Punjab Newsline | Amritsar
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday attended the state-level Raksha Bandhan celebration at Baba Bakala in Amritsar, where he transferred the third installment of financial assistance to women beneficiaries under the “Mawan-Dhiyan Satkar Yojana.” According to the government, around 7.605 million women have registered under the scheme so far. The first installment was released on July 1, followed by the second on August 1.
Meanwhile, Khadoor Sahib MP Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa suffered a sudden health scare while on his way to attend a Panthic conference at Baba Bakala Sahib. He was admitted to a private hospital in Jalandhar after his blood pressure reportedly shot up to 200. Following treatment, doctors discharged him from the hospital, and his condition is said to be stable.
Raksha Bandhan celebrations were marked across Punjab, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, and singer Ranjit Singh Baba tying rakhi from their sisters. In Fazilka, a youth social welfare organization launched a free auto-rickshaw service. MLA Narendra Pal Singh’s wife was among the first passengers to use the initiative.
The festival also brought emotional moments inside Punjab’s prisons. Sisters visited inmates lodged in Bathinda, Faridkot, and Ludhiana jails to tie rakhi.
Many were seen breaking down in tears while meeting their brothers. In Ludhiana Jail, a young man imprisoned in a drug smuggling case became emotional, saying he used to celebrate Raksha Bandhan at home but this year his sister had to come to the jail. In another touching moment, a father who has been in jail for three months broke down after seeing his 10-day-old son for the first time.
