Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday announced a development package worth ₹18.57 crore for Phagwara during the Aam Aadmi Party's Lok Milni programme held at Gandhi Chowk. The event was marked by unprecedented security arrangements across the city.
Development Projects Announced
The Chief Minister arrived at Gandhi Chowk in the evening and interacted with residents, party workers, and local representatives. He unveiled a comprehensive development package for the constituency, which includes several key projects:
- ₹1.20 crore for the installation of five tubewells
- ₹5.91 crore for improvement of key roads, including Palahi-Hoshiarpur Road, Railway Road, and the Sukhchain Nagar-Chandigarh Highway link road
- ₹5.21 crore for construction and upgrading of roads connecting Gandwan, Sugar Mill Road, Urban Estate, Dosanjh Kalan, Hargobind Nagar, and Chahal Nagar
- ₹87 lakh for the Heritage Street project at Gurdwara Sukhchain Sahib
- ₹2 crore for the construction of a rose garden
- ₹2.19 crore for urban street development works
- ₹97 lakh for streetlighting projects
- Additional grants of ₹30 lakh each for development works in Athouli village and other civic improvement projects
Security and Disruptions
Earlier in the day, Phagwara was placed under a heavy security blanket ahead of the Chief Minister's visit. Police installed barricades at several major entry points and roads, including Gandhi Chowk, Bazaar Bansanwala, Loha Mandi Road, Railway Road, and Sarai Road. The restrictions significantly affected normal movement within the city, and many markets witnessed low business activity as shopkeepers complained of reduced customer footfall and traffic disruptions.
Farmer Protests
Simultaneously, members of the BKU (Doaba), who had threatened to block the Chief Minister's passage, assembled at Dana Mandi and sought an audience with Mann over pending sugarcane dues amounting to nearly ₹28 crore allegedly owed by a sugar mill in Phagwara. Farmer leaders urged the district administration to arrange a meeting with the Chief Minister and warned of agitation if their grievances remained unaddressed. They were given an assurance of a meeting after the CM's rally.
House Arrest of Divyang Leaders
In another development, the police placed Divyang Action Committee state president Lakhvir Singh Saini and the organization's women's wing president Davinder Kaur under house arrest after they announced plans to submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister regarding issues affecting differently abled persons.
Preparations and Attendance
Municipal Corporation officials and employees remained engaged throughout the day in preparations for the programme, while PSPCL teams made contingency arrangements to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply. Hoshiarpur MP Dr. Raj Kumar Chabbewal, along with Mayor Ram Paul Uppal and other local leaders, supervised the preparations at the venue.
Prominent leaders present at the programme included Chabbewal, AAP district Kapurthala in-charge Sarbjit Singh Lubana, Improvement Trust Chairman Jarnail Nangal, Mayor Uppal, BC Wing Zone president Daljit Singh Raju, and senior AAP leader Santosh Gogi.
