*Ambedkar Bhawan worth around ₹5.94 crore at Tarn Taran in the final stage of construction: Dr Baljit Kaur*

*To emerge as a vibrant centre for promoting Babasaheb's ideals of social justice, equality and education*

*Three-storey facility spread over one acre to strengthen skill development, training, library services and community activities*

*Punjab Government led by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann committed to social justice and inclusive development*

Chandigarh, October 29:Punjab Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Affairs Minister Dr Baljit Kaur said that the Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, is consistently strengthening infrastructure to promote social justice, equality and the empowerment of marginalized sections of society. As part of this commitment, the Ambedkar Bhawan being constructed at an estimated cost of ₹5.94 crore in Tarn Taran district has now reached the final stage of construction.

Dr Baljit Kaur said that the three-storey building, being developed over one acre of land with a covered area of approximately 23,120 square feet, has been designed as a modern, multi-purpose facility. The ground floor comprises vocational training rooms, a teachers' room, offices of the District and Tehsil Social Justice, Empowerment Officers, and a spacious multipurpose hall. The first floor houses a conference hall, offices of the District and Tehsil Social Justice, Empowerment Officers, staff rooms, a pantry and a store room, while the second floor includes a library, record room, guest rooms and office space for the District and Tehsil Social Justice, Empowerment Officers.

The Cabinet Minister informed that around 95 per cent of the construction work has already been completed, and the remaining work will be finished shortly. Once dedicated to the public, the Ambedkar Bhawan will serve as a key hub for skill development programmes, vocational training, seminars, social awareness campaigns, library and reading facilities, and various community engagement activities, creating new opportunities for learning and social empowerment.

Dr Baljit Kaur said that the Ambedkar Bhawan is not merely a building but a symbol of the Punjab Government's commitment to social transformation. It will play a significant role in carrying forward the timeless message of Bharat Ratna Babasaheb Dr B.R. Ambedkar on social justice, equality, education and constitutional values to future generations, while fostering social harmony, public awareness and inclusive development.

She further said that the Punjab Government is giving priority to people-centric development projects that provide equal opportunities to every section of society and contribute towards building an inclusive, progressive and Rangla Punjab.

Reiterating the Government's commitment, Dr Baljit Kaur said that the Punjab Government remains fully dedicated to realizing the vision of Babasaheb Dr B.R. Ambedkar, strengthening social justice and accelerating welfare-oriented development works across the State.

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PSPCL APPOINTS TEAM LEADERS TO IMPLEMENT INNOVATIVE IDEAS SELECTED UNDER OCTOBER 2026 CONTEST

Chandigarh/Patiala, October 29:Under the guidance of the Chief Minister of Punjab, S. Bhagwant Singh Mann and Power Minister, S. Tarunpreet Singh Sond, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has initiated the implementation process for innovative ideas selected during its Monthly Innovation Contest for October 2026 by appointing dedicated team leaders to oversee their execution.

During the contest, PSPCL awarded citations to employees in recognition of their innovative ideas aimed at improving organisational efficiency, strengthening operational effectiveness and enhancing service delivery. In addition to the citation awardees, seven other participants have also been designated as team leaders to implement their respective ideas. PSPCL has adopted a structured implementation framework to translate these innovative ideas into practical outcomes.

The designated team leaders include Er. Vikas Sharma, CE/Metering; Er. Gulshan Chutani, Dy. CE; Er. Jasvir Dhiman, Dy. CE; Er. Parupkar Singh, SE; Er. Amandeep Singh, SE; Er. Charan Kanwal Singh, SE; CMA Jaswinder Singh, CAO/HQ; CA Sumit Bansal, CFO; Er. Gurwinder Singh, ASE; Er. Harmandeep Singh, Sr. Xen; Er. Prince Kumar, AEE; Er. Piyush Garg, AEE; Er. Gaurav Gupta, AEE; and Er. Onkarpreet Singh, AEE.

These team leaders will be responsible for planning, coordinating and executing their respective projects. The Heads of Departments (HODs) concerned will provide the necessary support and cooperation, while the designated team leaders will bear primary responsibility for ensuring timely and effective implementation.

