Ajnala, Jan, 20: The establishment of a new Government Degree and Vocational Training College at Bikraur stands as a decisive intervention by the state government to address historical neglect in the Ajnala border belt. Previously, students in this sensitive region were forced to travel nearly 40 kilometers to Amritsar for higher studies, a hurdle that often led to higher dropout rates among girls.
During the foundation stone ceremony, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that his government is working tirelessly to create a ‘Rangla Punjab’ where the youth are not forced to leave the country. He noted that the state has already provided regular jobs to more than 63,000 youth based strictly on merit to reverse the trend of migration.
“Previous governments ignored this challenge and ruined the system, forcing young people to look outside the country,” the Chief Minister mentioned. He noted that by bringing modern education—including AI and vocational training—to the doorstep of border residents, the government is giving wings to the aspirations of the local youth.
The event also touched upon the welfare of border farmers. The Chief Minister shared that the Central Government has given in-principle approval to shift the border fence closer to the international boundary. This move is expected to facilitate unhindered cultivation for farmers who previously had to cross the fence under security escort to access their land.
Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains and senior leader Manish Sisodia also spoke at the event, describing the college as a path-breaking step. Sisodia mentioned that it was unfortunate that no college existed within a 70 km radius in Ajnala for so long, and the current administration is now delivering on its promise to empower the region’s residents.
