The North News
Chandigarh, February 21
Punjab’s Public Works Department (PWD) is in the throes of a major infrastructure push, with nearly 250 building projects worth an estimated ₹2,000 crore currently underway across 15 departments, said Public Works Minister, Harbhajan Singh. At the heart of this construction spree is a determined effort to overhaul the state’s health infrastructure. Harbhajan Singh revealed that the department is spearheading the development of 18 Child Care Blocks and an equal number of Integrated Public Health Laboratories (IPHL), with four of the latter already taking shape.
He further said that Punjab’s ubiquitous Aam Aadmi Clinics continue their expansion, with 420 already up and running. Looking ahead, the government is set to invest an additional ₹3,000 crore in medical colleges across Malerkotla, Sangrur, SAS Nagar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, SBS Nagar, and Moga in the next financial year.
The minister, clearly not short on projects to announce, also pointed to significant developments in education. The government’s flagship Schools of Eminence programme is progressing at pace, with 19 sites under construction and 10 already completed. These institutions, Singh assured, will provide quality education regardless of socioeconomic background—an admirable aim in a country where educational opportunities remain starkly unequal.
Not one to leave the judiciary out of this grand infrastructural vision, the minister also disclosed that ₹250 crore has been set aside for bolstering judicial infrastructure in 2024-25. This includes new court complexes in Khanna, Patran, and Fazilka, complete with modern amenities such as computer rooms—because, let’s be honest, a 21st-century court without technology is about as useful as a typewriter in a Wi-Fi café. To keep existing judicial buildings from crumbling under the weight of their caseloads, the department has also earmarked separate funds for their maintenance.
Beyond the nuts and bolts of roads and buildings, the PWD’s Architectural Wing is flexing its creative muscles, designing memorials, public buildings, and—perhaps most importantly—green, accessible infrastructure. Singh noted that special attention is being given to inclusivity, with ramps, lifts, and other provisions ensuring ease of access for persons with disabilities. Because, as any good architect knows, a building is only as good as the people who can actually use it.
For now, Punjab’s PWD appears to be on a mission: to build, restore, and future-proof the state’s public infrastructure. Whether all these projects will be delivered on time remains to be seen, but for the moment, Singh’s announcement paints a picture of a department with its sleeves rolled up and cement mixers at full tilt.
