Open House: Shouldn't the govt ensure that social welfare schemes reach every section of society?

Too early to judge AAP’s intentions

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Social welfare schemes and measures aim at addressing the needs of the people of the state. The intention to provide assistance to all sections of society and their well-being is clear but at the implementation part the government fails to achieve the desired results. Many of the welfare schemes in health, education, unemployment compensation, housing assistance, maternity and child care, rural job guarantee, food security and old age benefits do not reach the intended beneficiaries which is perhaps the reason why the standard of living of the urban and rural ‘have-nots’ remains abysmal. Efficiency, proper monitoring , responsibility, accountability and alignment of incentives will have to be streamlined by the new government to ensure that social welfare schemes and measures reach every section of society and they don’t merely remain populist measures. It is too early to judge the intentions of the AAP government , but a tidy sum of Rs 2.42 crore going to be spent on the oath-taking ceremony of the CM at Khatkar Kalan gives credence to the saying ‘coming events cast their shadows before ‘. Its road show in Amritsar at the cost of government has not gone down well with the general public. It is intriguing why the government money is being squandered for the party functions. The money should have been used for social welfare schemes and measures to alleviate the lot of the people. AAP will have to give evidence of being different from Congress and Akalis. It should ensure that public grievances are heard properly so that people are not left disappointed. Of course several years’ rot could not be cleared in a day but if it is well begun, it will be half done.

Tarsem S Bumrah

QUESTION

With carbon emissions per person skyrocketing due to excessive energy consumption in summers, the use of ACs, vehicles and generators harm the environment most. Isn’t it time to collectively build pressure on the government to find sustainable energy solutions?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to amritsardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (March 24)

People expect AAP to bring a change

The Punjabis have voted the AAP to power as they were very much frustrated and agitated with other political parties of Punjab. In the past all political parties’ leaders after having been voted to power have betrayed Punjabis. But people of Punjab certainly expect from AAP government for implementing social welfare schemes and measures too to reach every section of society rather than to merely remain populist measures. Punjab is expecting this time new AAP government to fulfil all their election manifestos promises.

SANJAY CHAWLA

Why waste public money and time?

Roadshows, after victory, by the traditional parties, in Assembly elections, remained their trade mark. The so called revolutionary party, which has swept the recent Assembly polls, has started with this trade mark too. It has also copied them by engaging government buses to ferry the people, to make the show, look like euphoria of people for the party. The party could have hired private buses and save the poor people from the inconvenience caused to them, as most of these buses ply on uneconomical routes, where only the deprived travelled. The rally, road show culture, has been indulged in like the traditional parties. The new CM has decided to take oath at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village Bhagat Singh. But why waste public money and public’s precious time for one hour event. It could have been a small event at Raj Bhawan. Bhagat Singh believed in purity of noble deeds. He should remember it that one CM had taken such oath at Mohali cricket stadium on March 2, 2007 and again in Chapar Chirhi on March 14, 2012, where Banda Bahadur had defeated the Mughals. The political party had also splurged crores on putting advertisements and hoardings of, ‘’Raj nahi Sewa’’. What has happened to that party? The welfare schemes have been formulated and implemented since 1947. Look at the quality of implementation of these schemes. The persons supporting the winning political parties, have mostly, remained their deceitful and wrong beneficiaries. The public administration has become like a potholed road, where overflowing sewage has made pools. Recently, the security of former ministers, MLAs, MPs etc has been curtailed. Such dramas have been enacted for dozen times, earlier too. But the situation reverted to the former status not long before. The regime must take a call on such issues, instead of continuing with gimmicks, slogans, loathed phrases, and wasteful ideas.

Surinderjit Singh Sandhu

Cheap way to grab media’s attention

Though the swearing in ceremony of the newly-elected Chief Minister is fixed for March 16, prior to it a road show was organised at Amritsar on March 13. Now, the question arises if during election campaign such road shows are organised by the political party concerned then why road shows after winning the election with tax-payer’s money? As per official letter issued by Chief Secretary, Punjab, to the special chief secretary Revenue and Rehabilitation to immediately release Rs 15 lakh to deputy commissioner, Amritsar, and Rs 2 lakh to each deputy commissioner of all the total 23 districts of the state for this road show at Amritsar. Moreover, today all newspapers are full of details of inconvenience caused to the general public by this road show. Such road shows at the cost of public exchequer is nothing but cheap method to catch the media’s attention thereby gaining more popularity. They should not forget their responsibility towards the people who have voted for them. The expenses they are incurring on such road show and swearing ceremony should have been used for some welfare scheme of the deprived section of the society.

