ON PARKASH PURAB OF SRI GURU NANAK DEV JI, CM DEDICATES SHAHPUR KANDI DAM PROJECT TO PEOPLE
*PUNJAB HAS CONTRIBUTED AN IMPRESSIVE 80% OF THE TOTAL PROJECT COST OF RS 3394.49 CRORE*
*THE SHAHPUR KANDI PROJECT WILL GREATLY ENHANCE THE STATE’S POWER GENERATION AND IRRIGATION CAPACITY*
*THE DAM WILL BE A TRUE LIFELINE FOR THE MAJHA REGION*
*TWO POWERHOUSES WITH A TOTAL CAPACITY OF 206 MW TO BE COMPLETED AND DEDICATED TO THE PEOPLE BY MARCH, 2026*
*PUNJAB TO BE DEVELOPED AS A WORLD-CLASS TOURIST HUB*
*Pathankot, November 5*:On the sacred occasion of the Parkash Purab of the first Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today gifted the people of state a landmark project worth Rs 3394.49 crore by formally inaugurating the Shahpur Kandi Project, which will significantly boost the state’s electricity generation and irrigation facilities.
Congratulating everyone on the Guru’s Parkash Purab while dedicating the project to the people, the Chief Minister said that today marks a historic day for the nation especially for Punjab. He expressed heartfelt gratitude on behalf of all Punjabis to the engineers, employees, and laborers who worked tirelessly day and night to turn this dream project into reality. Bhagwant Singh Mann said the dam project will prove to be a blessing for farmers, industrialists, traders and common citizens.
The Chief Minister said that Punjab, being an agrarian state, will gain immensely from this project as it will not only increase power generation but also provide extensive irrigation facilities. He said that apart from it the project will also create large-scale employment opportunities for the youth. Bhagwant Singh Mann envisioned that the Shahpur Kandi Dam will be the lifeline of Punjab, especially for the Majha region. The Chief Minister said that he was confident that this dam will illuminate lakhs of homes and brighten countless lives.
Sharing detailed information about the project, he said the Shahpur Kandi Dam Project is being constructed at a cost of Rs 3394.49 crore, out of which Punjab is contributing Rs 2694.02 crore (around 80%), while the remaining Rs. 700.45 crore (20%) is being funded by the Government of India. Bhagwant Singh Mann further mentioned that 3171.72 acres of land have been acquired for the project out of which 1643.77 acres is in Punjab and 1527.95 acres in Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking about irrigation benefits, the Chief Minister said the project will provide irrigation facilities to 5000 hectares (12,500 acres) of land in Punjab, bringing water to farmlands in Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, and other districts of the Majha region. He said that it will also ensure a continuous irrigation supply to 1.18 lakh hectares under the Upper Bari Doab Canal system. Bhagwant Singh Mann elaborated that before the construction of the Shahpur Kandi Dam, the Ranjit Sagar Dam Power House could not operate at its full capacity of 600 MW during peak hours (morning and evening) because there was no downstream reservoir to store water, resulting in excess water flowing unused into Pakistan.
However, the Chief Minister said that with the commissioning of the Shahpur Kandi Dam, water released from Ranjit Sagar Dam will now be stored in the new reservoir, enabling optimal power generation during high-demand hours and ensuring a steady supply of water for irrigation. He shared that the Shahpur Kandi Dam stands 55.5 meters high and includes a 7.7 km-long hydel channel. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that two powerhouses with a total capacity of 206 MW are being constructed, and nearly 75% of the work has already been completed.
The Chief Minister said that the project will be fully operational and dedicated to the people by March 2026, marking the beginning of electricity production. Highlighting its irrigation significance, he mentioned that the construction of three new canals linked to the dam is also in the final stages. Additionally, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that a large lake has been created upstream of the Shahpur Kandi Dam, which will be developed as one of Punjab’s premier tourist destinations in the coming years.
The Chief Minister said that the dam will give a major boost to water sports across North India and that Shahpur Kandi Dam, Ranjit Sagar Dam, and Chamrod will together be developed as a world-class tourism hub. He added that several companies have already shown keen interest in developing tourism projects in these areas, and discussions are ongoing. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that several reputed companies are deeply interested in the natural beauty of this region adding that there is tremendous potential here to promote tourism and create livelihoods.”
On this occasion, Cabinet Ministers Lal Chand Kataruchak and Barinder Kumar Goyal, along with Chief Secretary KAP Sinha were also present.
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DON’T BEFOOL PUNJABIS BY JUGGLING THE WORDS, ROLL BACK DECISION ON PANJAB UNIVERSITY: CM TO GOI
ASKS CENTRE TO REFRAIN FROM DIRTY TANTRUMS TO MISLEAD THE PEOPLE
SAYS PUNJAB GOVERNMENT TO EXPLORE ALL LEGAL OPTIONS BY ROPING IN EMINENT LAWYERS
Chandigarh, November 5:Slamming the Union government for misleading people on the issue of Panjab University, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann categorically asked the centre to stop dirty tantrums to befool the people.
“Punjabis are well aware of your dubious character and they will not get swayed away by mere juggling of words over the issue and will not rest until the orders on Panjab University are not completely rolled back”, said the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister said that the state Government will explore all legal options against the decision of the centre pertaining to the unlawful dissolution of the Senate and Syndicate of Panjab University, Chandigarh by roping in eminent legal luminaries. Terming the move as a blatant violation of established norms, he said that it was an attack on the democratic and autonomous functioning of one of the oldest and most reputed institutions of higher education in the region. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that any attempt to undermine its representative bodies such as the Senate and Syndicate amounts to disregarding the aspirations and participation of the academic community and the people of Punjab.
The Chief Minister said that this was not just a legal battle but a constitutional responsibility of the state government to protect the rights of Punjab on Panjab University. He reiterated that Punjab government will not allow any dilution of its share, rights or participation in the functioning of Panjab University. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that his government is firmly committed to the autonomy and dignity of educational institutions adding that Punjab Government stands firmly with the people of the state in resisting such arbitrary decisions.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the Panjab University was constituted under the Punjab University Act, 1947 (Act VII of 1947) and was established to compensate the State of Punjab for the loss of its main University at Lahore subsequent to the partition of the country in 1947. Bhagwant Singh said that after bifurcation of the State in 1966, the Punjab Reorganization Act 1966 maintained its status, meaning thereby that the University continued to function as it was and its jurisdiction over the areas that were comprised in the present State of Punjab continued as such. He said that ever since then, Panjab University, Chandigarh is part of the emotional, cultural, literature and rich legacy of the state.
The Chief Minister said that the irrational decision of the centre government has not only disenchanted stakeholders but is also against the canons of any good governance and the Law. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this led to a substantial resentment amongst the teachers, professionals, technical members, graduates of the University and others. He further said that the state government will not tolerate any change in the status of the university and will fight tooth and nail for it.