Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday said Punjab has emerged as a preferred destination for government employment, claiming that even youngsters who had migrated abroad are now returning to the state due to the transparent and merit-based recruitment policy adopted by his government.Addressing a gathering while distributing appointment letters to 665 newly recruited candidates of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in Bathinda, Mann said the state government has provided 68,268 government jobs during the last four-and-a-half years. He asserted that the era of obtaining jobs through recommendations or cash payments had ended and recruitment was now being carried out purely on merit.The Chief Minister urged Punjabis settled overseas to return and contribute to the state’s development. He said the transparent recruitment process had restored confidence among youth and initiated a reverse migration trend. “Now things have changed. A reflection of this change can be seen from the fact that a girl present here today has got three jobs and is among the successful candidates receiving appointment letters. This is a new era. I urge the youth to call their friends and relatives living abroad and tell them not to search for green pastures in foreign lands but to come back to Punjab and get jobs here,” he added.Highlighting the government’s achievements, Mann said, “Punjab has secured the top position in the country in primary and middle-school education due to extensive reforms, including smart classrooms, teacher training and improved infrastructure. The state has surpassed Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi in key education indicators.”Mann also announced that women government employees in group C and D categories would be posted within a 40-km radius of their homes after completing their probation period to help maintain work-life balance and family cohesion.The Chief Minister said the state government was utilising public funds for welfare measures, including improvements in schools, hospitals, roads and power infrastructure. He claimed canal water usage for irrigation had increased from 22 per cent to over 80 per cent, while more than 14,000 km of watercourses and pipelines had been laid across the state.Referring to welfare schemes, Mann said health cards under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna were being issued to all 65 lakh families in the state, providing cashless treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh per family annually.Earlier, some successful candidates hailed the Chief Minister for providing jobs purely on the basis of merit.