For decades, Punjab‘s farmers — the backbone of India’s food security — have battled crumbling irrigation infrastructure, erratic power supply, and mounting debt. But under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, something is visibly changing. Canals that had run dry for years are flowing again, and for the first time, farmers are receiving free electricity during the day — when they actually need it most. Punjab’s agricultural revolution is no longer a slogan. It is happening in the fields.
Canals Come Back to Life
One of the most visible achievements of the Mann government has been the restoration of Punjab‘s vast canal network. Thousands of kilometres of irrigation canals, long choked with silt, encroachments, and neglect, have been desilted and repaired under a massive state-wide drive. Water is now reaching tail-end villages that had not seen canal flow in years, reducing farmer dependence on costly groundwater extraction through tube wells.
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Free Daytime Electricity — A Game Changer
Previously, farmers in Punjab received free electricity but mostly during night hours — forcing them to run pumps in the dark, affecting both safety and efficiency. The Mann government has shifted this supply to daytime hours, allowing farmers to irrigate their fields when it is actually practical and safe to do so.
Bridging the Gap Between Policy and Ground Reality
What sets the Mann government’s approach apart is its focus on last-mile delivery. Canal restoration work has been monitored through field inspections, and the Chief Minister himself has made unannounced visits to check progress. Grievances from farmers are being addressed through direct channels, cutting through the red tape that once buried complaints for months.
Setting a National Benchmark
The reforms in Punjab are drawing attention from other states as well. Free daytime electricity combined with restored canal infrastructure presents a replicable model for agrarian states across India struggling with farmer distress, groundwater depletion, and rural power supply issues.
