MANSA, February 24, 2026 — Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday asserted that previous Akali and Congress governments intentionally deprived the state’s children of quality education to further their own political dynasties. Speaking at a ceremony in Sardulgarh to lay the foundation stone of a new Government Industrial Training Institute (ITI), the Chief Minister stated that traditional parties were only interested in the prosperity of their own families rather than the progress of the common man.
The Chief Minister noted that the new ITI, being constructed at a cost of approximately 24.50 crore, will provide skill-oriented training to 240 students every year. He maintained that while the AAP government is utilizing every penny of the state exchequer for public welfare, the BJP is currently attempting to gain a foothold in Punjab by relying on “deadwood” leaders from other political outfits.
“Akali Dal is itself a dinosaur which has usurped the state and its people,” Chief Minister Mann declared during the gathering. He further remarked that while his administration is working to prepare youth for careers as doctors and engineers, the Akali Dal is attempting to pull the state back into a “Dinosaur Era.”
Regarding the Akali Dal’s ‘Punjab Bachao Yatra,’ the Chief Minister described the initiative as a gimmick. He asserted that the campaign should instead be titled ‘Parivar Bachao Yatra,’ noting that the leaders must explain who they are saving the state from after governing it for 15 years. He further stated that the public has lost faith in traditional parties due to their history of prioritizing personal interests over the needs of the farming community and the general public.
Chief Minister Mann also shared updates on various development projects in the region, including the upgrade of the Mansa-Talwandi Sabo Road and the construction of new bridges. He affirmed that his government is dedicated to transforming schools into educational hubs, moving away from the past practice of treating them merely as meal centers.
