Open House: What are the expectations of people from the new government in Punjab?

High hopes from AAP

The people of Punjab, through their mandate, have elected the new government for the next five years. They have high hopes from the new government because the financial conditions of the state are already in debt, while the state exchequer is in red. Now, the people expect a corruption-free government with a change in functioning of the administrative system. The government should extend timings at Suvidha centres, halt brain drain from Punjab as a number of youth are flying abroad on education visas, review freebies etc that have brought various government and semi-government departments in financial constrains, open new medical colleges, convert closed engineering colleges to medical colleges and restrict fees of the new medical colleges so that students can study in Punjab. A blanket ban should be implemented for students, who clear their medical education in Punjab to serve rural areas for a minimum period of three years before going abroad. The need of the hour is to frame a policy of minimum charges on water and electricity to be used for the agriculture sector. Tourist complexes should be increased manifold, especially in Kandi area of the foothills of the Shivalik to boost the tourism sector. Besides, rain harvest schemes should be followed strictly. The traffic lights installed should be intact and strictly followed by vehicle owners.

Rajat Kumar Mohindru

Expect revolutionary transformation

In case, any traditional party or their post-poll alliance is successful in forming the government in Punjab, expecting any major change or improvement in their functionality will be highly disappointing. But as

predicted in recent exit polls, if AAP gets absolute majority, revolutionary transformation in the Punjab governance is bound to happen without any reservations. However, the winning party will have to rise to the occasion to meet public expectations and face various challenges the state is going through since long. The foremost is to strictly restore the ‘Rule of Law’ in every department of governance. The impact of effective and responsible governance should be visible on the ground and every citizen in the street is enabled to trust the government’s policies with hassle-free working to their maximum welfare and benefits without corruption. The VIP culture needs to be replaced with accessible bureaucrats. Need not to mention that all types of mafia, including drugs, are buried in the pages of history so that they never raise their ugly heads again in the state. Other priorities are agriculture, environment, creating employment opportunities through general and agro-based industrialisation. Last, but not the least, is to bring a pragmatic change in the working of local bodies which need to be reoriented in the context of waste disposal management, traffic regulation, environmental issues, local infrastructure and sanitation, public health, stray animals menace, property rules violations and rampant encroachment on public places.

Jagdish Chander

Promises should be kept by leaders

A Pandora of promises is to be fulfilled by the newly formed government. One thing is clear that the state needs rapid development and the government should be able to live up to the expectations of people. They should work seriously to make it a Smart city in real sense. There is a heavy rush on roads and one feels scared of driving. To manage heavy traffic, strict rules should be deployed. An effective transport system can bring respite to residents. There is an urgent need to phase out garbage dumps from cities, thus making cities Smart. Free education, free healthcare or nominal charges should be taken from those who can’t afford to pay. More emphasis should be laid on employment by convincing big groups to setup their units in Punjab. Tough decisions should be taken for growth. Nothing is impossible. The government should make strict policy to curb sand mafias, corruption, drug mafias and illegal encroachments. I’m fully hopeful that the new government will pay full attention to all these issues.

Shashi Kiran

All eyes on new govt

Elections in a democracy are as much about electioneering and politicking as they are about principles. During the recent Assembly elections in Punjab, parties and politicians have taken an active and energetic part in electioneering to ensure their victory. The electorate has voted enthusiastically to elect the next government. All eyes are now set on the election results which will be declared on 10th of this month. Amid various exit polls surveys, many political observers predict a hung assembly that would lead to large-scale haggling, horse-trading or post-poll pacts, much to the annoyance of the people. As and when the new government is formed, they have pinned great expectations on its performance. Over the years, successive governments have simply played with public sentiments and have not lived up to their confidence and aspirations for the future. Due to their short-sightedness and lack of political sagacity, puny and ambitious leaders have so far promoted their own ulterior interests in active collaboration with an equally indifferent and inefficacious bureaucracy. Today, the financially crunched state is crucial politically and strategically as it faces a multiplicity of problems; the major being poverty, unemployment, price rise, corruption, mafia raj, drugs, crime against women, pollution, ecological imbalance, shrinking economy, farm distress and inadequate infrastructural development in important sectors. The new dispensation should be serious about the people and earnestly endeavour to solve these issues on priority basis. Whether it succeeds in delivering what it has promised in its election manifesto, only time will tell? Hopefully, it does.

