Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday announced that the state government will celebrate the upcoming 650th parkash utsav of Sri Guru Ravidass ji in an unprecedented manner.
Addressing the gathering during a state level function to observe the 647th parkash utsav of Sri Guru Ravidass ji after dedicating Sri Guru Ravidass ji memorial here today, the Chief Minister said that he has already asked the officers to ensure foolproof planning for the smooth execution of the event. He said that for this event the entire area around Khuralgarh will be holistically developed in consultation with the devotees. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this is a lifetime opportunity and the state government will leave no stone unturned for making this event a huge success.
The Chief Minister said that the memorial has come up at a cost of nearly Rs 143 crore and is a humble tribute to Sri Guru Ravidass ji by the state government. He said that the memorial is equipped with a building with tourist facilities, multi level parking, Minar-e-Begumpura, Sangat Hall, state of the art auditorium and others. Bhagwant Singh Mann envisioned that this memorial will go a long way in perpetuating the life and philosophy of Sri Guru Ravidass ji.
Vowing to work tirelessly for ameliorating the woes of weaker and underprivileged sections of society, the Chief Minister said that this is in consonance with teachings of Sri Guru Ravidass ji. He said that the state government is duty bound to ensure the well being of the poorest of poor for which several path breaking initiatives are being taken. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that with the blessings of Sri Guru Ravidass ji his government has been voted to power with a thumping majority.
The Chief Minister said that Sri Guru Ravidass Ji gave the message of welfare of the entire humanity, equality of all the sections of the society thus creating a society based on egalitarian values. He said that Sri Guru Ravidass Ji laid out the concept of such an ideal society where nobody undergoes suffering of any kind. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that his government is committed to carve out a society based on the teachings and philosophy of Sri Guru Ravidass ji.
The Chief Minister said that the life and teachings of Sri Guru Ravidass ji continue to guide humanity towards carving an egalitarian society. He said that Sri Guru Ravidass ji was a great spiritual ambassador and messiah of the poor and unprivileged sections of the society taught us to lead a virtuous and noble life. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this ‘Parkash Utsav’ is an occasion to rededicate ourselves to the task of creating a society where every human being leads a life with self respect and dignity regardless of any discrimination.
The Chief Minister further said that as per the ideology of Bharat Ratna Baba Sahib BR Ambedkar the state government is empowering the weaker sections of society by imparting quality education to them. He said that ‘Schools of Eminence’ established by the state government will realize the dreams of Baba Sahib by grooming the poor but bright students for a prosperous future. Bhagwant Singh Mann also urged the pilgrims to pray for the peace, progress and prosperity of the state adding that with the blessings of Sri Guru Ravidass ji a new, vibrant and progressive Punjab will soon be carved out by the state government.
Listing the pro-people initiatives of the state government, the Chief Minister said that the state government has given more than 40,000 jobs to the eligible youth in the state. He said that a foolproof mechanism has been adopted for the entire recruitment process due to which not even a single appointment has been challenged so far in any court. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it is a matter of great pride and satisfaction for the state government that these youth have been given government jobs completely on the basis of merit.
The Chief Minister said that the state government is making concerted efforts for women empowerment. He said that several districts of the state are having female officers as Senior Superintendent of Police and more than 10 districts have lady Deputy Commissioners. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that concerted efforts are being made for the welfare of the girls in the state and these initiatives are producing desired results.
The Chief Minister said that the state Government had in December 2023 started a flagship scheme regarding doorstep delivery of major Government services by starting delivery of 43 important services to Citizens. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that as per that scheme Citizens can call 1076 number, give appointment as per its own convenience and official visits at doorstep of citizens, apply service and finally deliver certificates to citizens. He said that now going beyond that the state Government has taken another important initiative ‘Aap ki Sarkar, Aap Ke Dwar’ to reach out to the citizens by organizing Camps across the state adding that four Camps will be organized in every tehsil of the state daily.
The Chief Minister said that it is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that 90% consumers in the state are getting zero power bill due to pro-people decisions of the state government. He said that to impart quality health services to people, the state government has set up 664 Aam Aadmi Clinics in Punjab adding that 150 more such clinics will be dedicated to the people of the state very soon. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that around one crore people have so far availed the facilities of free healthcare in these clinics adding that this is a new revolution in the healthcare sector adding that efforts are afoot to give a facelift to this sector.
The Chief Minister quipped that a former Finance Minister of state chanted rhetoric of ‘empty state exchequer’ for nine long years thereby jeopardizing development of the state. However, he said that after assuming charge of the state government every single penny is being spent on development of state and welfare of its people. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that his government has checked the pilferage in the state exchequer to ensure that every single penny is spent judiciously for well being of people.