Bhagwant Mann meets Nitin Gadkari; Centre promises ₹400 crore for state projects

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday, May 13, met Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi and discussed several pending infrastructure projects related to roads and highways in the state.

Following the meeting, Mann said the discussions were held in a positive atmosphere and claimed that the Centre had assured financial support for key infrastructure works in Punjab. The Chief Minister said the state had sought around ₹170 crore from the Central Road and Infrastructure Scheme (CRIS) fund, but the Union Minister assured an allocation of nearly ₹400 crore for various ongoing and upcoming projects.

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Mann said several long-pending projects would now be expedited, including the Valla flyover project in Amritsar, which has been causing inconvenience to commuters travelling between the airport and Sri Darbar Sahib. He said Gadkari had directed officials to prioritise and speed up the completion of the project.

The Chief Minister further said that the Bhawanigarh-Kot Shamir road, Malerkotla-Barnala road and the Barnala-Bajakhana road corridor would be upgraded into four-lane highways to improve connectivity and facilitate smoother transportation across the region.

He also stated that the Ferozepur-Fazilka road is expected to be declared a National Highway and widened in the coming period. According to Mann, the move would fulfil a long-standing demand of residents living in border areas as well as the armed forces.

During the interaction, Gadkari reportedly appreciated the Punjab government’s ‘Road Safety Force’ initiative and indicated that similar models could be considered for implementation in other states to improve highway safety and emergency response systems.

On the issue of land acquisition delays, Mann said only a few projects in Punjab were currently facing hurdles. He asserted that the state government would ensure fair compensation to farmers through the arbitration process so that development projects could move ahead without major disputes.

The Chief Minister also reacted to the recent alleged firing incident at the residence of Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh’s manager and the threats linked to it. Condemning the incident, Mann said such actions could be attempts to exert pressure on well-known personalities to enter politics and stressed that entertainment personalities should not be dragged into such matters.

Referring to national concerns, Mann also raised the issue of the NEET paper leak and urged the Centre to act seriously to safeguard the future of students. He said ensuring better opportunities, infrastructure growth and employment generation remained essential for building a “Rangla Punjab.”