Bhagwant Mann’s one month in office: a mixed bag of sops and controversies

Soon after taking over office, Mann had announced 25,000 jobs for youth in Punjab government in his first Cabinet meeting. The jobs are yet to be advertised. He had stated that he had asked the officials to work out the details and notify the decision soon.

He had also announced that his first decision would be to give employment to youth.  His second decision was to regularise services of 35,000 contractual employees. However, the implementation of the decision will be difficult as a Supreme Court judgment may come in the way.

In another pathbreaking decision for the cash-crunched state, Mann has done away with multiple pensions for the legislators. Several legislators were taking more than Rs 3 lakh pension per month. This was a major issue in the state.  The CM had announced an anti-corruption helpline on the occasion of martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh asking the residents to inform on the helpline if any official was seeking bribe. The helpline has got a good response. Two cases have been registered against officials seeking bribe.

The government has also announced a cap on hike in school fee. The parents have welcome this decision. Another decision to provide foodgrains under atta dal scheme at beneficiaries’ doorstep has also been taken. The implementation is awaited.

The CM has also asked the field officers to go to the field and listen to the grievances of the people in their area. This could go a long way in empowering people. Mann had promised before elections that he would get the officers to provide services at the doorsteps.

He has also announced to set up at Chief Minister office in every district and a nodal officer to liaison with the CMO in Chandigarh to sort out people’s issues.  The government has also set up anti-gangster task force to nail the problem of gangsters in the state.

Controversies

The government has stirred up a few controversies in its one-month rule. It gave the Opposition a handle when senior officials of the government met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to take a decision on 300 free units of power to every household, as guaranteed by Kejriwal to the residents of Punjab before elections. The meeting was not attended by Bhagwant Mann himself. The Opposition has bashed the AAP government stating that the protocol did not allow Punjab bureaucrats to discuss any issue related to Punjab with the Delhi CM. Mann has, however, defended the move stating that he would send the officials to any state for them to take guidance.

Taking control of truck unions amid violence after the formation of the new government also invited criticism for the ruling party. The forcible control and reports of violence were received from many parts of the state.

Mann, who has not been using the government-owned fix-wheel chopper as frequently as his predecessors, courted a controversy when he took the government chopper to Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, where he and Kejriwal attended an AAP function to garner support for Assembly elections.

A government functionary, however, defended Mann’s act stating that the CM, being the head of the state, needed to save time to utilise it for state and also that the government only had to pay for the fuel of the chopper.

Also, during the first Vidhan Sabha session, Mann had made an announcement that his government would put up statues of two national icons — Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar and martyr Bhagat Singh in the precincts of Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh — although statues are not allowed to be put up in Chandigarh. The Opposition had hit out at Mann stating that his officers had not done their homework and had left him embarrassed.