Do you know that 7.58% of Punjab's total wheat production comes from Bathinda, and another 7.58% comes from the Sangrur district? How many food processing industries are there in these areas that could provide better prices for farmers and bring prosperity to the region?
With Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announcing the ‘Meri Rasoi’ scheme to provide free pulses, sugar, oil and spices to nearly 40 Lakhs families, the welfare push is clearly moving deeper into the kitchen. But as subsidies expand from electricity to healthcare to now complete grocery support, the bigger political question is whether the Government is strengthening household security, or steadily turning governance into a freebie economy where relief replaces long-term income growth. Is Meri Rasoi a nutrition safety net for the poor or another step toward a model where the state runs the kitchen while jobs and earnings remain the missing ingredient ?
पंजाब के मुख्यमंत्री भगवंत मान द्वारा ‘मेरी रसोई’ योजना के तहत लगभग 40 लाख परिवारों को मुफ्त दाल, चीनी, तेल और मसाले देने की घोषणा के साथ, कल्याणकारी नीतियों का दायरा अब रसोई तक पहुँच गया है। लेकिन जब मुफ्त बिजली, स्वास्थ्य सेवाओं और अब पूर्ण राशन सहायता जैसी योजनाएँ लगातार बढ़ रही हैं, तो बड़ा सवाल यह है कि क्या सरकार परिवारों की आर्थिक सुरक्षा मजबूत कर रही है या शासन धीरे-धीरे ऐसी व्यवस्था बनता जा रहा है जहाँ राहत, स्थायी आय और रोजगार के विकल्पों की जगह ले रही है। क्या 'मेरी रसोई' गरीबों के लिए पोषण सुरक्षा है या एक ऐसा मॉडल जहाँ सरकार रसोई संभाल रही है, जबकि कमाई के अवसर अब भी सबसे बड़ी कमी बने हुए हैं ?
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has highlighted free power for over 90% households, 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics, daytime power for farmers and the purchase of a private thermal plant as proof of strong welfare governance. But with Punjab’s debt rising and limited growth in jobs, industry and revenue, critics argue the model may be leaning more toward political comfort than economic correction. As subsidies expand and liabilities grow, the larger concern is whether short-term relief is being prioritised over long-term stability. Is the Mann Government building a sustainable development model for Punjab or relying heavily on subsidy politics to manage public sentiment ?
