Milpitas(California)/Chandigarh— The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) has called upon Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to place a comprehensive and independently verifiable record before the people of Punjab on two of the most serious issues facing the state: the Government’s claimed success in eliminating the illegal drug trade and its performance in employing Punjab’s unemployed youth.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, NAPA Executive Director Satnam Singh Chahal demanded that the Punjab Government issue two detailed White Papers containing verifiable facts, figures and measurable outcomes rather than relying primarily on political announcements and publicity campaigns.
Chahal said that the drug crisis cannot be declared solved through slogans, advertisements or press conferences. If the Punjab Government believes that its campaign has produced substantial results, it should have no hesitation in publishing a complete record showing the extent to which the illegal drug trade has actually been reduced.
“The people of Punjab deserve to know the results of the Government’s much-publicised war against drugs. They have the right to know how many trafficking networks have been dismantled, how much illegal narcotics have been seized, how many cases have resulted in convictions, how the financial networks of drug traffickers have been targeted and whether drug availability has actually declined at the grassroots level,” Chahal said.
NAPA also demanded complete transparency regarding drug rehabilitation. The organisation said that merely arresting suspected offenders or seizing narcotics cannot constitute a comprehensive anti-drug policy. The Government must also disclose how many people have received treatment, how many have completed rehabilitation and what long-term mechanisms are available to prevent relapse and reintegrate recovering individuals into society.
On employment, Chahal said Punjab’s young people deserve an equally transparent account of the Government’s record.
“Every announcement of a recruitment drive should not automatically be presented as a job created. There is a fundamental difference between announcing vacancies, conducting recruitment, issuing appointment letters and actually providing a stable livelihood,” he said.
NAPA has therefore demanded that the Government publish year-wise and department-wise figures showing the number of jobs actually filled, the number of permanent and contractual appointments, vacancies advertised, recruitments completed, appointments pending and employment generated through Government-supported private-sector and skill-development initiatives.
Chahal said that the continuing desire of many young Punjabis to leave the state and seek opportunities abroad should be treated as a serious warning signal.
“Punjab’s youth should not be forced to believe that their only path to a secure future is through migration. The Government must create an environment in which educated and skilled young Punjabis can build their careers and families in Punjab itself,” he said.
NAPA stressed that its demand is not politically partisan. The organisation said that whoever governs Punjab must be prepared to face public scrutiny and demonstrate its performance through independently verifiable evidence.
“We are not asking the Punjab Government for slogans. We are asking for numbers. We are not asking for advertisements. We are asking for evidence. We are not asking for political claims. We are asking for a public record that the people can examine and judge for themselves,” Chahal said.
NAPA urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to place both White Papers before the Punjab Legislative Assembly and make them publicly available so that citizens, journalists, researchers and civil society organisations can examine the Government’s performance.
According to Chahal, the issues of drugs and unemployment are too important to be reduced to political arguments.
“Punjab needs accountability, not propaganda; measurable outcomes, not announcements; and a clear record of performance, not competing political claims. If the Government has achieved what it says it has achieved, the White Papers will provide an opportunity to demonstrate those achievements before the people. If there are shortcomings, the same transparency will help identify where corrective action is required,” he said.
NAPA said it would continue to seek greater transparency and accountability on matters affecting the future of Punjab, particularly those involving the state’s youth, public finances, employment, law and order and social welfare.