Ferozepur: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday announced a Rs 25-crore heritage complex at Hussainiwala and said private schools in Punjab would not be allowed to increase fees by more than 5%.Addressing the state-level Independence Day function at Cantonment Board Stadium here after hoisting the Tricolour, Mann said the govt had taken a major step to prevent education from becoming a business.Earlier, Mann, accompanied by his wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur, paid tributes to martyrs at the Shaheed Memorial in Hussainiwala.Mann said Punjabis had made a major contribution to India’s freedom struggle and paid a heavy price during Partition. He said attempts to disturb Punjab’s peace and communal harmony would not succeed.“There are a few forces which are trying to disturb the peace of Punjab and are trying to harm the communal harmony of the state. But I want to give a stern warning to all of them that Punjab’s land is very fertile. We can grow any crop here, but seeds of hatred can never germinate in this soil. We are a community who seek ‘Sarbat Da Bhala’ every day by praying in gurdwaras. Assi mohabbat de phul ugande haan, nafrat de nahi (We grow flowers of love and not hatred),” Mann said.He said the govt was prioritising education, health, employment, sports and administrative reforms, and claimed that more than 65,000 govt jobs had been provided across departments in the past four years.Mann also highlighted efforts to strengthen sports infrastructure and promote athletes, saying a record allocation had been made for sports in the 2026-27 budget, besides financial assistance for players’ preparation and prize money.He said the Punjab govt was committed to making the state the “dream Punjab” of the martyrs and appealed to people to work towards strengthening the country’s unity, integrity and brotherhood.Mann also said that ‘Vande Mataram’ was sung for the first time at an Independence Day govt programme in Punjab.
