Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Saturday dared Opposition leaders, including Congress's Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Shiromani Akali Dal's Bikram Majithia, to take the Punjabi language exam and clear with 45 per cent marks and said they would be given a month's preparation time Mann, who was speaking after handing over appointment letters to 560 Punjab Police sub-inspectors, said 95 per cent of the elected youngsters are domiciles of the state and have cleared the Punjabi language exam on merit. Alleging that the previous dispensations never bothered to provide jobs on merit and that favouritism was prevalent and bribes had to be given to secure employment, Mann said his government has ensured that only eligible and deserving candidates are recruited on the basis of merit. The chief minister claimed the appointment of these sub-inspectors was delayed by two years due to the "apathy" of previous dispensations and said it is a matter of pride that his government has provided more than 35,000 jobs to youngsters in various departments. He said merit and transparency have been the twin pillars on the basis of which jobs are being provided to the state's youngsters. While stating that 95 per cent of the newly-appointed S-Is are from Punjab, Mann said that the remaining youngsters “too are Punjabi but have addresses in Haryana and Rajasthan”. The chief minister further announced that his government will soon embark on a major drive to recruit 1,700 constables. “The Opposition leaders are upset because they cannot digest the smile on the faces of the youngsters who have got jobs,” Mann said. However, in a post on X, senior Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira said, "Dear Bhagwant Mann, six out of seven sub-inspectors of only Mansa district recruited by your government are from Haryana and then you want Punjab youths not to go to other countries?" Mann, meanwhile, took a dig at previous dispensations for "rampant corruption" during their tenures. Taking on state Congress chief and former transport minister Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, the AAP leader alleged that he had "minted money illegally by installing bodies of buses from Rajasthan". The details of this "scam" will be shared in the coming days to prove how Punjab's money was plundered, he said adding that he can never think of using public money for personal use. In an apparent dig at Majithia, Mann said he does not require any certificate from those whose ancestors had felicitated the perpetrators of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre regarding his love for Punjab and Punjabis. Daring Warring and Majithia to clear the Punjabi language test with 45 per cent marks, he said the leaders who pursued schooling from Sanawar and Doon schools can’t clear this exam. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that he had remained with former Finance Minister Manpreet Badal and he used to read Punjabi newspaper for the BJP leader as he was not well versed with it. He also took on former finance minister and BJP leader Manpreet Singh Badal, and claimed that he (Mann) used to read Punjabi newspapers for him as he was not well versed with the language. Every minute, the Punjab government is working tirelessly for the comprehensive development of the state and the prosperity of its people, Mann said. Speaking about the Punjab Police, Mann said the force has a glorious legacy of serving the state with hard work, dedication and commitment. The Punjab government has raised the Sadak Surakhya Force (Road Safety Force) to check road accident fatalities and streamline traffic. This first-of-its-kind specialised force will be pivotal to saving lives. The force will be entrusted with checking rash driving and streamlining vehicular traffic, he said. Initially, 144 vehicles equipped with modern gadgets will be deployed at every 30 kilometres to man the roads. The vehicles will also have a complete medical kit for emergency treatment to people in need, Mann said.
