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Chandigarh · North
Chief Minister
AAP · in office since 2022
Declared figures from the ECI election affidavit (—), via MyNeta/ADR — as declared, not verified. Bars are the original publisher's 0–100 mappings (education mapping; legal: 100 − serious×18 − other×10) — theirs, not ours.
These 0–100 ratings are the original publisher's own, quoted here with their methodology. Audit India computes no score — the same way we carry UNDP's HDI as UNDP's number.
Transparency
48/ 100
the original publisher
Two findings are carried here, both from CAG's performance audit of public health infrastructure (Report No. 4 of 2024), read against the report itself. The score beside this note was assigned by the original publisher on four different findings — for MGNREGS, JJM, NHM and Samagra Shiksha, cited to Reports No. 01-04 of 2025. Punjab's reports at those numbers are on state finances, revenues and public sector enterprises, and none of the figures could be found, so those findings have been withdrawn. Read the score as that publisher's opinion, not as a count of what is shown here.
Officials' Legal Integrity
100/ 100
the original publisher
10 unique officials counted (Governor excluded): CM Bhagwant Mann, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Harpal Singh Cheema, Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Laljit Singh Bhullar, Dr. Balbir Singh, Harjot Singh Bains, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, Bram Shankar Jimpa — all with 0 declared criminal cases → 100. Average: (100×10) ÷ 10 = 100. AAP's Punjab cabinet entered office in March 2022 as a clean-sweep government with no alliance partners. All 10 ministers declare 0 criminal cases in their ECI affidavits — the only state among the 11 reviewed with a perfect integrity score. AAP's founding platform of anti-corruption is reflected in the affidavit profile, though real-time accountability depends on conduct in office, not just declared case history. Computed by the original publisher from 2022 affidavits. Since then the cabinet has changed: industries minister Sanjeev Arora was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in May 2026 in a money-laundering case linked to alleged GST fraud, and his portfolios were redistributed. A declared-case count taken from nomination papers does not track what happens in office.
Governance
56/ 100
the original publisher
Composite: indicators avg (49/100) × 50% + Transparency (48/100) × 25% + Integrity (100/100) × 25% = 24.5 + 12 + 25 = 61.5; adjusted down to 56 to reflect: (1) Punjab's drug crisis — 16 lakh opioid users, the highest per-capita in India — represents a 30-year governance failure that the AAP government has not reversed in 3 years, despite the De-addiction campaign; (2) stubble burning governance failure — Punjab burns 15-20 million tonnes of paddy stubble annually (October-November), making it the primary cause of Delhi's worst winter AQI spikes, despite judicial orders, satellite monitoring and ₹1,200 crore in ex-situ management subsidies; (3) groundwater depletion at 0.82 m/year — Punjab is consuming its most critical agricultural resource at an unsustainable rate that no state government has reversed since the Green Revolution.
The 0–100 rings are the original publisher's category scores, in their colour bands — theirs, not ours.
These statistics were carried over from the original publisher, which produced them with a language model rather than compiling them from the publications named beside them. We removed 38 whose figures were absent from the source they credit, and confirmed 45 against theirs. The rest name a publication we have not been able to check them against — read them as the original publisher's figures, not as verified fact.
Figures below are as declared by each individual in their own ECI or Rajya Sabha affidavit. We report them; we do not score them. The small bars under education are the original publisher's 0–100 mapping of the declared qualification — their construct, not a measurement of ours.
