The North News
Chandigarh, March 16
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday said that his government has fulfilled all of its pre-election “guarantees” within four years of taking office, claiming the state is now moving “on the path of progress”. Mann was speaking to reporters on Monday as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government completed four years in office in Punjab. He also released a booklet outlining what he described as his administration’s achievements so far.
Taking aim at previous governments, the chief minister said earlier administrations had failed to deliver on promises made in their election manifestos even after completing full five-year terms. “But the AAP government has fulfilled all guarantees within four years,” he said.
Mann highlighted a series of welfare and governance measures, including 300 units of free electricity for domestic consumers, daytime power supply for farmers, the opening of Aam Aadmi Clinics and cashless treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna.
He said the opposition had questioned the promise of free electricity when AAP came to power in 2022, but his government had delivered its “first poll promise” in July that year by rolling out the 300-unit scheme for households.
According to Mann, nearly 90 percent of households in Punjab are now receiving free electricity under the scheme, which he said provides monthly relief of between Rs 5,000 and Rs 7,000 per family. The chief minister also cited the resumption of coal supply from the Pachwara coal mine and the state’s purchase of a 540MW private power plant for Rs 1,080 crore as key steps to strengthen Punjab’s power sector.
On healthcare, Mann said his government had set up 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics across the state and planned to open more than 200 additional clinics.
He said outpatient visits at the clinics had crossed 50 million, which he described as a sign of growing public trust in the service.
Mann also highlighted the launch of the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, under which every resident family in Punjab is eligible for cashless medical treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh. Referring to the state’s Sadak Surkhya Force, he said the initiative had led to a 49% drop in road accident deaths and had drawn appreciation from several other states.
The remarks come as the AAP government seeks to project its governance record ahead of future political contests in the state.
