Law and order, rise of radicals, debt burden — major challenges
A year after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power with a promise of badlav (change) in Punjab with a thumping majority, it did not score high in all the state subjects, but its overall performance by and large remained impressive. The AAP Government virtually scored an “A” grade in the ‘war against corruption’ category by not even sparing its own men. But the party failed to project an impressive performance in its report card with not-so-good ratings in overall maintenance of the law and order situation in the State.
Witnessing several ups and downs during its one-year regime, AAP Government made major strides in education, health, and employment generation with the party fulfilling its major poll ‘guarantees’ of providing 300 units of free power, setting up mohalla clinics, sending teachers for training abroad, providing sand at affordable prices, among others.
However, the series of incidents related to law and order situation, rise of radicals, cross-border terrorism activities, increasing gangsterism, mounting debt burden, coupled with allegations of being remote-controlled by Delhi kept the ruling regime under constant attack of the opposition parties.
When the nascent AAP swept the 2022 assembly polls with a record 92 seats, Punjabis had high hopes and even higher expectations with the first non-Congress and non-Akali Dal government in over five decades in the State. No doubt AAP made several achievements in one year, it continued to face the Opposition’s severe criticism for being “inexperienced” to rule the border state.
Crackdown on Corruption
Adopting zero tolerance against corruption, AAP cracked down against his own ministers and MLAs, besides putting behind bars three former Congress Ministers in separate corruption cases, with vigilance inquiries against many of them in disproportionate assets cases. It sacked Health Minister Vijay Singla over alleged corruption, arrested Bathinda rural MLA Amit Rattan Kotfatta, with another Minister Fauja Singh Sarari resigning over similar allegations.
Fulfilling Guarantees
AAP Government, in July 2022, announced 300 units of free electricity, followed by upgradation of 117 ‘Schools of Eminence’, setting up of 500 Mohalla Clinics, regularizing around 8,000 teachers and other government employees, providing sand at Rs 5.50 while opening public mining sites, providing 26,797 government jobs, among others.
Challenges
Maintaining law and order, cross-border terrorism, revival of radicals, and mounting debt burden has emerged as major challenges for the AAP Government. Few months after it came to power, the state witnessed targeted killings including Sidhu Moosewala murder, terror attacks on police buildings in Mohali and Tarn Taran, gangsters operating crime networks from abroad, extortion threats, increased activity of drones from across the border, among others.
DGP Yadav said that there were six major heinous crime incidents including an RPG attack at Intelligence Headquarters building at Mohali; murder of Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh alias Sidhu Moosewala; killing of Bargari sacrilege accused Pardeep Kumar; RPG attack at Sarhali police station in Tarn Taran; killings of Sudhir Suri and Bhupinder Singh Chawla alias Timmy Chawla, that took place since April 2022, and the Punjab Police have managed to effectively solve all these cases in a record time.
The recent attack on Ajnala police station by the supporters of Khalistani sympathizer and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh has also posed a threat to the state peace and harmony. Also, the ongoing dharna by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha, which includes radical Sikh organizations, demanding release of nine ‘Bandi Singhs’ (Sikh prisoners) is keeping security agencies on tenterhook.
In addition, the Government faces a massive debt burden of Rs 3.2 lakh crore, with the state’s total power subsidy bill jumping to a whopping Rs 20,243.76 crore.
Miles To Go…
Even though AAP has fulfilled many of its pre-poll guarantees, another major promise of Rs 1,000 to every 18-plus women is yet to be fulfilled, with the same finding no mention in this years’ budget.
Govt claims Punjab’s law and order situation improved under AAP regime
Punjab Police on Wednesday claimed that the law and order situation in the border state has witnessed a considerable improvement as the majority of criminals and gangsters have been put behind bars, or forced to leave the state amidst a strict vigil on the movement of anti-social elements.
“In last few months, Punjab Police conducted many special operations to instill a sense of security among the general public and increase the presence of cops to infuse fear among anti-social elements. The operations, including Cordon and Search Operations (CASOs), raids at hideouts of dreaded gangsters, special vehicle checking operations, Operation Seal, night domination operations, among others were conducted,” said the spokesperson.
As per the official data from March 16, 2022, to March 15, 2023, Punjab Police busted 26 terror modules with the arrest of 168 terrorist or radicals after recovering 31 rifles, 201 revolvers/pistols, 9 tiffin improvised explosive device (IEDs), 8.72Kg RDX and other explosives, 11 hand grenades, two sleeves of disposed rocket launcher, 30 drones, and one loaded Rocket Propelled Grenade.
The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), since its formation on April 6, 2022, has succeeded in busting 162 gangster or criminal modules after arresting 582 gangsters or criminals and neutralizing five, after recovering 586 weapons, 131 vehicles used in criminal activities.
AAP Govt fulfilled most of pre-poll promises within first year: Minister
Punjab Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer on Wednesday asserted that the AAP-led State Government fulfilled most of the promises made to the people within the first one year. Hayer, during an interview on a private channel, said that the honest intentions of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to work for the welfare of all the sections of the society led to progress on every front.
The Mining Minister said that it was decided to give affordable sand to the public at Rs 5.50 per cubic feet from public sites, and so far, people have bought 3.71 lakh metric tonnes of sand from these sites. “The labourers are earning one to one and half lakh daily from this pro people initiative. The goal of the government is to take the number of public sites to 150. The Government's aim is to end mining and provide sand to the people at reasonable prices,” he added.
