Mann gets into action in Punjab with focus on unemployment, farmers and corruption

After the resounding victory of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, Bhagwant Mann took the oath as the Chief Minister on March 16. On March 19, ten AAP MLAs were inducted into his cabinet. 

The new cabinet decided on March 19 to undertake recruitments for 25,000 government jobs in the state. Of these, 10,000 jobs will be in Punjab Police.

Mann says, “Job opportunities for Punjab’s youth will be the topmost priority of the AAP government.” Unemployment has been one of the major issues that the AAP had raised during the just-concluded state assembly polls.

Mann asked his party MLAs to not come with any sifarish (recommendations) for the vacant positions.

On the occasion of Holi, the AAP government has released Rs 101 crore as compensation for damage to cotton crop due to pink bollworm. The party said that this move was taken as the farmers faced heavy losses and this compensation was long-awaited.

Mann announced that his government would launch an anti-corruption helpline number on March 23 that will allow people to upload videos of corrupt officials asking for a bribe or indulging in other malpractices

In a virtual address to the AAP legislators and ministers on March 20, Delhi chief minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal gave them best wishes instead of congratulating them. He said, “As Mann Sahib (Bhagwant Mann) has said, we have wasted 70 years and are short of time. Mann Sahib will give you targets. A day of 24 hours will not be enough. You will have to work 30 hours a day. If you do not meet the targets, then people will say change the minister. Then you will feel bad, but we will have no option but to replace you.”

The Cabinet has also cleared supplementary demands for grants for 2021-22 to be presented in the ensuing Vidhan Sabha session.

It has given its go-ahead to the presentation of Vote on Account for the expenditure from April 1 to June 30.