DW BUREAU / Malerkotla

Reiterating that there will be no mercy against the people who had spread the curse of drugs in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday said those who were considered invincible have been put behind bars.

Addressing the gathering after dedicating new tehsil complexes at Ahmedgarh and Amargarh, the Chief Minister said the drug trade flourished and was patronised by those who were elected by the people to serve them, but unfortunately, they supplied drugs in their official cars. He said these leaders enjoyed paramount power during their heydays, and no one dared to touch them despite the fact that they were hand in glove with the drug smugglers.

However, Mann said his government has put these leaders behind bars as they had committed genocide of the youth by flourishing the drug trade. The Chief Minister solicited the support and cooperation of the people for teaching these traitors of Punjab a befitting lesson. He said the resounding success of the Yudh Nasheyan Virudh is a testimony to the fact that the people of the state are with the government in this war against drugs.

Mann said this crusade will continue in the coming times so as to make Punjab free from the scourge of drugs. The Chief Minister said all was not well in the Badal-Majithia clan as the internal feud was at the peak due to the ongoing power tussle. He said the Congress and the Akali Dal were a divided house as a squabble for power was going on amongst its leaders.

Mann said these power-hungry politicians can't survive without it and are getting restless as people have ousted them to choose the AAP. The Chief Minister said the government would take a number of pro-people decisions in the coming days, which will benefit all the stakeholders.

He said the focus of his government is to ensure that youth become job givers instead of job seekers. Mann said this is the need of the hour to carve out a progressive and prosperous Punjab through the proactive involvement of the youth.

Reiterating his government's commitment to curbing sacrilege, the Chief Minister shared that on Monday, the government introduced the Punjab Prevention of Crime Against Religious Scriptures Bill, 2025 in the Vidhan Sabha. He said this sensitive and critical issue affects all Punjabis and has far-reaching implications for both current and future generations. Bhagwant Singh Mann asserted that stringent punishment is necessary to serve as a deterrent for those committing such heinous crimes.

The Chief Minister noted that Punjab is the sacred land of great Gurus, saints, and seers who preached love, harmony, and tolerance. However, he lamented that certain anti-Punjab forces have been trying to destroy this fabric of unity by orchestrating sacrilegious acts against holy scriptures since 2016. Bhagwant Singh Mann reaffirmed his government's unwavering resolve to ensure exemplary punishment for the culprits involved in such acts.

Highlighting key public welfare initiatives, the Chief Minister spoke about the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna ? the first-of-its-kind scheme in the country that provides cashless medical treatment worth ?10 lakh to every resident family of Punjab. He proudly noted that Punjab has become the first state in India to offer such comprehensive healthcare coverage to every household. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it will provide a huge relief to the general public by offering them quality healthcare services.

The Chief Minister said that the political leaders have lost their credibility because of their dubious character which have been exposed before the people. He said that the people had shown the door to the Congress and Akali leaders because of their anti-Punjab and anti-people stance. However, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that he is fortunate to have got so much love and affection from the people of the state, who had given thumping majority to his government.

The Chief Minister said that the state government has set a new benchmark by giving government jobs to more than 55,000 youth in the state in more than 36 months of its tenure. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that a foolproof mechanism has been adopted for the entire recruitment process adding that these jobs have been given completely on

the basis of merit.

Bhagwant Singh Mann said that transparent recruitment 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 said that he was indebted to the people who had attended the event in a huge number despite bad weather. He said that these projects will immensely benefit the masses by delivering them citizen centric services in a time bound manner. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that such modern tehsil complexes are being built across the state to facilitate the people.

The Chief Minister said that the earlier governments had never paid any heed towards such initiatives to serve the people in a better manner. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that previously the reign of the state was in the wrong hands earlier due to which the state had suffered adversely. However, he said that ever since assuming the charge of office his government has been according top priority to such works of immense

public importance.

(editor@dailyworld.in)