Bhagwant Singh Mann reached Kotkapura on Thursday evening as part of his Shukrana Yatra.Kotkapura, which witnessed police firing on sacrilege protesters in 2015, was chosen by the Chief Minister to thank people for supporting the enactment of a stringent anti-sacrilege law.Addressing a gathering, Mann said previous governments had deliberately failed to deliver justice in sacrilege cases linked to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji due to what he termed their “ambiguous intentions” and lack of political will. He said the newly enacted Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Amendment Act 2026 provides for punishment up to life imprisonment in sacrilege cases. He also said that custodians of persons pretending to be mentally ill to evade conviction would be held accountable.Targeting the Shiromani Akali Dal, the Chief Minister said Kotkapura would forever remain a symbol of the alleged high-handedness and disrespect shown towards Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and the Sikh Panth during previous regimes. He accused earlier Akali and Congress governments of promoting nepotism and corruption while shielding those responsible for desecration incidents.Highlighting the achievements of his government, Mann said free electricity was being provided to 90 per cent of households in the state and more than 65,000 youths had been given jobs without corruption. He also said the closure of toll plazas had saved people around Rs 70 lakh daily.The Chief Minister further stated that canal water utilisation in Punjab had increased from 21 per cent to 68 per cent since his government assumed office, with a target of raising it to 85 per cent before the upcoming paddy season. He said the state had laid 14,000 kilometres of new pipes and watercourses to strengthen irrigation infrastructure.Mann also announced the Maavan Dheeyan Satkar Yojana, under which women in the state would receive financial assistance directly in their bank accounts. Under the scheme, women will receive Rs 1,000 per month, while women belonging to Scheduled Castes will get Rs 1,500 per month. He said nearly 97 per cent of women in Punjab are expected to benefit from the scheme, for which Rs 9,300 crore has been allocated in the state budget.The Chief Minister added that the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana had extended free health insurance coverage of up to Rs 10 lakh to all 65 lakh families in Punjab. According to him, over 30 lakh health cards have already been distributed, while nearly 1.65 lakh people have availed free treatment under the scheme so far.