Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann Lays Foundation for 650 km of Roads in Fazilka, Vows to Bury Electricity Wires Underground Across State
As AAP government accelerates its 43,000 km road network blitz with strict accountability for contractors, Mann announces Rs. 9,300 crore women’s welfare scheme and predicts 100-seat landslide in 2027
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday laid the foundation stone for 300 km of new roads and initiated repair work for 350 km of existing roads in Jalalabad, Fazilka district — the latest salvo in the AAP government’s ambitious drive to build 43,000 km of high-quality link roads across the state.
Addressing a rally that the Chief Minister described as having transformed from a development meeting into a massive public gathering, Mann declared that the era of corruption-driven, substandard road construction was firmly over. “If any road deteriorates, the construction agency will be held accountable to rebuild it,” he said, underlining a five-year maintenance clause accompanying all road projects.
43,000 km and Counting
Mann positioned the Fazilka inauguration as part of a state-wide infrastructure overhaul that has no precedent in Punjab’s history. He said the government has repaired and upgraded thousands of kilometres of link roads — many in border areas that had been neglected for decades — and that water supply has now reached villages where it had not flowed for 50 to 60 years. “Earlier, due to corruption and ill intent, roads would be constructed and start breaking soon after, but this will not happen anymore,” he said.
Wires Go Underground
In a significant infrastructure announcement, Mann said electricity poles will be eliminated across Punjab, with all wiring shifted underground. A pilot project is set to begin soon, and if successful, the model will be rolled out statewide. The Chief Minister said underground wiring would make agricultural fields cleaner, prevent accidents, and ensure a more reliable power supply.
Maavan Dhian Satkar Yojana — Rs. 9,300 Crore for Women
Mann formally announced the Maavan Dhian Satkar Yojana, under which every woman in Punjab will receive Rs. 1,000 per month directly into her bank account, with women from Scheduled Castes entitled to Rs. 1,500 per month. Women already receiving social security pensions will also be eligible. Registration opens on April 13, and approximately 97% of Punjab’s women are expected to benefit, with Rs. 9,300 crore allocated in the budget.
Dismissing criticism of the scheme, Mann was pointed in his response. “Those who spend more than Rs. 5,000 per meal from illegally minted money don’t value this amount — but for those who work hard even on festivals, this is significant financial relief,” he said.
Border Area as Frontline, Not Tail End
Mann took direct aim at the region’s historical neglect under previous governments, saying leaders like former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal had represented this constituency for years with nothing to show for it. “They called this region ‘tail end’ — I consider it the frontline,” he said. To attract professionals to border districts, the government has made it mandatory for doctors and teachers to serve at least two years in such areas, with extra allowances and additional promotion points as incentives.
Water, Power and Jobs — A Governance Report Card
Mann rattled off a series of achievements: free electricity to 90% of households, over 65,000 jobs provided without corruption, toll plazas closed saving Rs. 70 lakh daily, and a remarkable improvement in groundwater levels — extraction rates falling from 61.49% in 2022 to 31.6% in 2025, with water tables recharging by up to four metres in several villages. He also highlighted the restoration of the 22 km Sarhali Minor canal in the Majha region, which had been buried underground, and the optimisation of the Bhakra Canal to deliver 10,000 cusecs against its nominal capacity of 9,500.
Sharp Political Volleys
The rally also had a distinctly electoral flavour ahead of the 2027 Vidhan Sabha elections. Mann accused the Akali Dal of running what he called a “parivar bachao yatra” — a family-saving exercise dressed up as a public campaign — after “looting Punjab for 15 years” and patronising drug networks and gangsters. He described the Congress as a “divided house” squabbling over power with no vision for the state.
Expressing confidence in an AAP sweep, he said, “It is writing on the wall — AAP will again win more than 100 seats and the people are waiting to teach traditional parties a lesson.”