Simran & Tajpreet S Kang

Need for people-friendly policies

People are anxiously waiting for the announcement of results on March 10. From frequent party-hopping, mud-slinging, character assassination, rhetorical barbs to offering liberal freebies for different sections of society, the parties and candidates adopted all unethical practices to brighten their electoral prospects. It is lamentable that leaders across the spectrum did not indulge in any healthy and meaningful debate over core issues confronting the state, such as health, education, housing, corruption, inflation, unemployment, sand- transport-cable-liquor mafia, drug menace, deteriorating law and order situation, sacrileges, gender inequality, air pollution, environmental degradation, sluggish economy, farm crisis etc. While every party exudes confidence to get a comfortable majority, there is a looming uncertainty about the electoral outcome, despite varying exit poll predictions. Whatever party or alliance manages to form the new government, people have high expectations from it. Since Punjab is a sensitive and strategically important state, the new leadership should be conversant with the nuances of governance. Preferably headed by an educated, honest and dedicated Chief Minister, a stable dispensation with strong political will can ensure transparency and accountability in government functioning and address the prevailing problems. To win public trust and confidence, it should formulate people-friendly policies and leave no stone unturned in restoring Punjab’s old prestige and glory. Otherwise, it will lose its credibility and contribute towards yet another electoral exercise in futility.

D S Kang

A pipe dream?

Any expectation from the incoming government is only a pipe dream. It is happening so for the last about nearly four decades. In the wake of the green revolution, Punjab was on top in the list of prosperous states in India. But now it’s very much down in the list, thanks to the governments in power during these times. The coming results will engender a coalition government as no political party will have absolute majority and there would be a hung assembly. The prices of the commodities, including petrol and cooking gas, are going sky high and the people under the poverty line are increasing in numbers. The leaders of all parties with few exceptions are interested only in making money. They are also power hungry. Before elections, they were jumping from one party to the other just to be in the government. Punjab is going downhill in economy and employment as well as prosperity. No wonder that our youth are going abroad for greener pastures. Better education, better infrastructure and reining in price hike in the eatables and other essentials are the need of the hour. Punjab is under debt of nearly three lakh crore and mounting. Who is responsible for this? That is the moot question.

Dr JS Wadhwa

Time for effective governance

Post Punjab Assembly results, the new AAP Govt ought to reinvigorate the administration to provide meaningful & efficient governance. The state, known for its vibrant cultural and religious integration, remained perturbed for quite some time due to agitation against controversial farm laws, besides persistent protests & strikes by various employees unions and other political upheavals. Along Covid adversities, these disturbances further hit the economic order of the state which was already under huge debt burden. Thereupon, during the intense poll campaigning, political parties rather than deliberating solutions to economic revival conjured every trick right from polarisation of electorates on caste & creed lines to lofty sops to fetch favour. Besides, basic problems like declining per capita income and depleting groundwater didn’t find any prominence in their core agenda during elections.

As of now, the uproar of polls is over and unsavoury heat has cooled down, all efforts should be made to address the prime issues, where the focus of new Govt is required on prudent restructuring of the crippled economy of the state. Simultaneously, problems of lawlessness and unemployment concerns should get foremost priority. The menace of toxic drugs, illegal mining & illicit liquor mafias operating in the region needs to be eradicated at the earliest. The evils of corruption and the nexus between the politicians & unscrupulous elements for ulterior motives must be curbed to provide good governance.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

QUESTION

While the oath-taking ceremony at Khatkar Kalan, the great freedom fighter Bhagat Singh’s birthplace, was a welcome departure from tradition, isn’t it also the new government’s prerogative to ensure that social welfare schemes and measures, too, reach every section of society and they don't merely remain populist measures?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to jalandhardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (March 17)