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Municipal Corporation Batala to execute works worth \u20b995.72 crore, Mandi Board \u20b916.05 crore, PWD to build roads worth \u20b965.09 crore: CM Bhagwant Singh Mann<\/span><\/p>\n Batala News (16 April 2026):<\/span> Batala, one of Punjab\u2019s most historic cities, is set for a major transformation as Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann rolled out development projects worth \u20b9177 crore, combining large-scale infrastructure expansion with a sharp political message against previous regimes. With over \u20b995.72 crore worth of works by the Municipal Corporation (MC), \u20b916.05 crore by the Mandi Board, and \u20b965.09 crore in road construction by the PWD, alongside fresh repair works worth \u20b942.56 crore and \u20b934.97 crore, the push includes new bridges, a modern bus stand to ease traffic congestion, and a \u20b914.81 crore allocation for new police lines.<\/p>\n Declaring the development drive as a decisive break from the past, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said the people of Punjab had ended \u201cthree generations of Akali-Congress loot\u201d in 2022 and would not allow their return in 2027, while accusing previous governments of deliberately weakening anti-beadbi laws to protect themselves. He also targeted traditional parties, saying their disconnect from ordinary citizens reflects why people have rejected them, as his government moves to combine governance delivery with accountability.<\/p>\n Addressing the gathering after laying the foundation stone of several key development projects, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated, \u201cAkalis had deliberately framed weak law against beadbi just to ensure that the perpetrators of the heinous crime were not punished for their sins.\u201d He added, \u201cThese leaders were also afraid that they would also get punishment for their crime due to which they ensured that the laws were weak.\u201d<\/p>\n The Chief Minister stated that the Punjab Government has passed the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, stipulating harsher punishment for beadbi. \u201cThe dastardly act of beadbi of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji was a deep rooted conspiracy to disturb hard earned peace, amity, brotherhood and communal harmony in the state,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Chief Minister asserted that the Act will ensure strict action against offenders, saying, \u201cNow anyone found guilty in this unpardonable offence will not be spared at any cost and exemplary action would be taken against them as a deterrent for others.\u201d He emphasised, \u201cSri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is the father of every Sikh and the state government is duty bound to ensure the safety of this holy granth.\u201d He added, \u201cIf Sri Guru Granth Sahib is not safe in the state then where else can it be,\u201d calling the legislation a historic milestone to check beadbi.<\/p>\n Taking a jibe at the Akali Dal\u2019s so-called \u2018Punjab Bachao Yatra\u2019, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, \u201cThe real name of this gimmick of Akali Dal is \u2018parivar bachao yatra\u2019 as the entire effort is aimed at safeguarding their family interests.\u201d He challenged the Akali leadership, asking, \u201cAfter looting the state for 15 years, from whom they are trying to save the state from.\u201d He said that the Akalis had plundered the state mercilessly, bruised the psyche of Punjabis emotionally, and patronised several mafias.<\/p>\n The Chief Minister further said, \u201cEveryone knows that this family was a stooge of Britishers and was conferred the title of Sir by them for hobnobbing against the patriots who fought for the country.\u201d He added, \u201cThe family had felicitated General Dyer, the perpetrator of Jallianwala Bagh massacre on April 13, 1919, by hosting a dinner for him after this heinous incident,\u201d stating that such acts exposed their anti-national and anti-Punjab mindset.<\/p>\n He said, \u201cNot only this the family also ensured that General Dyer was also bestowed siropa and forgiveness at Golden Temple.\u201d Emphasising that history cannot be erased, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, \u201cThe dubious characters of Badal\u2019s ancestors are etched on the pages of history,\u201d adding that \u201cthe hands of this family are drenched with the blood of the patriots and the role of these traitors in backstabbing the nationalists can never be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n The Chief Minister said that these leaders had \u201cused the bullets and then the drug (Chitta) to ruin the youth of the state,\u201d asserting that they can never be forgiven. He added, \u201cAkalis should be booked for the genocide of generations as the drug trade was patronized by them and it flourished during their long misrule.\u201d He further said, \u201cThe hands of these leaders are drenched with the blood of millions of youth who fell prey to the drug that was supplied in the state in their official vehicles.\u201d<\/p>\n CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, \u201cThe sins of these leaders are unpardonable and they can never be forgiven by the people for their long saga of misdeeds, which are fresh in the minds of people.\u201d He termed them \u201copportunist leaders who change their colors like a chameleon as per their convenience and vested political interests,\u201d adding that the large turnout of people even in scorching heat reflects the public\u2019s support for the state government.