Mann ministry

Bhagwant Mann taking oath as Chief Minister of Punjab in March 2022

On 10 March, the election results were announced. The Aam Aadmi Party gained a full majority in the sixteenth Punjab Legislative Assembly by winning 92 seats out of 117 total. The opposition parties are the Indian National Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Shiromani Akali Dal, and the Bahujan Samaj Party.[1]

On 11 March 2022, AAP Punjab convener and MP Bhagwant Mann was elected by the AAP legislative members as their leader in the assembly.[2] Mann took oath as the Chief Minister in the Punjab government in a public ceremony at Khatkar Kalan village on 16 March, when the term of the incumbent Fifteenth Punjab Legislative Assembly expired.[3] 10 cabinet ministers took oath on 19 March at Guru Nanak Dev auditorium of Punjab Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh.[4][5] Eight ministers who took oath were greenhorn (first term) Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA) while two were in their second term.[6]

The cabinet can have at most 18 ministers, but Mann decided to appoint a smaller cabinet. Mann has set targets for every minister to achieve, saying people "can demand that the minister be removed" if the targets are not met.[7]

Even before taking the oath, CM-designate Mann took steps to end VIP culture by meeting with the Director General of Police (DGP). Next day, the DGP in charge of security gave orders to withdraw personnel from 122 former MLAs and ministers. A total of 384 policemen previously on security details for those politicians were transferred back to their parent unit. Mann had stated that the police force was needed for security of the people and not VIPs. As ordered, 21 security personnel, the largest detail in the list, were withdrawn from the service of former transport minister and incumbent MLA Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. Furthermore, 19 personnel were withdrawn from the security of former finance minister Badal, 17 personnel from former education minister Pargat Singh, 16 from former food minister Ashu, and 15 personnel each from former ministers Sangat Singh Gilzian and Randeep Singh Nabha among others. The security of former CMs was continued as they had been provided security on the instructions of the Union Home Ministry.[8][9] AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said Mann "removed the security of old ministers and gave security to the public".[7]

On 19 March 2022, during the first Cabinet meeting, Mann announced his decision to fill 25,000 job openings in various departments of Punjab government. 10,000 of those vacancies were in the Punjab Police.[5]

On 22 March, he announced his decision to regularise the 35,000 employees in the state working on contractual basis through a bill in the assembly. In his announcement, he said: "I don't want these teachers protesting on the roads, I had promised to regularise their services, if we are voted to power and I am fulfilling my promise."[10]

On 30 March 2022, Mann ordered private schools not to hike their school fees in the year 2022. He also forbade schools from forcing the parents to make school-related purchases from exclusive stores. This was done to protect the consumers from imposed monopoly.[11] The District Regulatory Bodies in the state headed by the Deputy Commissioners were asked by Mann to act immediately on complaints made against erring private schools.[12]

On 18 March, the day of Holi festival, Mann announced a compensation of ₹1,010 million (US$13 million) for farmers whose cotton crops were damaged by the pink bollworm.[13] On 6 April 2022, 50% compensation as relief was agreed for crop loss in Muktsar district.[14]

Mann launched an anti-corruption helpline on Martyrs day (Shaheed Diwas) on 23 March. [13] Mann announced that people could use the helpline to share audio or video evidence for such incidents, and promised that action will be taken on the complaints.[15]

Former MLAs in Punjab were getting pension based on the number of terms they had served in the assembly. For one term an MLA would get a monthly pension of ₹75,150 (US$990). With every subsequent term served, an additional 66% of the standard pension amount would be added. Mann ordered that all former MLAs will get only one pension irrespective of the number of terms served.[16]

An alphabetical list of all the departments of Punjab Government with terms :[19]

• 2022 : On 21 March, Bhagwant Mann announced the first appointment of ten ministers to the departments of Punjab state government.[20]