Reiterating the commitment of the state government to eliminate gangster culture from the state, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday announced plans to introduce comprehensive law and order reforms in the state.
Winding up the discussion on the Governor's address at the floor of Punjab Vidhan Sabha, the Chief Minister said that the state government is duty bound to curb gangster activities in the state. He said that the need of the hour is to bring comprehensive law and order reforms. He said that the state government will soon introduce witness protection bill and modify jails of state into high security jails.
The Chief Minister said that the state Government has already set up an Anti-Gangster Task Force headed by an ADGP Rank officer. He said that this task force has been directed to adopt zero tolerance towards gangsters and work without any fear and prejudice adding that the force is being equipped with advanced facilities and resources for this purpose. Mann said that STF in coordination with district police, Intelligence wing, BSF, NCB and other agencies is launching need based operations to check cross border smuggling of narcotics and weapons.
The Chief Minister, while highlighting the achievements of the state government so far and laying down the roadmap for future, said that delivering these dreams will not be a smooth task and there will be challenges at every step as they will be tested on this mission l. But, Mann said that he is confident that they will pass every test with flying colors. Soliciting support and cooperation of all members of the house across party lines, he said that they should work tirelessly to rebuild the Punjab of our Dreams.
He said that the state government is committed for maintaining law and order in the state at every cost, adding that a peaceful atmosphere will always prevail in the state and severest of severe action will be taken against anyone trying to disturb the hard earned peace of the state. Mann said that his government is according top most priority to maintain peace and prosperity in state.
Announcing a war against drugs, he said that Police has been directed not to spare anyone conniving with the Drug Mafia. He said that SSPs/CPs have been asked to work in close coordination with STF to catch big sharks involved in the supply of Drugs adding that every Police officer will be held accountable for laxity in dealing with the drug menace within their jurisdiction. Bhagwant Mann also said that the state government has increased the number of OOAT clinics from 280 to 500 to ensure ease of accessibility of treatment to recovering drug addicts.
Referring to the emergency imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Mann termed it as a ''big blot'' on India's democracy lambasting it as a period when people's voice was suppressed. He mentioned the emergency during his address in the state Assembly, winding up the discussion on the governor's address, on the day the special powers measure completed its 47th year since it was first imposed in the country.
“....Today, there was such a day in India's history, which was a big blot on India's democracy. On this day in 1975, Emergency was imposed in the country when people's voice was suppressed,” he said.
As Mann began his address, Congress members started to protest over not being given adequate time to speak and staged a walkout. “Call it a coincidence, those who muzzled people's voice then, their own voices cannot be heard here today,” he said. The Emergency was imposed by Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister, for a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977, when the fundamental rights of the people were put under strict curbs.
During his hour-long address, Mann announced bringing of comprehensive law and order reforms as he reiterated his will to eliminate gangster culture from the state.
As the Congress members started to protest over not being given adequate time to speak, the Speaker said that the opposition members had in fact been given more time to speak during discussion on the governor's address. Alleging that they were being short-changed, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and other Congress members rushed to the well of the house, while the Chief Minister was on his legs, before marching out.
As they were staging a walkout, Mann quipped “Congress' problem is that people don't listen to them outside and over here they don't want to listen.” The CM, meanwhile, said that the Special Task Force in coordination with district police, Intelligence wing, BSF, Narcotics Control Bureau and other agencies is launching need-based operations to check cross-border smuggling of narcotics and weapons.
Thanking the people of Punjab for giving a big mandate to AAP in the Assembly polls, he said, “Let us ensure this revolution of change and good governance reaches every household and every person of Punjab.'' Discussing the law and order, for which the AAP government has come under fire from the opposition parties, the Chief Minister said that the state government is committed to maintaining law and order at every cost.
Having capped the pension to one term for former MLAS, Mann said a bill in this regard will be brought in the ongoing budget session of the assembly. The CM had last month announced that former MLAs will now get pension for only one term, doing away with the earlier practice of drawing the benefit for each term served by them, Mann said, “corruption-free governance is at the core of the ethos of our government, which has been duly proved in its actions in the last 100 days”.
He said that an anti-corruption helpline was launched within the first few days of his government’s formation, with 29 cases so far been registered and 47 arrests made.