Brain drain from Punjab ‘unfortunate’: CM Bhagwant Mann

: Terming the brain drain from Punjab as “unfortunate”, chief minister Bhagwant Mann here on Thursday assured the youth of the state that his government would create opportunities for their better future and no one would have to go abroad for employment, on a day he launched a recruitment drive to fill over 26,000 government posts.

Mann was in Ludhiana to preside over function to mark the 299th birth anniversary of Maharaja Jassa Singh Ramgarhia at the Punjab Agricultural University.

Noting that IELTS centres are mushrooming in the state, Mann said that “even matrimonial ads now ask for girls with 7.5 bands. Punjab is the most fertile land in the world but its unfortunate that the youth are leaving. We have to save the youth from leaving the state.”

He said that due to the lack of willpower in the former leaders, the youth was deprived of government jobs, but his government has issued advertisements for more than 26,000 jobs and many more major decisions would be taken by his government in the coming days for the welfare of the state.

He assured the youth of Punjab that his government would create opportunities for their better future in Punjab and no one would have to go abroad for employment.

Talking about corruption in the state, Mann said leaders of previous governments have been enjoying government facilities for the past many decades despite losing elections.

“Such leaders were still not ready to give up government facilities, including government accommodations, but due to tough decisions being taken by his government, this won’t happen anymore,” he said.

‘Govt will purchase Basmati rice at MSP’

Encouraging farmers to adopt crop diversification and save Punjab’s fast-depleting water, CM Mann said that the government will purchase Moong Daal and Basmati rice at minimum support price (MSP).

Earlier on May 3, Mann had announced that his government will purchase maize, bajra, sunflower and moong crops at MSP. Currently, farmers in the state are getting MSP for only wheat and paddy crops and the government is also purchasing only these two crops. The other crops are being purchased by private traders.

Calling upon the farmers to save the air, water and land of Punjab by getting rid of the traditional crop cycle, Mann said he has been constantly engaged in discussions with agriculture experts for the last several days.

He also appealed to the farmers to sow paddy only during the monsoon season so that groundwater could be saved enormously.