Aam Aadmi Clinics: Stop opposing pro-people initiatives, Bhagwant Mann tells opposition

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday hit back at rival parties for raising questions about the ‘Aam Aadmi Clinics’ launched by his government, telling them not to oppose the pro-people initiatives just for the sake of opposition.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday hit back at rival parties for raising questions about the ‘Aam Aadmi Clinics’ (AACs) launched by his government, telling them not to oppose the pro-people initiatives just for the sake of opposition.

Mann said that the government’s decision was being opposed by those who were not given any right by people to raise questions. (HT file photp)

Mann, whose government is under fire from the opposition parties for “renaming” the existing health centres into AACs, said that the government’s decision was being opposed by those who were not given any right by people to raise questions. “They say Badal set up these dispensaries. Why are you opposing the clinics in these dispensaries? Does Badal Saab have registry of dispensaries in his name? These were established with public money,” he took a swipe at the Akali Dal while addressing the gathering at a function held here to hand over appointment letters to 188 junior engineers of the public works department. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and Mann launched 400 more AACs on Friday, taking the total to 500. The opposition SAD and Congress have targeted the AAP government for “shutting down” PHCs for mohalla clinics.

The CM said the dispensaries were lying in ruins with stray animals parking themselves there. “If we have constructed two additional rooms, deployed MBBS doctors and provided medicines, have we done something wrong,” he said, replying to the opposition charge. Mann said this will not deter him from working for the growth of the state and he knows how to execute the work for wellbeing of people.

Mann also claimed that the state has set a new record by providing government jobs to 26,074 eligible youth purely on basis on merit. This is just the beginning and more jobs are in pipeline, he added, stating that merit is the sole criteria of recruitment for the government jobs. The CM alleged that successive governments in the state have plundered the wealth of Punjab and his government is duty bound to put the perpetrators of this heinous crime behind the bars. No stone will be left unturned for to punish these culprits of the state who have looted the money from state exchequer, he said. Public works minister Harbhajan Singh ETO and PWD secretary Nilkanth S Avhad were among those present.