Chandigarh: The third day of the Punjab Legislative Assembly budget session witnessed heated exchanges as the House began debating the motion of thanks to the governor’s address.
Senior Aam Aadmi Party MLA Baljinder Kaur initiated the debate, highlighting the achievements of the government. In her address, she emphasised the administration’s work in sectors such as education, healthcare and electricity and praised the government’s overall performance.
Tensions escalated when leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa criticised the state government and reminded it of promises made before the elections. Bajwa demanded an immediate discussion on the report of the assembly committee formed to recommend stricter punishment in sacrilege cases. He also raised concerns about the law-and-order situation in Punjab and flagged the growing drug menace in the state.
The atmosphere in the House turned tense when Bajwa sought additional time to speak. After the Speaker refused to extend the time, Congress MLAs gathered near the Speaker’s chair and began raising slogans. Protesting the denial of additional speaking time, the Congress legislators later staged a walkout from the House.
Meanwhile, chief minister Bhagwant Mann claimed major improvements in the state’s healthcare system, stating that the number of patients visiting Aam Aadmi Clinics has crossed five crore. Mann said the clinics have become a milestone in providing free and quality healthcare services to the public and reflect growing public trust in the initiative.
The chief minister also announced that the Tata Group will set up its second-largest project in Punjab, which he said would further boost industrial development in the state.
