Mar 29, 2025 04:45 PM IST
With AAP Punjab affairs in-charge Manish Sisodia by his side, Bhagwant Mann says he is looking forward to a “respectful dialogue” with farmers at meeting in Chandigarh on May 4.
After walking out of a meeting with Samyukt Kisan Morcha leaders earlier this month when they refused to cancel their March 5 protest, chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday extended the olive branch to miffed farmers, saying they “are always welcome to hold meetings with the government at any time as their role is crucial in shaping policy”.
Interacting with the media at Ghanauri Kalan in Dhuri sub division, Mann, who is also the local MLA, said that he would be attending the meeting with farmers on May 4 in Chandigarh, where their concerns would be heard “with due respect”.
The chief minister was speaking on the sidelines to a visit to the School of Eminence at Dhuri. He was accompanied by newly appointed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab affairs in-charge Manish Sisodia. The visit coincided with a mega parent-teacher meeting (PTM) at the school, where Mann expressed pride in the achievements of Punjab’s educational system under his government.
Sisodia praised the government’s efforts to make higher education accessible to students from deprived backgrounds. He shared a success story from the village, where a student, the son of a shopkeeper, is set to join an Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), “something that was not possible under previous administrations”.
“This is Badalda (Changing) Punjab,” Sisodia declared, lauding the improved coordination between teachers and students.
CM Mann revealed that for the first time, a budget of ₹17,000 crore has been allocated for education in Punjab. He highlighted significant advancements in the healthcare sector with the establishment of 881 mohalla clinics across the state.
Sisodia commended the Punjab government’s crackdown on drug smugglers.
