affected regions of the state.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister S. Hardeep Singh Mundian informed that as per the latest assessment till September 16, the number of villages affected has marginally increased from 2472 to 2483 with the population affected rising from 389176 to 389258. The Cabinet Minister said that a positive development has been witnessed in relief measures as the number of active relief camps has significantly reduced from 66 to 41 with the inmates also coming down from 3449 to 1945, reflecting improvement in the ground situation.
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LALJIT SINGH BHULLAR INAUGURATES INDUSTRIAL TRAINING INSTITUTES (ITIs) IN 11 JAILS TO TRAIN INMATES
SAYS, MANN GOVT EMPOWERING PRISONS' INMATES WITH SKILL-BASED EDUCATION THROUGH ITIs
Chandigarh, September 16:Punjab Jails Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar today inaugurated an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Central Jail Sri Goindwal Sahib as part of a landmark reform initiative, under which ITIs have been established in 11 jails across the state.
Addressing the gathering, the Cabinet Minister informed that in collaboration with the Technical Education Department, the Punjab Prisons Department has set up ITIs in 9 Central Jails and 2 Women Jails.
The Jails Minister said that under this major skill development drive, nearly 2500 prisoners will receive training, out of which 1000 will undergo long-term courses and 1500 will be enrolled in short-term courses.
He said the ITIs will impart vocational education aimed at preparing inmates for a dignified life after their release. The institutes will run one-year courses in trades such as Plumbing, Electrician, Baking, Welding, Woodwork, Cosmetology, Computer Technology and several others.
By equipping prisoners with employable skills, this initiative seeks to transform jails into hubs of rehabilitation and reformation rather than mere confinement, he added.
S. Laljit Singh Bhullar said the Punjab Government is committed to ensuring that prisons serve as centres of transformation and to the reformation and reintegration of prisoners into mainstream society. He underlined that skill training and education within jail premises will strengthen inmates’ future prospects and help in reducing re-offending rates.
He further said that this initiative aligns with the government’s broader vision of “Rehabilitation through Education and Skill Development”, ensuring that prisoners are given a fair chance to lead productive and respectful lives after completing their sentences.
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Gurmeet Singh Khudian urges centre to provide ₹151 crore under RKVY to desilt agriculture land in border districts of Punjab
•Demands Rs 80cr to provide 2 Lakh quintal certified wheat seed to farmers for rabi season
•Participates in national conference on agriculture-rabi campaign 2025
Chandigarh/ New Delhi, September 16,Referring to the recent floods that damaged 5 Lakh acres under various crops in 2185 villages of the state, the Punjab Agriculture Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian today urged the Central government to provide additional financial assistance of Rs. 151 crore to the State under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) for restoration of land silted-up due to floods in border districts of Punjab.
While addressing the national conference on agriculture Rabi campaign 2025 held under the chairmanship of union agriculture minister Mr. Shivraj Singh Chauhan at PUSA Bhawan here today, Punjab Cabinet minister S.Kudian said that recent unprecedented floods have adversely affected large areas of cultivable land and caused heavy losses to the standing crops. Border districts of Punjab (Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Kapurthala, Fazilka and Ferozepur) are the worst affected and up to 5 feet of silt/sand has been deposited in the flood affected agricultural fields.
He said “The people of Punjab have always come forward with open hearts during the tough times in any part of the country, now the centre should extend its helping hand to pull out the state out of this critical situation.”
He emphasised that given the gravity of the situation, timely release of additional funds under DPR component of RKVY will not only help in compensating farmers for their losses but also ensure revival of the agricultural economy of the State.
He demanded that the centre should release Rs 80 crore to the state to provide 2Lakh quintal of certified wheat seed to the affected farmers under the seed village programme. He also demanded 25 Lakh for the wheat seed separately under national food security mission. S. Kudian also appealed the union agriculture minister to provide 637 quintals of certified mustard seeds and 375 quintal seeds of black gram to help the farmers.
Punjab agriculture minister S. Kudian urged the centre to ensure timely supply of DAP and Urea as per the requirement of the state so that the sowing of crops do not face further delay. He also sought the union agriculture ministers intervention to release Rs. 8,000 cr of RDF and other funds withheld by the centre. Union agriculture minister assured S. Khudian that the centre will take all the necessary steps to help the state facing tough times due to floods.