Punjab

Chandigarh, Mar 23 (PTI) The Punjab government on Monday imposed a curfew to combat coronavirus, making it the first state to take the drastic action after finding that many people were ignoring the lockdown ordered by it.

The authorities are enforcing a state-wide lockdown which came into effect on Monday and will last till March 31.

Attari (Amritsar), Mar 18 (PTI) At least 29 Indians, who had gone to Dubai to watch a cricket match which was called off later, on Wednesday night returned to India through the land transit route of Attari-Wagah border here.

Earlier, when they entered India after being cleared by the Pakistan Immigration Authority, they were detained at Attari border, as they were not having requisite permission on their passport to return to India through Pakistan.

Chandigarh, Feb 28 (PTI) Reducing government employees' retirement age from 60 to 58, free education for all students up to Class 12 and a debt waiver for landless farmers were some of the major announcements made by Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal in the 2020-21 budget on Friday.

Badal on Friday presented a Rs 1,54,805 crore budget in the state Assembly here.

Chandigarh, Feb 28 (PTI) A day after the opposition targeted the Congress-led government over the issue of questioning of some Kartarpur Sahib pilgrims, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh backed the Punjab Police's action and said it acted on the request of the Intelligence Bureau in the interest of national security.

"Had the Gurdaspur police failed to act, I would have taken strict action against them," Singh informed the House in the ongoing budget session here.

They took action in the interest of national security, he said.

Patiala, Feb 24 (PTI) A microlight aircraft crashed here on Monday in the Army cantonment area, killing an Indian Air Force pilot and injuring an NCC cadet.

A Pipistrel Virus SW 80 trainer aircraft crashed soon after taking off from the Patiala Aviation Club airport, killing Wing Commander G S Cheema, an official spokesperson said.

Ludhiana, Feb 12 (PTI) Some members of the Muslim community on Wednesday launched an indefinite sit-in against the amended citizenship law and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC ) here.

The indefinite dharna began at Dana Mandi here near Jalandhar bypass on the lines of the ongoing Shaheen Bagh protest in Delhi.

Chandigarh, Feb 8 (PTI) Punjab's Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta on Saturday constituted an all-women Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the January 7 gangrape case in Mohali.

The SIT is headed by Assistant Superintendent of Police Mohali City-1 Ashwani Gotyal, with Sub-Inspector Meenu Hooda and constable Amanjeet Kaur as its other members, an official statement said.

Chandigarh, Jan 25 (PTI) Locusts were spotted in some villages of Punjab's Fazilka, Muktsar and Bathinda districts triggering fear among farmers as the destructive swarms are known to devour the vegetation wherever they settle.

The Punjab Agriculture Department (PAD), however, said necessary arrangements were in place to tackle a possible locust attack while ruling out any damage to crops at this stage.

Chandigarh, Jan 17 (PTI) Shortly after the Punjab Assembly passed a resolution by voice vote against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday said his government like Kerala will approach the Supreme Court on the issue.

He said the Centre will have to make the necessary amendments to the CAA if it has to be implemented in Punjab and other states opposing the legislation.

Chandigarh, Jan 16 (PTI) A man wanted for killing a woman friend on New Year's eve at a hotel here was arrested from a television studio after he confessed to the crime while on air, police said on Thursday.

The accused, Maninder Singh, was wanted by the police for allegedly killing Sarabjit Kaur (27), a nurse at a private hospital in Mohali on New Year's eve.