AMRITSAR, July 6 — Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday announced that his government will invest Rs 3,500 crore to repair 19,000 kilometers of rural link roads across the state. Speaking at Guru Nanak Dev University, the Chief Minister did not specify when the massive infrastructure overhaul would begin but said the plan was “ready to roll out in coming days.”
The announcement was accompanied by sharp criticism of the Centre, which Mann accused of withholding Rs 6,000 crore from the state’s share of the Rural Development Fund (RDF) — a cess collected on the procurement of agricultural produce meant for rural road repairs.
“If the RDF hadn’t been held back by the Centre, every road in Punjab could have been rebuilt,” said Mann, accusing the Union government of stalling rural development.
The Chief Minister also highlighted what he called landmark reforms and cost-saving measures initiated by his government since taking office in 2022. Among them, Mann cited the closure of 17 toll plazas, claiming it has saved Punjabis Rs 64 lakh daily. He further stated that canal irrigation usage has jumped from 21% to 75% in two years, reducing dependency on groundwater.
Addressing road safety, Mann claimed a 48% decline in road accident deaths since the establishment of the Sadak Surakhya Force — a newly raised unit of 1,597 trained personnel, including women, supported by 144 modern vehicles.
In an indirect reference to arrested Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia, Mann sharpened his rhetoric against those allegedly linked to the drug trade. Without naming Majithia, Mann said, “The jarnails who patronised the drug empire are already behind bars.”
Majithia is currently in judicial custody in a disproportionate assets case, with allegations including laundering Rs 540 crore of drug proceeds. Akali leaders often refer to him as “Majhe da jarnail” — a nickname Mann appeared to reference.
“We will not spare anyone,” Mann declared to loud applause and slogans from a largely AAP audience, which included the party’s Punjab affairs in-charge Manish Sisodia.
The Chief Minister said his government’s anti-drug campaign Yudh Nashian de Virudh had “cracked supply chains and brought top-level drug traffickers to justice.” He added that, for the first time, illegally acquired properties of smugglers were being seized or demolished as a deterrent.
Earlier in the day, Mann also inaugurated a public library at the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama in Amritsar’s Company Bagh and reviewed ongoing development works. He said Rs 350 crore had been spent on Amritsar’s development alone, with Rs 287 crore used to upgrade roads, Rs 56 crore for constructing new roads, and Rs 3.2 crore on six new libraries in the city.
“Our focus is holistic — from repairing roads and reviving irrigation to saving lives and building minds,” Mann said, underlining his administration’s multipronged development push.
