Chandigarh, August 5 : Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal on Wednesday said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government has ushered in a transformative change in the state’s recruitment system by ensuring that government jobs are provided purely on merit, without money, recommendations or political patronage.
Participating in the discussion on the resolution moved by MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha regarding the State Government’s efforts to provide employment opportunities to the youth, Barinder Kumar Goyal said that the transparent recruitment process has restored the confidence of Punjab’s youth and their families in the government system.
He said, “Before the formation of the Aam Aadmi Party Government in 2022, securing a government job was often perceived as a process dependent on political connections, personal recommendations and financial influence. Families of applicants were compelled to seek support from influential persons or arrange money, while deserving and talented candidates often faced uncertainty regarding their future.”
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The Cabinet Minister said that during the tenure of previous governments, deserving and meritorious youth were often deprived of their rightful opportunities, leaving many of them disheartened and demoralised. However, Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann has transformed the recruitment landscape by creating an environment where government jobs can be secured without paying money or seeking political recommendations.
Barinder Kumar Goyal said that the flawed practices of previous governments had pushed many young people into despair. While the opposition now claims that Punjab’s youth were leaving for foreign countries, the Mann Government has provided them with employment opportunities and encouraged them to build their careers in Punjab.
“We have reversed the growing trend of youth looking abroad for opportunities and motivated them to focus on education and competitive preparation,” he added.
Barinder Kumar Goyal said that soon after assuming office, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann made it clear that the rights of deserving and capable youth would not be compromised to benefit either influential or financially powerful candidates. During its first year, the Mann Government provided 20,000 jobs and has since created employment opportunities for more than 68,000 youth through a transparent and merit-based recruitment process.
“By providing over 68,000 government jobs, the Mann Government has not merely given employment but has also revived the confidence of a generation that had begun to believe that government jobs could not be secured without money or recommendations,” said the Cabinet Minister.
He said that the transparent recruitment policy has encouraged students to focus on education and competitive examinations. The renewed faith in merit has also generated greater interest among students in pursuing quality education in government schools.
Referring to the improved academic performance of government school students, Barinder Kumar Goyal said that 882 students from Punjab government schools have cleared the NEET examination, signalling the growing confidence of students and parents in the state’s public education system.
The Cabinet Minister said that the government’s employment initiatives have also encouraged many young people to pursue careers in Punjab rather than looking abroad for opportunities.
Citing an example from his native village Hamirgarh, the Cabinet Minister said that a young woman who had completed visa formalities and purchased air tickets to go abroad cancelled her travel plans after being selected as a Patwari and is now serving in Punjab.
He said that even those youth who have not yet secured employment have not lost hope or slipped into despair. Instead, they are participating in competitive examinations with renewed determination and the confidence that sincere hard work and merit will secure them employment in the future.
He added that while recruitment-related controversies and paper leaks have undermined the confidence of students at the national level, the Punjab Government has established a transparent and accountable recruitment framework that safeguards the interests of deserving candidates and ensures equal opportunities for all.
The Cabinet Minister said that by dismantling the entrenched culture of favouritism, financial influence and political patronage, the Mann Government has restored the faith of the state’s youth and their parents in the recruitment system. Today, they are confident that government jobs can be secured honestly and purely on merit under the Aam Aadmi Party Government.