Hoshiarpur:- Unfurling the national tricolour in Hoshiarpur on Republic Day, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann gave a detailed account of his government’s governance record while strongly reaffirming Punjab’s constitutional rights on the occasion. Recalling Punjab’s unparalleled sacrifices in India’s freedom struggle and its continued role as the breadwinner and sword of the country, the Chief Minister said that after independence, the state has been illegally deprived of its capital and a separate High Court. He made it clear that attempts to weaken Punjab’s claim to Chandigarh, Panjab University and its water rights will not succeed. He asserted that Punjab will continue to take legal and constitutional measures every day to protect its interests.
Linking governance with heritage and faith, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has granted holy city status to Sri Amritsar Sahib, Sri Anandpur Sahib and Talwandi Sabo, the historical memorial of the 350th martyrdom day of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. He announced that the 650th Parkash Purb of Sri Guru Ravidas Ji will be celebrated through state-level programmes from February 1 to 20, 2027 this year.
Highlighting the direction of the regime, the Chief Minister highlighted the decisive action against drugs, gangsters and narco-drones under the 'War on Drugs' and 'War on Gangsters', universal healthcare up to Rs 10 lakh, providing over 63,000 government jobs without bribes and a sharp reduction in road accident deaths through the Road Safety Force. He also expressed concern over the changes in MGNREGA affecting Scheduled Castes and landless families, cited a record investment of Rs 1.5 lakh crore, which has created 5.2 lakh jobs and announced the Punjab Investment Summit from March 13 to 15.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said, "Despite its immense contribution to the country and its people, Punjab does not have its own capital. Punjab has been illegally deprived of it since independence. To further worsen the situation, conspiracies are being hatched daily to deprive the state of its capital, Panjab University, waters and other rights. This will never be allowed to happen. Chandigarh was, is and will always be an integral part of Punjab and the state government will make every possible effort to get its capital back."
Expressing anger over the lack of a separate High Court, the Punjab Chief Minister said it was unfortunate that Punjab did not have its own High Court, while the smaller states of the North East had their own capitals. He said, "In the absence of their own High Court, Punjabis have to face a lot of hardships due to the large number of cases in the Punjab and Haryana High Court."
Extending warm greetings to all Punjabis and citizens across the country, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann paid tribute to the thousands of patriotic freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives during India's freedom struggle.
Saluting the brave soldiers of the Army, Navy and Air Force, the Chief Minister recalled their sterling role in safeguarding the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country. He said, "On this day in 1950, the Constitution of the country came into effect. This is a very special day for all Indians. It is a matter of great pride and satisfaction that we are proud citizens of the world's largest democracy."
On this auspicious occasion, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann paid tribute to the invaluable contribution of Babasaheb Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, in framing the Constitution. He said that Punjabis are proud of the fact that Punjabi warriors made the most sacrifices in the freedom struggle. He said, "Every Punjabi has got the inspiration to stand firm against oppression and injustice from the teachings of our great Gurus."
Recalling the historical movements, the Chief Minister said that freedom movements like Kuka Movement, Babbar Akali Movement, Ghadar Movement, Komagata Maru Tragedy and Turban Conservation Jatta were led by Punjabis. He said that Baba Maharaj Singh, Baba Ram Singh, Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Sukhdev, Lala Lajpat Rai, Shaheed Udham Singh, Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha, Madan Lal Dhingra, Diwan Singh Kalepani and hundreds of other national heroes had sacrificed their lives for India's freedom.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that Punjabis have made exemplary contributions to the progress of the country and have always been at the forefront in defending the country and making it self-reliant in food production.
Referring to the role of farmers, the Chief Minister said that the farmers of Punjab are the breadwinners of the country, whose hard work ensures that no one sleeps hungry. "Punjab contributes more than 60 percent to the country's food grains. He said that even during the devastating floods last year, Punjab farmers contributed 156 lakh metric tonnes of paddy to the central pool. The state is called "the breadwinner and swordsman of the country" due to the contribution of Punjab's farmers and soldiers.
Expressing gratitude to those who helped the state get back on its feet after the floods, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said he salutes these warriors who put life back on track in Punjab despite the terrible floods. “Despite the natural disaster, the state got back on its feet within a few hours,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that for the sake of the country, Punjab sacrificed its precious natural resources, fertile soil and water resources. He said that despite the great sacrifices, Punjab continues to face injustice and discrimination and the state is forced to fight at the legal, legislative and administrative levels to get its rights.
Referring to the stepmotherly treatment of Punjab, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that conspiracies are being hatched to snatch its rights. He said, “A cunning move was made to raid Punjab’s legal rights over BBMB and water, but the state government did not allow it to succeed.”
Expressing concern over the changes made to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the Chief Minister said that the Centre has changed the very structure of the scheme and this will take away the livelihood of Scheduled Caste workers, women and landless families. He said, “Punjab has the highest proportion of Scheduled Caste population in the country. This new law will prove disastrous for the Scheduled Caste community.”
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that currently 19.85 lakh families are registered as MGNREGA workers in Punjab, out of which 12.65 lakh belong to the Scheduled Caste community. He said, “The state government is fighting this war against the Centre through law and courts.”
He also said that despite the Centre-State powers being clearly defined in the Constitution, the Centre has stopped the Rural Development Fund (RDF) for rural development.
Reiterating Punjab's determination, the Chief Minister said, "Punjab has to fight every day to get its rights from the Centre. Let me make it clear that Punjabis have never bowed down, nor will they ever bow down in the future."
