Amid resentment against land pooling, CM Mann interacts with villagers in Ludhiana
The chief minister's office said that 'instead of a cosy sofa, Mann interacted with villagers sitting under a tree' in Samrala and Libra of Ludhiana district, and 'sought their vital inputs regarding the carving out of Rangla Punjab and apprised them about key initiatives of his government.'
'There were no cozy sofas or the formalities of government protocol in usual meetings of the state government but there was a sense of belongingness where a Chief Minister visited the ground to open his mind with the people and get feedback from them,' said a statement.
Mann said that at the time he assumed office, only 21% of canal water was being used for irrigation but today that number has risen to 63%. He said that it was 'for the first time the water of canals and rivers have reached the villages in the tail end of the state.'
Mann also mentioned that his government successfully safeguarded Punjab's water resources from being diverted to other states.
He informed the farmers that in order to avoid complications to them in selling their paddy harvest due to high moisture content in October, the state government has advanced the paddy cultivation season.
He said that zone wise cultivation of the paddy crop has been ensured in the state along with necessary planning and arrangements. Mann said that the state was divided into zones to implement this sowing mechanism in an effective manner and the dates of paddy cultivation in a phased manner were announced soon so that farmers can take benefit from it.
Mann said that he had called the Union Food Minister and urged that now the procurement of paddy must start from September 15 so that the farmers of the state can sell their in a smooth and hassle free manner.
He also spoke about the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna — the first-of-its-kind scheme in the country that provides cashless medical treatment up to ₹10 lakh for every resident family in Punjab. He claimed that Punjab was the first state to offer such comprehensive healthcare coverage.
The Chief Minister said that his government has revived 15947 water courses in the state due to which water has reached at the tail ends even in remotest villages.
Expressing concern over big fat weddings in the state, the Chief Minister said that they are putting a huge burden on the pockets of the common farmers. Bhagwant Singh Mann, while batting for simple weddings, said that it is the need of the hour so that farmers can be pulled out of the vicious circle of debt.
He quipped that the top leaders of the opposition parties are not even aware of the basic Punjabi due to which they can't read or write it well. Mann said that these leaders who had took education from high end schools were poor in speaking Punjabi due to which they can't connect with masses.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scroll.in
2 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
Rush Hour: SC says Bihar SIR should aim for inclusion, Congress questions Centre on Pahalgam & more
We're building a brand-new studio to bring you bold ground reports, sharp interviews, hard-hitting podcasts, explainers and more. The Supreme Court said that the Election Commission should focus on 'mass inclusion' rather than 'en masse exclusion' while revising the electoral rolls in Bihar. The court reiterated its suggestion to the poll body to consider adding Aadhaar and voter identity cards to the list of valid documents. However, the bench refused to restrain the Election Commission from publishing the draft voter list on August 1. It will fix a time on Tuesday for the final hearing of the case. Last week, the Election Commission argued that Aadhaar and ration cards could not be included as standalone valid documents, as they could be obtained by fraudulent means. In response, the court said that any of the documents listed by the poll panel as acceptable could also be forged. The revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar was announced by the Election Commission on June 24. As part of the exercise, persons whose names were not on the 2003 voter list will need to submit proof of their eligibility to vote. Read on. The Union government has been unable to arrest those responsible for the Pahalgam terror attack even after 100 days, the Congress has stated. During a debate in Lok Sabha on the attack and the subsequent Operation Sindoor launched by India, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi also said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah 'needs to take the responsibility' for the alleged security lapse. 'The country wants to know how these terrorists were given shelter and information,' said Gogoi. 'And 100 days later, the government has no answer.' He criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to visit Pahalgam after the terror attack. Earlier on Monday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament that while the Opposition had questioned the government's claims, they had not once asked how many Pakistani aircraft had been shot down. He claimed that the Opposition's questions did not reflect the national sentiment. Singh said it was 'absolutely wrong' to claim that India halted Operation Sindoor under any pressure. He maintained India decided to pause the military operation as it had achieved its political and military objectives. Read on. The Supreme Court has stayed a Calcutta High Court order blocking the implementation of a West Bengal government notification classifying 140 communities as Other Backward Classes. A bench headed by Chief Justice BR Gavai said that the High Court order was 'prima facie erroneous'. The court expressed surprise at the High Court's reasoning that only the legislature could approve the OBC list, and not the executive. The matter pertains to a notification issued by the West Bengal government earlier in June that added 76 sub-castes to the OBC category, taking the total number of communities in the grouping to 140.