| Name | Office | Party · since | Declared cases | Declared qualification | Affidavit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSBhagwant Singh Mann | Chief Minister | | — | — | — |
| GCGulab Chand Kataria | Governor | — | — | — | — |
| KSKultar Singh Sandhwan | Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha | | 4 | Graduate Professional | 2022 |
| HSHarpal Singh Cheema | Minister for Finance, Excise & Taxation | | 1 | Graduate Professional | 2022 |
| GSGurmeet Singh Khudian | Minister for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Animal Husbandry, Food Processing | | 0 | 12th Pass | 2022 |
| LSLaljit Singh Bhullar | Minister for Transport | | 3 | 12th Pass | 2022 |
| DBDr. Balbir Singh | Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Medical Education | | 2 | Post Graduate | 2022 |
| HSHarjot Singh Bains | Minister for Jails, Legal & Legislative Affairs, Mines & Geology, Tourism, Local Government | | 0 | Graduate Professional | 2022 |
| TSTarunpreet Singh Sond | Minister for Power | | 1 | 12th Pass | 2022 |
| BSBram Shankar Jimpa | Minister for Revenue, Water Resources, Water Supply & Sanitation | | — | — | — |
Findings from CAG audit reports on schemes as they ran in this state, quoted with their report references. We add no grade of our own.
Public Health Infrastructure and Health Services — Punjab
Half of Punjab's public health system is unstaffed. Of 68,949 sanctioned posts, 34,949 — 50.69 per cent — were vacant. Vacancies ran to 59.19 per cent under the Director of Medical Education and Research, which covers the medical colleges at Amritsar, Faridkot, Patiala and SAS Nagar. In the health department the average was 49.22 per cent, ranging from 29.14 per cent in Pathankot to 62.3 per cent in Hoshiarpur.
What the audit measured
Doctor shortages ranged from 12.40 per cent in Pathankot to 58.58 per cent in Faridkot; ANM shortages from 19.23 per cent in Moga to 97.19 per cent in Amritsar, while Fazilka had 40 per cent more ANMs than sanctioned. Sanctioned posts do not track population: one doctor is sanctioned per 2,377 people in Rupnagar and per 7,376 in Moga. Audit recorded specialist, medical officer, nursing and paramedical shortages in every district hospital, community health centre and primary health centre in the state.
Health Spending and Regulation of Private Clinics — Punjab
Punjab spent 3.11 per cent of its total expenditure and 0.68 per cent of GSDP on health in 2021-22, against the National Health Policy 2017 targets of more than eight per cent of the budget and 2.50 per cent of GSDP. Between 6.5 and 20.74 per cent of the health budget allotted was left unspent. Public money also sat outside the government account — ₹76.81 crore under the Chief Minister's cancer relief fund and ₹4.92 crore with the Punjab Nirogi Society as of March 2022.
What the audit measured
Punjab adopted the Clinical Establishments Act only in October 2020 — ten years after the Union law of 2010 — and had still not framed rules under it. Unlike the central Act, the state law does not require private clinics of up to 50 beds to register at all, so minimum standards cannot be enforced in them. Health facilities were found operating without valid authorisation under the Bio-Medical Waste rules, most filed no annual returns, and most gave their health workers no training in waste handling.
The promises and their delivery status come from the original publisher and are their assessment, not ours. They cite a party's homepage rather than a manifesto, so what was promised cannot be checked from the citation given. Audit India has verified neither the wording nor the status.
Where a CAG finding is quoted below, its figures have been checked against the report cited. Thirty-seven were withdrawn because the report they named does not exist or is a search page.
300 units free electricity per month to every Punjab household
300-unit free electricity scheme launched July 2022 within months of taking office. 74 lakh domestic connections benefit; GoP subsidy to PSPCL ~₹7,200 crore/year. PSPCL's accumulated losses (~₹80,000 crore) are a long-term financial concern. Implementation was swift and popular.
1 lakh government jobs in Punjab within 1 year
AAP recruited approximately 25,000 government posts by 2025 (teachers, police constables, health workers). The 1 lakh target in 1 year was never feasible; timeline later revised to "per term". PPSC teacher recruitment (9,059 posts), Punjab Police constable recruitment (1,746 posts) and health worker drives completed. Well below the original 1-year target.
Mohalla clinics in every ward; free medicines and tests for all Punjab residents
Aam Aadmi Clinics: 852 clinics inaugurated by July 2023 across Punjab — ahead of the 75-clinic initial target. Free medicines and 43 types of diagnostic tests offered. However only ~30-40% are fully operational with steady doctor attendance; rural clinics face staffing shortages. Urban clinics more successful.
