Chandigarh (Balwinder Singh): Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday criticised the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over their governance in Punjab, questioning the employment figures cited by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and demanding a white paper on jobs provided by the state government.
Addressing a public meeting in Hoshiarpur on November 13, Saini said Mann had promised 25 lakh jobs during the Punjab Assembly elections but had recently claimed in a social media video that his government had provided 60,000 jobs.
Saini asked the Punjab government to clarify how much progress it had made against the original promise and publish a white paper detailing the number of people who had actually secured employment.
Saini Questions Punjab’s Recruitment Process
The Haryana Chief Minister also raised questions over the recruitment of Excise Inspectors in Punjab, contrasting it with the recruitment process in Haryana.
He said results for recruitment examinations in both states had been declared around three months ago. Citing the selection of 29 candidates from the Punhana Assembly constituency in Haryana, Saini claimed that the state’s recruitment system ensured that candidates from economically weaker families could secure government jobs through merit, without political recommendations or payments.
Referring to the Punjab recruitment process, he raised questions about selections from two examination centres where papers were reportedly conducted at the same time. He said the AAP leadership should respond to the concerns surrounding the recruitment.
Saini Attacks Congress And AAP Over Governance
Saini alleged that the Congress failed to take effective steps to provide employment to Punjab’s youth and tackle drug abuse during its more than five years in power. He also accused the AAP government of failing to fulfil public expectations after coming to power on the promise of change and clean governance.
Taking a swipe at Mann and other AAP leaders, Saini said jokes and public appearances could not substitute for policies, accountability and effective administration.
He urged voters to question both parties about their promises on employment, drug abuse, minimum support price (MSP) for farmers’ crops and financial assistance for women.
BJP Promises Haryana-Style Governance In Punjab
Saini said the BJP would seek to establish a transparent recruitment system and accelerate development in Punjab if voted to power. He cited Haryana’s recruitment process and the government’s decision to procure crops at MSP as examples of its governance model.
He also invoked the longstanding cultural and social ties between Punjab and Haryana, saying people in Haryana were concerned about Punjab’s development trajectory.
The meeting was attended by Haryana Cabinet Minister Ranbir Gangwa, former Union Minister and former MP Vijay Sampla, former MP Avinash Rai Khanna and other leaders.
The allegations and comparisons regarding Punjab’s governance and recruitment were made by Saini during a BJP public meeting.
