Punjab Govt’s concerted efforts giving a major boost to rural development: Tarunpreet Singh Sond
Over 1.88 lakh man-days generated under VB-G RAM G: Rural Development and Panchayats Minister
Punjab effectively implementing VB-G RAM G despite additional burden placed on states: Sond
Timely wage payments ensured for beneficiaries under VB-G RAM G: Sond
Chandigarh, September 13:Punjab Rural Development and Panchayats Minister S. Tarunpreet Singh Sond today said that the Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, has been making concerted efforts to give a major boost to rural development across the state. He said that under the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) scheme also, rural development works are being undertaken on a large scale across villages of Punjab.
The Minister said that since July 1, 2026, over 1.88 lakh man-days have been generated under the scheme so far. He added that their government will also enroll new beneficiaries under this scheme to provide maximum employment for needy families in the rural areas. He said that the policies and initiatives of the Punjab Government are aimed at strengthening rural infrastructure, providing employment opportunities to rural households and promoting sustainable development in villages.
The Rural Development and Panchayats Minister said that although the new scheme introduced by the Central Government has placed an additional burden on the states, the Punjab Government is implementing it effectively and efficiently to ensure that rural development works continue uninterrupted and the benefits reach the people at the grassroots level.
He said that the wages of beneficiaries under the VB-G RAM G scheme are being released on time, adding that the Punjab Government is committed to ensuring that workers receive their due wages without unnecessary delay. The department is also closely monitoring the payment process to ensure transparency and efficiency.
S. Sond said that a wide range of development works are being undertaken under the scheme, including renovation and rejuvenation of ponds, development of parks, plantation drives, water conservation, development of water resources, construction and improvement of streets and drains, road-related works and creation of other community assets.
He said that these works are not only strengthening rural infrastructure but are also providing villagers with employment opportunities within their own villages, thereby reducing the need to travel elsewhere in search of employment.
The Minister said that necessary directions have been issued to departmental officials to ensure transparency, effective management and proper implementation of the scheme at the grassroots level. He added that regular monitoring is being undertaken to ensure the quality, transparency and timely completion of development works.
S. Tarunpreet Singh Sond said that the Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, is committed to making villages stronger, greener and more prosperous by providing employment opportunities along with improved basic infrastructure and civic amenities.
He said that the effective utilisation and implementation of the VB-G RAM G scheme by Punjab government will give further impetus to the rural economy and play an important role in making Punjab’s villages more developed, self-reliant and sustainable.
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*SUGARCANE ACREAGE HITS 1.16 LAKH HECTARES IN PUNJAB; MANN GOVT EYES 700 LAKH QUINTAL OUTPUT: GURMEET SINGH KHUDIAN*
*•₹3,200/acre push for demo plots in 12 districts to showcase scientific cultivation techniques: Khudian*
*•Mann Govt offers 40% subsidy on harvesters, small tractors, planters to cut labour costs, boost mechanisation: Agriculture Minister*
*•Agri Dept, PAU hold camps, webinars to train growers on Chova planting, certified seeds, fertiliser use & pest management: Gurmeet Khudian*
CHANDIGARH, SEPTEMBER 13:With sugarcane acreage rising to 1.16 lakh hectares and production target set at 700 lakh quintals this season, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Sunday announced a multi-pronged strategy to make sugarcane Punjab's most remunerative crop through aggressive mechanisation, grassroots tech outreach and direct financial incentives for growers.
Describing sugarcane as Punjab's third-most critical crop after wheat and paddy, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government is leaving no stone unturned to boost productivity, improve sugar recovery and cut cultivation costs by promoting large-scale adoption of advanced farming techniques.
Citing official data, the Agriculture Minister said that area under sugarcane in Punjab has increased from 1,11,818 hectares in 2025-26 to 1,16,131 hectares in the current 2026-27 season, which is expected to yield nearly 700 lakh quintals of cane if weather remains favourable. Of the total acreage, 47,295 hectares is under ratoon crop, 51,174 hectares under spring crop and 17662 hectares under autumn crop, he added.
“However, with the proactive interventions in place and a favourable weather outlook, we expect marked improvement in both yield and sugar recovery in the upcoming season,” said S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian.
For the 2026-27 season, the government has rolled out an incentive of Rs 3,200 per acre for farmers setting up demonstration plots showcasing recommended cultivation techniques. The scheme will be implemented in 12 districts — Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Rupnagar, SAS Nagar, Patiala, Fazilka, Faridkot and Kapurthala.
These demo plots will promote advanced practices such as wide-row spacing, trench planting, intercropping, mulching and scientific ratoon management to boost yields while cutting input costs.
To address shortage of farm labour during sowing and harvesting, the state government is promoting mechanisation by offering 40% subsidy on key equipment including sugarcane harvesters, small tractors, cane planters and ratoon managers. “Mechanisation is no longer an option but a necessity. Our aim is to make these machines easily accessible and affordable for every farmer,” Khudian said.
