Sri Muktsar Sahib: CM lays foundation stone for nearly Rs 139 crore projects

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday laid the foundation stone for sewerage and water supply projects worth Rs 138.82 crore in Sri Muktsar Sahib, calling it a “historic step” for the long-neglected town.

Addressing a gathering at Guru Gobind Singh Stadium, Mann said Rs 90.68 crore will be spent on a new sewerage system and Rs 48.14 crore on water supply works to benefit around 1.58 lakh residents across 31,000 households. He said that after 30 years, new infrastructure projects were being initiated in the city, which had been ignored despite producing several political leaders.

The Chief Minister said two new overhead tanks will be built on Kotkapura and Abohar roads, while Rs 17 crore has been set aside for restoring streets after the works. Blaming traditional political parties for Punjab’s drug problem, Mann said earlier governments protected drug traffickers, forcing the present regime to wage a “War Against Drugs.” He accused Opposition leaders of supporting an Akali minister jailed on drug charges and alleged that Bikram Singh Majithia looted the state through inflated solar power contracts. Mann also targeted former CM Captain Amarinder Singh and Sukhbir Badal, calling them “betrayers of Punjab.”

Highlighting achievements of his government, Mann said 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics have been opened, 118 Schools of Eminence launched, 56,856 youths given jobs, and 19 toll plazas shut, saving Punjabis Rs 64 lakh daily.