AAP usherd in new era of politics by eliminating corruption, mafia culture: Punjab minister

Chandigarh, Oct 16 (IANS) Presenting the report card of seven months performance of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, Cabinet minister Aman Arora on Sunday said the government has ushered in a new era of politics by eliminating the corruption and mafia culture patronised by previous governments in the past seven decades.

Addressing the media here, Punjab Housing and Urban Development Minister Arora slammed the previous Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and BJP governments for pushing Punjab into debt, saying that most of their leaders were indulged in malpractices, filling their own coffers.

The AAP government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against corruption to bring back lost glory of the state.

Listing the achievements of the government, he said the Bhagwant Mann government took historic decisions in seven months which the previous governments had failed to take in the over past 70 years of their regime.

He said the AAP is generating employment as promised during poll campaigns. The government has regularised services of 9,000 teachers and a process initiated to regularise the services of remaining 28,000 contractual employees.

The government has also started the process for 26,000 posts lying vacant in various government departments in boards along with filling the 2,500 posts of various cadres filled in the Police Department.

He said an anti-corruption helpline has been launched to combat the corruption. "The one of biggest achievements of the Mann government is cracking down on corrupt leaders. In the past seven months, the state government has arrested over 220 influential people, senior politicians and bureaucrats who had looted the Punjab and were being patronised by the successive governments," the minister said.

Replying to a media query over ongoing inquiries against opposition leaders, Arora said unlike previous governments, AAP is not doing vendetta politics and actions will only be initiated against them after investigation team found them guilty in the probe.

Arora said the government has also taken a myriad of pro-farmers decisions including giving MSP on moong as third crop after procuring it at an MSP price of Rs 7,275 per quintal.

The subsidy of Rs 1,500 per acre has been given for direct seeding of rice to save groundwater from depletion.

Likewise, the price of sugarcane enhanced by Rs 20 per quintal from Rs 360 to Rs 380. The area under summer 'moong' has increased from 54,363 acres to 1,28,495 acres.

The government also sanctioned pending compensation to farmers affected with inclement weather and floods.

All pending arrears of cane-growers have been cleared.

Arora said to provide free and best health services at the doorsteps of the common man, 100 Aam Aadmi clinics dedicated to the people of the state, while 16 new medical colleges have been announced to be constructed in the state.

The government has also inaugurated Dr Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital in Mullanpur near Chandigarh to offer best quality treatment to cancer patients. Besides, the government has cracked down on illegal encroachments and freed panchayat land worth crores and these funds will be spent on the welfare of common people.