Warning the divisive forces, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that false propaganda is being spread to divide Punjabis, but the state government will never allow such schemes to succeed. He gave a stern warning to gangsters and their sympathizers to give up the path of crime or be ready to face the consequences. Referring to the “War on Gangsters” campaign, the Chief Minister said that action against gangsters is underway and those who instigate them will not be spared. He said that no mercy will be shown towards those who break the law. He said that peace, unity and brotherhood will be maintained in the state at all costs.
Referring to the efforts taken by the Punjab government in the last four years, the Chief Minister said that the Punjab government is committed to providing a governance that will make the dreams of the martyrs come true. He said that the war on drugs has been launched under the 'War on Drugs', under which the supply chain of drugs has been broken, smugglers have been thrown in jails, their properties have been demolished and the victims have been treated and rehabilitated. He said, "Anti-drone technology has been installed on the 532 km long international border. So far, 498 drone activities have been detected and 256 drones have been seized."
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the second phase of the 'War on Drugs' has begun and citizens can join it by giving a missed call on 98991-00002. He said that village and ward level defence committees have been formed, people free from drugs are being honoured as heroes, skill training is being provided for rehabilitation and 3,083 rural playgrounds are being developed. He said that to keep the youth away from drugs, 'Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan' were organized in which three generations are participating.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the historic occasion of the 350th martyrdom anniversary of the ninth Guru, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, was celebrated with devotion and respect across the state. He said that Rs 20 crore has been spent on the construction of Bhai Jaita Ji Memorial at Sri Anandpur Sahib. The Chief Minister said that the cities of Sri Amritsar Sahib, Sri Anandpur Sahib and Talwandi Sabo, home to the three holy Takht Sahibs of the Sikhs, have been declared holy cities, while the Mukhyamantri Tirath Yatra Yojana is providing free darshan of religious places to the devotees.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann further announced that the 650th Parkash Purb of Sri Guru Ravidass Ji will be celebrated on a grand scale on February 1, in which programs and events will be organized from February 1 this year and these programs will continue continuously till the year 2027, which will ensure the great legacy and memory of Guru Ravidass Ji.
Referring to healthcare reforms, the Chief Minister said that the Mukhya Mantri Sehat Yojana provides cashless treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh for all 65 lakh families. He said, "Income conditions have been removed under this scheme. Government employees and pensioners have also been included. Punjab has become the first state to provide free healthcare to all citizens."
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics are providing free treatment daily and this number will soon reach 1,000.
On employment, he said that 63,027 government jobs have been given in a transparent manner without bribes or recommendations. He said that 90 percent of the households are getting free electricity and for the first time in the history of Punjab, uninterrupted power supply is being provided to the tubewells of the fields for more than eight hours during the day during the paddy season, due to which the farmers can sit at home and eat with their families instead of going to the fields at both times.
The Chief Minister said that 18,349 tributaries of 6,900 km long have been revived, Rs 2,300 crore is being spent on the 'Malwa Canal', the first canal to be built after independence.
On education, the Chief Minister said that 118 Schools of Eminence have been established, teachers have been sent for training in Finland, Singapore and Ahmedabad, more than 10,000 girls are benefiting from bus services for girl students, Punjab has surpassed Kerala to top the National Achievement Survey and a large number of students from government schools have cleared the JEE and NEET exams.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that investment proposals worth Rs 1.50 lakh crore have been received since 2022, which has created 5.2 lakh employment opportunities. He announced that the Punjab Progressive Investment Summit will be held in Mohali from March 13 to 15, in which industrialists from all over the world will participate.
He said that Punjab gives farmers the highest price of sugarcane in the country at Rs 416 per quintal, there has been a 53 percent reduction in incidents of stubble burning, and the closure of 21 toll plazas is saving people Rs 67.7 lakh daily.
The Chief Minister said that the Punjab government provides an honorarium of Rs. 1 crore to the families of defence personnel who lose their lives while on duty and Rs. 2 crore to the families of police personnel who lose their lives while on duty.
Referring to the Road Safety Force, the Chief Minister said that it is a unique initiative of its kind in the country. He said that since its launch in February last year, there has been a reduction of more than 48 percent in road accident deaths. The force is deployed on 4,200 km of highways which smoothens the traffic flow.
He said that village ponds are being cleaned, libraries have been built, 49,000 km of rural roads are being upgraded, 1,600 permits for mini buses have been issued to the youth, easy registry has been started. He said that a memorial of Rs 148 crore is being built at Khuralgarh dedicated to Sri Guru Ravidass Ji.
Praising Hoshiarpur district, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it is the most educated district of Punjab, has the highest sex ratio, has a big contribution in athletics and football. The town of Mahilpur in this district is known as the nursery of football at the global level. He said that work on the medical college in Hoshiarpur will start soon and released posters for the 'Nature Fest' to be held in February.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann inspected the parade, watched the cultural performances and honored those who achieved during the Republic Day celebrations.
Earlier, the Chief Minister inspected the parade led by Parade Commander Dhirendra Verma IPS and Assistant Parade Commander Ramanpreet Singh Gill and took salute from the contingents of Punjab Police, Punjab Home Guards, PESCO, NCC, Boy Scouts, Police Cadets, Girl Guides and Punjab Police Brass Band.
A colourful cultural programme including tent pegging by the PAP Jalandhar team and Bhangra, Giddha, group dance, PT show and group singing by school students was also presented.
The Chief Minister honoured freedom fighters and their relatives, distributed tricycles to differently-abled persons and sewing machines to needy women. Tableaux depicting the development of the state and district administration were also displayed on the occasion.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann also honored personalities from various fields and other officials who made outstanding contributions to the society during the Republic Day celebrations.