Wherever amendments to existing regulations, formulation of new regulations or issuance of necessary instructions are required to implement the selected ideas, the Director concerned will initiate appropriate action in accordance with the prescribed procedures.

As part of the implementation framework, all designated team leaders have been directed to submit a PERT (Programme Evaluation and Review Technique) chart by October 31, 2026, outlining the proposed activities, timelines, milestones and execution schedules for their respective projects.

Through this initiative, PSPCL aims to encourage employee-driven innovation, strengthen organisational efficiency and transform practical ideas into measurable improvements. The initiative reinforces PSPCL’s commitment to recognising employee creativity and promoting a structured, result-oriented approach to continuous improvement.

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*Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema Directs Departments to Fast-Track Contractual Engagement of Eligible Outsourced Employees*

*Bhagwant Mann Govt Pushes Time-Bound Transition of Outsourced Employees Under 2026 Law: Harpal Singh Cheema*

*28 Group D Posts for Visually Impaired Candidates Under Recruitment, Backlog Vacancies to Be Cleared: Harpal Singh Cheema*

*No Administrative Delays in Transitioning Eligible Outsourced Workers to Contractual Jobs: Harpal Singh Cheema*

*Finance Minister Chairs Crucial Rounds of Meetings with 10 Different Employee Unions & Fronts to Settle Key Demands*

CHANDIGARH; 29th October 2026:Reaffirming the Bhagwant Mann government's commitment to employee welfare, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema directed all the state government departments to immediately wrap up formalities and forward eligible cases to the Personnel Department to transition outsourced employees to direct contractual engagement in a time-bound framework.

Chairing high-level discussions with the Enlistment Outsourcing Coordination Committee, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, who also heads the Cabinet Sub-Committee tasked with resolving employees' grievances, said "The directions aim to ensure seamless implementation under the Punjab State Outsourced Personnel (Transition to Contractual Engagement) Act 2026."

He engaged with ten different employee unions and united fronts. He underscored that administrative bottlenecks must not delay the legal transition of eligible workers into direct contractual roles with the state government.

During deliberations with employee representatives from the Transport Department, Finance Minister Cheema reviewed the status of their standing demands and issued directives to department officials to accelerate their settlement. In a subsequent interaction with the CPF Karamchari Union, the Finance Minister offered categorical assurances, stating, “The state administration is actively working toward a favorable and prompt resolution of their issues.”

Addressing the deputation from the National Federation of the Blind, the Finance Minister apprised the members, “The official recruitment process to fill 28 vacant Group D posts reserved for visually impaired candidates is already underway. I guarantee that existing backlog vacancies across other job groups would be cleared concurrently during upcoming recruitment drives for the respective posts.”

Engaging with 4 distinct unions representing the Education Department, the cabinet minister patiently heard each delegation and assured that the majority of their core demands are already in the pipeline for swift administrative approval.

Responding to the representations submitted by the Gram Panchayat Jal Supply Pump Operators Association regarding minimum daily wages, the Finance Minister instructed the department concerned to draft and submit a formal proposal without delay.

During the meetings, Varinder Singh Momi, Ramandeep Singh, Pawandeep Singh, Jagdeep Singh, Lashman Singh, Harjinder Pal Singh, Jaspreet Singh and Jatinder Singh Bhangu from the Enlistment Outsourcing Coordination Committee; Resham Singh Gill, Shamsher Singh, Harkesh Kumar, from Punbus/PRTC Contract Workers' Union Punjab (25/11); Harminder Singh and Lakhwinder Singh from Punjab Roadways (PUNBUS) State Transport Worker Union; Jagjeevan Kaur and Veerkaran Singh from 3704 Adhiyapak Union; Tajinder Kaur and Harman Singh from AIE Kache Adhiyapak Union; Parveen Sharma and Deepak Nagpal from Mid Day Meal Daftri Karmchari; Vikas Sahini and Lakhwinder Kaur from Murh Bahal Kache Adhiyapak Union; Balwinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Jaswant Singh, Parminder Singh and Kamaljeet Singh from National Federation of the Blind; Beant Singh, Harpreet Singh and Sahib Singh from Gram Panchayat Jal Supply Pump Operators Association; and Sukhjit Singh Dimpi, Jarnail Singh Aujla, Gurmail Singh Virk, Dharminder Singh and Ranbir Singh from CPF Karamchari Union presented their issues and concerns during the meetings.

