Punjab School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains launched a scathing attack on opposition parties, accusing them of indulging in petty politics over the infrastructure development projects being rolled out under the “Sikhya Kranti” initiative in state-run schools. He held the Congress and SAD-BJP leadership responsible for decades of neglect, during which students in government schools lacked even the most basic amenities such as toilets and boundary walls.
Speaking at a press conference at Punjab Bhawan on Friday evening, Minister Harjot Bains shared experiences from his visits to various government schools where students and teachers raised concerns about inadequate facilities, including missing toilets, desks, and boundary walls. Students were forced to relieve themselves outside and sit on the floor due to this prolonged negligence.
“For 75 years, these parties looted Punjab while our children sat on bare floors and girls dropped out of school due to the absence of toilets. Today, instead of acknowledging their failures, they mock our efforts to rebuild the education system,” said Bains.
Revealing shocking statistics, the minister noted that before the current AAP-led government came to power, over 3,000 schools lacked toilets, 8,000 had no boundary walls, and nearly three lakh students had no desks to sit on. He invited media representatives to join him in visiting schools to witness the visible changes.
Minister Harjot Bains criticized opposition leaders, saying they weren’t ashamed when girls had to quit studies because of poor facilities, while their own children enjoyed well-equipped, air-conditioned schools with security guards. “They robbed Punjab’s poor for years to build lavish farmhouses and luxurious homes. Now, they’re ashamed that our government has built clean toilets for girls,” he added.
He also took a dig at their criticism over plaques installed at renovated schools, saying, “They are jealous because we’ve achieved in three years what they couldn’t in 75. These plaques are not for names—they are reminders of their failures.”
Minister Harjot Bains reaffirmed the government’s resolve to transform Punjab into a “Parhda Punjab,” emphasizing the CM Bhagwant Mann-led administration’s commitment to equipping all government schools with essential infrastructure like gender-specific toilets, boundary walls, clean water, Wi-Fi, smart classrooms, and modern furniture.
He highlighted that nearly 28 lakh students are currently enrolled in around 20,000 government schools across Punjab. Over the last three years, more than 12,000 of these schools have undergone major upgrades under the Rs. 2,000 crore “Sikhya Kranti” campaign.
He also mentioned that newly inaugurated infrastructure in 410 schools is aimed at encouraging MLAs and officials to interact with students, motivate them, and ensure continued improvements in education.
Minister Harjot Bains Inaugurates Projects Worth Over ₹1.75 Crore in Sri Anandpur Sahib
Earlier in the day, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains inaugurated infrastructure development projects totaling over ₹1.75 crore across 12 government schools in his home constituency, Sri Anandpur Sahib. The projects include:
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₹4.4 lakh for smart school upgrades at Government Primary School Bara Pind Lower
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₹6.02 lakh for classroom renovation at Government Primary School Hardoi Haripur
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₹3.8 lakh for a boundary wall at Government Primary School Hardo Nirmoh Upper
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₹17.6 lakh for a boundary wall at Government Primary School Atari
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₹70 lakh holistic development plan, with ₹35.32 lakh used for various upgrades at Government Senior Secondary School Atari
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₹40 lakh foundation stone laid at Government Primary School Pirthipur
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₹5.7 lakh for a basketball court at Government High School Pirthipur
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₹12.55 lakh for room renovation at Government Primary School Nirmohgarh
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₹3.8 lakh for boundary wall at Government Primary School Hardo Nirmoh Lower
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₹2.55 lakh for room renovations at Government Primary School Nau Lakha
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₹6.75 lakh for a boundary wall at Government Middle School Nau Lakha
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₹2.55 lakh for repair work at Government Primary School Dadhi