Chandigarh: Punjab exchequer’s humungous debt of over Rs 2.5 lakh crore apart, the state’s upcoming AAP government has several other daunting challenges as well awaiting it.
Tough call, as most of 92 AAP legislators in the 117-member House, are first-timers.
The drug issue (``chitta’’ - chemical drugs derived from contraband opium) is at the centre stage once again in the wake of the FIR recently lodged by Channi-led Congress government against former Akali minister Bikram Majithia who is in judicial custody till March 22. The opposition benches would seek action for the same.
The alleged soft-peddling of the former Congress CM Capt Amarinder Singh on the drugs issue was one of the main reasons behind the revolt against him. Yet, it is pertinent to mention here that Congress’ own Rajya Sabha member Shamsher Singh Dullo has also alleged that ``chitta’’ is freely available in every nook and corner of Punjab.
Another issue that had brought down the SAD regime is the 2015 sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib in Bargari following which the Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government arrested and charge-sheeted Dera Sacha Sauda followers and acted against police officials involved in the firing on protesters in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan, but people are still not satisfied.
It was the inaction against the Badals in this case that irked Congress ministers, including the then CM Channi and it had worked against Capt Amarinder Singh too. After Channi became CM, he tried to act against those involved in the 2015 sacrilege but nothing happened.
Mann-led new government would also have to face the demands of farmers that included complete debt waiver.
The issue of illegal mining of sand mafias has also been one of the major poll planks, particularly the Congress, ahead of the 2017 state elections when the previous SAD-BJP government was accused of running sand mafia and supplying building material at exorbitant prices. The issue is again at centre stage with the ED booking Channi’s nephew in a case relating to the illegal sand mining.
The issue of empty coffers of Punjab is also one of the daunting challenges staring straight at AAP. Punjab was among the most affluent states in the country for decades but it is a thing of past as a humungous debt of over Rs 2.5 lakh crore awaits AAP government. Punjab is among the highest indebted states in terms of debt-GSDP ratio in the country.
Unemployment is another daunting challenge facing the new government. When Congress promised one job per household and undertook registration of unemployed youngsters in the 2017 assembly elections, it was among the key promises that saw the party through. After nearly five years in power, the then chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and state chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, who got these positions six months ago, were announcing employment guarantees ahead of the state polls, a sign that the promise was still unfulfilled.
Like AAP, all the other parties too could be seen luring young voters with promises ranging from job opportunities, guarantees and quotas in government and private sectors.
