Punjab, once hailed as India’s food basket and a land of proud farmers, is today drowning in corruption, scams, and exploitation. Successive governments have promised to uproot mafias and provide clean governance, but instead, they have only polished old scams and created new ones. From financial mismanagement to sexual abuse cases, from Delhi’s overreach in Punjab’s governance to the growing anger of local youth being deprived of jobs, the state has become a victim of failed leadership.
The controversial Charhdikala Fund (2022–present) remains one of the biggest question marks of the current government. Launched with the promise of helping Punjabis, it is kept outside the purview of RTI, much like the PM CARES Fund. Critics argue that it is controlled not by Punjab’s leaders but by Arvind Kejriwal’s trusted team from Delhi. Questions continue: why create a new fund when Punjab already has a Chief Minister’s Relief Fund? Opposition parties and civil groups allege that this fund serves political and personal interests of a few, not the welfare of Punjab’s people.
The illegal sand mining scam has also plagued Punjab. Under the Congress government (2017–2022), multiple MLAs and even ministers were accused of being part of the sand mafia. In 2021, Enforcement Directorate raids exposed massive illegal operations in districts like Jalandhar, Mohali, and Hoshiarpur. Even under the current AAP regime, the sand mafia continues to flourish. Trucks carry sand across Punjab without invoices, robbing the state of revenue worth hundreds of crores. Ordinary people pay inflated rates for construction material while politicians and contractors grow richer.
The liquor policy scam has hit Punjab in the same way it shook Delhi. In 2022, Delhi’s excise policy landed AAP leaders in jail, and soon after, Punjab’s liquor trade also saw similar allegations. Opposition leaders claim that Punjab’s excise policy was framed on Delhi’s model, directly benefiting select private players close to the party. Shopkeepers complain of monopolies, and the treasury suffers while cartels profit.
The transport mafia continues to dominate Punjab. From the Akali Dal era, when companies linked to the Badal family were accused of monopolizing bus routes, to the present day, very little has changed. Local transporters and small operators find themselves sidelined, while political connections decide who controls profitable routes. This has left public transport in poor shape, with ordinary commuters suffering.
The recruitment scam of 2022–2023 exposed how even government jobs are up for sale. In several cases, arrests were made when bribes were taken from job seekers for posts in the police and education departments. The Punjab and Haryana High Court itself raised questions on irregularities in recruitment exams. Such scams destroy the hopes of thousands of deserving candidates. To make matters worse, a growing trend shows that many government jobs in Punjab are being given to outsiders from other states, while local Punjabis are ignored. This has created widespread resentment among the state’s youth, who are already struggling with unemployment and forced migration.
The rot is not only financial but also moral. Punjab has witnessed sexual abuse scandals involving people with political connections. For example, in 2021–22, several shocking cases came to light in schools, colleges, and workplaces, where accused individuals allegedly had political backing. Victims were often silenced instead of receiving justice. Such incidents show the moral collapse within sections of Punjab’s leadership, where power is used not for service but for exploitation.
Adding to this crisis is the shocking reality that all Punjab Ministers and MLAs are reportedly directly reporting their work to the Delhi AAP team. This practice, critics argue, is not only humiliating for Punjab but also illegal and a breach of state secrecy. Constitutionally, Ministers and MLAs are accountable to Punjab’s people and its Assembly, not to an external leadership sitting in Delhi. By bypassing Punjab’s institutions, this arrangement has reduced the state government to a satellite unit of Delhi’s political command. Many citizens feel that Punjab has lost its independence in decision-making, and leaders rejected in Delhi are now dictating Punjab’s future from outside.
All these scams and abuses — whether sand, liquor, transport, recruitment, misuse of funds, or sexual exploitation — add up to a pattern of betrayal. Civil society activists, journalists, and opposition leaders who expose corruption often face harassment, FIRs, or intimidation. Meanwhile, the common people — farmers battling debt, youth searching for jobs, women seeking safety — continue to suffer silently.
Punjab today stands at a tipping point. Unless the state takes bold steps to eliminate mafias, bring transparency in governance, prioritize locals in jobs, and free itself from Delhi’s remote control, the situation will only worsen. The people of Punjab deserve a government that serves them, not one that sells resources, jobs, and dignity for political or personal gains. Only genuine leadership, free of corruption, can restore Punjab’s lost glory and put it back on the path of prosperity and respect.