Chandigarh: The Punjab Vidhan Sabha opened its doors to school students on Thursday (October 22), giving them an opportunity to see how the state legislature works and how decisions affecting their lives are made.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann used the interaction with students from Guru Gobind Singh International School, Faridkot, to encourage them to pursue their ambitions and assure them that government jobs in the state should be awarded on merit rather than influence or recommendations.
Students learn how assembly works
The chief minister also informed the students about the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, which provides eligible families with health coverage of up to Rs 10 lakh. “Bills are introduced, debated and passed into law in the Vidhan Sabha, and the state budget is also approved here.
Young citizens must understand how democracy functions, how decisions affecting their lives are made and how public representatives are accountable to the people,” he told the visiting students. During his tenure as a member of Parliament, he said, he had invited students to Parliament so they could observe democratic institutions at work. Mann said that his government wanted young people to have a fair chance of securing public employment through their abilities and hard work. “My government is committed to building a Punjab where young people can fulfil their aspirations through talent and hard work rather than influence or recommendations,” he said. He said that the programme was intended to improve access to treatment and ease the financial burden of medical care. The chief minister said that the government was working to improve access to essential services and the quality of life across Punjab.
Institutions such as the Vidhan Sabha belong to the people. He also recalled his interest in parliamentary proceedings from childhood.
