NEW DELHI/Chandigarh, June 12 -- 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 Punjab is a frontline state sharing a 553km border with Pakistan. "The state faces a deep and multidimensional crisis that includes persistent cross-border terrorism, drone-based smuggling of heroin and weapons..This has resulted in a drug addiction epidemic among youth, organised crime and daily hardship for farmers cultivating land between the security fence and the international border under BSF escort," the CM said. The CM urged the Centre to recognise Mohali and the area within a 50km radius as a "National Knowledge and Education Hub". "This recognition will strengthen Mohali's global competitiveness, attract investments and international partnerships, and promote innovation-led growth in support of India's vision of becoming a leading knowledge-based economy," he said. The CM further proposed the development of the Mohali region as a "National Knowledge and Innovation Region" through integrated planning and the creation of world-class infrastructure. Making a strong case for Punjab's role in India's semiconductor future, the CM urged the Union government to establish an all-in-one Integrated Semiconductor Mega-Cluster (ISMC) in Mohali under the Semiconductor Mission. The CM said that the NITI Frontier Tech Hub road map lays out a clear vision for India's semiconductor future and Punjab is uniquely positioned to contribute significantly to that vision. Mann reminded the gathering that the Union government has already committed Rs.4,500 crore towards the modernisation of SCL Mohali. Urging the PM to maximise the benefits of this investment, Mann said, "The programme should be leveraged to transform Mohali into an all-in-one Integrated Semiconductor Mega-Cluster."...