Schools of Eminence: transform 117 government schools to world-class model
16 Schools of Eminence (Phase 1) inaugurated February 2023; Phase 2 (additional schools) underway. Schools feature improved infrastructure, vocational labs, English-medium instruction option, and upgraded teacher training. Student enrolment in government schools increased 2.3 lakh in 2022-23. AAP considers this its education flagship in Punjab.
Anti-corruption helpline and regular review of corrupt officials
AAP government launched an anti-corruption helpline (1076) and CM Anti-Corruption Helpline. By 2024 ~95 government officials suspended or charged. However Punjab continues to rank poorly on NCRB bribery/corruption complaints. Entrenched police-politician nexus in land and drug cases remains a persistent governance challenge.
End Punjab's drug epidemic through STF crackdown, de-addiction centres and border sealing
AAP created a strengthened Narcotics Crime Unit (NCU) and boosted the Special Task Force (STF). Drug seizures rose sharply: heroin seized jumped from ~500 kg (2020-21) to 1,800+ kg (2022-23) — the highest ever by Punjab Police. 632 Outpatient Addiction Treatment (OAT) centres operational. However supply continues via the Pakistan border and Nepal route; street-level drug availability remains high. AIIMS Amritsar data show synthetic opioid (tramadol, pharmaceutical) addiction now exceeding traditional heroin in many districts — a new crisis not addressed in the 2022 manifesto framework.
Ensure MSP for wheat and paddy; compensation for crop losses; resolve farmer debt crisis
Punjab procures the highest share of India's central wheat pool — 132 lakh MT in 2024-25 — and MSP operations are robust. Paddy diversification (replacing water-intensive paddy with maize/dal) was promised but only ~4 lakh acres converted vs a 15 lakh acre target. Paddy stubble burning — 35,000+ fires annually — continues despite compensation schemes. AAP's ₹1,500/quintal paddy bonus above MSP announced for 2022 Kharif but the fiscal crunch delayed full disbursement for ~8 lakh farmers.
Regularise contract workers in government departments and give equal pay for equal work
AAP regularised approximately 36,000 contract employees in government departments (teachers, anganwadi workers, health workers, linemen). However ~1.3 lakh contract/daily-wage workers in various departments remain pending regularisation. Equal pay norms not uniformly applied; guest teachers and Sewa Kendras staff stage periodic protests.
Halt Punjab's debt spiral; renegotiate power purchase agreements and reduce fiscal deficit
Punjab inherited ₹2.82 lakh crore total liabilities from the INC term — the worst fiscal position of any non-special-category state. AAP promised fiscal consolidation but total debt rose to ₹3.27 lakh crore by 2024-25 (15.8% increase). PSPCL subsidy burden (~₹9,500 crore/year including free power and 300-unit AAP scheme) is the single largest fiscal stress.
CAG's State Finances Audit Report for 2022-23 puts Punjab's total outstanding liabilities at ₹3,14,220.73 crore as on 31 March 2023 — and finds that figure understated by a further ₹3,525.92 crore, mainly ₹3,243.48 crore of off-budget borrowing left unaccounted. The revenue deficit rose from ₹18,468 crore to ₹26,045 crore in one year, and the fiscal deficit from ₹27,847 crore to ₹33,930 crore. Only ₹6,667 crore — 7 per cent of total borrowings — went to capital account; the rest funded current consumption and repayment.
Complete farm loan waiver up to ₹2 lakh for all Punjab farmers within 3 months
Congress announced partial farm loan waiver: ₹2 lakh for small/marginal farmers and landless agriculture labourers — costing ~₹8,000 crore (far less than the ~₹36,000 crore required for all farmers). Cooperative loan defaults handled separately; large farmer loans excluded. Farmers' unions staged protests (2020-21 Delhi protests) citing inadequate relief.
Eradicate drug menace from Punjab within 4 weeks of taking office
The "4-week" promise became one of India's most famously broken state-level pledges. Drug seizures increased (heroin: 467 kg in 2019) but addiction rates remained high. Punjab police arrested drug peddlers but supply continued via Pakistan border. State treatment capacity (37,000 OAT centres) improved but demand far exceeded capacity. Amarinder Singh later called it his biggest regret.
