*CM Bhagwant Singh Mann envisions Punjab as hub of aviation industry in coming years; Holds interaction with aircraft engineers at Patiala Flying Club*

*Punjab Govt is imparting quality, affordable and world-class training to youth in consonance with needs of aviation industry: CM Bhagwant Singh Mann*

*Punjab has broken monopoly of rich over aviation careers by making pilot training affordable: CM Bhagwant Singh Mann*

*Children of farmers, shopkeepers and teachers can now dream of flying high through Patiala Flying Club: CM Bhagwant Singh Mann*

*Punjab Govt is creating aviation ecosystem that produces job givers, not job seekers: CM Bhagwant Singh Mann*

PATIALA, 20th December 2025:Declaring that the era of aviation being a playground only for the wealthy is over, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday outlined an ambitious roadmap to position Punjab as a major hub of the aviation industry in the coming years. Interacting with aircraft engineers and trainees at the Patiala Flying Club, the Chief Minister said the Punjab Government is building a robust aviation ecosystem by providing quality, affordable and world-class training aligned with industry needs, enabling children of farmers, shopkeepers and teachers to dream of careers once considered out of reach.

Emphasising that his government’s focus is to create job givers rather than job seekers, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann Mann said the upcoming Aviation Museum at Patiala will not only preserve India’s flying heritage but also inspire a new generation to look skyward and aim higher.

Interacting with aircraft engineers here on Saturday, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that he was elated to be here amongst all the students taking training from this prestigious institute for a dialogue session here at Patiala Flying Club with 32 trainee pilots and 72 students from Patiala Aircraft Maintenance Engineering College. “Among the 32 trainee pilots, most belong to the first generation in their families entering the aviation sector. In private institutes, it costs ₹40–45 lakh to become a commercial pilot, while at the Patiala Flying Club, there is about a 50% subsidy, reducing the fee to ₹22–25 lakh,” said the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister said that with a reduction of fee by nearly ₹20 lakh, students from ordinary households like shopkeepers, teachers, farmers, clerks and others can now dream of becoming pilots. “An Aviation Museum is being established at the Patiala Aviation Complex at a cost of ₹7 crore. And this museum will showcase MiG aircraft, second-generation helicopters, simulators, and aviation heritage, providing valuable knowledge to students and the public,” he said.

CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it aims to inspire school students and youth to pursue aviation adding that on this occasion, the Department of Civil Aviation’s new website dca.punjab.gov.in has also been launched.

The Chief Minister said that Patiala State Aviation Council, Punjab aims to give every child a chance to fulfill their dream of flying high in the sky. “For decades, training to become a pilot was possible only for the very wealthy, but with government support and subsidies, Punjab has broken this barrier through the Patiala Flying Club. The Flying Club was established in 1965 and spans 253 acres, making it one of the largest aviation training campuses in India,” he noted.

He said that the Patiala Flying Club ranks seventh nationwide and the club currently operates seven training aircraft including five single-engine planes, two Multi-engine planes and one Tecnam P2006T (newly added, purchased from Italy for ₹5 crore). “The facilities include night landing capability at Patiala airfield and training experience at Amritsar International Airport. The career in aviation is not limited to becoming a pilot as many students want to work in aviation but not necessarily as pilots,” he added.

For them, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the Punjab Government offers affordable technical education at Patiala Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (AME) College, which runs India’s most economical AME and B.Sc (Hons) programs.

The Chief Minister said that the 3-year B.Sc (Hons.) + 3-year Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)-approved AME program costs only ₹3 lakh in total whereas in other states, the same course costs ₹5–8 lakh. “33% of seats are reserved for SC and BC students thereby ensuring that new vistas in this field are opened for the common man,” he stated.

CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that more than 4,000 trained professionals from the Patiala Flying Club and College are working in major companies, earning an average starting salary of ₹1.5 lakh per month.

The Chief Minister said that key Indian airlines like IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, and SpiceJet, general aviation firms like Tecnam, Boeing, and VSR Aviation, charter companies and MRO organizations like the Adani Group and other flying clubs, where they serve as flight instructors are the main employers for the students of this prestigious institute. “The focus of his government is to ensure that youth become job givers instead of job seekers. This is the need of hour to carve out a progressive and prosperous Punjab by proactive involvement of the youth,” he asserted.

Extending good wishes to the students for their bright and prosperous future, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann expressed hope that they will carve a niche for themselves in the coming days. He exhorted the youth to stay grounded and believe in hard work as it is the sole key to success adding that there was a lot of scope of progress and prosperity on this land.

