Bathinda, September 6, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday accused opposition parties of trying to defame him and regain access to the state’s resources, asserting that his government was using public money for the welfare and development of the people.
Addressing a Lok Milni programme at Ghudda village in Bathinda, Mann said his government was focused on improving education, healthcare, employment, infrastructure and other public services, while claiming that previous governments had misused Punjab’s resources.
“The days of loot in Punjab are over. Now there is only a storm of development,” Mann said, adding that every rupee collected from the people was being spent on public welfare.
Taking aim at the BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal, Mann alleged that the two parties were moving towards an alliance with the objective of returning to power. He claimed that the Akali Dal was seeking an alliance with the BJP on the condition of getting the three farm laws passed.
Mann said some political leaders were from “Modi’s quota” and others from “Rahul Gandhi’s quota”, while he belonged to the “people’s quota”. He said Punjab had given a teacher’s son an opportunity in 2022 and would give him another opportunity in 2027.
He also accused the BJP of adopting an “anti-Punjab mindset” on issues including Chandigarh, Panjab University, the Bhakra Beas Management Board, the Sutlej Yamuna Link canal, the Harike canal, Republic Day tableaux, Rural Development Funds and border-area funds.
Referring to the farmers’ agitation against the farm laws, Mann said the people of Punjab would never forgive the BJP for the deaths of more than 700 farmers during the protest.
He also criticised the Congress over the 1984 violence, the handling of the drug menace during its tenure and the sacrilege cases in Punjab. Targeting the Akali Dal, Mann alleged that its governments had patronised mafias, failed to deliver justice in sacrilege cases and damaged the state socially and economically.
Criticising Akali leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, Mann said he was disconnected from the ground realities faced by Punjab’s farmers and ordinary people.
Mann contrasted the alleged internal disputes within the Congress with what he described as the AAP government’s focus on education, healthcare, employment and welfare. He said his government was working “as the son and brother” of the people and claimed that public money was being directly invested in development.
Highlighting his government’s achievements, Mann said more than 70,000 young people had secured government jobs without corruption, while more than 90 per cent of households were receiving free electricity. He also said farmers were being provided daytime power and that 3,100 sports stadiums were being constructed across the state.
He said around 45,000 km of roads were being renovated and claimed that the area under canal irrigation had increased from 26 per cent to 80 per cent of cultivable land.
Mann also highlighted the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, under which he said families were eligible for cashless treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh, and the Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna, under which eligible women receive financial assistance of Rs 1,000, with Rs 1,500 for women from Scheduled Castes.
He said the state had allocated Rs 9,300 crore for the women-focused scheme and claimed that 97 per cent of women in Punjab would benefit from it.
Calling education the government’s biggest priority, Mann said long-term solutions to poverty and social problems required quality education rather than dependence on concessions or freebies.
He said the people had now seen the difference between governments that allegedly worked for themselves and one that was focused on public welfare, asserting that Punjab had moved beyond the era of “loot” and was witnessing a “storm of development”.
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