Ghar Ghar Rozgar: guaranteed employment to one member of every household
Ghar Ghar Rozgar Yojana launched 2017; job fairs held (5.8 lakh youth registered). However "guaranteed" employment was interpreted as placement assistance rather than formal guarantee. Actual job placements in private sector: ~1.4 lakh (2017-22). Government recruitment continued but at pre-existing pace. No systemic structural change to Punjab's unemployment rate.
Deliver justice in 2015 Bargari Guru Granth Sahib sacrilege cases within 6 months
The 2015 Bargari sacrilege — torn pages of the Guru Granth Sahib strewn on roads, followed by police firing on protesters killing 2 — was Punjab's most politically charged unsettled grievance when Congress took power. Captain Amarinder promised fast-track justice within 6 months. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was reconstituted; however zero convictions were delivered in the 5-year Congress term. Cases remained in court in 2022 when Congress lost power. The sacrilege issue directly contributed to the Sikh community's disillusionment with Congress and AAP's landslide.
Renegotiate costly PSPCL power purchase agreements and arrest Punjab's debt spiral
Punjab's PSPCL had signed expensive 25-year Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with private producers under earlier governments; Congress promised renegotiation. No PPAs were renegotiated during the 2017-22 term. Punjab's total debt rose from ₹1.96 lakh crore (March 2017) to ₹2.82 lakh crore (March 2022) — a ₹86,000 crore increase in 5 years — the largest 5-year absolute increase in Punjab's fiscal history. Free power to agriculture (8 hours/day, ~₹6,500 crore/year) was continued and expanded rather than rationalised.
CAG's State Finances Audit Report records a revenue deficit in every year of the period — ₹13,135 crore in 2018-19 rising to ₹26,045 crore in 2022-23, or 3.87 per cent of GSDP. Committed and inflexible expenditure together took 72 per cent of revenue expenditure in 2022-23. No audited figure on power purchase agreement tariffs is carried here.
Solve paddy stubble burning — compensate farmers and provide alternative crop machinery
Paddy stubble (parali) burning — which causes Delhi's worst winter air quality crises — was on the Congress manifesto as a problem requiring urgent resolution. Congress provided Happy Seeder and super-straw management machines at subsidy, reaching ~1.5 lakh machines by 2022. However total stubble-burning events barely declined: 83,002 fires in 2020, 71,304 in 2021, 49,922 in 2022 (improvement in last year partly due to wet weather). The structural problem — insufficient compensation and paddy monoculture incentives from MSP — was not addressed during the term.
Attract ₹50,000 crore investment through Punjab Investors' Summit; create 5 lakh industrial jobs in 5 years
The Congress government held its Invest Punjab Summit in October 2019 (Mohali) — MoUs signed totalling ₹54,000 crore (matching the target on paper). However actualisation of MoUs into real investment is typically 20-30% in Indian state summits. Punjab Industries Ministry estimated ₹12,000-14,000 crore actually invested by 2022, creating ~60,000 formal jobs. Punjab's MSME sector (1.5 lakh units, employing 25 lakh) — which dominates Ludhiana (hosiery, bicycle), Jalandhar (sports goods) and Amritsar (textiles) — did not receive the promised interest subvention (MSME credit at 4% cap, promised in the manifesto, was never implemented). COVID severely impacted the investment trajectory — many MoU parties withdrew 2020-21. DPIIT Ease of Doing Business ranking: Punjab #18 (2020) → #11 (2022) — marginal improvement.
Establish School of Eminence in every district; create a Sports University at Patiala
School of Eminence: Congress established 23 Schools of Eminence (one per district — using upgraded government schools with English medium, smart classrooms, broadband and better teacher selection). By 2021, all 23 were functional with 48,000 students. Academic results: Class 12 board results from SoE schools averaged 78% vs 64% for regular government schools. Patiala Sports University: approved and campus development started (25 acres at Punjabi University Patiala campus) — foundation stone laid 2021. The project was ultimately completed and operational by 2023 under the AAP government (which renamed it differently). The School of Eminence concept was the Congress 2017-22 term's most cited education achievement — continued by AAP under the "Aam Aadmi School" brand.
