Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said his government was creating employment opportunities within the state so that young people could build their future at home instead of being compelled to migrate abroad in search of work.
Addressing a 'Lok Milni' programme at Kamalpur village in the Jagraon constituency of Ludhiana district, Mann said his government had provided more than 70,000 government jobs to young people purely on merit, without payment or political recommendations.
During the programme, he also handed over a cheque for Rs 51 lakh to the village sarpanch for comprehensive development works.
๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ป ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ
The Chief Minister said young people had earlier been forced to look for opportunities abroad because of a lack of employment prospects in Punjab. He alleged that government recruitment had often been influenced by money and political connections under previous administrations.
"Our youth are getting opportunities through a transparent recruitment process, without paying a single penny or seeking recommendations," he said.
Mann maintained that merit was now the sole criterion for securing government employment in the state. He said creating opportunities for young people within Punjab was essential to enabling them to remain connected to their families and contribute to the state's development.
He also asserted that political power should be used to serve the public rather than protect privilege or accumulate wealth, citing the problems faced by ordinary people under previous governments.
๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐, ๐๐ธ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ
Mann criticised Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal leaders, accusing them of focusing on political power struggles rather than Punjab's progress.
He alleged that leaders of the Congress, Akali Dal and BJP shared a common objective of removing him from office because his government had prioritised public welfare.
"Congress, Akali and BJP leaders never miss an opportunity to target me and even my family, but they rarely speak against one another. Their common agenda is to dislodge me because we are working for the people of Punjab," he said.
"My greatest strength is the support of the people, and with that strength, we will continue to defeat those who work against Punjab's interests," he added.
The Chief Minister also recalled former chief minister Amarinder Singh's tenure, claiming that voters had rejected a government that remained disconnected from their everyday concerns.
๐ฆ๐๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐น ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐
Taking a dig at the Akali Dal leadership, Mann questioned its understanding of Punjab's geography, language and ground realities. He also criticised the Badal family's political heir over his command of Punjabi.
"Leaders who remain disconnected from the state's language and ground realities cannot effectively represent its people," he said.
Mann further alleged that political rivals maintained cordial social relations while making divisive statements against one another for political gains, creating discord among people.
๐ ๐ฎ๐ท๐ถ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ
The Chief Minister also referred to the Punjab Vigilance Bureau's filing of a final chargesheet against Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a disproportionate assets case on Wednesday.
Mann asserted that the chargesheet would make it difficult for Majithia to escape accountability. The case concerns allegations of assets disproportionate to known sources of income.
The remarks came amid continued political exchanges between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and opposition parties in Punjab, with Mann defending his government's record on employment and public welfare.