Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann took a sharp dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi while responding to remarks related to responsible spending and avoiding unnecessary foreign travel.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday while flagging off a batch of 72 teachers to Finland for training along with Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, Mann said the Prime Minister should first stop his own foreign visits before advising citizens to avoid overseas travel.
“PM Modi is currently in the Netherlands. He tells people to avoid foreign trips, but he himself is travelling abroad. Why can’t the Prime Minister work from home?” Mann remarked sarcastically, adding, “Can’t there be a ‘Prime Minister Work From Home’ model?”
The Punjab CM further accused the Centre of distracting people from real issues. He also criticized the recent increase in petrol and diesel prices, saying the government had raised fuel rates by ₹3 per litre while merely asking citizens to clap plates and follow symbolic gestures.
Mann also said the Punjab government would not allow voters’ names to be removed through the SIR process in the state and warned that the matter could be challenged in court if necessary.
CM flagging off a batch of 72 teachers to Finland for training along with Minister Harjot Singh Bains.
72 Teachers Sent to Finland for Training
During the event, Mann said Punjab’s education reforms were transforming government schools and credited the efforts of the Aam Aadmi Party and party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal for bringing education, healthcare and electricity to the center of political discourse.
He said Punjab has already sent 234 principals and education officers to Singapore for leadership development programmes, while the latest batch of 72 primary teachers has been sent to Turku, Finland, for advanced training till May 29.
Calling it the biggest batch so far, Mann claimed the results of earlier international training programmes were already visible in Punjab’s school education system. He cited recent survey findings, saying Punjab had outperformed states like Kerala, Maharashtra and Haryana in several educational indicators, including mathematics, science, languages, smart schools, teacher-student ratio and computer facilities.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the achievements of government school students, mentioning that several students from a government school in the Dhuri constituency scored above 97 percent marks and featured in merit lists.
He added that three girls who topped Class 12 examinations were also active sportspersons, saying the state’s focus was on overall development alongside academics.
Earlier Batches Sent to Singapore
Mann recalled that on March 8, the Punjab government had sent the seventh batch of 36 principals to Singapore for training. He had then described the initiative as a “golden chapter” in Punjab’s educational history, saying better-trained teachers and principals were helping improve enrollment and education standards in government schools.
The Punjab CM further claimed that the state has become the first in India to provide international-level training to more than 300 teachers and principals, setting a new benchmark in government education.
