
Panchayat ghar, common service centres to be set up in Punjab
Fatehgarh Sahib (Punjab), Aug 13 (PTI) Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday virtually laid the foundation stone for the construction of 500 modern 'Panchayat Ghar' and Common Service Centres across Punjab at a cost of Rs 125 crore.
Addressing a gathering here, he said a 'Panchayat Ghar' and a common service centre would be built in every village with a population of more than 2,800.
The project is being started from the holy land of Fatehgarh Sahib, the chief minister said, adding a 'Panchayat Ghar' will not just be an office but a central hub for discussions and planning for village development.
Mann claimed the common service centres would become the backbone of the digital revolution in villages, helping locals access various online services such as applying for government schemes, getting admission to educational institutions, and getting Aadhaar cards or passports.
Recounting his government's achievements, the chief minister said 15,947 water channels have been revived across Punjab, and these have reached even the remotest villages.
Unemployment is the root cause of several social problems, due to which the state government is focusing on eradicating this malady, and around 55,000 government jobs have been provided to the youth so far, Mann said.
'The jobs have been provided completely on the basis of merit and in a transparent manner." On the menace of narcotics, Mann claimed that while previous dispensations patronised the drug mafia, the AAP government has launched a crusade against this scourge.
It is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that 700 panchayats of Fatehgarh Sahib district have signed pledges to protect their villages from the scourge of drugs, he said, adding the day is not far off when, with the active support and cooperation of the people, Punjab will become a drug-free state.
Taking a jibe at opposition leaders, Mann said these political parties are a divided house with every leader desperate to wrest power. 'These leaders have no vision for the state as they are only bothered about satiating their greed for power and vesting it by hook or crook," he alleged.
Multiple groups in the Congress and SAD are squabbling for power so that they can 'plunder" the wealth of the state, whereas the incumbent government is honestly working for the development of the state and well-being of its people, Mann claimed.
'Due to the concerted efforts of the state government, Punjab is witnessing a paradigm shift to a progressive state from the regressive one during the previous regimes," he added. PTI COR CHS NSD NSD
view comments
First Published:
August 13, 2025, 20:30 IST
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)

Business Standard
18 minutes ago
- Business Standard
India among fastest growing economies: JSW chairman Sajjan Jindal
JSW Group chairman Sajjan Jindal on Thursday countered US President Donald Trump's recent remarks on India, saying India is one of the largest and fastest growing economies in the world. Speaking at the listing ceremony of JSW Cement at the NSE here, Jindal said India is the fastest growing large economy and has a great future ahead, days after US President Donald Trump's remark of India being a dead economy. "We are going to see a great future for India, because India is growing, it's one of the largest, fastest growing large economies in the world. Whatever Trump may say, that doesn't matter. We are the fastest growing large economy in the world," Jindal said. Amid the trade policy negotiations, Trump had called India as a "dead economy" while expressing disappointment with New Delhi's posturing to continue buying cheap oil from Russia. "I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together," Trump had reportedly said. Stating that JSW Cement will grow fast as accelerated growth is in the DNA of the Group, he said, "we can't be conservative, we have to be aggressive and that's what India requires. India needs aggressive companies, India needs growth." Meanwhile, shares of JSW Cement Ltd listed with a premium of over 4 per cent against the issue price of Rs 147 on Thursday. The company's stock opened at Rs 153, up 4 per cent from the issue price on the BSE. Later, it jumped 5.23 per cent to Rs 154.70. At the NSE, it listed at Rs 153.50, a premium of 4.42 per cent. The company's market valuation stood at Rs 20,914.02 crore. The capital markets are not just about raising funds, it's about winning the trust of the investors, Jindal said and added that "in the long run, you don't need to take a big jump, but small steps and the investors are always with you." JSW Cement Managing Director Parth Jindal said that he was aiming to take the company to the top two in the industry. "... I have to dream to be in the top two and we all will dream to be in the top two and to build this company," he said. "We have just begun and I hope that we can create value for all our minority shareholders and take this company to its rightful place and be a big part of the future growth story of the JSW group," he said. He said that at present a lot of JSW group companies have the vision to go public, adding that," Now, I'm fully trained, fully ready and geared up to take all of you public as well.