Ensure one-third of shamlat (common village land) for Dalits; Dalit youth scholarship and skill programme
Punjab has 31.9% SC population — India's highest SC share among major states. The one-third of shamlat (common Panchayat village land) reservation for SCs under the Punjab Village Common Land Regulation Act is a decades-old provision consistently subverted by village elites who grab SC allotments. The Congress government conducted 4,200 shamlat regularisation drives (2017-22) — restoring 8,400 acres to SC communities across 3,400 villages. However the drives were inconsistent — 60% of restored land was re-encroached within 2 years. Dalit scholarship: ₹1,200/month to 2.8 lakh SC students; coaching at Ambedkar Bhawans. Dr. Ambedkar Fellowships (PhD level, ₹25,000/month) — 400 fellows selected. SC atrocity cases: prosecution rate remained low at 14% during the term. The Bargari sacrilege failure also damaged the Congress government's credibility with Sikh Dalits (who constitute a distinct identity within Punjab's SC community).
Set up NRI Sabha and dedicated NRI police stations; fast-track property and matrimonial fraud cases against NRI Punjabis
Punjab has India's largest NRI community — 35 lakh+ Punjabis abroad (Canada 7 lakh+, UK 6 lakh+, USA 5 lakh+, Australia, Italy, Germany). NRI investment in Punjab real estate is estimated at ₹8,000-10,000 crore/year — making NRI-related land fraud one of the state's most significant legal problems. Congress established: (1) NRI Sabha: an advisory body for Non-Resident Indians (quarterly meetings, CM chairs); (2) NRI Police Stations: 8 dedicated stations across Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana (districts with highest NRI origin); the stations handled 3,200 cases (2017-22) including 1,800 matrimonial fraud and 1,400 land fraud complaints. Conviction rate in NRI cases: 8% — the extremely low rate due to accused being abroad, international evidence collection hurdles and slow courts. The AAP government expanded NRI grievance cells and created an online portal — building on the Congress foundation.
Launch Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana: ₹5 lakh/year health cover for all poor Punjab families; upgrade 10 district hospitals to teaching standards
Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana (Sarbat = 'all/everyone' in Punjabi) — launched August 2019 — became one of Punjab's most impactful welfare schemes. SSBY provides ₹5 lakh annual cashless hospitalisation to all Blue, Yellow or White ration card families + construction workers, journalists, ASHA/ANM workers and street vendors — totalling 43 lakh families (76% of Punjab's population). By mid-2026: 55 lakh families enrolled (including AAP expansion), 32 lakh treatments (₹14,800 crore total claims). SSBY integrates with the Ayushman Bharat network — beneficiaries can access 1,600+ empanelled hospitals. District hospital upgrades: 6 of 10 upgraded by 2022 (Fatehgarh Sahib, Mansa, Kapurthala added new NICU, ICU, blood bank).
Smart Villages Campaign: pucca roads, LED streetlights, WiFi and sanitation to all 12,000 Punjab villages by 2022
The Congress government launched the Smart Villages Campaign (SVC) in 2018 — a ₹5,000 crore, 3-year plan for all 12,000 Punjab villages. Four components: (1) Pucca link roads: 6,200 km constructed (target 8,000 km); (2) LED streetlights: 4.8 lakh poles installed across 11,200 villages (93% coverage — SVC's most successfully delivered component); (3) WiFi: 1,400 village hotspots under BharatNet Phase 2; (4) ODF (Open Defecation Free): Punjab certified ODF by September 2019 — 22 lakh household toilets constructed under Swachh Bharat Mission. WiFi gap: BharatNet optical fibre reached 10,200 of 12,000 villages but last-mile hot spot usage was 18% of potential users. The AAP government continued SVC, adding "Mohalla Clinic" rural health as a fifth component.
1 CAG reports