Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Friday said that the state has witnessed corruption free administration, revolution in health and education sector, revenue growth and war against anti social elements during the past one year of Bhagwant Mann government.
Addressing a press conference, Cheema said successive governments pushed Punjab on the verge of disaster. He said Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and Bharatiya Janata Party governments patronised gangsters, mafia and corruption while forcing the Punjabis to migrate abroad.
“Now, the Mann Government streamlined the government system and adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption due to which many influential and powerful people including former ministers were lodged into the jail for incessant corruption and looting the state exchequer,” the minister added.
Cheema said intentions of the Aam Aadmi Party government of using public money and property for public use only were clear as it implemented single pension for MLA instead of the earlier provision of permitting multiple pensions for every tenure, launched campaign to take possession of illegally encroached more than 9000 acres of government land.
Cheema, who is also the planning, excise and taxation minister, said his departments excise and taxation have also made significant contributions in the state revenue by registering 45 per cent increase in excise and 23 per cent increase in GST as compared to financial year 2021-22.
He said the Mann led government had implemented major guarantees like 26797 new jobs to youth, 500 Mohalla Clinics, 300 units per month free power and Rs One Crore ex-gratia to martyrs’ families during this year. The minister said 117 schools of eminence have been started in the state.
Cheema said they have not only made efforts to save ground water but it was for the first time that a Punjab Chief Minister has taken a firm stand on SYL issue whereas the past CMs were doing either lip service or politics on this issue.
Disclosing the steps taken to weed out corruption, mafia and Gundaraj, Cheema said in the war against anti-social elements 567 arrests have been made by the Anti-Gangster Task Force and 380 were arrested under anti-corruption crusade.
Assuring to implement that old pension scheme (OPS) soon, Cheema said that two different committees, one headed by him and second by chief secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua to draft the standard operating procedure for the implementation of this scheme for government employees better than the flawed policy implemented by Rajasthan.