Listen To This Post

Chandigarh: Marking four years of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday said his government had fulfilled the guarantees made to the people through what he called a “politics of work”, while accusing the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP of focusing only on power politics.

Addressing the media, Mann said the people of Punjab had rejected traditional parties in the 2022 Assembly elections with the hope of change and that the AAP government had lived up to that trust. “The Punjab government has started a new tradition in politics by fulfilling promises within four years, something other parties often fail to do even in five,” he said.

Focus on Power, Jobs and Irrigation

Listing the government’s achievements, Mann said the state introduced free electricity for households, ensured eight hours of daytime power supply for farmers, and expanded canal irrigation coverage to 78 per cent of agricultural land.

He said the government had created over 65,000 jobs in four years, and that private investment had generated around 5.5 lakh employment opportunities. According to the Chief Minister, the state has attracted investments worth ₹1.55 lakh crore through the Invest Punjab initiative.

Education, Health Initiatives

On education, Mann said the government had strengthened government schools through what he described as a “Sikhya Kranti”, including the installation of over one lakh desks, 9,000 smart classrooms and 5,000 computer labs.

He said more than 15,000 teachers had been recruited and that principals and teachers were being trained in Finland, Singapore and the Indian Institutes of Management.

In the health sector, the Chief Minister highlighted the opening of 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics, which he said had recorded over five crore patient visits so far.

He added that the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna provides cashless treatment of up to ₹10 lakh per family and that seven new medical colleges are being established across the state.

Anti-Drug Drive, Action on Gangsters

Mann said the state government’s anti-drug campaign “Yudh Nashean Virudh” had resulted in over 68,000 FIRs and more than 92,000 arrests, with 5,480 kilograms of heroin seized and properties worth ₹760 crore linked to drug smugglers confiscated.

He also said the police crackdown on organised crime through operations such as ‘Gangsteraan Te Vaar’ had led to over 14,700 arrests of gangsters and proclaimed offenders.

Road Safety, Infrastructure and Welfare

The Chief Minister said the launch of the Sadak Surakhya Force had led to a 50.12 per cent reduction in road accident deaths, while over 47,000 accident victims had received timely assistance.

He added that 40,000 kilometres of rural link roads were being rebuilt and that 13,414 village ponds had been cleaned across Punjab.

Among welfare measures, Mann highlighted the Mukh Mantri Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojna, under which women receive ₹1,000 per month, and said 90 per cent of households now receive zero electricity bills under the state’s power subsidy scheme.

Opposition Criticism

Aiming at the BJP, Mann said its promise of depositing ₹15 lakh in every citizen’s bank account had proved to be a “jumla”. At the same time, the Punjab government had delivered on its commitment to provide financial assistance to women.

He also accused opposition parties of prioritising political power over the state’s welfare.

“Congress, Akalis and BJP are worried about their chairs, while our concern is saving Punjab,” he said.

Mann also criticised what he termed attempts to introduce religion-based politics in the state, saying such efforts would not succeed in Punjab. The Chief Minister said the coming year would focus on accelerating development and investment in the state.

He announced that Tata Steel would begin operations in Punjab on March 20 and said the state was planning to build an international cricket stadium in Amritsar. Punjab is also likely to host the Asia Cup hockey tournament, he said, adding that the government remained focused on employment generation, development and strengthening law and order.