Immediate challenges for new government in Punjab
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
Aam Aadmi Party has received an overwhelming mandate in the just concluded assembly elections in Punjab.
Now, Punjab is the first full state where AAP is going to rule for the next five years. Earlier, AAP has a government in Delhi where it has limited area of operations as major departments, administration; police etc comes under the central government.
With just three weeks left in the financial year closing, the new government is going to face a lot of challenges.
The first major challenge is the excise policy. Normally, by this time the government announces its next year excise policy. But, as the new government is formed in the state, they may bring in the reforms in the new excise policy, as the Kejriwal always said that he will end the excise mafia in the state, whenever they form a government.
Now, all eyes will be on the new excise policy of the state as that may be the first any policy of the Bhagwant Mann’s government. Moreover, the excise department officials are in dilemma as they may be asked to frame a new excise policy, in such a short period of time and they have to auction the vends, all in three weeks.
Another major challenge of this fiscal year is that number of government employees are going to retire on March 31,2022. A handsome amount is needed to disburse the retirement benefits to them.
The next upcoming challenge is the food procurement in the next month. This is one of the major challenges for the Bhagwant Mann’s government as April month is a month of wheat procurement and the financial help is given by the central govt.
Other major challenge for the Bhagwant Mann is who will represent Punjab in the upper house, who will be nominated as AAP’s candidates into Rajya Sabha.
The next in the pipeline the interim budget of the state as the state is reeling under around 3 lacs crore debt and they have to opt the revenue generation avenues to increase the coffers of the government.
Bhagwant Mann is going to face an uphill task in managing Centre-State relations, as Punjab is a border state, having different kind of problems due to long international border with Pakistan.
All eyes will be on the newly formed Bhagwant Mann led AAP govt to what they will do to control sand mafia, transport mafia, liquor mafia, cable mafia, drug menace etc in the coming days and they are going to be the major challenges for the government.
Another issue is about the controversy created by the BBMB where they tweaked the appointment criteria due to which Punjab is going to lose its representation in the board.
March 10,2022
