DW BUREAU / Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said due to ease-of-doing business policies, an investment of Rs 30,000 crore has been firmed up in the last nine months, which will create new employment opportunities for thousands of youngsters. "Big industry houses like Tata Steel, Verbio, Freudenberg and Sanathan Textiles have entered into agreements to invest by reposing faith in our industrial policies, which will provide jobs to our youth," he said while handing over appointment letters to the newly-recruited candidates at Markfed and launching new products here. Referring to the recent meetings with industrialists in Hyderabad, Mann said the entrepreneurs associated with food processing and agriculture have shown keen interest in investing in Punjab, which will further strengthen the industrial sector of the state. "Where there is a will, there's a way as now the industrialists do not have to face the corrupt and intricate process to invest in the state." Mann said subsequently the industrialists are coming to Punjab. "We have eliminated corruption, provided uninterrupted power supply to the industry and a conducive environment and now our efforts are bearing fruit." On the other hand, the Chief Minister said in order to set up industries during the previous regimes, industrialists had to negotiate with the families of political clout. Earlier, the agreements were made with families but now industrialists are signing MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the state. Mann envisioned that with strenuous efforts of the government, Punjab will soon emerge as industrial hub of the country. Lashing out at the opposition for making a hue and cry over the alleged deteriorating atmosphere in Punjab, the Chief Minister said the leaders of the Opposition parties were deliberately defaming him in the Parliament or in public functions as his government has exposed the designs of the previous governments to loot the state. Mann said he was being opposed as he was not like his predecessors who had plundered the wealth of the state. He said throughout his life he had worked for the wellbeing of Punjab and its people. The Chief Minister stated that the successive governments patronised gangsterism, sand mafia, transport mafia and others. However, he said that his government has wiped out these mafias and ushered an era of new politics to deliver a transparent and honest government to common man. Bhagwant Mann said that the thrust of his government is to ensure progress of state and prosperity of its people. Fulfilling its promise of providing 'employment to deserving youth', the state government had given appointment letters of government jobs to 21,404 youths in nine months and more were being recruited, the Chief Minister said. He said that the entire recruitment process has been done on the basis of merit. Sharing another milestone, Bhagwant Mann said appointment letters to be distributed to over 3,000 youth of the master cadre on the occasion of the New Year, which would further strengthen our school education system. The Chief Minister said that for the first time, a historic decision has been taken to recruit 1800 constables and 300 sub-inspectors every year in the police department and the dates of examinations have also been fixed, which will now give time to the youth to prepare dedicatedly to secure the job. Stating that education was a top priority, he said that for the first time in the state, a teacher-parent meet was being organised in government schools on December 24, which would give parents an opportunity to get their child's feedback in detail from the teachers. Bhagwant Mann invited all the parents to actively participate in the meet. The Chief Minister said that with the 'School of Eminence' being set up in the state, students studying in classes IX and X would be prepared to choose their preferred occupations in the future. Referring to the free treatment being provided to the common man through the 100 Aam Aadmi Clinics set up in the state, he said that by January 26, 2023, the number of these clinics was being increased to 350 and by March 31, 2023, 750 Aam Aadmi Clinics would be set up, which would provide free and top-class treatment to the people of Punjab near their doorsteps. Terming Markfed and Verka as the hubs of the state's cooperation, Bhagwant Mann said that the state government was planning to increase the business of these establishments in foreign nations as NRIs love the products made in their state. (editor@dailyworld.in)