Bhagwant Mann tells Centre to probe Gujarat’s drug trade, not vilify Punjab, as state rolls out SC scholarships and joins national RTI summit

Punjab chief minister pushes back on drug accusations

Speaking to reporters in Chandigarh on 14 September, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the Union government was "defaming" Punjab over drug abuse. He urged the centre to investigate the source of narcotics flowing from Gujarat, reminding the room that the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence had seized nearly 3,000 kg of heroin at Mundra port in September 2021. Mann, flanked by Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, pointed to recent seizures in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan that, according to police data, stemmed from intelligence tips rather than a home‑grown crisis.

"If Punjab is disturbed, India will be disturbed," Mann warned, highlighting the state’s 553‑km border with Pakistan and the fact that 40 % of Punjab police personnel work alongside the Border Security Force. He stressed that Punjab Police are “a force serving the nation” and that the government remains in regular contact with the Union ministry and central agencies.

Scholarship boost for Scheduled‑Caste students

In the same press briefing, Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Minister Dr Baljit Kaur announced a fresh tranche of scholarship funding for SC students. Under the pre‑matric scheme, the Punjab government has released ₹13.30 crore to support 94,092 students for the 2025‑26 financial year. A further ₹40 crore is earmarked for 1,17,142 students in 2026‑27, she said, stressing that education is the “strongest foundation for social empowerment”.

The minister pledged timely disbursement, wider awareness among eligible families and seamless implementation so that no deserving child is left behind.

Punjab’s voice at the national RTI conference

Also on 14 September, State Information Commissioner Harpreet Sandhu represented Punjab at the National Conference of Information Commissions in Hyderabad. Sandhu delivered a keynote on the intersection of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act and the Right‑to‑Information Act, addressing an audience that included Chief Information Commissioner R. K. Goyal and commissioners from 25 states. The conference, themed “RTI: Operational Uniformity in Implementation – Challenges and Solutions”, served as a platform for Punjab to showcase its commitment to transparency and accountability.

Wider context: enforcement and power milestones

While Mann’s drug‑related remarks dominated headlines, the Punjab administration also highlighted other achievements. The Excise and Taxation Department detained 170 vehicles and seized goods worth over ₹5 crore in a statewide GST enforcement drive, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said. In the power sector, Power Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond reported that Punjab met a record‑high electricity demand of 17,423 MW without any load‑shedding, attributing the feat to the recently purchased Guru Amardas thermal plant and extra supply for farmers.

These developments illustrate a government juggling multiple fronts – confronting political attacks on drug policy, expanding educational support for marginalized groups, and reinforcing transparency and fiscal discipline.

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Key take‑aways

• Mann urged the centre to focus on Gujarat’s drug busts, not Punjab.
• Punjab released ₹13.30 crore for SC pre‑matric scholarships, with ₹40 crore planned for the next year.
• Harpreet Sandhu spoke on RTI and data protection at a national conference in Hyderabad.
• Enforcement actions seized over ₹5 crore of undeclared goods; power demand hit a historic 17,423 MW.