On the first day of the Budget Session, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators questioned their own government on several issues during the Question Hour in the Assembly.
AAP MLA from Mohali, Kulwant Singh, raised a concern with Labour Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond about the minimum wages of safai workers. Singh asked whether the government plans to increase their wages, citing inflation and the fact that safai workers have the shortest life expectancy among employees. Singh also complained about receiving the answer to his question only an hour before the session, which made it difficult for him to prepare follow-up questions. In response, Sond said that the government is considering raising the minimum wages. He explained that wage adjustments are made twice a year based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), with the next increase due on March 1, 2025. Sond also mentioned that the base rate of minimum wages, which was last revised in 2012, would be adjusted this year, making 2025 the new base year.
In another issue, AAP MLA Naresh Kataria raised the delay in the construction of a bypass in Makhu. PWD Minister Harbhajan Singh assured that the project would begin after the MLA’s return to his constituency, but Kataria pointed out that the necessary funds had not yet been released.
Gurdit Singh, another AAP MLA, asked the Transport Minister about the backlog of vehicle registrations and licenses in Faridkot. The minister revealed that there were hundreds of pending cases for registration certificates and driving licenses, due to a shortage of printing materials.
Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon questioned the Water Resources Minister about the width of drains in his constituency, to which the minister defended the situation, saying state machines would clean the drains.
Sarvjit Kaur Manuke raised concerns about buses stopping outside Jagraon bus station under the flyover, asking Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar to visit the site. Bhullar responded that action was being taken and he had spoken to the general manager, but Manuke insisted that Bhullar accompany her to Jagraon to see the issue firsthand.
Lastly, Devinderjeet Singh Laddi Dhose asked about the completion of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s canal water project for villages, stating that only 15 percent of drains in his constituency had been cleared. Water Resources Minister Barinder Singh Goyal explained that the government is working on rationalizing canal water distribution, ensuring that areas with higher groundwater extraction receive canal water as a priority.
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