Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, accompanied by former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Sunday paid obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib, Bhagwan Valmiki Tirth Sthal and Sri Durgiana Mandir to thank the almighty for the successful completion of three years of the state government.
Both the leaders said that they are blessed to have got the opportunity to serve the people of the state and herald a new era of unprecedented development and progress in state. Bhagwant Singh Mann and Arvind Kejriwal said that they are following the footsteps of great Sikh Gurus serve the people and vowed to give further impetus to development of the state.
They said that a vast change has been witnessed in Punjab in last three years and in coming two years state will lead the country in every field.The Chief Minister further said that on this day in 2022 he had assumed the charge of office at the native village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
He said that the people of the state had bestowed a huge responsibility on them by giving a thumping majority in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that since then his government has made strenuous efforts to make Punjab a frontrunner state in every arena.
The Chief Minister said that the state government had launched the guarantee to provide free power to the people in 2022 and since then 90% of the households in the state are getting free power and have got zero power bills. He said that this has reduced a big burden on the pocket of the common man by saving a huge amount of money for the poor households.
Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it is also a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that along with domestic consumers, the food growers of the country are also getting free and uninterrupted power in the state.The Chief Minister said that he had assumed charge of office in March 2022 and after a few months he got coal supply from Pachwara coal mines resumed.
He said that the state has created history by purchasing Goindwal power plant owned by a private company GVK Power. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that for the first time this reverse trend has started that a government has purchased any private power plant whereas in the past the state governments used to sell their assets to the favorite individuals at ‘throw away’ prices.
The Chief Minister said that to make youth an active partner in the socio-economic development of the state the Punjab government has given government jobs to them. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that for the first time in the history of the state, any government has given a record number of more than 51,000 jobs to the youth in 36 months of coming into power.
He said that it is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction for him that all the jobs have been given completely on the basis of merit, san any corruption or nepotism.The Chief Minister said that in order to impart quality healthcare services to people, the state government has set up 881 Aam Aadmi clinics across Punjab which have revolutionized the health care sector in the state.
He said that so far more than 2.70 crore people have taken the benefits of these clinics in the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that ever since inception these clinics have witnessed a huge footfall indicating that every third person of the state has taken benefit from these clinics.
The Chief Minister further said that Punjab Government is committed to make 118 Government Senior Secondary Schools as Schools of Eminence, equipped with smart classrooms,fully equipped labs and playgrounds for scientific learning. He said that due to all out efforts of the state government, the enrolment in government schools has been increased by around 17% in Pre- primary classes.
Bhagwant Singh Mann said that to upscale the expertise of the teachers special program has been embarked under which teachers and Principals are being sent abroad for training so that they are well versed with modern teaching practices to prepare the students for future competitions in the international arena.
The Chief Minister said that at the time when he had assumed the charge of office only 21% canal water was being used in the state for irrigation purposes. However, he said that it is a matter of great pride and satisfaction that today 75% of the canal water is being used for irrigation purposes.
Bhagwant Singh Mann said that his government has ensured availability of canal water to farmers at the tail ends, who were deprived of this for decades, on one hand and saving the precious ground water on the other.The Chief Minister said that in a major citizen centric initiative, the state Government has launched a new scheme namely Door-Step Delivery of Services under “Bhagwant Mann Sarkar Tuhade Dwar” to provide services to the citizens at their door-step on demand. H
e said that under the scheme, 43 citizen services have been identified which constitute more than 99% of the daily administrative works of people. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that people are immensely benefited from the availability of services at their places of residence.
The Chief Minister said that Punjab has complete communal harmony, peace and amity, which are mainly responsible for overall development and prosperity in the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that due to strenuous efforts of Punjab government so far investments worth around Rs 94,000 crore have been firmed up in the state in the last three years adding that leading companies like Tata Steel, Sanatan Textiles and others are making a beeline to invest in the state.
He said that it is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that companies are making optimum use of the congenial atmosphere backed by excellent infrastructure, power, skilled human resources and best industrial and work culture in the state to spread their business.
The Chief Minister said that to facilitate the people for undertaking a visit to the pilgrimage site of their choice, the state government has embarked on the Mukh Mantri Teerth Yatra Scheme. He said that this ambitious scheme is benefitting every strata of society in a big way as they can travel to the pilgrimage sites free of cost.
Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this is an unprecedented scheme which has been embarked for the first time in the country by any state adding that more than 35,000 pilgrims have benefited from it.The Chief Minister said that the state Government has launched first of its kind initiative in the country, a dedicated Sadak Surakhya Force to ensure enhanced security and to save precious lives on the state and National Highways.
He said that specially trained, freshly recruited 1597 personnel including girls are acting as the backbone to this force, who have been provided with the latest, fully equipped 144 vehicles and since its launch in February last year the state has witnessed a 48.10% reduction in casualties due to accidents.
Bhagwant Singh Mann said that several other states and even the Government of India has hailed this out of the box initiative of the state government.Meanwhile, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that it is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that the state government has taken historic decisions to serve the people in last three years.
He said that in the coming two years too the state will witness transformative changes due to strenuous efforts of the Bhagwant Mann led government. Arvind Kejriwal said that the major thrust of the state government will be on serving the weaker and underprivileged sections of the society.
The former Delhi Chief Minister said that all out efforts will be made to further dispense justice to the masses and put the state on path of high growth trajectory. He said that the state government has launched a crusade against corruption and menace of drugs adding that soon Punjab will be free from these social maladies. Arvind Kejriwal said that the focus is to make Punjab a peaceful, progressive and prosperous state besides making youth an active partner in this noble cause.