CHANDIGARH, Aug. 15: — Punjab, Haryana, and their shared capital Chandigarh celebrated Independence Day on Friday with flag-hoisting ceremonies, cultural displays, and tributes to freedom fighters, under a heavy security presence.
Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria led the celebrations in Chandigarh, while Haryana Governor Ashim Kumar Ghosh unfurled the Tricolour in Ambala. State-level events saw Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann hoist the flag in Faridkot and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini do the honours in Rohtak.
Speakers at the events remembered the sacrifices of Bhagat Singh, Udham Singh, Sukhdev, and Lala Lajpat Rai. Students from across the region performed traditional dances, physical drills, and other displays reflecting local heritage.
In Faridkot, Mann inspected the parade and took the salute from marching contingents, joined by Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav. Announcing new social welfare measures, he said the Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojna will roll out on October 2, offering Rs 10 lakh in health insurance to every family in the state. “All government hospitals and 552 private hospitals have been empanelled, and the state will bear the cost,” he said.
Mann noted that 881 aam aadmi clinics are operating across Punjab, treating nearly 70,000 patients daily, with the network to expand to 1,000 soon. On education, he said the government is opening Schools of Eminence and that Punjab now tops the Government of India’s National Achievement Survey, up from 29th place in 2017.
The chief minister also mentioned the state’s anti-drug efforts, saying the Yudh Nashian Virudh (War Against Drugs) campaign has strong public backing. Village defence committees have been formed to intercept supplies, and anti-drone systems are deployed along the Pakistan border to block smuggling of narcotics and weapons.
Mann said his government has provided 55,000 merit-based government jobs in the past three years and boosted irrigation efficiency by raising canal water usage from 21 percent to 63 percent, ensuring water reaches the tail ends of villages for the first time.
In Rohtak, Haryana CM Saini also paid homage to freedom fighters and extended Independence Day greetings. Officials said security arrangements were strengthened across Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh to ensure the celebrations passed peacefully.
