Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday marked Rakhri Punia by transferring Rs 181.50 crore as three months’ “Sanman Rashi” into the bank accounts of 5.30 lakh women under the Mukh Mantri Mawan-Dheeyan Satkar Yojna.
Addressing a state-level function at Baba Bakala Sahib, Mann said 70.92 lakh women had benefited from the scheme so far and announced that the government was working on a war footing to bring one crore women under its ambit.
The Chief Minister said Rs 51 crore had already been paid as incentives to 1.38 lakh “Satkar Sakhis” who assisted women with registration, while Rs 25 crore would also be given to Anganwadi workers who helped in the registration process.
In a post on X from Baba Bakala Sahib, Mann extended greetings to Punjabis on Rakhri Punia and said the government had fulfilled its promise to women by crediting the amount as a “shagun” into their accounts. He also highlighted his government’s record on free electricity, canal water, government jobs and education.
Turning to politics, Mann targeted the Shiromani Akali Dal, accusing its leaders of using religion to mislead people and describing some of them as “modern-day masands”. He alleged that the Akalis had failed Punjab during their years in power and accused them of shielding those responsible for sacrilege incidents and patronising mafias.
Mann also attacked the possibility of a renewed SAD-BJP alliance, claiming that Akali leaders were seeking an alliance with the BJP merely to regain power. He said Punjabis had not forgotten the farmers who lost their lives during the agitation against the three farm laws and predicted that voters would give the BJP a “befitting reply” in the elections.
Taking aim at the Congress, the Chief Minister said the party was plagued by infighting and had no vision for Punjab. He claimed that while Congress leaders were fighting among themselves for power, his government was focused on education, healthcare and other welfare initiatives.
Highlighting his government’s achievements, Mann said more than 90 per cent of Punjab households were receiving free electricity and over 70,000 youngsters had been provided government jobs without corruption. He said 3,100 sports stadiums were being constructed to encourage youth towards sports and away from drugs.
The Chief Minister said the number of government school students clearing NEET had increased from 80 in 2021 to 882 in 2026. He also said canal water had reached fields in 1,587 villages for the first time and 45,000 kilometres of roads were being renovated and upgraded.
Mann said the government had spent Rs 7,200 crore on expanding canal irrigation, with the area under canal irrigation increasing from 26 per cent to 80 per cent. He also highlighted the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, under which resident families in Punjab are provided cashless medical treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh.
Cabinet Ministers Aman Arora, Dr Baljeet Kaur, Harbhajan Singh ETO, Lal Chand Kataruchak, Gurmeet Singh Khudian and Hardeep Singh Mundian, Lok Sabha MP Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal and Baba Bakala Sahib MLA Dalbir Singh Tong were among those present.
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