JALANDHAR: While government jobs have turned into a distant aspiration for the youth in most parts of the country, Punjab under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has scripted a record that stands apart. The distribution of appointment letters to 1,746 police constables at the PAP Ground here on Sunday was not just a ceremonial event but a reflection of a sustained administrative push that has delivered 63,027 government jobs in less than four years, averaging nearly 45 appointments every single day since March 16, 2022.

The scale of recruitment, particularly in a state grappling with unemployment, migration and social challenges, marks a decisive shift from sporadic job announcements to measurable outcomes. Of the newly appointed constables, 1,261 belong to the district cadre and 485 to the armed cadre, strengthening the operational backbone of the Punjab Police at a time when the state faces mounting threats from drug trafficking, cyber crime and organised gangs.

Addressing the recruits, the Chief Minister underlined that these appointments were not acts of generosity but the rightful claim of deserving youth. He said it was a matter of pride that some candidates had secured more than one government job during the tenure of the present government, which, according to him, reflected both the scale of opportunities and the credibility of the recruitment process. The emphasis, he maintained, was on merit and transparency, with selections made strictly through competitive examinations.

Mann asserted that empowering youth through government employment has been the core agenda of his government from its very first day. The induction of 1,746 constables takes the total recruitment in Punjab Police to 10,264 in the last four years across various ranks, a figure that significantly bolsters manpower in a force that guards a sensitive border state. He recalled the historical role of Punjab Police in safeguarding national unity and maintaining internal peace, stating that the sacrifices of its personnel had ensured Punjab’s reputation as a peaceful state despite repeated security challenges.

At the same time, he acknowledged that Punjab continues to remain vulnerable due to its geographical location. He warned that hostile forces across the border persist in attempts to destabilise the state by misleading the youth and reviving the dark phase of terrorism. These designs, he said, would be thwarted with determination and vigilance.

The Chief Minister placed special emphasis on the fight against drugs, describing it as a war against “drug terrorism”. He said the police were the frontline warriors in the “Yudh Nashean Virudh” campaign, under which drug traffickers are being jailed and properties created from drug money are being demolished. With the launch of the second phase of the campaign, he asserted that the government’s resolve to eradicate the drug menace had only intensified. He stressed that modern policing demanded constant upgradation in investigation techniques, scientific tools and technology.

He pointed to the deployment of the “Baz Aankh” anti-drone system in Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Amritsar as a significant step to curb cross-border smuggling of drugs, arms and explosives, calling Punjab the first state in the country to operationalise such a mechanism. On the cyber front, he said Punjab’s State Cyber Crime Wing winning the Excellence Award-2025 at the Digital Evidence Summit in New Delhi was recognition of the state’s growing capacity to deal with emerging digital threats.

Mann also referred to the government’s crackdown on organised crime, stating that a decisive war was underway against gangsters who pose a grave danger to social stability. He added that the creation of the Sadak Surakhya Force had already begun yielding results, with a reported 48 per cent reduction in road accident casualties, an initiative that has drawn appreciation from the Government of India.

Congratulating the new recruits, he urged them to serve with integrity, discipline and a sense of public duty, reminding them that their role was not limited to law enforcement but extended to ensuring justice, addressing public grievances and protecting the vulnerable. The message was clear: the government’s employment drive was not merely about numbers, but about building institutions capable of defending Punjab against its most pressing social and security challenges.