The North News
Ajnala (Amritsar), January 19
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has laid the foundation stone of a ₹15 crore government degree college in Ajnala, saying decades of misrule by the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP had weakened the state’s institutions and pushed generations of young people to seek opportunities abroad. Addressing a public gathering on Monday, Mann said the new co-educational college, to be named after revered scholar Baba Ghamchuk Ji, reflected the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s commitment to rebuilding what he described as a “Rangla Punjab” through education and public participation.
The Chief Minister said while the state would provide all institutional support, the transformation of Punjab also required collective effort from its people. He urged parents to prioritise education so that young people were not forced to migrate overseas in search of livelihoods.
Chief Minister Mann accused opposition parties of lacking a development agenda and being driven only by political opportunism. He said voters would not allow what he termed “exploitative forces” to regain power, adding that his government was focused on expanding public services, including schools, colleges and Aam Aadmi Clinics.
The college will be built in Bikraur village, close to the international border, on 15 acres of land donated by the local panchayat and residents. According to the chief minister, the institution is expected to serve students from nearly 50 surrounding villages, with enrolment projected to exceed 2,000 in the coming years.
Courses will include Arts, Science, Commerce, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and digital skills, with the aim of providing modern, employment-oriented education to youth in the border belt, particularly girls.
Mr Mann also announced free education for students from the village that donated land for the project. He said the government had already provided regular employment to more than 63,000 young people on a merit basis, and was working to encourage reverse migration.
Touching on border-area concerns, the chief minister said the Centre had given in-principle approval to move the border fence closer to the international boundary, allowing farmers access to land previously beyond the fencing.
Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the project would significantly improve educational access in the region, while AAP leader and Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia described the college as a long-pending demand of local residents finally being fulfilled.
Several cabinet ministers, MLAs and local representatives attended the event.
