SPENDING PUBLIC MONEY ON PEOPLE, BUT OPPONENTS ARE ONES FEELING PAIN: CM BHAGWANT SINGH MANN

Face2News/Mohali

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday hit out at the opposition parties for opposing the welfare and development initiatives of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government, saying that the very schemes delivering free electricity, quality education, healthcare and development to the people are now causing pain to those who were in power for decades. During a Lok Milni programme at Badmajra village in Mohali, he said that while governments changed repeatedly over the last 70 years, the fate of Punjab’s people remained unchanged, but his government was ensuring that public money was now being spent directly on public welfare. He said that the opposition’s threats to scrap welfare schemes after returning to power would not succeed, as the people of Punjab would neither give them another opportunity nor allow the schemes benefiting them to be discontinued.

Sharing a few snippets on his X, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated: “The love and trust that I received from you at the Lok Milni in village Badmajra, Mohali, is a great source of strength for me. I have always said that a government is not meant for the chair, but for the health, education, employment and development of the people. Today, Punjab has witnessed a major transformation in education. The number of students from government schools clearing NEET has increased from 80 in 2021 to 882. 90% of households in Punjab are receiving free electricity, and CM Sehat Yojna cards have been made for 42 lakh families.”

“Today, a cheque of ₹50 lakh has been given for the development of Badmajra, while development works worth around ₹1.5 crore are already underway in the village. This is your tax money, and it is being spent on you. This is the difference: we talk about the people, not just about the chair. May your love continue, and may Punjab continue to prosper. Inquilab Zindabad,” he added.

Addressing the Lok Milni, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The era of traditional parties taking turns in power and shielding each other’s misdeeds is over, as the people have now entrusted AAP with the responsibility of transforming the state. The wise people of Punjab will never forgive the Congress, Akalis and BJP for their anti-Punjab stance and they will be sent to political oblivion in the 2027 Vidhan Sabha polls.”

He further added, “These people have always safeguarded the interests of each other during their reign in power. Gone are the days when these parties used to play musical chairs and wait for their turn of power. They safeguarded each other’s interests during their days in power, due to which their misdeeds were never exposed.”

The Chief Minister said, “Now the people have elected AAP and the symbol of this party, the broom, is cleansing the political system of the state. The day is not far when the Akalis will be behind the bars for their sins.”

Referring to the drug menace, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The traditional political parties had inflicted irreparable damage on Punjab’s youth. People know who lit the funeral pyres of thousands of young Punjabis through the drug trade. If these parties return to power, they will once again misuse authority to exploit Punjab and its people.”

Lashing out at Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Badal, he said, “Sukhbir Badal is not aware about the ground realities as throughout his life he has lived in a secured environment with luxuries and opulence. He is a convent-educated political leader of Punjab who is not aware of the basic topography of the state but wants to attain political power in Punjab. Leaving everything aside, the former Deputy Chief Minister cannot even differentiate the basic crops of the state as he has scant knowledge about the basic issues.”

The Chief Minister said, “The Akalis have conducted genocide of the generations of Punjab by promoting and patronising the drug trade. They not only patronised the drug trade but, according to reports, even used official vehicles to sell or distribute drugs. They have bruised the psyche of every common man by using religion for their vested interests, which is an unpardonable sin

Taking aim at the Akali Dal’s efforts to revive ties with the BJP, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “In order to satiate their hunger for power, the Akali Dal is now begging for an alliance with the BJP, whose hands were drenched with murder of more than 700 farmers who attained martyrdom during the protest against the draconian anti-farmers law. The Akali-BJP alliance is without any ideology or public welfare but will be solely aimed at grabbing power in the state.”

The Chief Minister said that the people of Punjab would not be misled by the political manoeuvring of the traditional parties and would teach them a befitting lesson.

Making a scathing attack on the Akali Dal, he said, “The Akali leaders are always bothered about their own interests rather than that of Punjabis or Punjab whereas AAP is committed only for Punjab. They have mercilessly plundered the wealth of the state during their days in power and have introduced drugs to youth of Punjab,” he said.

Taking a jibe at the Akali leadership, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated, “Even if the Prime Minister makes a call enquiring the health of Akali leaders, they start dreaming about having an alliance with Delhi to loot Punjab.”

