Punjab Cm Announces 7 000 Km Pipelines To Take Canal Water To Every Farm

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday announced that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government will lay another 7,000 kilometres of pipelines by the end of this year to ensure canal water reaches every farm across Punjab.

Highlighting that 14,000 kilometres of pipelines, equivalent to the distance from Canada to Moga, had already been laid over the last four years, he said the government was also creating water recharge points to raise the groundwater level.

During a Lok Milni event at Moga’s Bhallur village, Mann said his government had ensured canal water reached nearly 80% of agricultural land, while alleging that previous governments neglected farmers.

He also asserted that parties rejected by the people in the 2022 assembly elections had united against him because they could not match his government’s work, adding that the people of Punjab will never allow those who “looted the state during their rule” to return to power.

Addressing the gathering, he said, “So far, 21,000 cusecs of water have been released in the pipelines and watercourses to benefit the farmers in a big way by catering to their irrigation needs. Recharge points have been kept in the canals and rivers so that the water level is enhanced, and the water level has increased by two to four metres.”

Taking on the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the CM alleged, “The Akalis, especially the Badals, were never sincere in making a law against sacrilege when they were in power. They allowed sacrilege incidents to take place for their political gains.”

“Now the SGPC has ordered to put up posters outside gurdwaras calling for my boycott. Why were such posters not put up against the Akali Dal or Sukhbir Badal when they admitted responsibility for incidents of sacrilege?” he questioned, adding that the sangat was wise and will not tolerate baseless allegations against him.

Taking a jibe at the Congress, the chief minister said, “The Congress will be finished soon as it has no vision for the people and the state. The Congress is a divided house that will collapse due to its infighting. It is a pity that the top Congress leaders who come to unite these leaders squabbling for power are not even aware of how to pronounce their names.”

Mann asks officials to intensify anti-drug drive

The chief minister also reviewed the progress of the anti-drug campaign “Yudh Nashian Virudh” through a virtual meeting with all deputy commissioners, commissioners of police and senior superintendents of police.

Mann directed senior police and administrative officials to intensify the anti-drug campaign and said protecting the state’s youth from the menace was the government’s top priority.

The chief minister claimed the campaign had broken the backbone of the narcotics network by leading to the arrest of major smugglers.

“More than 13,000 complaints against drug smugglers have been received from village defence committees (VDCs) during the last three months, reflecting active public involvement in the campaign. Around 1.5 lakh members have been inducted into the VDCs to transform the campaign into a mass movement,” he said while stressing that there should be no let-up in the campaign.

Mann also highlighted the “Soorma” initiative under which recovered drug addicts will work as “ambassadors of recovery” to motivate and inspire others to return to a normal life.

The chief minister said the government has significantly expanded de-addiction facilities across the state. The number of beds in government-run de-addiction and rehabilitation centres has been increased from 1,500 to 5,000, while several new centres have also been established. He said the number of Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) centres has increased from 529 to 565, with adequate medicines and infrastructure being ensured.