Jalandhar,Jan 26, 2026(Yes Punjab News)
On the occasion of the 77th Republic Day, Punjab’s Mining and Geology, Water Resources, and Land & Water Conservation Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal today unfurled the National Flag during the district-level function held at the local Guru Gobind Singh Stadium.
On this occasion, Rajya Sabha Member Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, Kartarpur MLA Balkar Singh, Mayor Vineet Dhir, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Himanshu Aggarwal, and Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur were also present.
During his address, Cabinet Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal extended greetings to all Indians residing in the country and abroad on the 77th Republic Day. He paid homage to the sacrifices made by Punjabis in the freedom struggle and saluted the contribution of Baba Saheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in framing the Indian Constitution.
Reiterating the commitment of the state government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to take Punjab to new heights of development, the Minister highlighted various welfare and development initiatives being undertaken for the well-being of the people. He said the government, which began its tenure after taking oath at Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s ancestral village Khatkar Kalan, is dedicated to fulfilling the dreams of the martyrs.
He mentioned several historic steps, including installing portraits of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in government offices, renaming Mohali International Airport after Shaheed Bhagat Singh, increasing ex-gratia assistance to families of martyred soldiers from Rs.50 lakh to Rs.1 crore, and extending similar financial support to the families of police personnel who sacrifice their lives in the line of duty.
The Minister said the government has initiated value-based mining auctions through a transparent online system to curb illegal mining and safeguard state resources. He added that more than 13,000 village ponds have been cleaned and over 6,900 kilometres of old water channels revived, enabling irrigation at more than 1,300 new locations. Under the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ scheme, 100 per cent rural households are being supplied water through pipelines, making Punjab the fifth state in the country to achieve this milestone.
Highlighting healthcare initiatives, he said the ‘Mukhya Mantri Sehat Yojna’ provides cashless treatment up to Rs.10 lakh at over 900 government and empanelled private hospitals, covering around 65 lakh families. Free medical services are being delivered through 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics, supported by 356 hi-tech ambulances. In Jalandhar alone, 66 clinics recorded over 11 lakh OPD visits and 5.5 lakh lab tests during the year.
Mr. Goyal, while outlining the measures being taken to tackle unemployment, said that the government has so far provided more than 63,000 government jobs. Besides this, to make the youth employable, the number of seats in ITIs has been increased from 35,000 to 52,000. Keeping in view the needs of industry and the market, 814 new trades have also been introduced. To create employment opportunities for youth, a total of 1,670 permits have so far been issued for mini-buses on routes covering rural link roads and other district roads.
Referring to achievements in the field of education, the Cabinet Minister said that 118 schools in the state are being converted into Schools of Eminence. More than 10,000 students are benefiting from the transportation services being provided in government schools. With the aim of making students job creators, Punjab has become the first state in the country to introduce ‘Entrepreneurship’ as a main subject in Class 11 from the academic session 2025–26. Likewise, Punjab secured first position in the National Achievement Survey 2024, surpassing states like Kerala.
Meanwhile, 265 students from government schools cleared JEE Mains, 45 cleared JEE Advanced, and 847 passed NEET. To make school education world-class, 234 principals and education administrators were trained in Singapore, 216 primary cadre teachers received training at the University of Turku in Finland, and 199 head teachers have been trained at IIM Ahmedabad.
Speaking about steps to promote sports culture in the state, Mr. Goyal said that players who have brought laurels at national and international levels are being rewarded with government jobs and incentives. Eleven renowned players have been appointed to PCS and DSP posts. In addition, nearly 3,100 rural sports grounds are being developed to prepare athletes for Olympic and international competitions.
Highlighting the success of the campaign ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh,’ he said that since March 1, 2025, a total of 45,137 drug smugglers have been arrested. To curb cross-border smuggling of drugs and weapons through drones, three ‘Baaz Akh’ anti-drone systems have been installed. Courses on drug prevention have been introduced for students from Classes 9 to 12 in government schools, and around 8 lakh students are being sensitised to stay away from drugs.
Similarly, under the ‘War Against Gangsters’ campaign, decisive action has been launched against gangsters and an Anti-Gangster Task Force has been constituted to make Punjab a gangster-free state.
Highlighting achievements in the power sector, the Minister said that the Punjab Government is providing 300 units of free electricity per month to domestic consumers, resulting in zero electricity bills for over 90 percent households. Farmers are also being provided free electricity for agricultural purposes, and Rs. 9,992 crore has been earmarked for free power in 2025–26. More than eight hours of uninterrupted power supply was ensured for the agriculture sector during the paddy season.
Mr. Goyal also mentioned the success of initiatives such as ‘CM Di Yogshala,’ Project Jeevanjot, the Sadak Surakhya Force, the Farishte Scheme, and ‘Bhagwant Mann Sarkar Tuhade Dwar,’ reiterating the government’s commitment to eradicate corruption. He said an anti-corruption action line had been launched to achieve this mission besides the closure of toll collection at 21 toll plazas is saving commuters around Rs.68 lakh daily.
Speaking about infrastructure strengthening, he said that the Public Works Department is carrying out special repair and modernisation of 10,262 kilometres of link roads at a cost of Rs. 1,543 crore.
Work has also begun on widening, modernising and providing new connectivity to 7,767 kilometres of link roads. Under rural road upgradation, 641 kilometres of roads are to be constructed at a cost of Rs. 600 crore during 2025–26, out of which 315 kilometres have already been completed.
Under the ‘Easy Registry’ project, transparent, corruption-free and doorstep property registration services are being provided, with over 3.70 lakh registrations completed so far.
He said that government initiatives have brought positive changes in agriculture, with incidents of stubble burning declining by 53 percent in the last season.
The government faced the challenge of floods firmly and provided timely relief. During the floods, more than 156 lakh metric tonnes of paddy were procured, ensuring payments of over Rs.37,000 crore directly into farmers’ accounts.
He added that in just three-and-a-half years, the state has generated Rs. 36,948 crore in excise revenue, Rs. 81,417 crore in GST, and Rs. 19,016 crore through stamp and registration.
Recognising the conducive environment for investment and business, the Government of India has awarded Punjab the status of ‘Top Achiever’ for ease of doing business.
Earlier, the Cabinet Minister took the salute from an impressive march past led by IPS officer Ashok Meena and also honoured the family members of 10 soldiers martyred in the India-China, India-Pakistan and other wars.
On the occasion, among others, IGP Intelligence Punjab Babu Lal Meena, District and Session Judge Nirbhau Singh Gill, Chairman Punjab State Cooperative Agricultural Development Bank Pawan Kumar Tinu, Chairman Punjab Agri Export Corporation Limited Mangal Singh Bassi, Chairman Punjab Muslim Welfare Development Board Abdul Bahari Salmani, Chairman Punjab Khadi and Village Industries Board Gagandeep Singh (Kaku Ahlualia), Municipal Commissioner Sandeep Rishi, Joint Commissioner of Police Sandeep Sharma, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development) Jasbir Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Amaninder Kaur, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Rural Development) Navdeep Kaur, Joint Commissioners Mandeep Kaur and Sumandeep Kaur, AAP leader Rajwinder Kaur Thiyara, and senior civil and police officers were also present.
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