<\/p>\n Highlighting governance, he said, \u201cWhile the state government has worked wholeheartedly for people these leaders minted money from the Power Purchase Agreements and even from the coal that was supplied to the state from the private firms.\u201d He added that coal supply from Pachwara Coal Mine has resumed after a long gap, and in 2024-25 it achieved the target of supplying 70 lakh metric tons of coal. \u201cSince the resumption of supply from Pachwara in October 2022 the AAP government has saved \u20b91,462 crore,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Chief Minister said that Akali leader Sukhbir Badal is making unrealistic promises and \u201cbaseless and irrational statements like returning of Dinosaurs in the state,\u201d adding that such statements reflect desperation to regain power, which he said will not happen. He added that these leaders \u201cstart spitting venom against him at the early dawn of the day\u201d because their \u201cugly face\u201d has been exposed before the people.<\/p>\n CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, \u201cThese parties played a game of musical chairs and plundered the wealth of the state during their tenure in the government besides shielding the other party.\u201d He added that people voted for the broom, leading to transformation in schools, hospitals and other sectors. He said that previous leaders had built \u201chuge palaces by amassing whopping wealth by misusing their official positions.\u201d<\/p>\n He added, \u201cThe walls of these palatial palaces were high and the gates usually remained closed for the people,\u201d noting that such leaders remained inaccessible and were eventually rejected by the public. He said that people have now become aware and are not influenced by misleading propaganda.<\/p>\n The Chief Minister said that these \u201chaughty politicians had always taken the people of state for granted,\u201d and added that while the Punjab Government discusses education, health, power, and agriculture, other parties focus only on capturing power. He said that such leaders are \u201cbaffled as people are not giving them any sort of response\u201d and are only concerned about their families.<\/p>\n Listing key initiatives, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, \u201cFor the first time farmers have been provided power during daytime.\u201d He added that \u201c300 units of free electricity per month are being provided to all domestic consumers\u201d and \u201caround 90% of domestic consumers are receiving zero electricity bills.\u201d He further stated that \u201cmore than 65,000 youngsters have got government jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n He urged people to enroll under Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, stating that it provides \u201ccashless treatment of \u20b910 lakh\u201d per family. He added that \u201cover 30 lakh beneficiaries have already received health cards\u201d and \u201c1.65 lakh people have received free treatment under this scheme.\u201d<\/p>\n Talking about Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna, he said that the scheme provides \u201c\u20b91000 per month for other category women and \u20b91500 for SC category women above 18 years.\u201d<\/p>\n CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the government is responsibly using taxpayers\u2019 money for public welfare, adding that this approach was missing earlier. He said previous governments had \u201cmercilessly plundered the wealth of the people\u201d and derailed Punjab\u2019s progress.<\/p>\n He stated that people wisely voted to bring a pro-people government to power and reiterated that they will not forgive the Akalis for their actions. \u201cPeople had elected Akalis time and again but they had proved to be traitors and had always backstabbed the state and its people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Chief Minister said that Akalis had \u201cmisused religion for their vested political interests,\u201d and added that people have lost faith in traditional parties due to their anti-people and anti-Punjab stance. He reiterated that previous rulers were more focused on their families than Punjab and Punjabis, which led to their rejection by the public.<\/p>\n In his address, senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia said, \u201cIt is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that Bhagwant Singh Mann has proved to be the most popular Chief Minister of the state.\u201d He added, \u201cBhagwant Singh Mann is the only Chief Minister in the country who is working for the welfare of people whereas all the other states have Chiefs who are working for greed or their party.\u201d<\/p>\n Manish Sisodia further said, \u201cPrime Minister Narendra Modi is the biggest threat to the democracy in the country,\u201d and urged people to protect their votes.<\/p>\n On the occasion, Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, senior AAP leader and Punjab Prabhari Manish Sisodia, MLA Amansher Singh Sherry Kalsi and others were also present.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Municipal Corporation Batala to execute works worth \u20b995.72 crore, Mandi Board \u20b916.05 crore, PWD to build roads worth \u20b965.09 crore: CM Bhagwant Singh Mann Batala News (16 April 2026): Batala, one of Punjab\u2019s most historic cities, is set for a major transformation as Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann rolled out development projects worth \u20b9177 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":63692,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest","category-punjab"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/punjabenews.com\/English\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG-20260416-WA0016-300x165.jpg\")
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