Budget Session: Law and order has improved in Punjab, claims Governor Banwarilal Purohit in his address to Assembly

Tribune News Service

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Chandigarh, March 1

Conveying Punjab government’s claims of an improved law and order in the state, Governor Banwarilal Purohit in his address commencing the sixth session of the 16th state Vidhan Sabha, here on Friday, said the Anti-Gangster Task Force constituted by the government in 2022, till date, has arrested 951 gangsters and neutralised 14 of them wanted in connection with heinous crime.

The task force busted 312 modules, recovering 963 weapons and 208 vehicles used in criminal activities. Besides, the Punjab Police arrested as many as 25,385 drug smugglers since March 16, 2022, and recovered 1,860 kg heroin from across the state. An additional 147 kg heroin was recovered by the teams of Punjab Police from seaports of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Underling state efforts at promoting direct seeding of rice, Purohit said that at least 19,097 farmers engaged in this on 1,70,000 acres during the financial year 2023-2024. During the crushing year 2022-23, sugar mills in Punjab paid a total amount of Rs 2,558.03 crores out of Rs 2,572.54 crores due to the farmers up to November 30, 2023.

At least 1.07 crore people have visited the 664 operational Aam Admi clinics set up by the current government.

The current government has recruited as many as 9,518 teachers since April, 2022. The Governor said that pre-primary enrolment had increased by at least 17 per cent during the current government. The government had also implemented a centralised admission portal for higher education benefitting at least 1.5 lakh students during the session 2023-2024. At least 12,316 qualified employees, who were working for more than 10 years were regularised.

He said the utilization of canal water, which is important in context of the declining underground water levels, had increased by more than 38 per cent during its peak demand period. As many as 45 canals of about 400 km length which were lying dysfunctional have been put to regular use. More than 13,000 km length of canals were cleaned by utilising funds under MGNREGA.

The government has successfully launched the ‘Bhagwant Mann Sarkar Tuhade Dwar’ to provide services on door-step of citizens. More than 15,000 citizens have availed benefits of the 43 services offered.

The government received 4,242 investment proposals worth Rs 65,993 crore, approximately, which would offer employment of about 3,20,882. The government has provided at least 40,437 across 40 departments.

Punjab became the fifth state in the country to achieve 100 percent coverage in providing functional household tap connection in every rural area. The government has increased maintenance monthly grant of Blue Star affected Dharmi Fauji from Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 and doubled the ex-gratia to the defence/para military personnel who are disabled during duty.  

The governor said that the state government notified state’s new sports policy in 2023. State players picked as many as 20 medals in the Asian Games, which is the highest medal tally since Asian Games started in 1951. They were given cash reward of Rs 29.25 crore. As many as nine players who excelled in Tokyo Olympics were given Punjab Public and Punjab Civil Services appointments.

The government notified the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Scheme, meant for carrying state residents to religious shrines all over the country, free of cost in three tier air-conditioned trains and buses, the governor said.

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