AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday asked the people of Punjab to "have some patience", asserting that all "guarantees" announced by the party ahead of the assembly elections would be fulfilled.
Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched 400 more 'Aam Aadmi' clinics in the state, calling the event here the fulfilment of another 'Kejriwal ki guarantee'.
These clinics take the total number of neighbourhood health centres in Punjab to 500 with Kejriwal saying he was happy to note that the government managed the feat in just 10 months.
"I am happy to say that Bhagwant Mann has fulfilled one more 'Kejriwal ki guarantee (Kejriwal's guarantee)'," the AAP chief said while referring to the party's promises made to the people of Punjab in the run up to the 2022 assembly elections.
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The Delhi chief minister also blamed the previous regimes in Punjab for "destroying" the system in the last 70 years.
In his address to the gathering, Mann said the state government had set the wheels in motion and that the massive work being done in healthcare, education and employment would bear fruits soon.
The clinics already in operation are offering 41 health packages with nearly 100 free clinical tests, he said.
Nearly 10.26 lakh people have got free treatment at these health centres since August, Mann said, adding that 1.24 lakh patients underwent free clinical tests.
The opposition parties, however, described the opening of the clinics as a "publicity stunt", saying it was a classic case of serving old wine in new bottles as the government was only renaming existing facilities.
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Earlier in the day, Kejriwal hit out at the opposition parties and alleged that before the 2022 assembly elections, politics in Punjab was in the grip of a few families that were hand-in-glove with each other.
"These families looted Punjab," he alleged.
"The expectations you formed the AAP government with, I think the foundation of 'rangla Punjab' (vibrant Punjab) is being laid and the work for people's welfare is going on," he said.
Sharpening his attack on previous regimes in Punjab, Kejriwal asserted, "...in the last 70 years, these people created a mess in the system and they left no effort in destroying the system.
"Therefore, have some patience. There are several guarantees of Kejriwal and I am giving one more guarantee that all the guarantees will be fulfilled in five years. But have some patience."
He went on to add, "I can understand that you have huge expectations from us. We will live up to that and complete all works."
Referring to the promise of free electricity up to 300 units per month, Kejriwal said, "We had promised to make electricity free and we did that."
Ahead of last February's assembly elections, the AAP had made a string of 'guarantees' (poll promises), including free power up to 300 units and transferring Rs 1,000 per month into the bank accounts of every woman.
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The guarantee of Rs 1,000 to every woman, however, is yet to be fulfilled.
On corruption, Kejriwal said the Mann government was taking strict action and added, "Whosoever indulges in corruption will go to jail. Even if our minister or MLA indulges in corruption, he will not be spared."
Kejriwal added that he was told that the government has regularised 15,000 contractual employees.
"It (regularisation) is taking time because we do not want to do anything in haste that can lead to litigation," he said slamming the previous governments for politicising the issue.
Kejriwal said 26,000 government jobs had been provided in just the past 10 months and called it a "big thing".
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On the education front, the Mann dispensation is sending 36 government school principals to Singapore for training, the Delhi chief minister added.
"We are changing the education system like we did in Delhi. It will take time as schools are not set right overnight. We will give the best infrastructure to schools," he said.
Punjab will also begin doorstep delivery of government services along the lines of Delhi, Kejriwal said, adding that this move would create around 6,000 jobs.
Besides, ration will be delivered to beneficiaries' homes, a move that will create another 3,000 to 4,000 jobs, he said.
Kejriwal also heaped praise on Mann for the work being undertaken by his regime. The AAP wants to give the best model of governance in every field, not only in the country but the world, he said.
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"We did a lot of work in Delhi in education, health and roads, etc. But they (the Centre) did not allow us to carry out many works," said Kejriwal.
"But what good work we did in Delhi and also the works that we were not allowed to do will also be done in Punjab. We will make Punjab the number one state of the world in every sphere," he said.
On law and order, Kejriwal accused previous regimes of giving political patronage to criminals. The Mann government has given free hand to the police to take strict action against criminals.
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"When we took over the government, the state's law and order was pathetic. There were gangsters all around. All of them had political patronage," he alleged.
Referring to the 2022 elections when the AAP won 92 of the 117 seats, Kejriwal said, "I feel that 2022 will be seen as a turning point in the history of Punjab's politics."
Kejriwal's claims about the mohalla clinics, however, were quickly rebutted by the opposition parties. The Congress' Punjab unit chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said the AAP-led government was only renaming the already existing facilities as its purpose was more to gain "political mileage" than provide healthcare to the people.
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In a statement, Warring asked why these clinics were named Aam Aadmi clinics and featured the chief minister's photograph instead of "government clinics".
"Who is paying for it, the government or the AAP?" he asked while asserting that these clinics should be renamed.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia said Kejriwal had said in 2019 that the AAP did not believe in changing names but making lives better.
"However, in Punjab, the party is doing the opposite. It first turned 100 Seva Kendra buildings into mohalla clinics. Now, it has turned 500 primary health centre buildings into 'Aam Aadmi' clinics," he said.
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The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in Amritsar accused the AAP government of changing the name of Panj Piara health centres here.
The SGPC's executive committee also passed a resolution condemning it.
SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami said on the 300th anniversary of 'Khalsa Sajna Diwas', five health centres were established by the Akali government here in the name of 'Panj Piaras (five beloved ones)' that were changed to Aam Aadmi clinics by the AAP government.
He called it an insult to memorials of the Sikh community.
-With PTI Input
