Abhishek Vij
Under the leadership of Bhagwant Mann, the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab has completed 4 years in office. At this juncture, looking back from the perspectives of both the government and the common man, an assessment is being made regarding the nature of the Mann government’s governance in Punjab over these four years. An evaluation of this four-year period reveals that it has been a time of welfare for Punjab. The Bhagwant Mann government has demonstrated concern for all sections of society—ranging from the common man to farmers, and from children to the elderly and women. Now, assembly elections are scheduled to take place in the state next year.
Voters will undoubtedly take the state government’s achievements into consideration. It would be even easier for voters to make an informed decision regarding their franchise if the remaining tasks are also completed within this final year. Let us discuss what Punjab has gained under the governance of the Bhagwant Mann administration. Foremost is the battle against unemployment; as the Chief Minister himself has stated, during the tenure of previous governments, securing a government job without bribes or political recommendations was virtually impossible. Today, the recruitment process has been rendered transparent and free of corruption. The Mann government claims to have provided 65,264 jobs during these years.
A major achievement of the Mann government has been lifting the long-standing freeze on government recruitment. It would be even more beneficial if additional jobs are created during the remaining year, and if the policy of paying only the basic salary to new recruits for their first three years is also reconsidered. Compared to governments formed by other political parties, the Bhagwant Mann administration has taken bold decisions regarding the release of pending dues owed to government employees. This represented a financial burden of Rs 14,000 crore, which the government is gradually clearing.
The Punjab government has recently implemented a new industrial policy. This policy adopts an approach that moves away from the quagmire of red tape, aiming instead to provide investors with a smooth, accessible, and conducive business environment. This is, without a doubt, a commendable initiative. Turning to agricultural policy, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has stated that finalizing the state’s agricultural policy will take some time. The government intends to deliberate on this matter by constituting a committee of experts. In reality, a hurdle standing in the way of announcing this policy is the Rural Development Fund arrears owed by the Centre to Punjab. Once these funds are released, the announcement of this policy will follow swiftly.
Over these past four years, the government has undertaken significant work toward ensuring accessible and affordable healthcare for the common citizen. Regardless of their age or income bracket, every ordinary citizen has been provided with access to free medical treatment facilities worth up to Rs 10 lakh. Punjab stands as the only state across the entire country to offer free medical treatment facilities up to this limit. Furthermore, the ‘Aam Aadmi Clinics’ and ‘Mohalla Clinics’ established by the Bhagwant Mann government across the state have garnered praise even on the international stage. In addition to free diagnostic tests, these clinics have now begun providing treatment for major ailments as well.
To date, 881 ‘Aam Aadmi Clinics’ have been operationalized within the state. So far, over 50 million people have received medical treatment and consultation at these facilities. For the remaining year of its tenure, the Bhagwant Mann government has announced plans to open an additional 200 new clinics.
Thus, by the time the first term of the Bhagwant Mann government concludes, a total of one thousand ‘Aam Aadmi Clinics’ will be fully operational across the state. Another noteworthy achievement of the Mann government has been the closure of toll plazas within the state whose stipulated operational tenures had expired. Previously, toll plazas that had completed their designated terms continued to levy tolls on the public. The Bhagwant Mann government took cognizance of this issue and ordered the closure of 17 such toll plazas. With a specific focus on the youth, the Mann government has taken special initiatives to promote sports across Punjab.To this end, a substantial financial allocation was also made in the recently presented budget.
In its efforts to provide quality school education to underprivileged children, the government has not only established ‘Schools of Eminence’ but has also significantly upgraded the standards of existing government schools. Furthermore, the special campaign launched by the Bhagwant Mann government in the state to crack down on drugs and crime is yielding successful results. We can say that the four-year tenure of the Mann government has been commendable.