Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday announced that his government will lay another 7,000 kilometres of pipelines by the end of this year to ensure canal water reaches every farm across Punjab. Highlighting that 14,000 kilometres of pipelines, equivalent to the distance from Canada to Moga, have already been laid over the last four years, he said the government is also creating water recharge points to raise the groundwater level. During a Lok Milni programme in Bhallur, Moga, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said his government has ensured canal water reaches nearly 80% of agricultural land while previous governments neglected farmers.
The Chief Minister also asserted that parties rejected by the people in the 2022 Assembly elections have united against him because they cannot match his government’s work, adding that the people of Punjab will never allow those who looted the state during their rule to return to power.
Addressing a sea of people during the Lok Milni, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The Punjab Government has laid 14,000 kilometres of pipes and watercourses across the state to facilitate the farmers of Punjab in every nook and corner. So far, 21,000 cusecs of water has been released in these pipelines and watercourses to benefit the farmers in a big way by catering to their irrigation needs. Recharge points have been kept in the canals and rivers so that the water level is enhanced, and the water level has increased by two to four metres.”
Launching a scathing attack on the Akalis over irrigation and sacrilege, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The Akalis, especially the Badals, never knew what canal water meant for a common farmer as watercourses ended in their fields only. They were never sincere in making such a law when they were in power. The truth is that their intentions were flawed. The Akalis allowed sacrilege incidents to take place for their political gains. The Akali Dal has been reduced to the party of sisters-in-law as one sister-in-law is an MP and the other is an MLA in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.”
Taking a jibe at Sukhbir Badal, He said, “Sukhbir Badal is still in trauma due to the debacle in 2022 and is living in a fool’s paradise, which is reflected in his statements. The former Deputy Chief Minister has recently said that he has directed all his MLAs not to attend the Vidhan Sabha, forgetting that there is only one MLA left of the Akali Dal, who is also his relative. The Akalis, Congress and BJP know that they cannot compete with me politically, so they have ganged up to defame me on religious issues through fake videos.”
He further added, “The Akali leaders mercilessly looted the state and committed numerous and unpardonable atrocities on the common man during their long and tyrannical rule. The Akalis bruised the psyche of Punjabis emotionally and patronised several mafias in the state to ruin Punjab. The Akali leadership can never be forgiven as it was responsible for the genocide of several generations of the state because the drug trade was patronised by them and bloomed during their long era of misrule. The Akalis used their official vehicles to supply ‘Chitta’ drugs across the state and laid pyres of our youth.”
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated, “The traditional political parties continuously try to defame me through one accusation or another. Now the SGPC (Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee) has ordered to put up posters outside gurdwaras calling for my boycott. However, why were such posters not put up against the Akali Dal or Sukhbir Badal when they admitted responsibility for incidents of sacrilege? On December 2, before Sri Akal Takht Sahib, they acknowledged their mistakes, admitted wrongdoing, accepted responsibility for the firing incidents and admitted that orders were given against the sangat. Did anyone put up posters outside gurdwaras calling for their boycott?”
Referring to the public response he receives across Punjab, He affirmed, “The sangat is wise and the people are supreme. These individuals are acting out of arrogance because they have no real issue left to raise against me. Whenever I visit villages, community gatherings and public meetings, huge crowds gather. The opposition cannot tolerate these crowds because they themselves cannot attract such public support. Baffled over this, the traditional parties are stooping too low by levelling baseless allegations against me, which will not be tolerated by the people.”
Taking potshots at Congress party to task, the Chief Minister said, “The Congress party is on its deathbed and will be finished very soon as it has no vision for the people and the state. Their only aim is to plunder the wealth of Punjab by assuming power, but their dreams will never get fulfilled. The Congress party is a divided house that will collapse due to its infighting. It is a pity that the top Congress leaders who come to unite these leaders squabbling for power are not even aware of how to pronounce their names.”
