Chandigarh: Water Resources and Mining Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal on Sunday described the Budget presented by the Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab government as progressive and farmer-centric, stating that the financial roadmap will accelerate irrigation reforms and bring greater transparency and efficiency in the mining sector. He said the government has achieved a historic milestone by doubling canal irrigation capacity within three years, with coverage increasing from 2.23 million acres in 2022 to 5.3 million acres by April 2026. The government has also proposed a budgetary outlay of ₹2971 crore for the Water Resources sector in 2026-27 to expand canal irrigation and strengthen last-mile connectivity.
The Minister said several key projects have been announced to improve irrigation infrastructure. The remodelling of the Mahorana Distributary and construction of the Malerkotla Minor, costing ₹288 crore, will provide canal water for the first time to 55 villages covering nearly 44,000 acres in the Malerkotla region. Similarly, the Kathgarh Lift Scheme Stage-II will bring canal water to the semi-hilly and water-scarce areas of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district. The project will lift water from the Bist Doab Canal to irrigate around 5,500 acres across 24 villages, reducing dependence on groundwater and saving electricity.
Highlighting other achievements, Goyal said systematic cleaning and modernization of canals has increased surface water utilisation to 6.6 million acre feet, while canal water has reached 1,365 locations for the first time in decades. He also said the government has strengthened flood protection after the 2025 floods by identifying 371 mitigation projects worth over ₹1500 crore. In the mining sector, Punjab has secured the first rank in the State Mining Readiness Index of the Ministry of Mines, and the state’s mining revenue has more than doubled within a year from ₹260 crore to over ₹500 crore due to transparent policies and strict enforcement.
