Bathinda, June 23
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday said that the state’s transparent recruitment policy is encouraging young people to return from abroad, reversing a long-standing trend of migration in search of better opportunities. Speaking while distributing appointment letters to 665 newly recruited employees of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in Bathinda, Mann said his government has provided more than 68,000 government jobs over the past four-and-a-half years based solely on merit.
For many Punjabi families, migration has long been viewed as a pathway to a better future. But Mann claimed that growing trust in the state’s recruitment system is now persuading some young people to return home and build their careers in Punjab.
He said the government had ended the culture of bribery, political recommendations and favouritism that previously surrounded public sector recruitment. “Government jobs are now being awarded purely on merit,” the chief minister said, adding that not a single appointment made through the current recruitment process has been challenged in court.
Mann urged Punjabis living overseas to consider returning to the state, assuring them that employment opportunities and development initiatives are creating a more promising future for young people.
Highlighting the government’s focus on education, he said Punjab has emerged as the country’s top-performing state in school education, citing recent assessments that placed it ahead of states such as Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi.
The chief minister attributed the improvement to reforms including smart classrooms, teacher training programmes and upgraded school infrastructure.
In a move aimed at supporting government employees, particularly women, Mann announced that female staff would be posted within a 40-kilometre radius of their homes after completing their probation period, helping them maintain a better work-life balance.
Addressing the newly recruited candidates, the Chief Minister urged them to remain humble and use their positions to serve society, especially disadvantaged communities.
“Success should not make you forget your roots,” he said.Mann also highlighted several welfare initiatives undertaken by his government, including improvements in irrigation infrastructure, expanded healthcare coverage under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna and uninterrupted daytime electricity supply for farmers.
He said Punjab’s development agenda is focused on ensuring that public resources are used for the benefit of ordinary citizens through better schools, healthcare facilities, roads and public services.
Several newly appointed candidates thanked the government for providing employment opportunities through what they described as a transparent and merit-based selection process.
