Reaffirming his government’s resolve to protect Punjab’s interests, chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday hit out at the Union government for its “step-motherly” treatment and alleged that conspiracies were being hatched to snatch the state’s rightful claims.
Addressing a function on the 77th Republic Day, Mann said Punjab continues to face “injustice and discrimination” despite its unmatched sacrifices in the freedom struggle. He lamented that the state had been “unjustly denied” its rights, including its claim over Chandigarh as its capital, river waters, and Panjab University.
“Despite the greatest sacrifices, Punjab is being forced to wage legal, legislative, and administrative battles to secure its rights. Let me make it very clear that Punjabis have never bowed down, and they never will,” he said.
Mann expressed concern over changes to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), asserting that the move would snatch the livelihoods of Scheduled Caste workers, women, and landless families. Pointing out that Punjab has the country’s highest proportion of Dalit population, he said that of the 19.85 lakh families registered as MGNREGA workers in the state, 12.65 lakh belong to the SC community.
The chief minister targeted the Centre for withholding the Rural Development Fund (RDF) despite the constitutional demarcation of Centre-state rights. “The state government is fighting against the Centre through all legal means to ensure we get what is rightfully ours,” he said.
On the law-and-order front, Mann issued a stern warning to divisive forces and gangsters, asking them to abandon the path of crime or face the consequences.
He also linked governance with the state’s heritage, announcing that the 650th Parkash Parv of Guru Ravidas would be celebrated through grand state-level programmes from February 1 to 20.
Highlighting economic progress, the CM said that Punjab has attracted investments worth ₹1.5 lakh crore since 2022, generating 5.2 lakh jobs. He announced that the Punjab Investment Summit would be held from March 13 to 15 and confirmed that work on the medical college in Hoshiarpur would begin shortly.
Earlier, the chief minister inspected the Republic Day parade and took the salute from various contingents, including the Punjab Police and NCC. He paid homage to freedom fighters and saluted the personnel of the armed forces for their service to the nation.