Highlighting the government’s people-centric governance model, the Chief Minister said, “The AAP government is optimally utilising every single penny of the state exchequer for the well-being of the people of the state. More than 90% of households in the state are getting free power. Even the farmers are today getting power in the daytime, which has been unprecedented. The tax money of the people belongs to the state, and we are judiciously spending it on the welfare of the people. People’s money is coming back to the people through development, schools, hospitals and roads.”
Listing the major achievements of his government, the Chief Minister said, “The state government is now working for the people and has provided free electricity to households, jobs to over 68,000 youth without corruption, improved roads, closed toll plazas saving ₹70 lakh daily, imparted quality education and healthcare, built infrastructure besides several other key initiatives. The state government is working tirelessly for the development of villages, for which grants are being given. To wean away the youth from the menace of drugs, 3,100 sports stadiums are being constructed in the state.”
Highlighting the state’s healthcare reforms, the Chief Minister said, “In order to provide comprehensive healthcare to the people, the state government has launched the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, the first-of-its-kind scheme in the country that provides cashless medical treatment of up to ₹10 lakh for every resident family in Punjab. It is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that Punjab is the first Indian state to offer such comprehensive healthcare coverage, which has significantly eased the financial burden on the public while ensuring quality health services. This historic move is aimed at providing universal healthcare to all the families of the state. People have so far availed free treatment worth more than ₹650 crore.”
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Speaking about the Maavan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna, the Chief Minister further said, “From July 1, women beneficiaries above the age of 18 years will get notifications on their mobile phones about the financial assistance of ₹1,000 in the case every woman of Punjab and ₹1,500 in the case of SC women. Funds will be directly transferred to their bank accounts, and women already receiving social security pensions will also be eligible. Around 97% of women in Punjab are expected to benefit, and the state government has allotted ₹9,300 crore in the Budget.”
Underscoring the success of the anti-drug campaign, the Chief Minister said, “Yudh Nashean Virudh has been pivotal in breaking the backbone of the drug menace, and this curse can be wiped out from the state with the support of the people. The supply line of drugs has already been snapped, and the big fish involved in this heinous crime have been put behind bars. The momentum of this campaign has to be maintained. The need of the hour is to intensify this campaign further, for which people must come forward.”
Highlighting the transformation of Punjab’s education sector, the Chief Minister said, “After assuming charge of office, I laid special focus on the progress and prosperity of the state, especially the education sector. Previous regimes converted schools across the state into merely Mid-Day Meal Centres, but now these schools have been transformed into educational hubs. The state government is working on a mission to boost education in the state and ensure access to quality education for poor students.”
Referring to Punjab’s latest achievement in school education, the Chief Minister said, “Due to the strenuous efforts of the state government, Punjab has surpassed Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi to secure the number one position in primary and middle-school education. The state government has upgraded primary and middle-school education, strengthened the system, introduced smart classrooms and provided advanced training to teachers.”
“As a result of these efforts, Punjab is excelling in the school education sector. NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog, one of the Government of India’s premier institutions, has released new figures showing that Punjab has surpassed Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi to secure the number one position in primary and middle-school education,” he concluded.
Sharing a few snippets from the Lok Milni, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated on X: “Heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined the Lok Milni at Bhallur. Despite the scorching heat, every step you took to be there means a great deal to me. A cheque of ₹51 lakh was handed over today for the development of the village. Today, 90% of households in Punjab have zero electricity bills, while the state has emerged as Number One in free healthcare and education. We have ensured that 80% of farmers now receive canal water, and in the coming days, every field in Bhallur will be connected to a canal outlet.”
“Properties of drug smugglers have been confiscated, and our campaign against the drug menace will continue with full force. The overwhelming love and support you showed today makes it clear that you are ready to bid a permanent farewell to the traditional political leaders. Let us all come together to make Punjab even more prosperous and take it to new heights of progress,” the post concluded.
