Punjab: Anti Corruption Day – These 10 decisions prove that Mann government is the most honest in Punjab – Keep an eye on every movement of the media world.

Punjab News: The campaign against corruption launched by the government of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is not only changing the picture of the state but is also setting a new example for the entire country. Since coming to power, the Mann government has taken many big and revolutionary steps to root out corruption, which have brought positive changes in the lives of the common people. Statistics also confirm that Punjab is moving forward rapidly in this new era of transparency and accountability. Today the people of Punjab are saying with open heart that ‘this is the government they needed, which works for us and does not loot us. We are mentioning the 10 most revolutionary steps taken by the Punjab Government, in which the first and most important step is the launch of anti-corruption helpline number 9501200200, which was launched on 23 March 2022, on the martyrdom day of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. Describing it as his ‘personal WhatsApp number’, the Chief Minister had said that if any officer asks for bribe, then do not refuse, but make a video or audio of it and send it to this number. This bold initiative was inspired by the Delhi model and today this helpline has become the biggest weapon of the people against corruption in Punjab. Thousands of complaints have been registered through this helpline and action has been taken against dozens of corrupt officials.

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The second major step is the launch of ‘Easy Registry’ portal, which has brought about a paradigm shift in the process of property registration. Under this scheme launched in November 2024, citizens can now register property at any sub-registrar office in their district and the entire process is completed in 48 hours. Chief Minister Mann said that for decades, property registration was considered a complex and time-consuming process, which was rife with bribery. Now sale deed can be prepared online for just Rs 500 and real time updates are received through WhatsApp. This is the first initiative of its kind in India bringing transparency in property registration. The third important step is the consolidation and complete digitization of land records. Punjab government has made property records available online through jamabandi.punjab.gov.in portal. Citizens can now get their documents at home for a nominal fee of just Rs 20. Earlier, there was a network of brokers and corrupt officials in the Revenue Department, where bribes had to be paid for every small and big work. Now that all work is done online, the scope for bribery has ended. Special helpline numbers 8184900002 for Revenue Department and 9464100168 for NRIs have also been issued.

The fourth major step is the implementation of ‘Aap Di Sarkar, Aap De Dwar’ and ‘Bhagwant Maan Sarkar Tuhade Dwar’ schemes. Under the scheme launched in February 2024, more than 11,600 camps were organized across Punjab, where 44 important government services like residential certificate, caste certificate, income certificate, birth-death certificate, pension, labor registration etc. were made available in every village, mohalla and mohalla. The Chief Minister said, “Now people will not have to visit government offices. Government officials will provide services at people’s doorsteps.” Four camps are organized daily in every tehsil, where important officers like SDM, Tehsildar, DSSO, DFSO, SHO are present. The fifth step is the establishment of the Chief Minister Window (CM Window), which will be launched in all districts in June 2024. This is an unprecedented initiative that ensures direct communication between citizens and the government. The Chief Minister has held the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and SSPs directly accountable and made it clear that they will be directly responsible for any incident of corruption or negligence occurring within their jurisdiction. “Administrative processes will have to be closely monitored and any misconduct will have to be taken immediately,” the Chief Minister warned. This approach reflects the government’s strictness against corruption.

The sixth important step is to strengthen the Punjab Vigilance Bureau and provide it autonomy. The Vigilance Bureau has taken action in dozens of major corruption cases in 2024. In September 2024, an ASI was caught red-handed taking a bribe, in August 2024, a cooperative inspector was arrested for taking a bribe of Rs 15,000, a PSPCL junior engineer was caught for taking a bribe of Rs 11,500 through Google Pay, a police inspector was arrested for taking a bribe of Rs 6 lakh, and the land acquisition agency of the Jalandhar Improvement Trust A retired PCS officer was arrested in a scam involving Rs 5.49 crore. These actions are creating fear among corrupt officials. The seventh major step is Doorstep Delivery Service (DSD), which was launched in December 2023 under the name ‘Bhagwant Maan Sarkar Tuhade Dwar’. Under this scheme, citizens can take an appointment as per their convenience by calling number 1076 and get 43 important government services at their home. This scheme is an important step towards simplifying Government to Citizen (G2C) services. The Chief Minister said, “We want that people should not have to wait for hours in government offices. Now the government will reach their homes.” Lakhs of people have benefited from this scheme.

