Chandigarh, March 16 – Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated on Monday that his government has fulfilled all its pre-election promises within four years of its term, and the state is progressing.
Mann was addressing journalists here on the completion of four years of the AAP government in the state.
He also released a booklet titled 'Significant Achievements in Four Years, Under Bhagwant Mann's Leadership'.
Lashing out at previous governments, Mann said they were unable to fulfill their election promises made in their manifestos within five years of their terms.
However, he claimed that the AAP government has fulfilled all its promises within four years.
"Punjab is on a path of progress," Mann added.
Mann detailed his government's achievements, including providing 300 units of free electricity to domestic consumers, providing electricity to farmers during the day, opening 'Aam Aadmi Clinics', and providing cashless medical treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana.
He said that under the AAP government, canal irrigation reached 78 per cent of fields, 65,000 government jobs were created, and 5.5 lakh employment opportunities were generated.
Mann also stated that the government's anti-drug campaign, 'Yudh Nashian Virudh', record investments of Rs 1.55 lakh crore, and road safety reforms through the Sadak Surakhya Force reflect the government's focus on rebuilding Punjab.
Addressing opposition parties, Mann said that while the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal, and the BJP are concerned about power, the AAP government is focused on saving Punjab and will not allow "divisive politics" to succeed in the state.
Mann said, "The Punjab government has set a new tradition in politics by completing all promises in four years, whereas parties are unable to do so even in five years."
Following the AAP government's formation in 2022, Mann stated that opposition parties raised questions about the free electricity promised to households. "We fulfilled our first election promise in July," he said, referring to the 300 units of free electricity offered to households.
There were no conditions attached to providing electricity, he said, adding that almost 90 per cent of households are receiving free electricity, which translates to a monthly benefit of Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 per household.
He also spoke about the resumption of coal supply from the Pachwara coal mine and the purchase of a 540 MW private power plant for Rs 1,080 crore.
Mann further stated that his government established 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics in the state, with more than 200 more clinics expected to be established.
He informed reporters that the number of OPD visits in these clinics exceeded 5 crore, indicating people's trust in their services.
The chief minister further stated that his government launched the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, under which cashless medical treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh will be provided to every resident family.
Referring to the establishment of 'Sadak Surkhya Force', Mann said that this has resulted in a 49 per cent decrease in road accident deaths in the state.
He claimed that this initiative has been well-received by many states.
"Seven new medical colleges are being built in Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Sangrur, SBS Nagar, Lehragaga, Malerkotla, and Ludhiana," the chief minister said, adding that the state will have around 600 new MBBS seats, giving students more opportunities to study medicine within the state.
He said that more than 40,000 kilometers of rural link roads are being rebuilt, and this is the largest road repair scheme ever undertaken in Punjab's history in a single year.
On the agricultural front, Mann stated that Punjab farmers are receiving Rs 416 per quintal for sugarcane, which is the "highest price" in the country.
"Farmers received Rs 20,000 per acre compensation for crop loss, which is the highest compensation anywhere in India," he added.
A total of 1.58 lakh crop residue management machines have been provided to farmers on subsidy to tackle stubble burning, he said.
On law and order, Mann stated: "The Punjab government launched 'Gangsteraan Te Vaar' and 'Operation Prahar' to ensure that organised gangs are not able to operate from the soil of Punjab."
So far, 44,424 raids have been carried out by teams of 12,000 policemen, which have led to the arrest of 14,722 gangsters, including 711 proclaimed offenders, the chief minister added.