Has Punjab finally started reversing its decades-old trend of youth migration, or are increasingly restrictive immigration policies in foreign countries forcing youngsters to reconsider their plans? This question has triggered a fresh political confrontation between the Aam Aadmi Party government and the BJP ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Today, they are getting opportunities here and building their future in their own state,” Mann said. Former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Sampla launched a sharp counterattack on Friday, saying that the chief minister was misleading people by linking declining migration to employment opportunities created by his government. The political exchange began after Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann claimed that young people were increasingly choosing to build their future in Punjab instead of migrating abroad in search of better opportunities. The chief minister projected employment generation, improvements in education and investment in public infrastructure as major factors behind the changing trend.
Because of a lack of employment opportunities, but the situation was now changing, addressing a ‘Lok Milni’ programme at Kamalpura village in Ludhiana’s Jagraon constituency on Thursday, Mann said that earlier, youngsters were compelled to leave Punjab. Because they could not find employment in Punjab, earlier, young people were forced to go abroad. Citing his government’s employment record, Mann said more than 70,000 government jobs had been provided on merit and claimed that the demand for passports had declined, indicating a change in the aspirations of Punjab’s youth. “We have provided 70,000 government jobs, and nobody has ever accused us of taking money for recruitment. He also highlighted the transformation of government schools, claiming that 882 students from government schools had cleared NEET this year, compared with just 80 in 2021. Apart from the 70,000 government appointments, he cited the performance of government schools, village development projects and improvements in public services as part of his government’s efforts to create opportunities within the state.
