Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, while addressing the Punjab Legislative Assembly during the discussion on the Governor’s Address, outlined the transformative development agenda of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government and criticised Congress members for staging a walkout from the House, asserting that their departure clearly demonstrated an inability to face the undeniable progress and developmental milestones achieved by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government.
Highlighting the Punjab Government’s focus on youth empowerment and employment, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the AAP Government began its tenure with a strong message by issuing advertisements for 30,000 government jobs. “To date, the administration has successfully provided 63,000 government jobs to the youth of Punjab. This monumental initiative has successfully restored the younger generation’s faith in the state government, serving as a critical check on the concerning trend of brain drain.”
Speaking about skill development, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stated the Punjab Government has also taken major steps to strengthen technical education and pointed out, “Furthermore to address the growing demand for skill development, the government has increased Industrial Training Institute (ITI) capacity by 20,000 seats,” while adding that under previous administrations Punjab’s 35,000 ITI seats frequently remained vacant.
Turning to the issue of drug eradication, the Minister said previous ruling parties failed to curb the menace of drugs in Punjab and reminded the House that “the infamous term ‘Chitta’ originated during the tenure of the SAD-BJP alliance. Captain Amarinder Singh took a solemn oath holding the holy Gutka Sahib during the 2017 assembly election campaign but completely failed to curb the menace during his regime.”
Highlighting the action taken by the AAP government, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, “In stark contrast, the AAP government is driving the final nail into the coffin of the state’s drug trade through the aggressive launch of its ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign.”
Speaking about social justice and equality, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema recalled his time as the Leader of the Opposition and said earlier governments had ignored his demand for Scheduled Caste reservation in the recruitment of government lawyers. “Today, under the AAP Government, this reservation has been officially introduced, resulting in the successful recruitment of 58 lawyers from the weaker sections of society.”
On the agricultural front, he highlighted the Bhagwant Mann Government’s efforts to strengthen irrigation infrastructure and said, “The AAP Government has ensured canal water irrigation for thousands of acres of farmland, a vital resource that had been neglected for decades.”
Concluding his address, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema reaffirmed the commitment of the present government and declared that “the Punjab Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann stands as the only government to have successfully fulfilled all the guarantees pledged to the people of Punjab.”