Jalandhar, June 15: During a convention of the Punjab State Traders Commission in Jalandhar, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal held a joint dialogue with regional shopkeepers and commercial operators to streamline business operations and resolve localized infrastructure bottlenecks. The administration focused on creating a congenial, stable environment for commercial growth. Leaders stated that unlike traditional setups that remain isolated in official chambers, the current governance framework relies on direct public accountability and transparent performance reviews.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann asserted that the trading community serves as the true engine of employment generation in Punjab. He noted that previous political leaderships treated small enterprises merely as sources of tax revenue and political funds while ignoring their operational difficulties. He declared that the old cycle of exploitation has ended, explaining that the government views its relationship with businesses as a partnership rather than utilizing traders as financial instruments. He maintained that opposition groups lack a distinct roadmap for the state, pointing out that their internal leadership disputes prevent them from presenting any viable vision for public growth.
Detailing major policy updates, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann noted that the administration’s sustained agricultural focus has brought canal water coverage up to more than 80 percent of cultivable land, a significant jump from the 22 percent level recorded when they took office. He stated that this shift helped raise depleted groundwater tables across various districts. Additionally, he shared that more than 67,000 transparent, corruption-free state jobs have been given to youth, and the specialized highway patrol units have successfully prevented over 2,700 traffic fatalities. He also mentioned that almost 90 percent of domestic consumer units now benefit from free electrical supply, backed by the recent public acquisition of a private thermal power station to secure long-term energy equity.
Arvind Kejriwal affirmed that the widespread public acceptance witnessed during recent regional events reflects a significant transformation in Punjab’s political history. Reflecting on his own family roots in a small trading village, he noted that standard macroeconomic policies frequently fixate on multi-crore industrial investments while ignoring the basic civic needs of neighborhood shops. The newly organized Punjab State Traders Commission bridges this gap by sending field data from 800 identified markets directly to the executive team for rapid resolution of utility, road, and water issues.
Arvind Kejriwal further stated that systemic administrative extortion has been completely eliminated inside Punjab. He claimed that outside political entities are actively trying to extract funds from regional businesses by utilizing federal enforcement agencies to threaten local firms. He noted that while historical drug networks and gang syndicates were products of older political regimes, the current police forces are actively dismantling these operations. He explained that major cross-border transit routes are being neutralized using specialized anti-drone technology along the international border, while authorities have simultaneously initiated strict crackdowns on illegal financial channels used to transfer illicit funds overseas.
