According to the data released for the year 2023-2024, India has exported goods worth 16 billion U.S. dollars to China and imported goods worth 101 billion U.S. dollars, resulting in a trade deficit of 85 billion U.S. dollars with China. At the same time, discussions regarding Indo-China relations are taking place with great intensity.
With Bhagwant Mann claiming that the Aam Aadmi Party Government has fulfilled all its pre-poll promises, citing over 65,000 government jobs, free power for nearly 90% of households, and 800+ Aam Aadmi Clinics, Punjab still continues to face persistent issues like drug abuse, youth migration, unemployment and law & order concerns that remain widely discussed on the ground. If the report card shows “all promises fulfilled” with impressive numbers and schemes, then why do problems like drugs, jobs, and migration still dominate everyday conversations in Punjab, is this a story of complete governance, or just a perfectly presented progress report ?
जब भगवंत मान यह दावा करते हैं कि आम आदमी पार्टी सरकार ने अपने सभी चुनावी वादे पूरे कर लिए हैं, 65,000 से अधिक सरकारी नौकरियों, लगभग 90% घरों को मुफ्त बिजली और 800+ आम आदमी क्लीनिक जैसी उपलब्धियों का हवाला देते हुए, तब भी पंजाब में नशा, बेरोज़गारी, युवाओं का पलायन और कानून-व्यवस्था जैसे मुद्दे ज़मीनी स्तर पर चर्चा में बने हुए हैं। अगर रिपोर्ट कार्ड “सभी वादे पूरे” दिखाता है, तो फिर ये समस्याएँ अब भी लोगों की रोज़मर्रा की बातचीत का हिस्सा क्यों हैं ? क्या यह पूरी तरह सफल शासन की कहानी है या एक बेहतरीन तरीके से पेश की गई प्रगति रिपोर्ट ?
Government of Punjab has relaxed several eligibility rules for ration cards, raising the income limit from ₹1.8 Lakhs to ₹8 Lakhs and removing earlier conditions related to land ownership, house size and even possession of four-wheelers or air conditioners. With nearly 47.5 Lakhs beneficiaries already under the scheme, the changes could significantly expand the number of households eligible for subsidised ration. At a time when governments are also trying to target welfare benefits toward the most economically vulnerable, does such a wide expansion of eligibility raise a broader question about whether welfare schemes are being redesigned for social support or gradually turning into universal political giveaways ?
