Mohali (SAS Nagar), August 28, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday accused opposition parties of being uncomfortable with the AAP government’s welfare and development initiatives, asserting that public money was being channelled towards education, healthcare, electricity, infrastructure and direct assistance to people.
Addressing a Lok Milni programme at Badmajra village in Mohali, Mann said governments had changed repeatedly over the past 70 years but the condition of Punjab’s people had not changed accordingly. He said his government was focused on ensuring that taxpayers’ money was spent on public welfare.
He announced ₹50 lakh for development works in Badmajra and said projects worth around ₹1.5 crore were already underway in the village.
In posts on X, Mann said the number of government-school students qualifying NEET had risen from 80 in 2021 to 882 in 2026. He also said more than 90 per cent of households in Punjab were receiving free electricity and that Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna cards had been issued to 42 lakh families.
Mann alleged that opposition parties had threatened to discontinue welfare schemes if they returned to power, but said the people of Punjab would not give them another opportunity or allow schemes benefiting them to be scrapped.
He launched a broadside against the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP, accusing the traditional parties of protecting one another’s interests while taking turns in government. He claimed that the AAP government had broken that pattern and was working to transform Punjab.
Targeting the Akali Dal, Mann accused the party of having supported the farm laws before opposing them after facing public anger. He also alleged that the party had patronised the drug trade and criticised Akali leader Sukhbir Singh Badal over his understanding of Punjab’s ground realities.
Mann further attacked the proposed revival of ties between the Akali Dal and BJP, alleging that the move was driven by the pursuit of political power rather than ideology or public welfare. He also accused the Congress of internal factionalism and lacking a vision for Punjab.
On governance, the Chief Minister said more than 70,000 youths had been provided government jobs without corruption, toll plazas had been closed to save ₹70 lakh daily, roads had been improved and development grants were being provided to villages.
He said around 3,100 sports stadiums were being constructed across Punjab as part of efforts to keep young people away from drugs.
Highlighting the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, Mann said the scheme provided cashless medical treatment of up to ₹10 lakh to every resident family in Punjab. He described it as the first such comprehensive healthcare initiative in the country and said people had already availed themselves of free treatment.
He also highlighted the Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna, under which women aged 18 years and above receive ₹1,000, while eligible Scheduled Caste women receive ₹1,500. Mann said the assistance was being transferred directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts and that women receiving social security pensions were also eligible.
According to Mann, 97 per cent of women in Punjab were expected to benefit from the scheme, for which ₹9,300 crore had been allocated in the state budget. On Rakhi, he said 70.92 lakh women had already received the benefit, while another 5.20 lakh newly registered beneficiaries were receiving ₹181.50 crore.
The Chief Minister also cited education reforms, including teacher training and Schools of Eminence, claiming that Punjab had surpassed Kerala and other states in education-related outcomes. He said the rise in government-school NEET qualifiers from 80 in 2021 to 882 in 2026 demonstrated the impact of these initiatives.
Mann said the government had also expanded canal irrigation, with canal water reaching fields in 1,587 villages that had previously not received it. He claimed that the state had spent ₹7,200 crore on expanding canal irrigation and that the area receiving canal water had increased from 26 per cent to 80 per cent. The area under canal irrigation, he said, had risen from 20.89 lakh acres in 2022 to 60.30 lakh acres.
He added that 45,000 kilometres of roads were being renovated and upgraded as the government sought to accelerate development and use Punjab’s resources for the welfare of its people.
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