Naresh Johar

Nothing more than a populist measure

The oath-taking ceremony of the new Chief Minister at Khatkar Kalan is just a populist measure at the cost of tax-payer’s money. The newly-elected state government is spending Rs 2 crore on this ceremony. Further Rs 42 lakh are set aside for ferrying the people from different parts of the state to the venue of oath-taking ceremony. They should not forget that tax-payer’s money is meant for welfare of the deprived sections of the society, it should not be wasted on such political ventures. Hope they are listening.

Nityanshi Chopra

Voters have high hopes from govt

After being given to a rookie party a thumping mandate, Punjab voters have very high and extraordinary expectations from the new government. The Punjab government has to contend with this burden of heavy hopes of Punjabis. Therefore it should not be politics as usual for the Punjab government headed by Bhagwant Mann. However getting Punjab back on track is going to be an arduous and an uphill task which needs a well planned and thought out roadmap, and not a please call programme in a hurry with easy short-lived gains. While it may be quite tempting to take the populist route, the AAP’s Punjab government will require the resolve and the wisdom to sidestep it. The AAP government will need to make use of all the political capital it has achieved with its decisive victory to take the hard measures while also taking the people into confidence. Punjab state is in very poor fiscal health with huge debt, so plugging of all revenue leaks can help in addressing financial challenges. The government will need to shore up education, industry and healthcare infrastructure to stem the exodus of Punjabi youth from the state. There is no easy solution, but after a long time a government has a trust and support of the people, which can make all the difference between success and failure in providing good governance.

LJS Panesar

Following footsteps of Bhagat Singh

Reeling long under a ‘mafiacracy’ and bearing the brunt of authorised corruption and unemployment, and lack of governance, we had almost written off democracy from our minds, but the People of Punjab, in their huge mandate, favouring the AAP, have ignited a new spark of relief and hope. The general feeling at the time of swearing-in ceremony of the new chief minister Bhagwant Mann, is akin to the euphoria of Independence from British rule. Plans to overhaul heath and education are underway. Majha region, deliberately neglected by successive governments rooted in the Malwa belt, is likely to bag one or two important portfolios. The AAP is committed to start work on their manifesto from day one, and there is reasonable hope that the elected team will work in right earnest. The huge mandate 92/117 in favour of AAP is a well placed trust in its elected youth. Perhaps it was more of grand ‘rejection’ than election. I am reminded of a couplet by Alexander Pope, ‘For forms of government let fools contest, That which is best administered is best.

MOHAN SINGH

Schemes must cover every section of society

With AAP winning a massive 92 seats in the Punjab Assembly Polls, the people have shown how dissatisfied they were with the previous political regimes. There are big hopes from the newly elected government as many of the candidates have defeated the political stalwarts of the state. All of the schemes must reach every section of society which has been a distant dream in the past. Though history has shown that most of the promises made before elections were never fulfilled by the parties, there is hope that the new government will be very beneficial for the state considering their massive achievements in Delhi.

JATINDERPAL SINGH BATTH

Tough decisions should be taken for growth

People have high hopes and expectations from the AAP but it will be well advised that it should not try to fulfil the popular promises of freebies at the cost of the much needed social welfare schemes for the people. Though the idea of Maan’s oath-taking at Khatkar Kalan is appreciable, the AAP government must not be seen squandering away scarce funds on any more ostentatious exhibitions like political ads in many dailies. The AAP is carrying greater expectations on its shoulders unlike the SAD and Congress parties in the state that the voters tried, tested and now discarded. Some harsh decisions may be taken by the government, but since the new party in power has won people’s trust whose support will help in bringing the state to its past glory of prosperity and peace.

PL Singh