The eighth step is strict enforcement of the Punjab Anti Red Tape Act 2021 and Punjab Anti Red Tape Rules 2022. Under these rules, provisions have been made to eliminate unnecessary red tape and delays in government departments. Now a fixed time limit has been fixed for all services and if any officer delays the work without valid reason, disciplinary action is taken against him. This law is proving effective in preventing unnecessary delays and corruption. The ninth important step is strict adherence to e-procurement and e-tendering systems. Punjab Government has made online tendering mandatory in all departments, which has brought transparency in the tender process. Earlier manual tendering was rife with rampant corruption, collusion between contractors and officials, and work being awarded at exorbitant rates. Now the online process ensures accountability at every stage and eligible contractors from any corner of the country can bid. The tenth and most effective step is to take strict action against the police and officials who are in collusion with drug smugglers. The Mann government has made it clear that policemen taking bribes and colluding with the drug mafia will not be spared. The effect of this strictness has been that there is an atmosphere of fear among corrupt officials and they now shy away from openly demanding bribes.

The impact of these ten big steps is clearly visible in the revenue of Punjab. Punjab government got revenue of Rs 440.92 crore from land and property registration in August 2024, which is 26 percent more than Rs 349.26 crore in August 2023. This increase is proof that the reduction in corruption has not only brought relief to the public but has also increased the government treasury. Earlier, middlemen and corrupt officials used to grab the money, now that money is going into the government treasury. The people of Punjab are very happy with these initiatives of the Mann government. Balwinder Singh, a farmer from Ludhiana, says, “Earlier, I had to pay bribe to the Patwari to get the Jamabandi released. Now I get it online from my mobile while sitting at home. This government is really honest.” Sukhwinder Kaur, a female social worker from Jalandhar, says, “Aap Di Sarkar, Aap De Dwar Yojana has given great relief to the poor women of the village. Now they do not have to make rounds of the tehsil. The officials themselves come to the village and prepare pension and other certificates.” Experts believe that these steps taken by the Mann government will give far-reaching results. Dr. Amarjit Singh, Professor, Department of Political Science, Punjab University, says, “Making government services transparent and accessible using technology is a revolutionary step. It not only stops corruption but also increases public confidence in the government. The Mann government has proved that corruption can be eliminated if there is political will.”

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These initiatives of the Mann government have become a topic of discussion not only in Punjab but also in other states of the country. Many states have expressed their desire to adopt the Punjab model. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said, “Our dream is that Punjab should become a corruption-free state. The ten big steps we have taken are in this direction. We promise the public that whoever indulges in corruption will not be spared.” He further said, “Punjab has to be made real Punjab, not London, Paris or California, where honesty and hard work are valued.” The Mann government has also made it clear that this campaign is not being run with a motive of political vendetta, but in public interest. The Chief Minister said, “I do not have a red diary like the old governments, only a green diary. We will not take revenge from anyone, but whoever loots the people and treasury of Punjab will have to answer for his sins.” This statement gives great hope to the public that the Mann government is really serious against corruption.

The Punjab government is now planning to further strengthen the anti-corruption campaign. Soon more government services will be brought online and the digital payment system will be further strengthened. According to sources associated with the Chief Minister’s Office, a new mobile app will be launched, through which citizens will be able to directly register their complaints and get real-time tracking of them. Apart from this, camera surveillance and digital attendance system is also being implemented in all departments, so that accountability of officers can be fixed. The anti-corruption campaign launched by the Mann government in Punjab is a historic initiative, which will prove important in the coming times in making Punjab the most transparent and corruption-free state of the country. Through ten big steps, the Mann government has proved that if there is willpower, proper use of technology, and taking the public along, then the evil like corruption can be rooted out. Today the people of Punjab can proudly say that “This government is for us, at our doorstep, at our service.”