category Regional, chandigarh, , tags Regional, chandigarh, , DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Sunday said his government has provided 37,100 jobs to youths in the past 18 months. Addressing the gathering during a function organized to hand over appointment letters to 304 new recruits in Home, Transport and Revenue departments, the Chief Minister at the very outset congratulated the people on the auspicious occasion of the first Navratra in the state. Welcoming the newly inducted youth, he said that it is a historic occasion as these people have formally become the members of the family of the state government. Bhagwant Singh Mann extended best wishes to them for this rare feat as they all have come into service through competitive exams. The Chief Minister categorically said that the state government is committed to modernizing the Police on scientific lines and there was no dearth of funds for it. He said that apart from discharging its core duty of maintaining law and order, the Punjab Police has always safeguarded the interests of the country and its people. Bhagwant Mann said that in the changing scenario the challenges for the force have increased manifold due to which modernization is the need of hour to combat them effectively. The Chief Minister further said that to check the fatality rate due to road accidents in the state on one hand and to streamline the movement of traffic on the roads of the state on the other, the state government has launched Sadak Surakhya Force. He said that the first of its kind specialized force will act as a pivotal to save several precious lives that are lost in road accidents daily in Punjab adding that this force will be entrusted with the task of checking rash driving, streamlining vehicular movement on roads and others to check the road accidents. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that initially 144 vehicles equipped with ultra modern gadgets will be deployed after every 30 kilometres to man the roads adding that these vehicles will also have a complete medical kit for providing emergency treatment to any person in need. He said that it gives him immense pride and satisfaction to announce that by eliminating the word contractual prefixed before the posts of employees the state government has regularized services of 12710 teachers by overcoming all the legal and administrative hiccups. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that with the regularizing of services every year these teachers will get an annual increment of 5 in their salaries coupled with other benefits including holidays. He said that services of many more such employees will be regularized in the coming days for which the process is already on. He said that during the previous government nepotism and corruption ruled the roost during the recruitments especially in government sector. He said that the affluent people themselves used to get the test papers of these exams leaked by taking huge amounts thereby allowing backdoor entry of ineligible people. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that however after assuming the charge of office his government has checked this menace and now the youth are getting jobs completely on the basis of merit and their competency. The Chief Minister said that this has ensured reverse migration in the state as the youth who had gone abroad for sake jobs are now coming back to get government jobs in the state. He said that this is just the beginning and in the coming times more such youth will get jobs thereby ensuring that youth become equal partners in social economic growth of Punjab. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that his government will leave no stone unturned for empowering the youth by giving them jobs and employment opportunities. He also said that the state government is opening eight hi-tech centres for imparting training to the students for competitive exams. Bhagwant 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 exhorted the new recruits to judiciously use their post for the welfare of the people and securing justice for them rather than harassing them. He said that the state government is committed to ensuring the well being of the people for which stupendous efforts are being made. Reiterating the firm commitment of his government to ensure welfare of the state, Bhagwant Singh Mann exhorted the youth to support him for restoring the pristine glory of state and carve out a Rangla Punjab. (editor dailyworld.in)