Will make Punjab govt schools 'No. 1' in real terms: Mann

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday accused the previous regimes of ignoring infrastructure and other facilities in government schools and said the AAP dispensation will make them "Number 1" in real terms.

Mann's statement came during the Question Hour in the state assembly here.

Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa, in a supplementary question, said Punjab had in 2019-20 been ranked "Number 1" in the "Performance Grading Index" by the Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government should admit it.

Bajwa, also the Leader of the Opposition, said AAP should give credit to teachers, the education department and the students.

In response, the chief minister took a jibe at the previous Congress regime saying merely painting the buildings from outside doesn't make them smart schools.

"Is there drinking water? Do these schools have teachers? Are there proper benches to sit? Bajwa Sahab, this is not Number 1, this is 'Jali' (fake) Number 1, we will make them real number 1," Mann said.