The Chief Minister urged the youth to carve out their own identity and strive to leave their mark in society, reminding them that the sky's the limit.

===============================

All Genuine Demands of Blind Unions Will Be Fulfilled: Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur

Directions Issued to Immediately Fill Vacant Posts Under the Divyang Quota; Meeting Held with Blind Unions*

Chandigarh, December 20:Under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government remains firmly committed to the welfare of every section of society and to inclusive development. In this spirit, the Minister for Social Security, Women and Child Development, Dr. Baljit Kaur, today held a meeting with representatives of blind unions of Punjab and listened seriously to their issues and demands.

During the meeting held at Punjab Bhawan, Dr. Baljit Kaur assured the blind unions that all their genuine demands would be addressed on a priority basis. She directed the concerned officers to initiate immediate action to fill the vacant posts reserved under the Divyang (Persons with Disabilities) quota at the earliest.

The Minister clarified that demands which can be resolved at the departmental level will be implemented without delay, while those requiring decisions at the government level will be taken up comprehensively with the government for appropriate action.

Dr. Baljit Kaur stated that the Punjab Government is making continuous efforts to empower persons with disabilities, promote their self-reliance, and integrate them into the mainstream of society. The meeting concluded in a cordial and positive atmosphere.

On this occasion, Additional Chief Secretary, Social Security, Women and Child Development Department, Vikas Pratap; Director Dr. Sheena Aggarwal; Joint Secretary Anand Sagar Sharma; Deputy Director Amarjit Singh Bhullar; Ravinder Singh Rahi, and other senior officers of the department were specially present.

=======================================

YEAR-ENDER 2025 - REVENUE BUILDING INFRA_

MANN GOVT ADVANCES CITIZEN-FIRST REVENUE ADMINISTRATION IN PUNJAB

NEW TEHSIL AND SUB-TEHSIL BUILDINGS ENSURING ACCESSIBLE AND TRANSPARENT SERVICES

Chandigarh, December 20:Punjab Revenue Minister S. Hardeep Singh Mundian on Saturday said that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann-led government is firmly committed to building a transparent, responsive and people-friendly revenue system across Punjab. He said that with this clear focus, the state government has launched a structured and time-bound programme during 2025 for the construction and inauguration of Tehsil and Sub-Tehsil buildings to improve ease of access to essential services.

The Revenue Minister said that keeping public convenience at the centre, several Sub-Division and Tehsil complexes have already been completed and made operational. He informed that during the year 2025, Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann inaugurated the SDM Complex at Dudhan Sadhan in district Patiala on June 9, 2025. Subsequently, SDM Complexes at Ahmedgarh and Amargarh in district Malerkotla were inaugurated on July 18, 2025. Similarly, the SDM Complex at Batala in district Gurdaspur was inaugurated on November 8, 2025. These initiatives, the Cabinet Minister said, are enabling citizens to access revenue and allied services closer to their homes in a smooth and dignified manner.

S. Hardeep Singh Mundian said that all newly constructed revenue buildings are being developed with modern amenities, public facilitation spaces and proper record management infrastructure. He added that services related to land records, registration and mutations are being streamlined to minimise delays and reduce repeated visits to government offices. The Mann government is working with a clear intent to lower public inconvenience and ensure that the revenue administration remains farmer-friendly and citizen-oriented, he added.

The Revenue Minister further said that to address long-standing difficulties faced by residents of several villages who earlier had to travel long distances for revenue services, rationalisation of jurisdictional boundaries has been undertaken during 2025. Village Namol has been shifted from Sub-Tehsil Cheema to the jurisdiction of Sub-Division Sunam Udham Singh Wala in district Sangrur. Similarly, villages Mahru, Tiwana and Tasalpur have been moved from Sub-Division and Tehsil Dudhan Sadhan in district Patiala to Sub-Tehsil Ghanaur of the same district.

He said that eight villages namely Manakpur, Khera Gajju, Urna, Changera, Ucha Khera, Gurditpura, Haditpura and Laihlan of Sub-Division and Tehsil Rajpura in district Patiala have been transferred to Sub-Tehsil Banur under Tehsil and district SAS Nagar Mohali. Besides this, a new Sub-Tehsil Ludhiana (North) has been created during 2025 by including seven villages from Tehsil Ludhiana (East) and two villages from Tehsil Ludhiana (West), namely Mahal Bagaat, Salem Tabri, Phamra, Tarf Sekhewal, Tarf Pirubanda, Tarf Burrha, Tarf Noor Bhaini, Tarf Karabara and Haibowal Kalan, further strengthening service delivery in urban and semi-urban areas.