Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday launched a pilot project to shift electricity lines underground in his native village Satoj in Sangrur district, saying the initiative would pave the way for Punjab to become the country’s first state with pole-free villages.
The project, estimated to cost around ₹8 crore, will see 41 km of service cables, seven km of high-tension lines and 9.5 km of low-tension lines laid underground. A total of 384 electricity poles will also be removed from the village.
Mann said the project aims to prevent crop fires, electrocution incidents and power cuts caused by overhead electricity lines. He said underground wiring would also improve the appearance of villages and reduce electricity leakage.
The Chief Minister said trenchless drilling machines would be used to lay underground cables without digging roads. He added that accidents involving tractors and combine harvesters frequently occur due to overhead wires.
Recalling the deaths of three youths from the village due to electrocution involving a combine machine, Mann said the project was dedicated to ensuring such incidents do not happen again.
He described the “Satoj model” as a first-of-its-kind initiative that could serve as a model for the rest of the country.
Mann also spoke about the state government’s healthcare and welfare schemes, including the “Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna” and “Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna”.
Cabinet Ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Tarunpreet Singh Sond were also present at the event.
