DW bureau  |  Barnala: In a Raksha Bandhan gift to the women, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday announced to create 3,000 posts of Anganwadi workers and open new vistas of recruitment for them. Addressing the gathering at a state-level function to mark the festival of Raksha Bandhan here, the Chief Minister said the state has already started the process for this and soon, recruitment for these posts would be started.

He said this is a step forward towards empowering women by opening new avenues of employment for them. Mann further said the government is also actively and sympathetically considering the genuine demands of ASHA workers. Chief Minister said the government is making concerted efforts for women empowerment. He said six districts are having women officers as Senior Superintendent of Police and eight districts have women Deputy Commissioners.

Mann said efforts are also being made for the welfare of the girls and these initiatives are producing desired results. The Chief Minister said required amendments are being made in the rules for changing the physical criteria for recruitment of women in firefighting staff. He said none of the previous governments had bothered to change these rules because they were least bothered about the people and their problems. Mann announced that Punjab will be the first state in the country to recruit women in the fire-brigade.

The Chief Minister said the government has launched the first-of-its-kind initiative of a dedicated ‘Sadak Surakhya Force’ to ensure enhanced security and to save lives. Mann said the force has been deployed all along 4,200 km of highways that are prone to accidents. The Chief Minister, meanwhile, also urged the youth not to move abroad in search of green pastures but work hard here to excel in life.

He said the government is already working to ensure that more and more youth are empowered to excel in life. He said that the state government is already working hard to ensure that more and more youth are empowered to excel in life. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that he had promised that reverse migration will be witnessed in the state for which his government is making concerted efforts.

The Chief Minister said that it is heartening to see that the desired results are being produced and youth are becoming an active partner in social-economic progress of the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it is on record that educational institutions in the state are witnessing a huge surge in admissions by the youth. He said that due to pro-people policies of the state government, a reverse trend is being witnessed in the state.

The Chief Minister said that his government is working tirelessly for progress of the state and prosperity of people because the residents of the state had reposed huge faith in them. He said that earlier rulers of the state had backstabbed the people due to which the residents of the state were feeling dejected. However, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the wise and brave people of state ousted these leaders who have been now sent to political oblivion and their groups are scattered here and there.

The Chief Minister said that the state government has so far handed over appointment letters to more than 44,700 youth in various departments. He said that this recruitment has been purely done on merit by adopting a completely transparent process. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this has increased the faith of youth in working for the state government due to which they have shunned the idea of moving abroad and are preparing for government jobs here.

The Chief Minister also said that the state government is opening eight hi-tech centres for imparting training to the students for competitive exams. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that these centres will provide quality training to youth for clearing the UPSC exams and sit on coveted positions in state and country. He said that the target of the state government is to ensure that youth sit in high offices and serve the country.

The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction over the faith shown by the people in ‘Bhagwant Maan Sarkar, Tuhade Dwar’, stating that now citizens no longer need to travel to Chandigarh to get their work done, as the government is coming to them and resolving their complaints on the spot. He said that this flagship program of the state has received an overwhelming response from the people as the state government is now running from towns and cities of Punjab. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this initiative not only helps to resolve issues of people but also serves as an effective platform for gathering grassroots feedback on the state government’s policies.

Extending warm greetings to all Punjabis across the globe on the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan (Rakhri), the Chief Minister said that this festival celebrates the sacred bond of love, care and protection between brother and sister. He said that this is a happy occasion for all of us to reaffirm the traditional social values of love, peace and harmony that make us better human beings. Bhagwant Singh Mann exhorted the people to celebrate Raksha Bandhan with full fervor and gaiety adding that may this festival bring peace, love and amity in the society.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister also handed over appointment letters to 14 youth and one of the newly selected supervisors, Navdeep Kaur, profusely thanked the Chief Minister for the transparent process and it is a dream come true for us. Navdeep Kaur further said that not only she but her brother has also got the job during the current regime only. Expressing her gratitude, she also tied Rakhri on the wrist of Chief Minister and Lok Sabha MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer.