The Sri Guru Arjan Dev Sports Stadium echoed with patriotic spirit and vibrant celebrations as Tarn Taran marked the 79th Independence Day with grandeur. On the occasion, Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs, Forest and Wildlife Preservation Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak unfurled the National Flag. The ceremony began with the National Anthem, followed by a salute presented by Punjab Police personnel. The Minister inspected the parade and took the salute.
Extending greetings to the people, Mr. Kataruchak underlined the State Government’s commitment under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to fulfil the aspirations of the martyrs who laid down their lives for the nation’s freedom.
Minister Lal Chand shared that Mohali International Airport has been named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh, and a statue of the martyr installed there. Over 55,000 youth have been given government jobs, while the ex-gratia for families of martyred soldiers has been enhanced from ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore. Additionally, 115 government schools have been dedicated to freedom fighters and eminent personalities, and 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics are offering quality healthcare at people’s doorsteps. To ensure smooth paddy procurement, robust arrangements have been made for 190 LMT, while 3.5 lakh saplings will be planted in each district in 2025–26 to commemorate the 350th martyrdom year of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji.
Highlighting upcoming healthcare projects, the Minister said that a ₹16 crore critical care block/trauma centre at Civil Hospital, Tarn Taran, will be ready by year-end, while a 30-bedded mother-and-child healthcare centre at Patti, built at a cost of ₹7 crore, will soon be dedicated to the public.
ਦੇਸ਼ ਦੀ ਆਜ਼ਾਦੀ ਦਾ 79ਵਾਂ ਦਿਹਾੜਾ ਤਰਨ ਤਾਰਨ ਵਿਖੇ ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਭਾਵਨਾ ਅਤੇ ਪੂਰੇ ਉਤਸ਼ਾਹ ਨਾਲ ਮਨਾਇਆ ਗਿਆ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਕਰਵਾਏ ਗਏ ਜ਼ਿਲਾ ਪੱਧਰੀ ਸਮਾਗਮ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਝੰਡਾ ਲਹਿਰਾਉਣ ਦੀ ਰਸਮ ਮੁੱਖ ਮਹਿਮਾਨ ਵੱਜੋਂ ਕੈਬਨਿਟ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਲਾਲ ਚੰਦ ਕਟਾਰੂਚੱਕ ਨੇ ਅਦਾ ਕੀਤੀ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਤੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਆਜ਼ਾਦੀ ਘੁਲਾਟੀਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਸੈਨਿਕਾਂ ਦੇ… pic.twitter.com/tWzkL847zb
— Government of Punjab (@PbGovtIndia) August 16, 2025
On this occasion, families of freedom fighters and martyred soldiers were honoured, tricycles were distributed to the needy, and achievers from different fields were felicitated. The Minister also announced a grant of ₹25 lakh for the construction of a nature park at Narli village, the ancestral place of Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
The event was attended by MLA Khemkaran Sarwan Singh Dhun, Deputy Commissioner Rahul, DIG Rajpal Singh Sandhu, SSP Tarn Taran Deepak Pareek, ADC (General) Rajdeep Singh Brar, ADC (Development) Sanjeev Sharma, District Planning Committee Chairman Gurvinder Singh Beharwal, Tarn Taran Improvement Trust Chairman Rajinder Singh Usma, and PSPCL Director Administration Jasbir Singh Sursingh.