Punjab CM Mann lists govt's 3-year achievements at state-level Independence Day celebrations, avoids political attacks
Speaking at the 79th Independence Day celebrations, Mann paid homage to the sacrifices of freedom fighters, among whom Punjabis 'took the number one slot'.
'Everyone should have a paint and brush in their hands to colour Punjab into a 'Rangla Punjab' again so that the state becomes number one in the country. And when Punjab is number one, the country will also be number one,' he said.
Quoting Punjabi poet Professor Mohan Singh, Mann stated, 'Bharat hai vang mundri vich hai nag Punjab da' (India is like a ring with Punjab as the shining stone), urging people to keep that 'stone' shining.
The function witnessed a display of women power as 2023-batch IPS officer Gazalpreet Kaur commanded the parade with Deputy Commissioner Poonamdeep Kaur and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dr Pragya Jain present on stage.
Mann lauded the academic achievements of girls, pointing out that the Class 8 and Class 10 toppers — Navjot Kaur and Akshnoor Kaur — of 2025 hailed from Faridkot. He said that for the past few years, the top three positions in classes 8,10 and 12 board examinations are being grabbed by girls only.
On the state's anti-drug campaign, CM Mann highlighted the 'Yuddh Nasheyan Virudhh' initiative, which has made significant progress. 'We have demolished houses built with drug money, jailed smugglers, and curbed open sale. While drugs have not been eradicated totally, the free-for-all days are over and the rest will also be curbed soon as our police are working hard to root it out completely,' he said.
The chief minister stated that from March 1, 2026, police personnel recovering 1 kg of heroin will get a ₹1.2 lakh reward, and head constables will be authorised to conduct inquiries in masters related to narcotics cases.
The chief minister said that the main source of drugs reaching India is it's neighbour Pakistan. 'But Punjab is the first state in the country to have its own anti-drone technology which will destroy any drone coming from the other side of the border which supply drugs or other things,' CM Mann said.
On the education front, the CM said Punjab topped the National Achievement Survey 2025 in all subjects for the first time since 2017. 'The government school students are clearing JEE and NEET, and Punjab-origin players currently captain the national football, basketball, women's cricket, and men's hockey teams,' he said.
In healthcare, Mann highlighted the upcoming 'Sehat Bima Yojna', under which every Punjab resident, irrespective of their income, can avail themselves of cashless treatment of up to ₹10 lakh per year in government hospitals and over 500 empanelled private hospitals by showing their Aadhaar card. He said that the state's 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics have been witnessing a daily footfall of 70,000 patients and mentioned that over 200 more clinics will soon be added.
Mann also said 1,600 police personnel will be promoted, and recruitments will be done to fill the resulting vacancies. He reiterated his claim that 55,000 government jobs have been provided since AAP came to power.
While the speech repeated several figures Mann has cited in the past, he refrained from targeting Opposition parties directly, except for a passing reference to political links of rival parties in the drug trade. He said that many police employees and influential people involved in the drug trade were not spared.
The CM was accompanied by Gaurav Yadav, Director General of Police, Punjab, Chief Secretary K A P Sinha, and former Faridkot MP and folk singer Muhammad Sadique. Notably, sitting Faridkot MP Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa was absent.
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They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. tags : Goods and services tax GST Narendra Modi Rahul Gandhi view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 18, 2025, 15:58 IST News opinion Opinion | GST - India's Biggest Taxation Reform 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.
