Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Unveils ₹75 Crore Development Blitz for Nangal, Including North India’s First Glass Bridge
From a Kargil martyr-named Centre of Excellence to drone training and a lakeside glass bridge, the AAP government promises to transform Nangal into a model of modern infrastructure and skill development
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday launched a sweeping ₹75 crore development package for Nangal, anchored by the state’s most eye-catching announcement — a glass bridge over Nangal Lake that will be the first of its kind in North India.
Addressing a large gathering after inaugurating and laying foundation stones for multiple projects, Mann positioned the day as a historic turning point for a town he described as having been neglected for decades under previous governments.
The Glass Bridge and Tourism Push
The ₹10 crore glass bridge, to be constructed over the lake at Shivalik Park, is expected to be completed within six months. The CM said the structure would enhance the aesthetic appeal of the lake and serve as a major tourism draw for the region.
A Centre of Excellence in a Martyr’s Name
The centrepiece of the development package is the Captain Amol Kalia Centre of Excellence, named after the Nangal-born Kargil War martyr who laid down his life at the age of 25. Built at a cost of ₹23 crore, the centre will train 540 students in industry-aligned courses including Robotics, Electric Vehicle Technology, Solar Technology and 3D Printing. Newer disciplines such as Civil Aviation, Air Hostess Training and Drone Technology will also be offered within government ITIs for the first time.
“This Centre of Excellence will become the best skill development hub in the region and generate employment for youth,” Mann said, adding that ITI seat capacity across Punjab has been expanded from 32,000 to over 52,000 in 2025–26, with 814 new industry-oriented courses introduced.
Education Infrastructure Gets a Boost
The Dr B.R. Ambedkar School of Eminence in Nangal will receive an ₹18 crore upgrade comprising a 500-seat auditorium at ₹10 crore and a new four-storey academic block with four laboratories and 12 classrooms at ₹8 crore. A water treatment plant is also being set up at the institution.
Women and Water at the Heart of the Agenda
Mann highlighted that 34 ITIs exclusively for girls have been established across Punjab, with 30% seats reserved for women in all other ITIs. In private ITIs, 5% seats are reserved for economically weaker students.
On water, the CM claimed his government had effectively created a new canal without acquiring a single inch of land. “Bhakra Canal has a capacity of 9,500 cusecs, but through our efforts, supply has been enhanced to 11,000 cusecs,” he said, adding that ₹6,500 crore has been spent reviving the canal system and that 1,444 villages are receiving canal water for the first time.
Welfare Schemes and Jobs
Mann also highlighted the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, under which health cards entitling families to free treatment up to ₹10 lakh are being issued to all 65 lakh families in Punjab, with over 2 lakh people already having received free treatment. He added that more than 65,000 government jobs have been provided on merit since the AAP government came to power.
Under the Maavan Dhian Satkar Yojna, ₹1,000 per month is being provided to women above 18 years and ₹1,500 to women from SC communities, a scheme the CM said would benefit more than 97% of women in the state.
Sharp Political Barbs
Mann reserved some of his sharpest rhetoric for the Shiromani Akali Dal, accusing its leadership of patronising the drug trade during its years in power. “The Akalis should be booked for the genocide of generations,” he said, alleging that drugs were supplied in official vehicles during their tenure. He also questioned how Akali leaders who called themselves farmers came to own bus fleets and luxury hotels.
He took aim at Congress too, saying the party had more chief ministerial aspirants than workers, and mocked the central government’s unfulfilled promise of depositing ₹15 lakh in every citizen’s bank account.
Senior AAP leader and Punjab Prabhari Manish Sisodia, who was present at the event, said recent court acquittals had vindicated AAP’s record of honest governance and warned that opposition parties, if returned to power, would dismantle the welfare schemes currently benefiting the public.
Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains, in whose constituency Nangal falls, called the day’s announcements historic and said the assembly segment had witnessed holistic development across every sphere under the current government.
