The North News
Chandigarh/Dirba/Sangrur, April 7
Under the flagship ‘Punjab Sikhya Kranti’ reform programme, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema inaugurated three institutions – Kamalpur village’s high school, Mauran’s Government Senior Secondary Smart School, and Dirba’s Comrade Bhim Singh School of Eminence – with a combined investment of ₹108.61 lakh across Dirba constituency on Monday.
Addressing the gathering on occassion, Cheema emphasised the Bhagwant Mann-led government’s pledge to overhaul the state’s education infrastructure. “Under ‘Punjab Sikhya Kranti’, we are working to transform all 20,000 government schools in Punjab. So far, nearly 12,000 schools have seen significant improvements,” he said. He pointed to a substantial 57% increase in the education budget during the Aam Aadmi Party’s first year in power, claiming that the sector had long been neglected by previous administrations.
In a move Cheema called “historic”, Punjab has begun sending teachers abroad for advanced training. He also noted the recruitment of nearly 20,000 teachers, describing it as an employment lifeline for many from modest backgrounds. “These reforms are already delivering results – around 200 students from government schools have cleared the JEE exam,” said Cheema. The newly established Schools of Eminence include specialised labs, educational parks, gender-segregated toilets, transport facilities, and essential support staff.
Beyond education, the Finance Minister, who also chairs the Yudh Nashian Virudh Cabinet Sub-Committee, outlined efforts to tackle drug abuse under the state’s ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign.
He said the government is intensifying crackdowns on drug trafficking networks, while ensuring rehabilitation for affected individuals. Measures such as deploying anti-drone technology and strengthening the Punjab Home Guard along the Pakistan border form part of the strategy to, in his words, “bring back Rangla Punjab.”
