Chandigarh, July 27 -- Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday held informal interactions with villagers under tree shades, bypassing official protocols, to seek feedback on government initiatives and discuss plans for a "Rangla Punjab".
Mann said his government has boosted canal water usage for irrigation from 21 percent to 63 percent, reviving over 15,900 watercourses to deliver water to tail-end villages. To aid paddy farmers, Punjab has advanced the sowing season from June 1 and sought early procurement from the Centre, starting September 15, to ease grain sales.
Highlighting welfare measures, Mann touted the 'Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna', offering Rs 10 lakh cashless healthcare per family, and said 90 percent of households now receive free power. Punjab also purchased a private thermal plant, named after Guru Amar Dass, to ensure surplus power, even during peak paddy season.
Addressing social concerns, Mann urged farmers to avoid extravagant weddings to reduce debt and adopt cooperative farming tools to cut costs.
On employment, Mann said 55,000 government jobs have been provided to youth, aiming to replace "syringes with tiffins" by curbing drug abuse. He asserted that his government has dismantled drug mafias, seized properties of peddlers, and jailed them.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.