Punjab to lay 7,000 km pipelines to take canal water to every farm: Bagwant Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said on Monday that his government will lay 7,000 kilometres of pipelines by the end of this year to take canal water to every farm in the state. He said 14,000 kilometres of pipelines and watercourses have already been laid over the past four years to improve irrigation.

Mann said around 80 per cent of Punjab's farms are already receiving 21,000 cusecs of canal water through these pipelines. He also said the government is creating water recharge points along canals and rivers, and claimed this has helped raise the groundwater level by two to four metres in several areas.

Addressing a Lok Milni programme in Moga district, Mann alleged that under previous regimes, canal water was meant only for influential people. He said his government was committed to ensuring that every farmer gets access to it.

Amid the row surrounding him in recent days, the Chief Minister attacked opposition parties, saying they had joined hands against him after their defeat in the 2022 Assembly elections because they could not match his government's performance. He also alleged that previous governments had encouraged corruption, mafia activity and the drug trade.

Mann said that under his government, more than 90 per cent of households are getting free electricity and over 68,000 people have secured government jobs without paying a bribe or using influence. He said 3,100 sports stadiums have been built to encourage young people to stay away from drugs.

He said the government's Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna offers cashless medical treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh to every resident family in Punjab, and added that people have already availed treatment worth over Rs 650 crore under the scheme.

The Chief Minister also announced financial assistance for all adult women from July 1 under the Maavan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna, under which eligible women will receive Rs 1,000 a month and Scheduled Caste women will get Rs 1,500 directly in their bank accounts.

On the anti-drug campaign, Mann said his government's 'Yudh Nashean Virudh' initiative had helped break the drug supply network and led to many arrests. He also claimed that Punjab had secured the top position in primary and middle-school education, ahead of Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi, due to reforms such as smart classrooms and teacher training.

During the programme, Mann announced a grant of Rs 51 lakh for the development of Bhallur village. His address focused on irrigation, welfare measures, anti-drug efforts and education reforms, while also outlining his government's plan to expand canal water access across Punjab.

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