Thikriwala (Barnala), Jan 19 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday announced to convert an existing girls school at the native village of Praja Mandal movement leader Baba Sewa Singh Thikriwala into a nursing college.

He was here to participate an event to mark the 89th death anniversary of Thikriwala, according to an official statement.

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It will be a befitting tribute to the great martyr who sacrificed his life at the altar of the motherland, said Mann.

The nursing college will enable the girls of the region to excel in the medical field. It will also open new vistas of employment for them and usher in a new era of unprecedented development, Mann said.

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The chief minister exhorted the people to follow the ideals of public service set by Thikriwala in his life. He said Thikriwala waged a relentless battle against the aristocracy and steered the country towards freedom.

Mann urged the people to follow the footsteps of the great martyr in the fight against modern day imperialism in the form of dynastic rule.

Slamming the successive previous governments for “plundering” the money of the state, the CM said no development took place in Punjab, yet the leaders claimed that the state exchequer was empty.

Ironically, these governments did not take a single step for the welfare of the public but “looted” the taxpayers' money, he said.

“Due to the greed of these leaders, Punjab suffered serious setbacks,” he said.

Taking a swipe at former Congress leader Manpreet Singh Badal, who joined the BJP on Wednesday, Mann said the former finance minister used to claim that the state's coffers were empty and he will now empty the coffers of the saffron party.

Mann said the state government is focussing on imparting quality education to children of the state and a soon a school of eminence will be set up to enable the students of government schools compete with their convent-educated peers.

The state will soon be leading the country in the field of education, health and employment, he said.

He also announced that the native village of Thikriwal will be transformed into a model village equipped with ultra-modern facilities.

Mann further said the state government will pass a resolution in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha for naming the upcoming Halwara airport after Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)