Chandigarh: Expressing serious concern over the continuous trend among the Punjabis to settle abroad, Punjab’s Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government for being unable to come up with a master plan to handle the crisis that has been looming large in Punjab.
Senior Congress Leader, Bajwa said that it is not only the young students, who have been inclined to settle abroad, meanwhile the Punjabi business community has also started migrating to many countries like Dubai.
“Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann raised the issue of brain drain on many occasions. He has shown his commitment to stopping the brain drain from Punjab yet not even a single rupee has been earmarked in this and previous budget to chalk out a strategy for the youth. What has he done so far after more than a year into government to stop the brain drain from the state? He must understand that a mere lipservice would not serve the purpose”, Bajwa added.
Bajwa said that some research revealed that Punjabi constituted more than 60 per cent of the migration to Canada. In a statement last year CM Mann said that around 2.75 lakh Punjabi youth might have flown abroad in 2022. With each student, the sum of approximately Rs 18 lakhs goes out of Punjab. These days youth hardly send money back to Punjab. They save the money to buy houses and other fortune and in a couple of years take their parents along.
“It seems that CM Mann delivers statements to suit the occasion as in a convocation last year he said he would stop brain drain from Punjab. Has he prepared a roadmap or allocated a budget in an actual sense for the same? Nobody knows”, Lop added.
Qadian Legislator, Bajwa said that after the launch of the ill-planned operation to nab ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh, the entire Punjab has been turned into a paramilitary cantonment. It creates a sense of fear among peace-loving people. Nakas have been erected at every nook and corner of the state. CM Mann must tell, when would these paramilitary forces leave Punjab? Such an atmosphere of apprehension causes uncertainty among youth.
“Punjab’s economy, which has already been in a serious crisis, would suffer further jolts with the presence of paramilitary forces at Nakas. It leaves a negative impact on the psyche of the general public and business community from other states, who want to visit the state for business purposes. Therefore, for the economic benefits of the state, the paramilitary forces must leave Punjab sooner than later”, Bajwa added.