Captain Amarinder Singh

The year 2017 was momentous for Punjab, whose people voted for a much-needed political change. Today, as I look back at the year gone by, I recall that moment when, on March 11, I received the people’s mandate to lead the state into the future. There was, of course, a lot of anger in that mandate against the previous regime. More importantly, however, there was much hope and optimism, as the people of Punjab welcomed the Congress government with open arms to bring them out of the debris of ruin into which they had been plunged over the previous decade.To say that I felt humbled by this mandate would be an understatement. I, and I am sure every other member of our party, was truly overwhelmed as we took on the onerous responsibility which the people had handed over to us. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)It took us some time to come to terms with the harsh realities facing us, and as we started unravelling the depth of the havoc which the erstwhile government had wreaked on our beloved state, we realised that the task before us was daunting to the extreme. We had the option of sitting and crying, and spending the next one year blaming the Akali-BJP leadership for what they had done to the state, or getting down to fulfilling our poll promises one by one. We chose the latter.Nine months is hardly any time to judge the success or failure of a government elected for five years, especially considering the mess we have inherited on every front. Yet, we have managed to not only implement many of our key election promises but, in fact, have set the ball rolling for the others. It is not my intention here to list out all the work we have done in this short period of time. But it does give me pleasure to share some of the promised tasks we have successfully executed.  And let me clarify that I am doing so, not because I want to brag about our achievements but, more importantly, to put an end to the Opposition’s campaign to mislead the people of the state with their blatant deceits and falsehoods.Let me begin by talking about the crop loan waiver issue, which the Opposition has been trying to use as a missile to fire at my government at every opportunity. Frankly, we could have easily taken refuge in the stark reality of empty coffers to push back the implementation of this promise, which has a huge financial implication. We chose not to do that, as we realised the gravity of the problems faced by the farmers, as a result of the lopsided policies of the previous government. A few days from now, I will be formally launching the farm debt waiver scheme, which will eventually go on to benefit 10.25 lakh of the worst-hit farmers in the state. This will be in addition to all the other steps we have taken for the welfare of the farming community, including abolition of kurki, take-over of loans of farmers who committed suicide, and hike in kharaba compensation from Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000 per acre.  And, of course, you are all aware of the unprecedented hassle-free procurement of wheat and rice, which has helped bring some semblance of security back into the lives of our beleaguered farmers.Moving now to another critical promise of my government, the new industrial policy, complete with power subsidy and an end to the free reign of the transport unions, is already a reality. And it has started showing tangible results by bringing in substantial investment and business to the state, which had been witnessing large-scale closure of industries over the past 10 years. From contributing to the state’s economic development, to generating the much-needed employment for our youth, I see this policy yielding excellent results in the new year, and ahead.Drugs is another issue on which, notwithstanding the Opposition’s attempts to project the contrary, our accomplishment on the ground is self-evident. For those who do not believe in numbers (though there are enough numbers to show that our efforts to destroy the drugs mafia have resulted in resounding success), I would like to point to the virtual non-availability of drugs in the open market to show that we have, well and truly, succeeded in breaking the backbone of the drugs mafia. Some of the big fish might have managed to evade arrest so far, but the day is not far when they would land in the police net, and meet the fate that is inevitable, considering the seriousness of their crime.An important aspect of our accomplishments so far, which definitely requires mention here, is the various social welfare initiatives that have paved the way for the upliftment of the underprivileged sections of the society. Hike in social security pension and financial assistance under the Ashirwad scheme, besides increase in reservation for OBCs in educational institutions and for SCs in all government schemes, are some of the measures we have implemented on this count. Women empowerment, rural and urban infrastructure development, in addition to improvement in education and health welfare, have also been high on our implementation agenda.From improved law and order, to decline in the cases of sacrilege, the overall enrichment in the lives of the people of Punjab is not something that even the most pessimist can easily deny. It was my promise to bring to book those responsible for victimisation of innocent people through false cases, and the process is well under way. As mentioned earlier, this is not a comprehensive list. But this should suffice to show the commitment with which we have embarked on our journey to bring Punjab’s development and growth back on track. The beginning has been made, and made well. And as they say, well begun is half done. The momentum has been set for the next four-plus years that we still have to go. And, if need be, I am quite prepared to take on the mantle of Punjab’s governance again after the end of this term to ensure that the state is not thrown back on the path of regression from which it has just started to recover. My promises are sacrosanct, and I will stand by them, whatever it takes for me and my government.Finally, Happy New Year, my Punjabi brethren. May it bring peace, happiness and prosperity in your lives.(The writer is the Chief Minister of Punjab)