Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Punjab Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Thursday said that the Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has delivered historic achievements over the last four-and-a-half years and fulfilled its key guarantees to the people of the state.
Addressing a press conference, Bains said the government has implemented major welfare initiatives, including free electricity, improved education and healthcare services, financial assistance for women, and honourarium for the families of martyrs.
Highlighting the government’s healthcare initiatives, Bains claimed that Punjab is the only state in the country providing health insurance coverage of up to ₹10 lakh to all residents without discrimination based on religion, caste or annual income.
He further said that the government has gone beyond its promise of ₹1,000 financial assistance for women by providing ₹1,500 to women belonging to Dalit families. According to the minister, every woman above the age of 18 in Punjab is receiving the benefit without any eligibility conditions.
Drawing a comparison with welfare schemes in other states, Bains said that while Delhi and Haryana have announced higher amounts on paper, several eligibility conditions related to income and household assets have been imposed there. In contrast, he claimed Punjab’s scheme is being implemented without such restrictions.
The minister also said that the Mann government has launched several initiatives aimed at securing a brighter future for Punjab and accelerating the state's development.
Launching a political attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bains alleged that the party had failed to gain public support in Punjab through rallies and political campaigns and is now attempting to make inroads into the state through central investigative agencies.
He asserted that Punjab’s political and social outlook differs from other states and claimed that such strategies would not succeed in Punjab. Bains further alleged that these efforts could weaken the BJP’s remaining support base in the state, adding that Punjabis strongly oppose what he described as high-handed tactics.
Referring to alleged attempts to obstruct the development agenda of the state government, Bains expressed confidence that the Punjab government would continue its work uninterrupted and said the development initiatives launched under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann would move forward without any hindrance.
