The AAP on Sunday presented a report card of seven months of its government in Punjab, and hit back at opposition stating that the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has ushered in a new age of politics in the state by removing the corruption and mafia culture patronised by previous governments over the past seven decades, according to a press statement.
Addressing a press conference at the party's headquarters, Punjab Housing and Urban Development Minister Arora slammed previous Congress, SAD, and BJP governments for plunging the state into massive debt and claiming that most of their leaders were involved in malpractices and filled their own coffers, whereas the AAP government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against corruption in order to restore the state's lost glory.
The Information and Public Relations Minister stated that the Mann government made historic decisions in seven months that prior governments had failed to make in the previous 70 years of their rule.
He said that the AAP is creating jobs as promised during election campaigns. The administration has regularised the services of 9000 teachers and has begun the process of regularising the services of the other 28000 contractual staff.
The administration has also begun the process of filling 26,000 vacant positions in various government agencies and boards, in addition to filling 2500 positions in various cadres in the Police Department.
He stated that an anti-corruption helpline has been established in Punjab to tackle corruption. “The one of biggest achievements of the Mann government is cracking down on corrupt leaders. In the past seven months, the state government has arrested over 220 influential people, senior politicians and bureaucrats who had looted the Punjab and were being patronized by the successive governments,” the Minister said while addressing the media.
In response to a media question on current investigations into opposition figures, Arora stated that, unlike previous governments, the AAP does not engage in vendetta politics and that actions will only be taken against them if the investigation team finds them guilty in the probe.
Arora stated that, under the energetic leadership of CM Mann, the state government has made a slew of pro-farmer initiatives, such as awarding MSP on Moong as the third crop after acquiring it at an MSP price of Rs.7275 per quintal.
For the first time, he said, load enhancement fees on tubewells would be reduced from Rs.4750 to Rs.2500 per HP as a one-time gesture for farmers. To prevent ground water depletion, a subsidy of Rs.1500 per acre has been provided for Direct Seeding of Rice.
Similarly, the price of sugarcane increased by Rs.20 per quintal, from Rs.360 to Rs.380. Summer Moong has grown in size from 54,363 acres to 1,28,495 acres. In addition, the administration approved pending compensation for farmers affected by severe weather and flooding.
Arora stated that 100 Aam Aadmi clinics will be dedicated to the people of the state in order to give free and high-quality health care at their doorstep, while 16 new medical colleges will be built in the state.
The government has also opened the Dr. Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital in Mullanpur to provide cancer patients with high-quality care. Aside from that, the administration has cracked down on illegal encroachment and released panchayat land worth crores, which would be used for the benefit of the general public.
Arora slammed the SAD party, claiming that the Badal government held Kabaddi tournaments but spent the money on actresses. However, the Mann administration has planned 'Kheda Vattan Punjab Diya,' in which Rs 6 crore will be awarded to sports players in order to urge young people to keep away from drugs and actively participate in sports. The government also recognised Commonwealth Games athletes.
Lashing out at previous CM Charanjit Singh Channi, the Cabinet Minister stated that previously only large hoardings were installed in the state and electricity benefits were given to a specific section only, but the AAP government is now providing 600 units of electricity free of charge per billing cycle to every household, regardless of caste. Not only that, but the AAP government has waived all pending invoices for citizens and reconnected all disconnected connections in such a short period of time.
Ending the monopoly of private operators in Punjab, AAP launched government Volvo buses to Delhi airport and changed the timetable; as a result, state-owned transportation is now profitable.
He also stated that an Anti-Gangster Task Force had been formed to eliminate gangsters, and that many notable criminals had been apprehended.
Minister Arora reiterated his government's commitment to bringing reform to the state, saying that the AAP is a pro-people and pro-farmers government. The CM Mann is working hard to rename the state 'Rangla Punjab,' and the work done in Punjab over the last seven months is proof of that.