November 16, 2022, marks a special significance in the politics of Punjab as Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) completes its 8 months of governance in the State. On March 10, 2022, AAP etched its name in history as it won the election in a full-fledged State for the first time and spread its wings outside New Delhi (Union Territory). Punjab which was witnessing a shaky government due to the Congress infighting elected AAP with a landslide majority on 92 of the 117 seats. After winning the elections, Bhagwant Mann assured the people of Punjab by saying, 'You have fulfilled your responsibility very well, now it is my turn to fulfill my responsibility.' Not only this, the newly-elected Punjab CM had assured the people that changes would be visible in a month. With Mann's government having completed 8 months of governance, it has multiple hits and governance. Not only this, but AAP came into government with a plethora of promises including free electricity, One MLA One Pension, an Anti-Corruption help-line number, and more. With the government finally completed 8 months, below is where the State is standing and which promises of the Mann government are yet to be fulfilled-
1) Free Electricity
The AAP government fulfilled its major poll promise of making 300 units of electricity free for household residents. On July 1, the Mann government walked the talk and announced 300 free electricity. Within months, several residents got zero bills. Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema had presented AAP's first budget and in it, he informed the house that the government has kept Rs 1800 crore aside to bear the loses if any. To be precise Cheema said that the 300 free units would cost the exchequer Rs 1,800 crore. Reports suggested that the power bill is expected to cross Rs 20,000 crore (including free power) this fiscal even as an amount of Rs 7,117 crore is due from the previous fiscal. The government would incur an expenditure of Rs 6,947 crore on free farm power and Rs 2,503 for subsidy to industry. However, during the budget session, Cheema pointed out the One MLA One Pension through which the AAP tried to manage the cost and lessen the pressure from the ex-chequer.
2) One MLA One Pension
Aam Aadmi Party's One MLA One Pension scheme was brought One MLA One Pension Scheme. The scheme was approved for the sole cause to save move for the exchequer. One MLA One Pension, is a totally different approach from the past when legislators would get pensions for supplementary terms too. Reportedly, this move is expected to save the state exchequer around Rs 19.53 crore. With the implementation of the Bill, every MLA will get only one pension of Rs 75,150 per month irrespective of the terms for which he is elected. Earlier, former legislators were getting pensions as high as Rs 3 lakh per month. Another aim behind the scheme was to bear the burnt from the free electricity scheme.
3) Farming Sector and Stubble Burning
Punjab Government came out with multiple schemes in order to boost the agriculture sector and increase the farmer's income. For instance DSR technique- to encourage farmers to take to direct sowing of rice (DSR), Punjab government announced a bonus of Rs 1500 per acre to those farmers who would take to this technique. The move is aimed at saving underground water. Furthermore, the State government also announced minimum support price for Moong Dal in order to push the farmers to get out of the wheat-paddy cycle. The government claimed that about 1.29 lakh acres of moong dal was sown this year which was double the area sown last year.
One major obstacle which the Punjab Government faced in the past 8 months is stubble burning. Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government came under the scanner of opposition for not being able to stop stubble burning which contributed to the deteriorating AQI of India. The situation turned so much that CM Bhagwant Mann and AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal made a joint press conference in it and asked the people of Punjab to give their government more time in order to lay out their strategies much more efficiently. After the press conference, Punjab Government in another initiative made it mandatory for all the brick kilns to use 20 percent of straw as fuel. Setting six months deadline for the brick kilns across the state to prepare for the same, the government has made it clear that strict action would be initiated against those who fail to shift to the new system after May 1, next.
4)Ex gratia doubled
The AAP government has doubled ex-gratia to the soldiers dying on duty from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore and also announced a government job for their next of kin. The Cabinet also approved a 40% increase in rates of cash in lieu of land given to winners of distinguished services awards, which would lead to greater satisfaction for these awardees and motivate others for selfless service to the nation in the future.
5) Anti Corruption helpline number
Bhagwant Mann-led AAP came into the power on many promises and stopping corruption was among the top reasons. Walking the talk, the CM launched a 24X7 anti-corruption helpline asking the residents to inform the vigilance bureau about any demand of bribe by any government official. The helpline was well received.
Rs 1000 per month to women
AAP's other lucrative poll promise was to give Rs 1000 per month to women. However, in its span of 8 months, the government has not been able to fulfill its promise of giving Rs 1,000 per month to all women above 18 years of age. It was one of the key poll guarantees announced by AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal in the run-up to the Assembly polls. The government may not implement this scheme in this fiscal.
6) Punjab Industrial development
For sustainable industrial and business ecosystem in the state, Punjab chief minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann approved the draft industrial and business development policy. He added that the policy will facilitate availability of skilled manpower to the industry while, setting a target to attract ₹5 lakh crore investment in five years, increase the share of secondary sector in GSDP to 30% and tertiary sector to 62% and increase the employability of the youth through skilling and increase employment opportunities in the state.
