DW BUREAU / Chauke (Bathinda)

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday said that the people who are envious of peace, progress and prosperity of state are spreading baseless canards about him to derail the growth of state.

Addressing the gathering after dedicating 30 new Aam Aadmi Clinics to the state here today, the Chief Minister said that he is dedicatedly working for the well being of the state and prosperity of its people. He said that some of the political leaders are not able to digest these things due to which they are repeatedly spitting baseless venom against him. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that such cheap tactics won't deter him from serving the people of state and he will continue this noble task for the overall development of the state.

The Chief Minister said that his predecessors had never bothered about the state or its people. He said that these haughty leaders always gave pretence to their family and vested interests rather than working for the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this attitude of these leaders proved detrimental both for Punjab and its people.

The Chief Minister said that the traditional parties are envy of him because he hails from a common family. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that these leaders who believed that they have divine right to rule the state due to which they are not able to digest that a common man is running the state efficiently. He said that these leaders have befooled the people since long but now people are not getting swayed by their misleading propaganda.

Training his guns at his predecessors, the Chief Minister said that these leaders had built huge palaces by amassing whopping wealth by misusing their official positions. He said that the walls of these palatial palaces were high and the gates usually remained closed for the people. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that these leaders remained inaccessible to the people due to which they were ousted by the masses.

Taking SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal to cudgels, the Chief Minister said that despite of remaining at the helms of the state, the former Deputy Chief Minister was unaware about the basic topography of state. He quipped that leave aside everything, Sukhbir don't even know the basic difference between pumpkin (kaddu) and bottle gourd (lauki). Bhagwant Singh Mann said that such leaders have befooled the public for many years but now the common man has voted its own government to power.

The Chief Minister said that due to pro-people policies of the state government, a reverse trend is being witnessed in the state. He said that the government has given more than 44000 jobs to youth in a transparent manner so youngsters who had earlier moved abroad are coming back to the state to get jobs. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that educational institutions in the state have seen a huge surge in admissions by the youth.

The Chief Minister said that the state government had scripted a new success story by purchasing Goindwal power plant earlier owned by a private company GVK Power Power at a cost of Rs 1080 crore. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that as coal from Pachwara coal mine, allotted to Punjab, can be used only for government power plants so with purchase of this power plant this coal can be aptly utilized for producing power to provide it to every sector of the state. He further said that it is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that 90% consumers in the state are getting zero power bill due to pro-people decisions of the state government.

The chief minister further said that his government has taken a revolutionary step of providing canal water to the farmers for irrigation purposes during the ongoing paddy season. He said that the main aim is to check the depleting groundwater level by ensuring that farmers utilise the canal water optimally during the season. Bhagwant Singh Maan said that this is the need of the hour to save the underground water for our coming generations.

The Chief Minister said that at the time he assumed the charge of office only 21% canal water was being used. However, he said that it is a matter of great pride and satisfaction that today 72% of the canal water is being used for irrigation purposes. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that New Kandi Canal is being constructed which is likely to benefit 11,000 acres of land adding that 206 MegaWatt Dam is being established at Dhar Kalan.

The Chief Minister said that the state government has taken exemplary initiatives for the well being of the state and its people. He said that for the first time in the post-independence era his government has started the work for construction of Malwa canal in the state adding that it is on record that none of the previous governments of the state had paid heed towards this necessity of the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann further said that this around 150 kilometre long new canal will usher a new era of unprecedented progress and prosperity in the state especially in Malwa region adding that the state government will spend around Rs 2300 crore on this prestigious project that will cater to irrigational needs of nearly two lakh acres of fertile land of the state.

The Chief Minister said that gone are the days when the government was run from the offices in Chandigarh adding that for saving time, money and energy of people, the sovereign masters of state, now the government is being run from the villages and towns. He said that the state government has already launched its flagship scheme of Sarkar Tuhaade Dwaar under which village level camps are being organised to offer citizen centric services to people at their doorsteps. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that more such pro-people initiatives will be taken in the coming days for the welfare of people.
(editor@dailyworld.in)