Briefly: Nawal Agrawal quits

Chandigarh: Nawal Agrawal, Lead Governance Fellow in the Department of Good Governance and Information Technology, has quit and his resignation has been accepted by the government. His resignation comes close on the heels of the transfer of department Director Girish Dayalan. Agrawal, an IIT graduate, had courted a controversy in 2023, when the then Governor Banwari Lal Purohit had questioned his presence in official meetings. TNS

Fire at cooler factory

Mansa: A major fire broke out on Tuesday in Agarwal Industrial Cooler Factory, located near the Ahmedpur railway crossing here. Goods worth lakhs were destroyed. Ashok Kumar, a close associate of the factory owner, said on receiving the news of the incident, they contacted the Budhlada Nagar Council’s fire brigade. Soon after, fire engines arrived at the scene and villagers also helped control the blaze. TNS

Health Minister meets NGOs to combat drug trafficking

Chandigarh: Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh on Tuesday unveiled a five-pillar action plan to combat drug trafficking “We aim to put an end to Punjab’s decades-old ‘political-police-criminal nexus’,” Singh said. “The missing piece — political will — is now in place. With CM Bhagwant Singh Mann’s leadership and your grassroots power, we will create a ‘Rangla Punjab’.” TNS

No bail surety for drug traffickers in Kotkapura

Kotkapura: The Municipal Council has passed a resolution that no councillor will provide identification or stand surety for any drug trafficker seeking bail. MC president Bhupinder Singh Saggu said all elected councillors agreed not to assist in the bail process of any individual accused of drug trafficking. “This decision was taken in view of the growing concern over how easily drug peddlers manage to get bail and return to the same illegal trade,” he said. tns

Sidhu wins cycling title for fifth time in Fazilka

Fazilka: Cyclist Narinder Sidhu has set a record by winning the title of Super Randonneurs for the fifth time in Fazilka. The title is given to the cyclist who completes 200 km in 13.5 hours, 300 km in 20 hours, 400 km in 27 hours and 600 km in 40 hours in a calendar year — between January and December. OC

Punjab