Mr. Amit Thapar, Chairman CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) Punjab state and Director, Ganga Acrowools Ltd, spoke exclusively to True Scoop News and lauded Bhagwant Mann-led government for their push in the Industrial sector. Amit Thapar also pointed out how the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab is different from the previous government in terms of the industrial government. Not only this, but Amit Thapar also discussed a few points which need to be improved or amended to skyrocket the industrial growth of Punjab.
Mr. Amit Thapar said, "Bhagwant Mann-led AAP has provided a great push in Punjab's industrial growth. The government is very proactive and has introduced a draft of the Industrial and Business Development Policy 2022." However, Mr. Thapar pointed out that the price of electricity is currently high for industries, and, he also expressed hope that with discussions it will be sorted out. "Apart from electricity prices, the government has indeed made a major push in the industrial sector. The electricity price is currently under negotiation."
Pointing the difference between the previous government and the AAP rule, Mr. Thapar said, "In the last government we have to deal with bureaucracy. However, under the AAP rule, we can deal with both bureaucracy and the government as well. Therefore, our grievances can be dealt on a speedy manner."
On the completion of 8 months, Mr. Thapar suggested that moving forward, the Punjab Government should come up with two major decisions. One is airports in cities like Jalandhar or Ludhiana another being liberal renewable energy resources. "Our wishlist is that Punjab Government improves the infrastructure and develops a national-level airport in Jalandhar or Ludhiana to improve logistics. Apart from this, the Punjab government must come up with liberal renewable energy resources as well or at least some policy over clean and green energy."
Law and Order
Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in Punjab has been under the scanner of the opposition in the context of law and order. At first, the Mann government was dented by high-profile Sidhu Moose Wala's killings and now, the murder of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri has yet again eclipsed AAP's governance. For the unversed, Shive Sena leader Sudhir Suri was killed in broad daylight by two miscreants while he sitting on a dharna in the presence of Police outside Gopal Mandir. Although Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav warned everyone to stick to the facts and wait for the investigation to complete, reports emerged that the Shiv Sena leader was on the hit list of Khalistan outfits. Not only this, gangster-terror links emerged yet again in the case. Following the incident, Punjab Government tightened the screws on the prevailing and increasing gun culture in the state. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab imposed a ban on songs promoting gun culture and violence, prohibited the flaunting of weapons, and ordered a review of all existing arms licenses in the state.
The state government was under fire from the Opposition-- the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-- over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Concerns over law and order have heightened after back-to-back murders of Shiv Sena (Taksali) leader Sudhir Suri in Amritsar and Dera Sacha Sauda follower Pardeep Singh in Faridkot, in one week.
Mixed reaction on the ground
True Scoop News reached out to the common people of Punjab on the completion of 8 months of AAP's governance and asked whether their expectations from the current government are getting fulfilled or not. A resident of Tarn Taran expressed his disappointment with the Punjab government saying that there is no development visible on the ground yet. "The villages of Punjab are in the same state as left by the previous Congress government. Except for vehicle fares and electricity bills, no major development has been done," said the resident from Tarn Taran. He further outlined the problem of drugs in Punjab. "We voted AAP so that the prevailing drugs situation will be curbed, however, no major crackdown against has taken place. In fact, drugs are being sold in the open. If the peddlers get arrested today, they are released tomorrow. Although Mohalla Clinic and free electricity bill is commendable, the main issue is drugs which are not lessening."
A student studying Bachelor of Arts (BA) in one of the government colleges stated that the law and order have improved as compared to the last government, however, the conditions of government college from the inside is not good. "Students like us are unemployed and our colleges look good from the outside but from the inside the infrastructure is poor. Also, Professors are irregular means sometimes they come sometimes they don't. I am impressed with the tightening law and order."
A female coach taking her students to participate in an inter-college sports fest lauded the Punjab government and also pointed out some changes which need to be done. "As it is only 8 months, we cannot expect many things. Like our sports team is going to take part and this field Punjab CM Mann has launched Kheda Watan Punjab Diyan to promote sports culture in the State and that is commendable. On the job front, the government has done a good job like recruitment in Punjab Armed Forces is out. However, the actual reality will come once the candidates get recruited and we will get to know whether the corruption system is gone or not. Talking about poll promise, most of the government is famous to implement their promise in their last year of governance and AAP is yet to bring Rs 1000 for the women's scheme which was promised. Seeing the situation, I think it will be approved in their last year of governance."
She further added that prize money for winners should also be increased under Kheda Watan Punjab Diyan. "You are giving Rs 15,000 to winning teams which have 15 to 16 members, meaning not even one thousand per head, so prize money must be increased. Talking about employment, no doubt the government has offered jobs but it has benefited people of other states. Therefore they must come up with a solution so that people of Punjab can benefit from it as compared from people of other states."