India, June 12 -- NEW DELHI/Chandigarh

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday strongly raised the state's long-pending concerns before the NITI Aayog governing council, seeking special category status and a financial package for the revitalisation of border areas.

The CM demanded that Punjab should be accorded 'special category status' with 90:10 funding under all centrally sponsored schemes along the lines of hill states, North Eastern states and Jammu & Kashmir.

Addressing the meeting, the CM highlighted the extraordinary security, economic and social challenges faced by Punjab as a frontline border state and asserted that the state's aspirations are fully aligned with the national goal of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Mann said Punj...