Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday accused the opposition of indulging in a malicious campaign against him in the absence of any substantive issue, saying its leaders are frustrated because they cannot digest the “unprecedented” pace of development.
Addressing a gathering after handing over appointment letters to 801 newly recruited employees in Mohali, Mann claimed, “I challenge these leaders to prove even a single allegation of corruption against me or quit politics. Because they cannot digest the unprecedented pace of development and public welfare initiatives being undertaken by our government, they are frustrated. Because they cannot accept that an ordinary person, without any political dynasty or inherited power, is working for the ordinary people of Punjab, “Leaders of these parties are now working hand in glove to defame me.
Taking a dig at the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Congress, Mann alleged that these parties collectively pushed Punjab towards “economic and social distress through their self-serving politics”. Our answer to their allegations will always be our work, our achievements and the smiles on the faces of ordinary families,” he said.
Mann said the appointments had taken the total number of government jobs provided since the AAP government took over in 2022 to 71,777. He added that every appointment had been made strictly on merit and announced that job letters for another 600 would be issued next week. The new appointments are in the Punjab state power corporation limited and the departments of forest, general administration, prisons, cooperative, social security, public works, housing, labour, and home. Motivating the newly appointed employees to aim higher, he exhorted them to prepare for the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) examinations and aspire to become IAS (Indian Administrative Service) and IPS (Indian Police Service) officers.
He said every appointment represented the dreams of a young person and the aspirations of an entire family. “Our government has ensured that talent, and not political connections or money, determines the future of Punjab’s youth,” he added. “Our government is strengthening educational infrastructure and creating institutions of excellence so that children from ordinary and underprivileged families can reach the highest positions in the country’s administrative machinery,” he said.