Taking potshots over the infighting in the Congress, he said, “They are squabbling for the power for their vested political interests, while the state government is working tirelessly for the wellbeing of people. We don’t fight amongst ourselves but we are making tireless efforts to make Rangla Punjab. The fight of the state is for quality education, good health and other welfare schemes. For the sake of power, the Congress leaders don’t see eye to eye with each other.”

He stated, “Congress 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 their infighting. It is a pity that the top Congress leaders who come to unite these leaders squabbling for power are not even aware how to pronounce their names.”

The Chief Minister said, “The Congress and Akali Dal were the termite that had ruined the state after the independence due to which Punjab lagged behind in the path of progress. The leaders of these parties never speak against each other but they spit venom against me daily because I have exposed them badly before people.”

CM Bhagwant Singh Mann reminded the people of the anti-people stance of the traditional political parties. “These were the traitors who have never been loyal to the state and its people,” he said.

Highlighting the governance initiatives of his government, the Chief Minister pointed out that every single penny of the state exchequer was being utilised judiciously for public welfare. “More than 90% 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 people belongs to the state and we are judiciously spending it on the welfare of people. People’s money is coming back to people through development, schools, hospitals and roads,” he added.

He affirmed, “The Punjab government is now working for people and has provided free electricity to households, jobs to over 70,000 youth without corruption, improved roads, closed toll plazas saving Rs 70 lakh daily, imparted quality education and healthcare, built infrastructure besides several other key initiatives. The state government is working tirelessly for development of villages for which the grants are being given.”

The Chief Minister said that 3100 sports stadiums were being constructed across the state to wean away youth from the menace of drugs.

Highlighting the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The state government has launched Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, the first-of-its-kind scheme in the country that provides cashless medical treatment up to Rs 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 health care to all the families of the state and people have availed free treatment so far,” he added.

The Chief Minister further said, “Under the Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna, from July 1 every woman beneficiaries above the age of 18 years are getting financial assistance worth ₹1,000 and ₹1,500 in case of SC women. The funds are being directly transferred to bank accounts and women already receiving social security pensions will also be eligible.”

He said that 97% of women in Punjab were expected to benefit from the scheme and the state government had allotted ₹9,300 crore in the budget.

On the occasion of Rakhi, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “Today also, I have given Rakhi gift to the women of the state under the Mukh Mantri Maavan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna. This is the biggest social revolution being witnessed across the globe. This welfare scheme has hardly any parallel across the globe where the women are being empowered through financial assistance. So far 70.92 lakh women beneficiaries have got this gift from the state government and today 5.20 lakh beneficiaries, who have registered themselves recently, are getting ₹181.50 crore.”

The Chief Minister said that the AAP government had prioritised education and undertaken path-breaking initiatives to transform the lives of people. “No freebie or concession cards can eliminate poverty or other social maladies in the state but education is the key that can pull people out of this vicious circle by raising their standard of living. Due to this, my government is tirelessly making efforts to improve the standard of education to empower the common man,” he said.

CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that Punjab had surpassed Kerala and other states in the field of education as a result of strenuous efforts by the state government, including teacher training programmes, Schools of Eminence and other initiatives. “In 2021, just 80 students of government schools had cleared the coveted NEET exam but this year in 2026, the number has gone up by 11 times to 882. This is the difference of our governance from others, who have never bothered about the school and education sector,” he said.

Highlighting the government’s achievements in irrigation and road infrastructure, the Chief Minister, “For the first time in the history of the state, canal water has reached the fields of 1,587 villages, who had never seen canal water. It is a matter of pride that the state government has spent ₹7,200 crore to ensure canal water reaches every field. After I assumed charge, the area under canal irrigation has increased from 26 percent to 80 percent. In 2022, only 20 lakh 89 thousand acres received canal water but today canal irrigation has reached 60 lakh 30 thousand acres.”

CM Bhagwant Singh Mann further said that 45,000 kilometres of roads were being renovated and upgraded to facilitate the residents of the state, adding that the government remained committed to using Punjab’s resources for the welfare of its people and accelerating development across the state.