NEW DELHI, JUNE 12 — Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann urged the Union government on Thursday to grant Special Category Status to the frontline state and sought a dedicated financial package for the revitalization of its border regions. Speaking at the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting, Mann requested funding under all Centrally Sponsored Schemes at a 90:10 ratio, identical to the pattern provided to northeastern and hill states.
The chief minister stated that Punjab faces extraordinary geographical and economic challenges due to its 553-kilometer international border with Pakistan. He noted that the region deals with persistent cross-border terrorism, organized crime, and drone-based smuggling of contraband and weapons, which have severely strained state resources.
“Although Punjab acts as a buffer for the country against repeated hostilities from our neighbour, support from the Government of India has been grossly inadequate for the state and its border areas,” Mann declared. He added that decades of geopolitical uncertainty have deterred private investment, causing a flight of capital and industrial closures in peripheral districts.
To illustrate the economic disparity, the chief minister remarked that the central Vibrant Village-II Programme currently covers only 107 Punjabi villages, whereas more than 2,000 settlements sit in close proximity to the international border and require similar infrastructure support. He also cited the massive financial toll of recent natural disasters, stating that the 2025 floods inundated over 2,300 villages and caused losses pegged at ₹12,905 crore.
Despite these hurdles, Mann affirmed Punjab’s dedication to national growth objectives. “Punjab and its people will collaboratively work with the Government of India towards making India Viksit Bharat @ 2047,” he said, maintaining that a safe and economically thriving Punjab remains essential to securing the nation’s future.
Beyond border welfare, the chief minister presented a comprehensive overview of the state’s human capital development initiatives. He stated that the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna provides universal health coverage with cashless treatment up to ₹10 lakh per year across a network of nearly 900 hospitals. Furthermore, Mann shared that 990 operational Aam Aadmi Clinics have logged over 5.54 crore outpatient visits, offering free medicines and diagnostic tests daily.
In education, Mann noted that Punjab secured the top position in NITI Aayog’s Education Quality Report 2026. He detailed several specialized state programs, including 40 Hunar Sikhia Schools for integrated vocational learning, the Business Blasters entrepreneurship curriculum for secondary students, and the statewide Mindfulness Programme for emotional well-being. The chief minister also listed substantial state investments in sports infrastructure, state-funded military preparatory academies, and technology-driven security measures like the Anti-Gangster Task Force.
Concluding his address, Mann urged the central government to formally recognize Mohali and its surrounding 50-kilometer radius as a National Knowledge and Education Hub to help attract global investments and foster institutional innovation.
