Opposition will stop free electricity: Bhagwant Mann targets rivals ahead of polls

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday said a return of the traditional opposition parties to power would put the state's welfare schemes, public institutions and water rights at risk.

He said their priorities had already been "exposed" before the people and alleged that key benefits introduced by his government would be rolled back.

Addressing a 'Lok Milni' programme, Mann accused the opposition of planning to stop free electricity, free bus travel for women and the Rs 1,000 'Samman Rashi'.

He also said Mohalla Clinics and government schools would be weakened to promote private institutions, while Punjab was being kept out of discussions on water-sharing issues linked to the Kishau Multipurpose Project.

During the programme in Sansra village in Ajnala, Mann claimed the BJP would give Punjab's share of water to Haryana and Rajasthan, and would also seek to separate Chandigarh and Panjab University from Punjab.

He also targeted the Akali Dal, saying it had been reduced to bringing daily wage workers to its rallies.

Contrasting this with his government's record, Mann said 90 per cent of households were getting zero electricity bills. He highlighted the purchase of the private thermal power plant at Goindwal Sahib, an increase in canal water utilisation from 22 per cent to 88 per cent, the laying of 14,000 kilometres of underground pipelines and improvements in government schools.

"We have also worked extensively in the water sector and substantially increased the utilisation of available water resources," he said, adding that the government's sole focus was to provide facilities to every family and build a prosperous 'Rangla Punjab'.

Mann said that on September 15, six states -- Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi -- signed an agreement to take forward the Kishau Multipurpose Project, but Punjab was not included.

The project envisages the construction of a 232.6-metre-high concrete gravity dam on the Tons River, along the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border, with a water storage capacity of 1,562 million cubic metres.

"Agreements are being made between Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and other states, but Punjab is not even invited. Why is Punjab being treated as an outsider when the question concerns the water resources of this region?" he asked.

"The BJP wants to decide the distribution of water while keeping Punjab out of the discussion. The people of Punjab have taken note of this step-motherly treatment," he said.

Saying Punjab could not remain silent when decisions affecting its interests were taken without it, Mann said his government would fight every issue concerning the state with determination and would not compromise on its rights and interests.

Targeting his political rivals, Mann said, "The people of Punjab have witnessed their political decline. Previous governments failed to work in the larger interests of Punjab, and political power was used for personal and family interests."

He also took a swipe at the Congress, saying everyone in the party wanted to become chief minister, but "first they should count how many seats they have".

Mann used the programme to present his government's welfare and development measures, while accusing the opposition of threatening those gains and asserting that Punjab would continue to press its claims on water and other state interests.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 21, 2026 23:29 IST