Chandigarh, March 16
Presenting the report card of one-year performance of Punjab government, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday said that the government under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has ushered a new era of politics in Punjab by eliminating the corruption, mafia culture and generating new employment as well as providing best health and education facilities to people of Punjab during their one year regime.
Addressing a press conference here at party’s headquarter, Punjab General Secretary and Mandi Board Chairman Harchand Singh Barsat along with chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang, lashed out at previous Congress, SAD and BJP governments for pushing Punjab into colossal debt and said that most of their leaders were indulged in malpractices and they filled their own coffers, but on the contrast, AAP government is working dedicatedly to bring back the lost glory of the state.
Listing the achievements of the AAP government, Harchand Singh Barsat said that the Mann government took historic decisions in just the first year which the previous governments had failed to take in the past several decades. Barsat said that the Mann government repaid Rs. 36,000 crores of debt, which previous governments had taken loans at very high interest rates. To facilitate common people and fulfill its poll-promise, over 500 Aam Aadmi Clinics were opened so far and there 10.50 lakh patients received free treatment. He said that 1,353 medical staff have been recruited in 2022-23 under various categories of which 271 are Specialist Medical Officers, 3 Pharmacy Officers, 53 Staff Nurses, 520 Multi-Purpose Health Workers, 480 Ward Attendants, etc.
He said that 26,797 jobs successfully generated in the government and its agencies by the AAP government, almost 90% of Punjab’s households are now getting Zero Electricity Bills, the government has opened public sand mines people to provide them affordable sand unlike previous tyrant rulers. Likewise, Rs.2,000 crore bailing out given to different government societies and boards. The government also released 6% DA from October 2022, implementing UGC pay-scales and the 2nd National Judicial Pay Commission. The financial impact on State exchequer on account of these is to the tune of Rs.1,150 crore.
He said that 30,312 famers have been provided with an incentive of Rs.1,500 per acre for adopting the practice of Direct Seeding of Rice, for which Rs.25 crore has been paid. AAP Government for the first time procured Moong crop at MSP and transferred a total amount of Rs.79 crore benefitting 20,898 farmers. An allocation of Rs.125 crore for these two initiatives.
Stating that the government is committed to protect the environment as well as interests of farmers, the paddy straw burning incidents were reduced by 30% this year as the Rs.350 crore allocated under the Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanism, to provide various machines by the government. The government has also provided free power to the tune of Rs.9,064 crore in 2022-23.
Barsat said that the government is setting up new godowns at 13 locations, 6 godowns by March 2023 and for completion of remaining 7 projects Rs.100 crore is allocated. Under the Shaheed-E-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh Hariawal Lehar, against a target of 50 lac saplings, 54 lac saplings have already been planted.
Divulging further details, Malvinder Singh Kang said that to provide international level training to government school staff, 36 principals/education officers were trained at the Principals Academy, Singapore and another batch of 30 principals has also been sent this month. Schools of Eminence 117 schools have been identified for upgrading them as “Schools of Eminence”. On pilot basis, work for upgradation has already started at 4 schools of district Amritsar.
To ensure that SC and OBC students don’t remain deprived of education, Rs 18 crore was kept for the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme. After a gap of 13 years, Government Polytechnic College for Girls, Ropar which was closed since 2009 has been re-opened in the year 2022.
He said that“Khedan Vatan Punjab Diyan-2022” was conducted from Block to the State level. The prestigious Shaheed-E-Aazam S. Bhagat Singh Raj Yuva Award and two youths from each district would be selected and honored with a medal, an amount of Rs.51,000 and a Certificate.
Cracking down on the gangster-culture, he said that the anti-gangster task force (AGTF) has arrested 567 gangsters, neutralized 05 gangsters, busted 156 criminals, recovered 563 weapons and 125 vehicles used in criminals activities. However, the previous government patronized them and due to this, the crime situation deteriorated in the state but now under Mann government law and order situation is intact.
Reiterating his government’s commitment to bring reform in the state, Barsat said that AAP is a pro-people and pro-farmers government. CM Mann is working dedicatedly to make the state as ‘Rangla Punjab’ again and the work done in the past one year in Punjab is a testament of it. He stressed that most of the poll-promises have been fulfilled by the Mann government in the first year and remaining will be fulfilled very soon.