India.com
18 minutes ago
- India.com
Role Of UP In Developed India Will Be Decisive: CM Yogi Concludes Vision Document Debate In Assembly
Concluding a marathon 24-hour debate on Vision Document 2047 in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said that India can achieve the goal of becoming a developed nation only when every state plays its part -- with Uttar Pradesh at the forefront. Thanking the 187 MLAs from both the ruling party and opposition who participated in the debate, the Chief Minister said the spirited and substantive discussion reflected the strength of democracy. 'Uttar Pradesh is not just the most populous state, but the flag-bearer of India's spiritual and cultural heritage -- the centre of its cultural and spiritual energy,' he said. Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks at the 2023 Global Investors Summit in Lucknow, CM Yogi said UP is a 'bright spot for the world' and will be a driving force of India's growth. He noted that while many members wished to contribute, the debate had to be moved forward within the constraints of time and resources. 'A comprehensive strategy will be prepared, discussed with stakeholders, and sector-wise issues will be brought back to the House,' he added. Calling the discussion an 'eye-opener' for critics of legislative functioning, Yogi praised members who stayed up all night to participate. 'We are fortunate to be in the Amrit Kaal of independence. This is the time to introspect -- what we have gained and lost.' Dividing the debate into two phases -- 1947-2017 and 2017-2047 -- Yogi said UP's economic history offered lessons. Despite fertile land, historic cities, rivers, and a large workforce, the state's contribution to the national GDP fell from 14 per cent in the 1960s to just 8 per cent by 2016-17. Per capita income, once equal to the national average, dropped to one-third, and exports stood at just Rs 84,000 crore with 56 per cent dependence on the Centre for tax revenue. Taking aim at the Samajwadi Party's PDA slogan, Yogi said, 'They talk about PDA, but it really stands for Parivar Development Authority. The whole world is moving forward, but they are stuck in family politics.' He added that successive 'economic lockdowns' under previous regimes had crippled UP's growth. 'UP is home to 16 per cent of India's population, yet GDP was pushed into the abyss. Since 2017, the double-engine government has restored confidence with zero tolerance for crime, a safe environment for industries, and rapid infrastructure expansion through expressways, airports, and metro connectivity,' the Chief Minister said. 'UP is the engine of India's growth,' Yogi concluded, 'and in this Amrit Kaal, its role will be decisive.'

The Wire
18 minutes ago
- The Wire
Fatehpur Mausoleum Case: No Arrest Over Vandalism Yet; Locals Barred From Talking to Outsiders
New Delhi: While the police were yet to arrest anyone in connection with the vandalism of a mausoleum in Fatehpur's Abu Nagar locality, a one-kilometre radius has been cordoned off with barricades around the site to prevent any further communal flare-up. On Tuesday (August 13), police booked more than 150 people, 10 of them named, for damaging public property and disturbing the peace, according to news agency PTI. The 10 named in the FIR are Dharmendra Singh (Bajrang Dal), Abhishek Shukla (BJP), Ajay Singh (district panchayat member), Devnath Dhakad (BJP), Vinay Tiwari (municipal councillor), Pushpraj Patel, Rithik Pal (BJP), Prasoon Tiwari (BJP), Ashish Trivedi and Pappu Chauhan (Samajwadi Party). Meanwhile, locals have been barred from talking to outsiders and media entry has been banned. Police in plainclothes are roaming areas near the mausoleum, interacting with locals and monitoring the activities. On August 11, a violent confrontation erupted in Fatehpur, after a mob from various Hindutva bodies stormed a centuries-old mausoleum in Abu Nagar, hoisted saffron flags on it, performed Hindu rituals inside and vandalised graves in the presence of security forces. It was followed by stone-pelting and clashes with members of the Muslim community, triggering a political outcry and raising questions about law enforcement in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Uttar Pradesh. According to the PTI report, while the vandals are yet to be arrested, police have arrested the Congress city president, Arif alias Gudda, and his several supporters, for holding a protest demanding the arrest of the vandals. Meanwhile, the party's district president, Mahesh Dwivedi was placed under house arrest when a party delegation comprising two former MLAs planned to visit the site. Dwivedi called the police action 'dictatorial' and accused the administration of acting as a 'silent spectator' while the vandalism had happened. Samajwadi Party MP Naresh Uttam Patel said he had sent a letter to Union home minister Amit Shah, demanding an investigation by an independent agency into the matter.