Scroll.in
2 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
Centre unable to arrest terrorists even after 100 days of Pahalgam attack, says Congress
Although nearly 100 days have elapsed since the Pahalgam terror attack, the Union government has not been able to arrest those responsible, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said in the Lok Sabha on Monday. Opening the Opposition's response during a 16-hour debate on the terror attack and Operation Sindoor, the Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha added that Union Home Minister Amit Shah 'needs to take the responsibility' for the security lapse that led to the attack. 'The country wants to know and those who lost their families want to know how the government could not catch those terrorists,' said Gogoi. 'The country wants to know how these terrorists were given shelter and information. And 100 days later, the government has no answer.' He added: 'You have drones, Pegasus, and security forces, and you could not catch. What kind of arrangement is this?' Gogoi said that Shah 'cannot hide' behind Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. 'If someone needs to take the responsibility, it is the Union home minister,' said the Congress leader. The comment was in reference to remarks made by Sinha during an interview with The Times of India on July 14 that he takes 'full responsibility' for the Pahalgam attack. The lieutenant governor had said that the attack was 'undoubtedly a security failure'. During his response to the debate, Gogoi also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting Pahalgam after the terror attack. 'He attended a government program and addressed a political rally in Bihar,' said the Congress MP. 'If someone went to Pahalgam, it was our leader Rahul Gandhi.' He also claimed that although the attack was carried out by Pakistan, it was China that had orchestrated it. 'I would like to ask [Defence Minister] Rajnath Singh, why did you not talk of China in your speech when you claim that you will show red eyes to China?' said Gogoi. Referring to United States President Donald Trump's claims on the ceasefire agreement between New Delhi and Islamabad amid Operation Sindoor, Gogoi said the Opposition demands to know the number of jets that were lost during the conflict. On July 18, Trump claimed that five jets were shot down during the conflict between India and Pakistan. He also repeated his claim that Washington had helped settle the tensions between the two countries. New Delhi has rejected Trump's assertions about the role of the US in halting the firings. Opening the 16-hour debate in the Lok Sabha earlier in the day, Rajnath Singh told Parliament that it was ' absolutely wrong ' to claim that India halted Operation Sindoor under any pressure. India decided to pause its action against the terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as it had achieved its political and military objectives, he added. Singh also said that while the Opposition had questioned the government's claims, they had not once asked how many Pakistani aircraft had been shot down. 'I believe these questions do not reflect national sentiments,' he said. Tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad escalated on May 7 when the Indian military carried out strikes – codenamed Operation Sindoor – on what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes were in response to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which killed 26 persons on April 22. The Pakistan Army retaliated to Indian strikes by repeatedly shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. At least 22 Indian civilians and eight defence personnel were killed in the shelling. India and Pakistan on May 10 reached an 'understanding' to halt firing following the four-day conflict.
Mint
2 minutes ago
- Mint
Parliament discusses Operation Sindoor: PM Modi, Amit Shah likely to speak in Lok Sabha tomorrow
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will likely speak during the special debate on Operation Sindoor in Lok Sabha on July 29, according to multiple reports. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh began the special discussion on 'Operation Sindoor', India's military response to the Pahalgam terror attack, in Lok Sabha on Monday. The debate is expected to continue till midnight on Monday and resume on Tuesday at 11 AM. A report in NDTV said that PM Modi will speak on Tuesday evening, a report in Times Now said he would speak between 5 PM and 6 PM on Tuesday. A report in News18 said that PM Modi will speak at 7 PM. All reports were attributed to sources even as official word from the government on this is awaited.. Twenty-six civilians were killed in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, after which India retaliated through precision strikes under Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Earlier on Monday, Congress said Home Minister Amit Shah must take responsibility for the "security lapses" that allowed the Pahalgam terror attack, while asking the Centre to clarify how many Indian jets were downed during Operation Sindoor and "before whom did Prime Minister Narendra Modi surrender" to halt the military action against Pakistan. Congress's deputy leader in the House, Gaurav Gogoi, said that according to the government, its intention was not to occupy territory. He asked the government why it was not so, as "if not today, then when will we take Pakistan-occupied Kashmir back"? Gogoi also slammed the government over US President Donald Trump's claim, made "26 times", that he used trade to bring about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. The Congress leader said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been saying since the Uri and Pulwama attacks that "humne ghar mein ghus ke mara", "we destroyed terror infrastructure" and is making the same remarks even now. "They are still saying that Operation Sindoor is incomplete and Pakistan can do this again. Then how is this a success? They themselves are saying that our intention was not of war. Why was it not so? They say it was not to take territory. Why was it not so? When will we take Pakistan-occupied Kashmir back? If not today, then when?... The most horrendous terror attacks have happened under your government," Gogoi said. He said the opposition wants to know from Modi that if Pakistan was ready to kneel before India, "why did you stop and before whom did you surrender"? "Trump has made the claim 26 times that he used the threat of trade to bring a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. He says five to six jets have been downed. One jet is of crores and crores (of rupees). That is why we want to know from the defence minister, the country has the courage to listen to the truth, he must answer as to how many fighter jets were downed," the Congress leader said. "This information, this truth, is not just for Indian citizens, it is important for soldiers, they are also being lied to," he added. Gogoi said there are just "35 Rafale fighter jets in the country" and if some have been downed, "it is a big loss". He made the remarks while referring to a statement of Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, who said in an interview that India rectified its tactics and hit deep inside Pakistani territory after suffering losses during Operation Sindoor. Referring to Singh's speech earlier, Gogoi said he gave a lot of information, but did not say as the defence minister how the terrorists came to Pahalgam. "The country wants to know ... 100 days have passed, but this government has not brought the terrorists to justice," he said. The home minister kept saying that the backbone of terrorism has been broken, but the Uri, Balakot and Pahalgam incidents still happened, he said. "Who will take responsibility, the (Jammu and Kashmir) LG? It is the home minister who must take responsibility. You cannot hide behind the LG. This government is such a coward and is so weak that it blamed even tour operators for the Pahalgam attack," the Congress leader said. Ever since the monsoon session began on July 21, Parliament has witnessed constant adjournments amid uproar over the Opposition's demand for a debate on issues of public importance, including the ghastly Pahalgam terror attack and the ongoing SIR exercise being carried out by the Election Commission in Bihar ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. The Opposition has also demanded that PM Modi respond to the repeated claims made by US President Donald Trump of initiating a "ceasefire" between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor. The first week of the Monsoon session of Parliament was marked by major disruptions, including Jagdeep Dhankhar's surprise resignation as Vice President. When will we take Pakistan-occupied Kashmir back? If not today, then when?
