Jalandhar, August 9, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday laid the foundation stone of the Sri Guru Ravidass Ji Bani Adhyayan Centre at Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Jalandhar, describing the upcoming institution as a major step towards preserving, studying and spreading the teachings of Sri Guru Ravidass Ji Maharaj across the world.
The foundation stone ceremony was held in the presence of Padam Shri Sant Niranjan Dass Ji of Dera Sachkhand Ballan, along with Sant Pargat Nath Ji, Sant Pardeep Dass Ji, Sant Teja Singh Ji, Sant Nirmal Dass Ji, Sant Lekh Raj Ji and members of the Sant Samaj.
The centre will be developed over 10.4 acres at a total project cost of Rs 37 crore. The government has spent Rs 11 crore on the land and Rs 60 lakh on necessary permissions, while the remaining construction expenditure will be borne by the Punjab government.
According to Mann, the centre will feature a three-storey administration and teaching block, separate three-storey hostels for boys and girls with accommodation for 54 students each, and a two-storey residential facility for teachers and staff. The institution will provide students and research scholars with facilities to study the life, Bani, philosophy and teachings of Sri Guru Ravidass Ji Maharaj.
The Chief Minister said the project forms part of the state government’s year-long celebrations marking the 650th Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Ravidass Ji Maharaj, for which Rs 100 crore has been earmarked.
He said 50 mobile vans are travelling across all 23 districts of Punjab to screen documentaries on the life, philosophy and teachings of Guru Ravidass Ji in around 13,000 villages.
Mann highlighted Guru Ravidass Ji’s message of equality, humanity, compassion and dignity, saying his teachings challenged caste discrimination and social inequality and envisioned an egalitarian society.
The Chief Minister also highlighted his government’s focus on education, claiming that Punjab has improved significantly in school education and that the number of government school students qualifying NEET has risen from 80 in 2021 to 881 in 2026.
Mann said education was the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and asserted that the government would continue working to provide quality education and equal opportunities to children from ordinary families.
Cabinet Ministers Harpal Singh Cheema, Aman Arora, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, Mohinder Bhagat, Dr Ravjot Singh, Harbhajan Singh ETO and Lal Chand Kataruchak, Lok Sabha MP Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, MLAs Balkar Singh and Inderjit Kaur Mann, and other dignitaries were present at the ceremony.
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