The Agriculture Minister informed that joint teams of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), the agriculture department and sugar mills are holding extensive awareness camps across the state, focusing on wide spacing trench planting method, primary seed nurseries, disease-free certified seed varieties, balanced fertiliser use, integrated pest management and ratoon management. So far, 14 webinars have trained around 1,100 farmers, while 320 training camps have directly reached over 15,000 farmers. Real-time technical guidance is also being provided through Facebook, YouTube and field staff interactions.
“Sugarcane sustains a vast network of farming families and farm labourers across Punjab and their economic well-being is directly tied to this crop. It is our duty to make its cultivation more profitable and future-ready,” said S. Khudian.
Reiterating CM Mann-led Punjab government’s commitment to welfare of agrarian community, S. Khudian said the multi-pronged strategy combining financial incentives, technological upgradation, capacity building and farm mechanisation is aimed at making sugarcane cultivation a highly remunerative enterprise.
“Our comprehensive approach will bring down cultivation expenses, enhance productivity and improve sugar recovery. We are fully committed to ensuring that Punjab’s sugarcane farmers reap the rewards of their hard work and contribute meaningfully to the state’s agrarian prosperity,” he affirmed.
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*Bhagwant Mann Govt Busts Myths About Drugs in Schools Under Yudh Nashean Virudh*
*Punjab Govt Partners With CEGA Berkeley, Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee & Esther Duflo's J-PAL On Evidence-Based Drug Prevention Curriculum*
*Yudh Nashean Virudh Curriculum Tackles Drug Myths, Addiction Risks And Peer Pressure Among Punjab’s Students*
*Yudh Nashean Virudh Aims To Break Drug Myths Before Experimentation Turns Into Addiction: Dr Balbir Singh*
*Science-Backed Curriculum Helps Students Say No To Drugs: Amandeep Kaur, Nodal Teacher for curriculum at SoE, Chheharta, Amritsar*
CHANDIGARH, September 13:“I’ll try it only once.” “I can stop whenever I want.” Or the idea that even if one uses drugs for a long time, “rehab treatment is easy.” For a youngster standing at the edge of experimentation, these may sound like harmless thoughts. But these beliefs are not just alarming—they can be dangerous.
The Bhagwant Mann Government, through the School Nashean Virudh curriculum, is working to prevent substance abuse among youth by challenging and dismantling such beliefs. This evidence-based curriculum, developed in collaboration with CEGA, University of California, Berkeley, and J-PAL, a research organisation co-founded by Nobel Prize laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, addresses how young people may underestimate the addictive nature of opioids, increasing their likelihood of experimentation and, consequently, addiction. The curriculum highlights that the battle against drug abuse has to begin much before addiction, by busting the myths that can make drug use appear less dangerous than it actually is.
The curriculum identifies several key misconceptions that need to be addressed among youngsters.
The first, and perhaps the most dangerous, is the belief that trying chitta or heroin once or a few times will not lead to addiction. In fact, heroin is highly addictive, and even a single use can carry a risk of addiction.
The second myth is that a person who has just started using drugs can stop whenever he or she wants. The fact is that addiction is not simply a question of self-control. Once dependence develops, stopping can become extremely difficult.
The third misconception is that going to rehab necessarily means that a person will be permanently cured. Recovery can be a long-term process, and relapse can occur. The message, therefore, is not that treatment is futile, but that recovery requires sustained effort and support rather than being viewed as a one-time event. Prevention, therefore, remains better than cure.
Another belief the campaign wants youngsters to reconsider is that so-called “milder” substances are relatively harmless and have nothing to do with drug addiction. The curriculum specifically flags tobacco, alcohol, opium, pills and prescription drugs as substances that can lead to experimentation, often without users fully understanding the risks or how difficult it can be to stop.
The fifth myth is perhaps less obvious: that people who eventually become addicted must have intended from the beginning to become regular drug users. The campaign stresses that drug abuse can begin as temporary experimentation, often in the presence of peer pressure, personal crisis, mental health challenges or performance pressures.
The sixth misconception is that drug abuse mainly harms the person using drugs. The school curriculum takes a broader view: addiction can have physical, medical, financial and social consequences, affecting relationships and families.
Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said, “At its core, the Yudh Nashean Virudh campaign is seeking to change the conversation around drug abuse—from one that begins only after addiction has taken hold to one that begins when a youngster first hears: ‘Try it once; nothing will happen.’ The objective is fairly simple: break the myth before the myth becomes a habit, and stop experimentation before it becomes dependence.”
Ms Amandeep Kaur, Nodal Teacher for the curriculum at the School of Eminence, Chheharta, Amritsar, said that the curriculum has benefited students in two important ways. “First, it has given them the vocabulary and a science-backed understanding of addiction, helping them understand what addictive substances do to the brain and body rather than viewing addiction only as a matter of ‘willpower’ or personal choice. Second, the curriculum has equipped students with practical strategies to say ‘no’ when faced with peer pressure or an offer to try drugs, making them more confident about responding to such situations in real life," she said.
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Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO paid obeisance at Sri Hazur Sahib. On this occasion, he prayed for the progress of Jandiala Guru and Punjab.