The Aam Aadmi Party's senior leader and Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, ahead of by-election, briefed the press here in Jalandhar about the exceptional performance of Bhagwant Mann led AAP government in its one year of rule.
Addressing the media, on Sunday, the finance minister said that the new excise policy, introduced by the AAP government, fetched revenue with a record increase of 41%. He said that a historic increase in revenue is registered in many departments of Punjab since the formation of an honest government in the state.
He slammed SAD-BJP and Congress governments and said that they did nothing to increase the revenue of the state but it used to be the opposite most of the time there was revenue dip during Akali and Congress governments.
He said that the main reason for the revenue decrease was various mafias like excise mafia, liquor mafia and transport mafia. These mafias, with the help of leaders of Akali, BJP and Congress, used to loot the exchequer of Punjab.
He said that since the people of Punjab have elected an honest government with a huge mandate last year, the loot and corruption has been stopped. He said, the national convenor Arvind Kejriwal has taught us honest politics.
Cheema said that as a result of pro-people decisions of the AAP government the faith of our youth is being restored in Punjab. They're returning home and want to work here.
He added that the GST collection has increased by about 17% also because people want to contribute to the development of the state when they know that their money is being used to facilitate them.
He said that an exemption of 2.25% was given on stamp duty for land registration and due to this revenue collection has enhanced from Rs 339 crore in February to Rs 658.68 crore in March which is about 70% increase.
The AAP leader said that traditional parties do politics on the basis of religion, communal tension or by misleading the people and promising them the moon, but the AAP does the politics of work and honesty.
He said that the Mann government started the work of generating employment, giving government jobs and regularising of temporary employees since day one. Akali and Congress governments used to sleep for the first four and half years but we advertised 26,554 jobs after our first cabinet meeting, gave jobs to 28,000+ youths and regularised thousands of employees.
Harpal Cheema said that, for the first time in the history of the state, the government has released all the pending subsidy worth Rs 20,200 crore of PSPCL. He added though earlier PSPCL symbolised loss due to wrong policies of the successive state governments but the AAP government will clear all pending subsidies of the PSPCL.
Mentioning the other achievements of the Mann government he said, with per month 300 units free electricity now 90% households of Punjab are getting zero electricity bill. We fulfilled our guarantee of 1 crore ex-gratia also.
The education budget was increased by 17% this year and rejuvenation of government schools is undergoing. School of Eminence are being built and teachers are going abroad for their training.
Cheema said our national convenor Arvind Kejriwal promised Punjab a revolution in the sectors of education and health and the Mann government has been working diligently since day one to fulfill that promise.
We've opened more than 500 Aam Aadmi clinics across the state and also implemented One MLA one pension scheme to save taxpayers' money. He added that the AAP government, cracking down on corruption, has arrested many corrupt politicians and officers.
Answering a media query Harpal Cheema said that some people, driven by political vendetta, are levelling baseless allegations against our CM Bhagwant Mann but in truth Bhagwant Mann is the most hard working and honest CM of Punjab. He said that previous chief ministers used to stay absent from the secretariat office for months but our CM and ministers are working day and night to make Punjabi 'Rangla' again .
Thanking the party's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjabi president Bhagwant Mann for entrusting him with the responsibility of Jalandhar by-poll, Harpal Cheema said that, impressed by the performance of Mann government and the policies of AAP, people will vote for them to make party candidate victorious by a huge margin.He said that the AAP candidate Sushil Kumar Rinku will become the voice of Punjab and Punjabis in the parliament.
After the press conference where he was accompanied by AAP Jalandhar by-election candidate Sushil Kumar Rinku, MLA Sheetal Angural, MLA Jagbir Brar, AAP Punjab general secretary Harchand Singh Barsat and secretary Rajwinder Kaur Thiara, Harpal Singh Cheema with the other leaders paid obeisance at various religious places in Jalandhar including Dera Sachkhand Ballan, Shri Devi Talab Mandir and Gurdwara Patshahi Chhevi, Basti Sheikh.