“DIGITAL ELECTION” first step towards a new “DIGITAL PUNJAB”

Chandigarh, Punjab
09 January 2022

“DIGITAL ELECTION” first step towards a new “DIGITAL PUNJAB”

PPCC President kickstart the Digital Campaign, as per EC guidelines, and spoke about unveiling an agenda of Governance reforms primarily through digitisation and making a ‘DIGITAL PUNJAB’.

Being the first to kick start a virtual campaign, PPCC President mentioned that Congress party has already been emphasising on the importance of digitisation & maintaining a virtual interaction with the electorate and highlighted that Punjab Congress has the highest digital footprint amongst other political parties.

After 3-4 days of deflection of frivolous issues created by the NDA Government, PPCC President brought attention back to the real problems of Punjab. In the landscape of last few years, the system has only been supportive of 1% of its population and power has been centralized accordingly. It is forgotten that Panchayat has the power to perform 170 functions and levy 12 different kind of taxes. It is forgotten because Panchayats were never empowered by the state to do so keeping all benefits to themselves.

Speaking on the Punjab Model, PPCC President today in a virtual press conference explained to its people that the Punjab Model is not a personal/self-serving model, it is the model of the people of Punjab. It’s a tailormade solution for the issues prevalent in Punjab which are created after intensive research conducted on the state and its functioning. This model brings the power back in the hands of the people of Punjab for their own prosperity and growth.

The real stakeholders of the Punjab Model are its people and PPCC is soon going to pave the way for the people of Punjab through a “Whatsapp Service” to provide their inputs to the Punjab Model and seek clarifications.

At the Municipal level, no councillor is made aware of the funds collected, tenders granted or bidding process as all is managed and influenced by the MLA. MLA’s real role is to bring beneficial legislation for the state. However, misusing their position and power, the Vidhan Sabha has been reduced to a 2-day affair twice a year which has the first day of obituaries and second day for bills to be tabled and passed with debate and/or application of mind. Further no private members bills are introduced either. Instead bills drafted by bureaucrats and private consultants sitting outside Punjab are passed without deliberation. As long as MLAs personal interests are being met, they are not even aware of the nature of laws being passed.

This tiring journey of dirty politics doesn’t end here. The laws cleared by the cabinet such as the Mining Policy have not been notified till date and there is no reason and explanation for this. Building a capable and accountable state is the key to reducing poverty. Political leaders are the prime drivers, setting the objectives for the governance system. Today Punjab needs a governance reform which translates public issues into policies with poverty reduction strategy.

Further, with no ease of access has been created for basic rights of the people of Punjab such as driving license, birth certificate and death certificate, people have been made to run from pillar to post whereas financial tools such as ATM, Insurance and Banking has been made accessible from home.

Punjab Model to unveil major governance reforms soon. Not only it will bring the constitutional powers back to Panchayats and ULBs, it will also aim to create a “DIGITAL PUNJAB” where over 150 government services, permits and approvals will be made available to people at their doorstep. The revolution is intended to begin with first of kind “Digital Election” which is planned to be held in Punjab and pave the way for digitalization for all other activities moving futher.

The state has miserably failed to remove the middlemen from very primary and basic government services which is the right of people of Punjab and that is what the Punjab Model intends to bring back. The Punjab Model intends to create a democratic process in the state of Punjab which is run by the people of Punjab and for the people of Punjab and by the people of Punjab and power is not centralized in the hands of corrupt politicians.