Khaira asks Speaker to table private member bill on non-Punjabi residents of state at the earliest

“I am shocked and surprised that the AAP government is purposely delaying the bill on frivolous grounds as there are no financial implications involved in the implementation of this bill as the bill if made a law will only generate revenue for the state and by no means will incure any financial losses,” Khaira wrote.

He added that despite a reminder from Speaker’s office dated September 29, 2023 to the Revenue Department there has been no decision on the said bill.

“The biggest threat and challenge due to non implementation of this bill is the fast changing demographic situation of Punjab. Needless to mention, approximately 80 lakh Punjabi’s have migrated to different parts of world during the last few decades and a very very large chunk of non Punjabi population has settled permanently in Punjab and if this random settlement of non Punjabi population continues at this speed, Punjabi’s and Sikhs will become a minority in their own state in the times to come,” said Khaira.

Giving the recent example of village Jagatpura in Mohali where seven to eight thousand non Punjabi’s have become voters compared to only one thousand Punjabi voters, Khaira said this fast changing demographic situation is threatening the mother tongue Punjabi, as well as culture, heritage, religious and social values of Punjab.

“The unregistered unverified non Punjabi population is also affecting the law and order of our state with a massive increase in crime like the killing of two Punjabi youth in Village Kumbran in Mohali district recently.

In the absence of a law like Himachal Pradesh, most of our government jobs are being taken by non Punjabi youth of Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi etc. creating a sense of more frustration amongst our youth,” Khaira says in his letter.

Khaira said he wants to clarify that no one is against any non Punjabi willing to earn a livelihood in Punjab as they have been doing for the last many decades during the paddy season or other job opportunities. “But if someone want to settle permanently in Punjab, they must fulfil legal conditions like Himachal Pradesh etc. and now even the BJP ruled state of Uttarakhand,” he said.