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Punjab: Sangrur medical college to see light of day soon, assures CM
The work has been stalled since 2022 owing to a land dispute; according to the chief minister, the hurdles are being cleared and the medical college will be opened soon
The Sant Attar Singh Medical College in Sangrur is set to open soon, chief minister Bhagwant Mann said on Thursday. A land dispute caused the delay in the project, but the hurdles are being done away with and the college would be opened soon, said the CM who was in Cheema village to inaugurate a community health centre (named after Sant Attar Singh) with upgraded facilities.
A senior official, wishing not to be named, said tenders for the medical college and hospital would be floated by June. “The college will be built near the Sports Authority of India facility in Bahadarpur village,” he said.
The project was announced in 2022 but the work had been stalled due to a dispute between the Sant Attar Singh Gursagar Mastuana Trust and another religious body. Originally budgeted at ₹407 crore, the project’s estimated cost had risen to approximately ₹700 crore by 2025.
Regarding the ₹11.70-crore community health centre, the CM said the 30-bed facility would benefit thousands of people living in the area. Mann also interacted with patients and their families at the hospital, inquiring about their well-being and reviewing the facilities. “Due to lack of facilities earlier, patients were routinely referred to Sangrur, Patiala and Ludhiana. Now, the hospital is equipped with modern machines and dedicated emergency and mother-child wards,” he said.
The CM also recalled the contribution of Sant Attar Singh (1866-1927) in the fields of education and social service.
Flays Centre over BJP office attack in UT
Regarding the attack outside the BJP office in Chandigarh, CM Mann criticised the central government, asserting that a Union Territory under central control cannot become a ground for political blame-shifting. “The BJP should refrain from baseless statements on this issue as the UT area is under the jurisdiction of the administrator. If Punjab demands Chandigarh, it is labelled as a separatist, but on the other hand the Centre runs away from its duty to maintain law and order there,” Mann said, adding that he is blamed by the BJP for everything that happens in the UT, right from farmer agitation to agitation in Panjab University.
Drawing a contrast between governance models, he said the AAP government was reducing the financial burden on people but the Congress-led government in Himachal Pradesh was imposing “unjust entry taxes” on people.
Regarding drug abuse, Mann rejected calls to legalise drugs. “It is illogical. One drug cannot be allowed to replace another. This malady should be removed by channelising the youth energy,” he said while hailing the the ongoing anti-drug drive (Yudh Nashian Virudh).
‘Previous govts prioritised political gains’
In Fazilka, the chief minister accused the Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP of allegedly misleading the public with hollow promises. Inaugurating and laying foundation stones for development projects worth ₹283.99 crore, he said, “People will not be misled anymore. They will send these parties into political oblivion in 2027.”
“The previous governments prioritised personal and political interests over public welfare. they remain focused solely on regaining power to plunder the state’s wealth. But AAP government is committed to transparency and people-centric development,” he said while highlighting 65,000 government recruitments, free electricity to 90% of households, and healthcare coverage of up to ₹10 lakh for 65 lakh families under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna.
