Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann says monthly payments under the state government's women-focused assistance program will begin on July 1. According to Mann, approximately 5.2 million women in Punjab are eligible for the scheme. He said nearly 3.6 million women have already been registered and will be covered as payments are rolled out. The announcement relates to the Mawan Dhiyaan Satikaar Yojana, under which the Punjab government has said women in the general category will receive ₹1,000 per month, while women from Scheduled Caste communities will receive ₹1,500 per month. Registratio

A Ludhiana court has issued a notice to Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu after he failed to appear during proceedings in a criminal case dating back to 2024. The court directed Bittu to appear on June 8. According to court proceedings, the case stems from an FIR registered by Division No. 1 Police in Ludhiana in March 2024. The complaint relates to allegations that a gatekeeper posted at the Municipal Corporation headquarters was prevented from carrying out his duties during a protest. The case names Bittu, Congress leader Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Sanjay Talwar, Sham Sund

Punjab Police have launched a search operation to locate senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia, with officials confirming that 12 teams have been formed to carry out raids at multiple locations. According to police, search operations are underway in Amritsar's Green Avenue area, Chandigarh's MLA Hostel, and six other locations linked to Majithia. The action follows a case registered at Majitha Police Station on May 31. Police allege that Majithia and several associates were involved in an incident in which an Akali Dal leader was forcibly freed from police custody. Authoritie

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party appeared headed for a strong showing in Punjab’s municipal elections as vote counting continued Thursday across the state. According to results available by 6 p.m. local time, the Aam Aadmi Party had won 880 wards and was leading in several others. Congress was in second place with 354 ward victories as of 5 p.m., while the Shiromani Akali Dal had secured 175 wards and the Bharatiya Janata Party had won 146 wards. Independent candidates won 245 wards. In Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s constituency of Dhuri, the Aam Aadmi Party won 20 of 21 seats, according to the

The Bharatiya Janata Party has appointed former Barnala MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon as the new president of its Punjab unit, according to a letter issued by BJP national general secretary Arun Singh. The appointment was approved with the consent of the party’s national leadership and takes effect immediately, the letter said. Dhillon, who was previously associated with former Punjab chief minister Capt. Amarinder Singh, has remained active in Punjab politics for several years. The leadership change comes as the BJP continues efforts to strengthen its organizational presence in Punjab ahead of fu

Air India says it will temporarily reduce the number of its domestic flights by 20 to 22 per cent as the airline faces increasing aviation fuel prices and higher operating costs. The airline said it has already reduced some international flight operations by nearly 27 per cent as part of broader cost-management measures. According to the company, the decision was taken due to sustained high fuel prices, which have increased the cost of operating flights across several routes. In a statement issued Wednesday, Air India said flight frequencies on selected domestic and international routes will b

Voting for Punjab’s urban local body elections will take place Tuesday across eight municipal corporations, 75 municipal councils and 20 nagar panchayats, according to the Punjab State Election Commission. The commission said 3,545,567 voters are eligible to cast ballots in the elections, which will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. A total of 7,555 candidates are contesting the polls across the state. According to information released by the commission, 1,613 candidates are contesting municipal corporation seats, while 5,142 candidates are in the fray for municipal councils and 800 candidates a

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday dismissed a public interest litigation petition filed by senior Punjab Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa and imposed a fine of Rs. 25,000. In the petition, Bajwa had sought directions to the Punjab government and other authorities to initiate strict action against Aam Aadmi Party MLA Kulwant Singh Bazigar over alleged remarks related to capturing voting booths during a public gathering. During the hearing, the Punjab Advocate General argued that the petition was filed just ahead of voting and failed to disclose details of an FIR registered against B

Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh, who recently left the Aam Aadmi Party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, has accused the AAP leadership of exploiting Punjab in a social media post containing a series of corruption allegations. Singh alleged that the party leadership had “sold everything,” including Rajya Sabha seats from Punjab and ministerial positions, claiming appointments were allegedly made in exchange for money. He further stated that he would reveal how certain individuals were appointed as ministers and officials “to loot Punjab” and deliver the proceeds to a person he refe