Sangrur (Punjab) [India], August 16 (ANI): Punjab Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora, while addressing the district-level Independence Day function held at Police Line Stadium in Punjab’s Sangrur on Friday, said that Punjabis had made a lot of sacrifices during the country’s freedom struggle.
“We are the citizens of a free country due to the various movements held for the country’s Independence and the struggles made from time to time by Shaheed-e-Azam S. Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, S. Kartar Singh Sarabha, Shaheed Udham Singh, Madan Lal Dhingra, Lala Lajpat Rai, Diwan Singh Kalepani and other freedom fighters,” Arora said.
“We are proud that Punjabis had made a lot of sacrifices during the country’s freedom struggle,” he said.
Arora said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann took the oath of office at Khatkar Kalan, the native village of Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh, and at the same time decided that the pictures of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and the architect of the Constitution, Babasaheb Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar, should be installed in the Government offices.
Mohali International Airport was also named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh, and a statue of Shaheed Bhagat Singh has also been installed there.
Minister Arora further said that expansion of Aam Aadmi clinics, new ambulances, free electricity, easy registry, cleaning of ponds and tanks in all villages, war against drugs, campaign against corruption, construction of rural playgrounds, giving preparation allowances to sportspersons before jobs and major sports competitions, health insurance of Rs 10 lakh for all and formation of industrialists’ committees for the development of industries of Punjab for the first time since Independence- these are major decisions of Punjab Government with which Punjab is taking steps towards adding feathers in his cap of progress.
This year, the 350th martyrdom day of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib will be observed on a grand scale by the Punjab Government. State-level events will be organized from November 19 to November 25, he added.
Under the initiative of the Forest Department, there is a plan to plant 3.50 lakh saplings in each district during 2025-26 under ‘Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji Hariyaval Sankalp’. Apart from this, 52 ‘Sacred Forests’ will be established as part of the ‘Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Pavitra Van’ scheme.
The Punjab Government has ensured an uninterrupted power supply to agriculture for more than 08 hours during the current paddy season.
According to the release, Punjab performed the best in the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2024 and secured the first position, surpassing states like Kerala.
To further raise the standard of education, 118 government senior secondary schools are being converted into ‘Schools of Eminence’.
As part of the third phase of the “War Against Drugs” campaign, a unique anti-drug curriculum has been launched in all government schools for students of classes IX to XII, under which about 08 lakh students are being informed about the ill effects of drugs and how to avoid them.
The Punjab Government has named 115 government schools after freedom fighters, martyrs and internationally renowned personalities.
The Punjab Government has launched the Business Blast program, under which students of class XI-XII are being encouraged to become entrepreneurs and start their own business and seed money of Rs. 10.32 crore was given to the students. For the first time in the state, a Business Blast Expo was organized at Ropar. In view of the demand for vocational training, the government has increased the number of seats in ITIs to 52,000, which was earlier 35,000.
The Punjab Government has taken a unique initiative to make Punjab a developed state in the industrial sector. 24 sectoral committees have been formed so that further improvements can be made in the industrial policy.
The OTS scheme has also been implemented for industries, which has resolved the issues of industrialists that have been going on for decades. Apart from this, the policy of converting leasehold of industrial plots/sheds into freehold has also been implemented.
Invest Punjab has established an online portal, under which all types of clearances will be given within 45 days for setting up any industry in Punjab.
Punjab has set a new record by registering a net 28.26 per cent growth in GST revenue during the first four months of the financial year 2025-26. The net GST revenue till July of the current financial year has reached Rs 9188 crore, which is Rs 2025 crore more than the same period of the financial year 2024-25. This impressive performance is part of the state’s continuous trend of registering record-breaking year-on-year growth in tax revenue for the last three and a half years.
The ‘Bill Bacho, Enam Paho’ initiative, launched to reward vigilant consumers as well as further strengthen the state’s tax enforcement framework, witnessed a huge participation from the people, under which a total of 1,76,832 bills were uploaded on the ‘Mera Bill App’ till July 2025. This resulted in 5,644 winners winning prizes worth over Rs 3.35 crore, and a fine of over Rs 9 crore being imposed against entities found guilty of irregularities in issuing bills.
The Punjab government has also made the labour laws pro-worker. Apart from this, 1.55 lakh construction workers and their families have been covered under the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme.
In view of the upcoming paddy procurement season, adequate arrangements will be ensured till September 15. Preparations are in full swing on a war footing level for the procurement of 190 lakh metric tonnes of paddy.
This is the first time that a drive has been made to provide canal water to every farm. The expenditure on canal and water works has more than doubled in the last three and a half years, i.e. Rs 4557 crore, while only Rs 2046 crore was spent from 2019 to 2022.
The Punjab Government will start the process of filling 5000 vacant posts (workers and helpers) to strengthen Anganwadi centres in the month of September.
For Sangrur district, the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has so far released about Rs 2287 crore 31 lakh for about 4917 different development works, with which a large number of development works in the district have been completed, and a large number of development works are being carried out on a war footing.
On this occasion, Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora inspected the parade and distributed sewing machines and tricycles to the needy people.
Personalities who have made unique contributions in various fields were honoured. Freedom fighters and their heirs were also honoured.
During this function, a grand march past was performed by the contingents of Punjab Police, Punjab Home Guards and NCC Cadets from different schools. The students of different schools also presented a cultural program.
On this occasion, Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora also attended the blood donation camp organised by the Lions Club and encouraged the blood donors. (ANI)
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