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Paddy procurement by Government agencies crosses 100 LMT in Punjab mandis: Lal Chand Kataruchak

Payments over Rs. 20,000 Crore credited into accounts of 4.71 lakh farmers

Chandigarh, October 29:In a significant achievement, Government procurement of paddy has crossed 101.96 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) in the mandis of Punjab.

Not only this, payments worth Rs. 20713.24 Crore have also been credited into the accounts of over 4.71 lakh farmers.

This was disclosed by the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Mr. Lal Chand Kataruchak in a meeting held to review the paddy procurement season currently underway in the State.

The lifting stands at 70 Lakh Metric Tonnes which comes around to 86 percent from the point of view of 72hour cycle.

Also, more than 2500 mandis are operational for the smooth conduct of procurement process and the produce of the farmers is being procured at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs. 2461 Per Quintal.

Pointing out further, Mr. Kataruchak said that the State would comfortably achieve the procurement target of 180 Lakh Metric Tonnes.

The Minister further exhorted the officers of the Department to ensure that no paddy from outside the State gets sold in the mandis and strict vigil must be maintained in this regard to protect the interests of the farming sector.

The State Government is duty bound to procure every single bale of grain produced so labourously by the farmers, added the Minister.

The Principal Secretary Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Rahul Tiwari, Director Varinder Kumar Sharma, Additional Director Dr. Anjuman Bhaskar and Ajayveer Singh Sarao & General Manager (Finance) Sarvesh Kumar were also present on the occasion.

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*Asian Champions Trophy 2026 - Day 2*

*India, Japan & Malaysia register wins*

*India hammers China 5-2, Japan defeat Bangladesh 1-0, Malaysia beats South Korea 3-1*

*Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian credits consistent efforts of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann for Punjab hosting prestigious tournament*

Chandigarh /Jalandhar, October 29:Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey stadium today became witness to 3 intense and high powered encounters in which Hosts India, Japan and Malaysia registered victories.

The Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Punjab, Gurmeet Singh Khuddian also witnessed the India - China encounter and was introduced to the players of both teams.

The Minister on the occasion said the persistent efforts of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led to the prestigious Asian Champions Trophy being awarded to Punjab. Terming Punjab as the Hockey powerhouse of the country, Mr. Khuddian said that the State Government is leaving no stone unturned to make the tournament a grand success.

In the most thrilling and high octane clash between India and China, the Indian team hammered China by 5-2.

For India, Skipper Harmanpreet Singh's magical drag flick found the net twice as he scored through penalty corners in 27th and 31st Minute. Sukhjeet Singh scored 2 field goals respectively in 12th & 34th minute. Jugraj Singh found the opposing team's net through a penalty corner in the 47th minute.

For China, Peng Yang scored through penalty corner in the 26th and Chongkong Chen scored also through penalty corner in 36th minute.

In another match, Japan just managed to scrape through against a spirited Bangladesh by 1-0. For Japan, Raiki Fujishima scored through a penalty corner in the 40th Minute.

Earlier in the first match of the day, Malaysia beat South Korea 3-1. For Malaysia, Azimuddin Kamaruddin opened the account in 10th Minute through a Field goal. Getting their act together, South Korea equalized through a Field goal by Song Hae - Song in the 31st Minute.

The Malaysian team in a breathtaking display of Hockey then pumped in 2 more goals. Mohammad Akhimullah Anuar Esook converted a Penalty Corner in the 36th minute making the scoreline 2-1. Then in the 50th Minute Faisal Bin Saari sounded the board for Malaysia with the scoreboard reading 3-1 which remained the final score.