Mann govt’s half-term over, governance still a challenge
As the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government reaches its midway mark on Monday, completing two-and-a-half years in office, the incumbent party seems to be doing well politically but still has a long way to achieve governance goals.
Though several leaders from the Congress, the BJP and the SAD have joined AAP, the voters, judging the party’s governance model, have not been as enthused.
Achievements in 2.5 years
- Government jobs to 50,000-odd youngsters
- 300 units free power per month to domestic consumers
- Purchase of a private thermal plant at Goindwal Sahib
- Strengthening public health and school infrastructure
- Canal water reaches tail ends and construction of new 150-km Malwa Canal
- Attempts to diversify agriculture by promoting moong
- Incentivising direct seeding of rice to save groundwater
Where party floundered
- Anti-corruption stance has taken a back seat
- Not able to control drug menace
- Unable to secure fresh industrial investment
- No stipend of ~1,000 for women
- Agriculture policy not released so far
- Illegal mining continues to be Achilles heel
In 2022, AAP lost the Sangrur parliamentary bypoll, just two months after a stupendous win on 92 Assembly seats.
The AAP redeemed itself by winning the Jalandhar parliamentary bypoll in 2023 but its candidates faced defeat on 10 of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 General Election. This electoral upset was overcome by winning the Jalandhar West bypoll in July.
From initially floundering in taking clear positions on emotive issues like the Sutlej- Yamuna Link canal (SYL) and losing Punjab’s share in officers in Chandigarh, AAP has now started playing its political cards well. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is slowly moving towards his dream of having 100 MLAs of AAP.
The party’s relationship with the electorate perhaps stems as much from their inability to deliver all they have promised because of running a cash-strapped government, as from a resurgent Congress and a fledgling BJP.
The anti-corruption stance and arrest of former ministers on the charge of graft has been perceived more as a witch-hunt. Though the Mann government has even caught its own leaders on corruption charges, AAP now seems to be going slow on this front.
Before the 2022 Vidhan Sabha poll, AAP promised pie in the sky. The ruling party’s Rs 1,000 stipend scheme for every woman has not been announced, off-budget resource enhancement measures have been taken by increasing taxes, the doorstep delivery of ration has been rolled back and the teerath yatra scheme has not taken off yet.
To make matters worse, the Centre has been withholding funds at a time when AAP inherited huge debt and is more dependent on the Central doles rather than a robust resource mobilisation of its own. This perhaps explains the dire need to increase VAT on retail fuels, hike road tax and bus fares, increase in collector rates, besides rolling back power subsidy given by the previous government.
The promise of a drug-free Punjab, which was viewed by political observers as unattainable, also remains unfulfilled, thanks to a large-scale cross border narcotics smuggling. The party has also not been able to deliver much in terms of getting industrial investment in the state.
Giving credit where it’s due, AAP has provided jobs to 50,000-odd youngsters. Over 80 per cent of the domestic consumers get 300 units a month free power and all agriculture pumpset consumers continue to get free power for eight hours a day. In spite of financial constraints and scoffs by economists, the AAP government has decided to continue with their free power sop. In times of high inflation, this has reduced the burden on a common man.
Attempts to resurrect the public health and education system have also yielded good results, in ensuring affordable healthcare at the Aam Aadmi Clinics and providing better education through the Schools of Eminence. In the past two years, the increase in number of students shifting from private institutes to government schools is a testimonial of improvement in public education sector.
The government has also ensured that canal water reaches the tail ends in south Malwa, after decades. The announcement of a new canal — Malwa Canal — to be built in south Malwa is a move in the right direction. Baby steps have also been taken on policy side to diversify agriculture and stem desertification by promoting direct seeding of rice.
