FOUR YEARS PASSED, BUT NO WORK DONE; JOKES CANNOT FILL STOMACHS: CM NAYAB SINGH SAINI, BASELESS OPPOSITION TO VB-G RAM G ACT; PUNJAB GOVERNMENT MUST EXPLAIN STEPS TAKEN FOR WELFARE OF LABOURERS: CM, PUNJAB GOVERNMENT INDULGING IN POLITICS INSTEAD OF SOLVING DRUGS AND UNEMPLOYMENT ISSUES: CM

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Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, targeting the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, said the country and the states need experienced, responsible and public welfare–oriented governance. Politics should not be a means to enjoy power, but a medium of service; however, the Punjab Government has reduced it to the pursuit of power alone. Referring to the Guru tradition of Punjab, the Chief Minister appealed to the people to reject injustice and the politics of lies, and contribute towards strengthening good governance based on development, honesty and national interest. 

The Chief Minister was addressing a public meeting in Samrala, Ludhiana district of Punjab, on Sunday. 

Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said the model presented by Haryana can become the foundation of good governance across the country. Therefore, in the coming time, the people of Punjab should show the way out of power to those who seek votes by telling lies. He assured that if a government is formed in Punjab under the leadership of Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi, all the schemes whose benefits are being provided in Haryana will also be extended to the people of Punjab. 

The Chief Minister said that whether it was the Congress government earlier or the present Aam Aadmi Party government, both failed to fulfil the promises made to the people of Punjab. In contrast, the double engine government in Haryana made 217 promises during the Assembly elections and fulfilled 54 of them within just one year. 

Questioning the Punjab Government, he asked it to clarify how much compensation it provided for the loss of livestock during the recent floods in the state. He said the double engine government in Haryana has provided compensation to farmers for crop damage, loss of livestock, and damage to houses. 

Taking a jibe at those indulging in the politics of lies, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that Punjab Chief Minister Sh. Bhagwant Mann claims that the Punjab Government will provide compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre for crop damage, whereas Aam Aadmi Party leader Sh. Arvind Kejriwal goes to Gujarat and claims that their government has provided compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre to farmers. He said this is a government of lies which is not working in the interest of the people. 

The Chief Minister said that in Haryana, the state government has transferred Rs 1,400 crore directly into farmers’ accounts under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana. In addition, over the past 11 years, Rs 15,500 crore has been provided to farmers as compensation for crop damage. He challenged Punjab Chief Minister Sh. Bhagwant Mann and Congress leaders to state how much compensation they provided to farmers during their tenures. 

Jokes cannot fill stomachs; 4 years have passed, but no work has been done 

He said that people judge governments by work done on the ground, but the Punjab Government is trying to fill stomachs with mere words. Taking a jibe, he said that jokes cannot fill stomachs; four years have passed, but no work has been done. Today, the people of Punjab are asking what happened to the promises made to them. He said the Punjab Government had promised to provide Rs 2,500 per month as financial assistance to senior citizens, but even after four years, this promise has not been fulfilled. In contrast, the double engine government in Haryana is providing Rs 3,200 per month as ‘Samman Bhatta’ to senior citizens. 

The Chief Minister said the Aam Aadmi Party and Congress had promised financial assistance to women in several states. In Punjab too, a promise was made to provide Rs 1,100 per month to women, but even after four years in power, not a single rupee has been given to any woman. On the other hand, the Haryana Government fulfilled its Sankalp Patra promise by implementing the Lado Laxmi Yojana and is providing Rs 2,100 to women. 

He said that Haryana is providing the highest sugarcane price of Rs 415 to farmers. The Haryana Government is continuously carrying out development and public welfare works at a rapid pace. The state government is procuring all crops of farmers at MSP. So far, Rs 1.64 lakh crore has been transferred into the accounts of 12 lakh farmers. He asked the Aam Aadmi Party government to clarify whether it will procure all crops of Punjab’s farmers at MSP. Similarly, he questioned Congress leaders whether they ever procured all crops at MSP during their rule. 

Baseless allegations by AAP on VB G Ram G Act 

Commenting on the resolution passed by the Aam Aadmi Party government in the Punjab Assembly on December 30 against VB G Ram G Act, the Chief Minister said it was surprising because the resolution contained no data, no facts, and no suggestions for improvement. He said they are opposing the Act brought by Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi, but the Punjab Government should first explain what steps it has taken for the welfare of labourers in the state. 

He said that during social audits under the MGNREGA scheme in Punjab, thousands of cases of financial embezzlement have come to light in thousands of gram panchayats. However, neither action has been taken against the guilty nor have labourers been compensated. When Union Agriculture Minister Sh. Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited Punjab, labourers complained that they were not receiving their rightful dues under MGNREGA and that contractors were siphoning off the funds. According to a social audit conducted in only 5,915 out of 13,304 gram panchayats, around 10,663 cases of financial embezzlement were found, yet no action was taken. Even after the Central team highlighted the issue, no recovery was made. No action was taken against those responsible for corruption, and public funds meant for wages were filled into the pockets of those who had not earned them. He said that Haryana is providing the highest daily wage of Rs 400 to labourers in the country. He added that the VB G Ram G Act will further strengthen and empower labourers. 

Sh. Nayab Singh Saini also questioned the Punjab Government on issues of drugs and employment, asking it to clarify how many youths have been provided employment in four years, how many have been brought out of drug addiction, and what action has been taken against those involved in the drug trade. He said that in Haryana, 34,000 youths have been given jobs in the past one year through a transparent process without bribes or recommendations. The government is also making concrete efforts to keep youth away from drugs. 

He said the youth of Punjab are distressed due to drug abuse and unemployment and are being forced to migrate abroad through illegal routes. However, the Punjab Government has failed to provide any permanent solution and is only indulging in politics. 

He said the Aam Aadmi Party had opened Mohalla Clinics in Delhi where even medicines were not available. Similarly, in Punjab, a promise was made to establish 16,000 Mohalla Clinics. By running such schemes, the Punjab Government has made a mockery of the people’s mandate. 

On this occasion, BJP State President Sunil Jakhar, Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu, District President Bhupinder Singh Cheema and Rajbir Dhiman also welcomed Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini and, while addressing the public gathering, criticized the Aam Aadmi Party government. 

Present on the occasion were the Chief Minister’s OSD Dr. Prabhleen Singh, Executive President Ashwini Sharma, Sardar Sanjay Singh Sareen, Sardar Ranjit Singh Gill, Sardar Kanwaljeet, Sardar Jitender Singh, along with other dignitaries and a large number of people.